The Sports were one of Australia's most innovative and successful pop bands in the late 70s/early 80s. But by the end of 1981 they were warring with their record company and on the verge of splitting up. They recorded a 10" concept mini-LP called The Sports Play Dylan (and Donovan) as a "fuck you" to Mushroom. It proved to be their swan song.

The Sports Play Dylan (and Donovan) was a bold idea in 1981. As far as critics, the public and Mushroom Records were concerned both Bob Dylan and Donovan were outdated and obsolete. Dylan had confounded everyone by turning Christian while Donovan was little more than a cosmic joke. The idea of devoting an album to their old songs seemed crazy and irrelevant.

The band knew it was going to be the last recording. A host of songs were rehearsed over two days and belted out the next day at AAV Studios in Melbourne. Frontman Stephen Cummings says the feeling was 'let's get it over with and get our three hundred dollars'. See, that was the deal we came up with Mushroom,' he explains. "We weren't to receive royalties, just $300 bucks each in cash in brown paper bags. That was how we got to do the record. We were all exhausted and weary rock musicians by then and this seemed like the most uncommercial thing we could do at the time."

Led by Cummings and guitarist Andrew Pendlebury, the Sports found almost instant success when they released their debut album Reckless in 1978. Three albums followed Don't Throw Stones (1979), Suddenly (1980) and Sondra (1981) and the band hit the charts with 'Who Listens to the Radio?', 'Taxi Rank', and 'Strangers on a Train' among others. By 1981 the lineup consisted of Cummings, Pendlebury, original bassist Rob Glover, ex-Skyhook Fred Strauks on drums and guitarist Martin Armiger.

"From memory I think it was my idea to do Dylan (and Donovan)," Cummings says. "However, I was heavily influenced by a friend in Sydney, Paul Worstead. Paul has come to fame over the last ten years for his designs for Mambo, which include the bong, the thong and the sprinkler etc. Paul is also the person responsible for naming 'Mental As Anything'. He went to East Sydney Art school with Reg Mombassa.

"You must remember that Bob Dylan, Neil Young and especially Donovan were regarded as jokes by serious rock critics/ public at this moment in history. I think the (Neil Young) Godfather of Punk business actually came a little later in the second wave of punk. Captain Beefheart and Leonard Cohen are two other artists who were ridiculed at that time, but later came to be lionised."

In that climate Mushroom wanted nothing to do with a covers concept album - especially one dealing with irrelevant dinosaurs like Dylan and Donovan.

"I actually wanted to do 12 songs but Mister Gudinski wouldn't let us," Cummings explains. "We recorded the whole thing so quickly I can't really remember our intentions. Mainly I think it was to annoy Mushroom. We'd fallen out of favour at Mushroom, partly because we'd fucked up in America, the second album didn't sell, and also because two unnamed group members had secretly being 'Going Out' with female person with some power at record company and as we know "Hell hath no fury like woman scorned".

It eventually surfaced as a 5-song 10" mini-LP and included Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' and four Dylan tracks - 'Ballad of a Thin Man', 'You're a Big Girl Now', 'Fourth Time Around' and 'All the Tired Horses'. The production is tastefully 80s and the songs, while recognisable, have the Sports stamp on them.

"Martin Armiger had a lot to do with production and Andrew played some excellent guitar. I really can't remember what other songs we would have chosen. I have a vague remembrance of attempting I Want You. I think we wanted to do 'Sad Eyed Lady' but there was only so much time you get fit onto a 10" format. I do recall that Martin Armiger told me that when he was playing with possibly 'The High-Rise Bombers' with Paul Kelly they did a full version of the song at a beer barn out Sunshine way to annoy the uninterested punters."

In the mid-60s Donovan Leitch was often mentioned in the same breath as Bob Dylan. It wasn't a hard comparison to make. Donovan copped Dylan's cap and acoustic guitar folk-hero look. His 'Catch the Wind' was similar to 'Blowin' in the Wind'. On trips to the UK, Dylan was constantly asked about Donovan. A meeting between the two was captured in the cinema verite Dylan bio Don't Look Back. In a hotel room Donovan plays a gentle folky ballad before Dylan turns the get together into a showdown with an acerbic and pointed 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue'.

Donovan failed to live up to the Dylan comparisons but his mid to late 60s period is full of psychedelic pop gems. Some of his flower child lyrics don't stand up but tracks such as 'Season of the Witch', 'Hurdy Gurdy Man', 'Museum' (where he sounds like a blueprint for Beck), 'Hey Gyp' and 'Barbajagal' are inspired cuts. 'Sunshine Superman' proved to be his biggest single hitting No. 1 around the world. The Sports energetic version was also released as a single.

