Album Notes

Stew Lane (aka Stewart MacFarlane), was a seasoned rock and roller from Australian bands in Adelaide and Sydney before moving to Manhattan, aged 21 in 1975.

Lane was working as a sound engineer at A1 Sound Studio run by Atlantic Records founder, Herb Abramson, in 1979. He absorbed the wide variety of music coming through there; this included early hip-hop/ rap, punk, funk, R&B and gospel.

Inspired, Lane began to write and record his own music. Abramson was impressed enough to offer Lane a recording contract, but before that eventuated, Lane was signed to a label that released his album in France as Harder Than Wax.

This release propelled the formation of a full live band that would be ready to play the numerous venues in Manhattan: Hurrah, The Mudd Club, CBGB’S, Max’s Kansas City and many others, as well as cable TV appearances.

Enthusiastic audiences would include The Talking Heads, John Travolta, as well as on-stage appearances with Neon Leon and Johnny Thunders.

A second album was recorded and bought by an Italian label, but not released.
In total, the releases included: two independent New York singles: the French LP, Harder Than Wax: and a Canadian single, SuperKarma.

As the 80’s kicked in, the music saw the computer and over-production edge in and Lane edged out. New York changed along with the music scene.

Several members and contributors to Stew Lane and The Untouchables have continued to maintain a profile in the international music scene: Keyboard Player and producer, Fred Zarr played on Madonna’s first album, as well as completing several major production projects; Lisa Fischer, vocalist on two Stew Lane recordings, has sung with The Rolling Stones for several years; and Brian Hardgroove, bass player, currently plays with Public Enemy.

Stew Lane has been a professional artist (painter) for many years and still records.
His web site is: www.stewartmacfarlane.com