Louis Tillett (13 March 1959 – 6 August 2023)

 

Australian rock singer Louis Tillett, known for his musical prowess and collaborations, passed

away on August 13, 2023 at the age of 64 after a battle with a serious illness, leaving behind a rich legacy. Tillett's legacy endures through the mark he left on the Australian music scene and the inspiration he offers to those who appreciate his artistry. His journey stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
                    

Despite grappling with these health challenges, Tillett's artistic spirit remained undeterred. He

continued to inspire through his dedication to music and his remarkable accomplishments. His passing marks the culmination of a life that encompassed both musical triumphs and personal hardships.
                    

One of Sydney’s most gifted and exceptional songwriters, nominated by the NFSA - National Film and Sound Archive of Australia as a “Priority Heritage Artist”, Louis Tillett provided a distinctive and

influential presence on the Australian underground music scene throughout the late 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s, leading groups like Wet Taxis, Paris Green and the Aspersion Caste. His impressive career has seen him be invited to collaborate with Leonard Cohen and Brian Eno, he has worked with Charlie Owen, Ed Kuepper, Tex Perkins, Don Walker and Brett Myers. Nick Cave called him “a pioneer that has been an inspiration to many of us”. Often the subject of urban music myth, his live and recorded performances have inspired and informed such artists as Kurt Cobain, The Flaming Lips and The White Stripes.
                              

Louis Rohan Tillett (13 March 1959 – 6 August 2023) was an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, keyboardist and saxophonist. Tillett was the front man in Australian bands The Wet Taxis, Paris Green and The Aspersion Caste. He also worked as a backing musician with Catfish, Laughing

Clowns, New Christs and Tex Perkins. After working with members of Died Pretty and Catfish, Tillett led the band The Aspersion Castle. In 2000, he was the subject of the documentary A Night At Sea With Louis Tillett. As a solo artist, he issued seven albums, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell (1987), A Cast of Aspersions (1990), Letters to a Dream (1992), Cry Against the Faith (1998), Learning to Die (2001), The Hanged Man (2005) and Soliloquy (2006). He often worked with Charlie Owen, releasing two albums, The Ugly Truth (1994) and Midnight Rain (October 1995). The latter album won the Rolling Stone Critics Award for Best Album of 1996.
                 

In June 1993 Tillett (on piano, Hammond organ, vocals and percussion) and Owen (on guitar and

percussion) recorded an album, The Ugly Truth, with Owen producing.[10] It was released in 1994 on Return to Sender/Normal Records. The pair released a second album together, Midnight Rain, in October 1995, which was produced by Tony Cohen.
                 

For that album Tillett provided lead vocals, piano, Hammond organ, Roland synthesiser and soprano

saxophone. The pair toured in support of the album. Midnight Rain won the Rolling Stone Critics Award for Best Album of 1996. Later that year Tillett and Owen joined Tex Perkins' backing band on a promotional tour for the latter's debut solo album, Far Be It from Me (August 1996).
              

CHARLES OWEN

             

Charles Lothian Lloyd "Charlie" Owen is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and producer. He

has been a member of The New Christs (1987–90), Louis Tillett and His Cast of Aspersions (1990), Tex, Don and Charlie (1993–95, 2005–06), Tendrils (1994–99) and Beasts of Bourbon (1996–97, 2003). His solo album, Vertigo and Other Phobias, was released in 1994 on Red Eye/Polydor.
                 

Owen has produced albums by The Plunderers, Louis Tillett (both solo and in a duo with Owen), Tex

Perkins, and Penny Ikinger. As a session player, he has appeared on albums by Tony Buck, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Robert Forster, Spencer P. Jones, The Cruel Sea, Steve Prestwich, Conway Savage and Don Walker.
             

In May 2012 Australian Guitar magazine listed Owen in the Top 40 of Australia's best guitarists.

LOUIS TILLETT & CHARLES OWEN - THE UGLY TRUTH 1993
    

Louis Tillett & Charlie Owen – The Ugly Truth
Label: Return To Sender – RTS 5
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition
Country: Germany
Released: 1993
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Acoustic, Folk Rock

TRACKS

              

01. Trip To Kalu-Ki-Bar
02. Sailor's Dream
03. Wilt
04. Swimming In The Mirror  (Organ [Hammond] – Charlie Owen)
05. The Rational One
06. From Me To You
07. One Kind Favour
08. The Ugly Truth
09. Liferaft
10. Condemned To Live
11. Ode To A Falling Star

NOTES

Recorded At – Atlantis Studios, Melbourn
Engineer – David McCluney
Guitar, Percussion – Charlie Owen
Piano, Vocals, Organ [Hammond], Percussion – Louis Tillett
Producer – Charlie Owen

MP3 @ 320 Size: 111 MB
Flac  Size: 261 MB

LOUIS TILLETT - EGO TRIPPING AT THE GATES OF HELL 1987
              

Louis Tillett – Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell
Label: Citadel – CGAS 802 CD, Citadel – CITCD 509, Citadel – RTD CD5-802
Format: CD, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Folk Rock, Alternative Rock

    

TRACKS

                 

01. Trip To Kalu-ki-bar    4:08
02. Duet In Blue Minor    5:24
03. Swimming In The Mirror    3:16
04. Dream Well    4:52
05. Voluntary Slavery    3:16
06. On Your Way Down    2:58
07. Persephone's Dance    3:35
08. Dead End Street In The Lucky Country    7:00

MP3 @ 320 Size: 83 MB
Flac  Size: 209 MB

Louis Tillett on Urban Aspirines HERE