"'Sunshine Superman' was my choice, I'm a big fan of first half dozen Donovan albums," Cummings admits. "The idea of including Donovan was a little joke on my part. When I was a youngster everything was either/or . . . You liked the Beatles or the Stones . . . Hendrix or the Cream . . . Dylan or Donovan etc. Unfortunately, his recent release on American Recordings was a shocker, apart from one song."

The centrepiece of the mini-LP is 'Fourth Time Around' recorded by Dylan for his 1966 Blonde on Blonde album. The original has often been linked to John Lennon's 'Norwegian Wood'. However, the Sports take is very different. Pendlebury's guitar has some Television style guitar riffs interwoven through the song while Cummings, renown for his dynamics and phrasing, contributes his warmest vocal.

"Yes, I really like this," Cummings says. "Andrew was really playing at his peak around this time. He sounded like a strange mixture of James Burton and David Gilmore - if that doesn't sound stupid. I think my vocal approach sounds a little like Tom Verlaine meets Alex Chiltern circa Big Star #3."

'Ballad of a Thin Man', a song that originally appeared on Highway 61 Revisited, is one of Dylan's nastiest, most unrelenting character inquisitions. The Sports version doesn't hold any of the anger of the original. Whereas Dylan's was an intense attack powered by piano and organ, drummer Fred Strauks gives the 80s update a slinky, danceable feel. Cummings' vocal doesn't hold any vicious jabs either but the sound of his voice combined with his own harmonies are definitely intriguing. "It doesn't quite work," Cummings admits. "Perhaps I was pretending to be Curtis Mayfield and not pulling it off. I really like the feel and sound of 'Ballad of a Thin Man' but my vocal's pretty naff."

Cummings other favourite track off Dylan (and Donovan) is the anguished 'You're a Big Girl Now' from 1975's Blood on the Tracks. Seemingly about Dylan's estranged wife Sara (a theory refuted by Dylan on the notes of his Biograph box set) it's given a West Indian feel that makes it tortured reggae. "Oh well, 'serious' rock musicians all love Steely Dan and reggae," laughs Cummings. "I think I might blame this on Martin and Rob, the bass player."

The most fascinating choice the Sports made was to cover 'All the Tired Horses' from Dylan's much maligned Self Portrait album (It inspired Greil Marcus to commence his review with "What is this shit?" - Dylan later remarked Marcus's review was "a piece of shit"). While regarded as one of Dylan's lesser moments Cummings adamantly sings the praises of it. "It's a fantastic record and one day when I'm feeling a little healthier I'll write a 200 page Greil Marcus type re-buff."

Released in 1970, Self Portrait shares a similar spirit to the Sports record. It was viewed as Dylan's emphatic "fuck you" to his audience, to his record company and some have suggested to himself. 'All the Tired Horses' is the opening track of the sprawling double album. Enigmatically he wrote it but didn't sing on it. Instead getting a chorus of female singers to repeat the lines over and over - "all the tired horses in the sun how am I suppose to get any ridin' (or writing) done." It's a beautifully lethargic song proving Self Portrait had its inspired moments. The same sense of frustration, weariness and inspiration is mirrored in The Sports Play Dylan (and Donovan). It also stands as the band's swan song.

"Is it a fitting swan song? Yes and no," Cummings says. "We were a bit worn out, though we had heaps of songs. Basically we were tired and I refused to tour and Andrew was now getting heavily into country music etc. But, we were at odds with Mushroom, and we had no manager for basically our whole career. We were also spoilt, we'd had success pretty quickly. We had a bit of anger towards Mushroom. Our records sold in Australia and we had a huge deal in America, bigger than Split Enz, Church, Skyhooks etc. People don't realise that we made Mushroom heaps of money."

Who's idea was it to do a 10" mini concept album?
From memory I think it was my idea. However, I was heavily influenced by a friend in Sydney, Paul Worstead. Paul has come to fame over the last ten years for his designs for Mambo, which include the bong, the thong and the sprinkler etc. Paul is also the person responsible for naming 'Mental As Anything'. He went to East Sydney Art school with Reg Mombassa.

Why Dylan and Donovan?
Well, we were all exhausted and weary rock musicians by then and this seemed like the most uncommercial thing we could do at the time. You must remember that Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and, especially, Donovan were regarded as jokes by serious rock critics/ public etc at this moment in history.

I suppose the re-writing of rock history has it that Donovan was always a joke, Dylan was a Christian but he was being strong with his conviction while Young was taken on as a Godfather of Punk.
I think the Godfather of Punk business actually came a little later, the second wave of punk. Captain Beefheart and Leonard Cohen are two other artists who were ridiculed at that time, but later came to be lionised. The idea of including Donovan was a little joke on my part. When I was a youngster everything was either/or . You liked the Beatles or the Stones. . .Hendrix or the Cream. . .Dylan or Donovan etc.

Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' is genius - a real pop gem...
That was my choice. I'm a big fan of first half dozen Donovan albums. His recent release on American Recordings was a shocker, apart from one song. Basically we rehearsed for two days in a rehearsal studio, playing heaps of songs and just went in the studio next day and banged them down. Martin Armiger had a lot to do with production and Andrew played some excellent guitar.

All of the tracks are recognisable but quite different to the originals. Obviously a conscious effort to give the songs your own flavour.
I actually wanted to do twelve songs but Mister Gudinski wouldn't let us. Ah . . . we recorded the whole thing so quickly I can't really remember our intentions. Mainly I think it was to annoy Mushroom. We'd fallen out of favour at Mushroom, partly because we'd fucked up in America, the second album didn't sell, and also because two unnamed group members had secretly being 'going out' with female person with some power at record company and, as we know, "hell hath no fury like woman scorned".

'Ballad of a Thin Man' is quite danceable complete with strange sounding vocal and great harmony. What are your thoughts on the song?
Yes, it's me doing lead vocals and harmonies. It doesn't quite work. Perhaps I was pretending to be Curtis Mayfield and not pulling it off.

'Fourth Time Around' has some Tom Verlaine style riffs going through it and a beautiful, warm vocal.
Yes I really like this. Andrew was really playing at his peak around this time. He sounded like a strange mixture of James Burton and ah David Gilmore. If that doesn't sound stupid. I think my vocal approach sounds a little like Verlaine meets Alex Chiltern circa Big Star #3.

'You re a Big Girl Now' - tortured reggae?
Oh well, 'Serious' rock musicians all love Steely Dan and Reggae. I think I might blame this on Martin and Rob, the bass player.

How did you come to pick "All the Tired Horses"? Coming off one of Dylan's most maligned albums - Self Portrait (well on a par with Dylan & the Dead)
Well, I agree with you concerning, "Dylan & the Dead", but you are just plain wrong about "Self Portrait". It's a fantastic record and sometime when I'm feeling a little healthier will write you a 200 page Greil Marcus type rebuff.

What's your favourite track and why?
'You're a Big Girl Now' and 'Fourth Time Around' I guess. I really like the feel and sound of 'Ballad of a Thin Man' but my vocal's pretty naff.

The production is tastefully 80s - how do you feel about it now?
Perfect description.

You mentioned you wanted to do 12 tracks. Were there any outtakes?
I really can't remember what other songs we would have chosen. I have a vague remembrance of attempting 'I Want You'. I think we wanted to do 'Sad Eyed Lady' but there was only so much time you get fit onto a 10 inch format! I do recall that Martin Armiger told me that when he was playing with possibly the High-rise Bombers with Paul Kelly they did a full version of the song at a beer barn out Sunshine way to annoy the uninterested punters.

Did you know it was going to be the last Sports record? What was the feeling in the studio?
Yes. Let's get it over with and get our three hundred dollars. See, that was the deal we came up with Mushroom. We weren't to receive royalties, just $300 bucks each in cash in brown paper bags.

Are you saying you never got royalties for the record?
Yes, that was how we got to do the record.

So was The Sports Play Dylan (& Donovan) a fitting swansong to the Sports career?
Yes and No. We were a bit worn out, though we had heaps of songs. But, we were at odds with Mushroom, and we had no manager for basically our whole career. We were also spoilt, we'd had success pretty quickly. We also had a bit of anger towards mushroom, people don't realise that we made Mushroom heaps of money, our records sold in Australia and we had a huge deal in America, bigger that Split Enz, Church, Skyhooks etc, basically we were tired and I refused to tour and Andrew was now getting heavily into country music etc,

What do you see as the greatest covers of Dylan's work?
I really only like Dylan doing Dylan, though I really dug Roger McGuinn's version of 'Up To Me'. Cardiff Rose is an excellent record. It stands up extremely well. Mick Ronson plays some great meaty guitar.

In the late 80s Fred Strauks was my maths and music teacher but back in '81 was he the kind of man that should be allowed to influence the future of the nation!?
Definitely not. Fred had very Neanderthal ideas about the opposite sex.

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