Am I Ever Gonna See This Film Again: Rare footage of the Angels uncovered

The Angels in transition

This sequence sits amongst the earliest known footage of the Angels, capturing the band in transition – riding the wave of a new name, a new record deal and a new single. Originally a four-piece act, the Keystone Angels formed in Adelaide in 1974 but dropped ‘Keystone’ after signing with Sydney music company, Albert Productions. ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’ was the group’s very first A-side single, released in record stores from 22 March 1976.

The cameo offers a peek at the band before they fine-tuned their classic stage personas. At the time of filming, some nine months after the song’s release, charismatic singer Bernard ‘Doc’ Neeson had just stepped away from playing bass. These duties were handled temporarily by group leader John Brewster, seen wearing an ‘Alice’ badge on his guitar strap. Possibly in the days or weeks following, the Angels’ membership would soon be bumped up to five, with bassist Chris Bailey joining to allow Neeson full licence to command the stage.

Long-time drummer Buzz Throckman (AKA Graham ‘Buzz’ Bidstrup) features in possibly his earliest filmed appearance with the Angels, back when he was still a fresh addition – he had only just replaced original member Charlie King in August 1976 (King’s percussion work is heard on the released recording, also used here on the film’s soundtrack). Also noteworthy is the brief glimpse at lead guitarist Rick Brewster’s original stage presence, years before shifting to his iconic ‘statue’ mode of immobilised performance, always hidden behind a pair of jet-black shades!

Alice’s Adventures in Roselands

The Angels’ appearance adds an unexpected layer to an already interesting film. A mix of surrealist, scripted whimsy and conventional documentary storytelling, the film loosely adapts characters from Lewis Carroll’s much-loved 1865 story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the ‘70s wonderland of glittering suburban malls. Popular television actors of the time, Judy McBurney (The Box) and Ron Shand (Number 96), appear as Alice and the White Rabbit. The duo navigate the history and function of the retail ecosystem, particularly the opportunities for working women.

Sequences were filmed in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Italy, and include coverage of the 1977 Macef Primavera retail trade show in Milan. The Angels’ appearance was filmed in south-west Sydney, where the band was watched by a crowd of approximately 60 shoppers inside Roselands Shopping Centre sometime in December 1976, as evidenced by the surrounding Christmas decorations. When it first opened in October 1965, Roselands was – briefly – the largest indoor shopping centre in the southern hemisphere. It continues to operate today.

Film discovery

The rare footage was discovered during a recent research project looking at Australian-produced films held in the NFSA’s Non-Theatrical Lending Collection (NTLC). Commencing as the National Film Lending Library in 1946, the NTLC collection – which sits separately to the NFSA’s national collection – comprises 12,500 titles, with approximately 10,000 held as 16mm film prints available for loan.

Featuring both Australian and overseas productions, the NTLC encompasses all eras and genres of film history, carefully curated over many decades – originally by staff at the National Library of Australia and then the NFSA. NFSA Emeritus Curator Dr Ray Edmondson OAM recalled that, during the lending heyday in the early 1980s, more than one thousand 16mm prints were requested by educational institutions and film societies around Australia every week!

Ownership was formally transferred to the NFSA in 2008, and this rich and diverse collection contains many film works otherwise unavailable in other public institutions. That includes a single 16mm print of Alice Through the Lift Doors (1977). The film was directed by Ron Saunders for the Australian Retailers Association, who used it as an induction tool for new employees being trained at the department store Myer.

Am I ever gonna see this film again?

Though obscure, Alice Through the Lift Doors screened several times in July 1978, as part of free public screenings of consumer affairs films in Melbourne at the State Film Theatre and in Canberra at Woden Town Centre Library. Outside those who attended these brief showings, the film remains otherwise unknown. Contacting some of those involved in the film’s creation drew similar responses – little was remembered!

When recently shown a copy, the film’s director Ron Saunders could only add: ‘Well, I can remember shooting some of it in Italy [though] I really don't remember filming the Angels. But it wouldn't surprise me if there had been some additional shooting [done by others]. It was never produced for commercial release. Anyway, great to see it again.’

The Angels’ guitarist and founding member, John Brewster, together with film producer Peter Hanlon, began compiling a large cache of archival material of the group, in preparation for the documentary The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door (Madeleine Parry, 2022). When viewing the found film for the first time, the duo, believing they had tracked down all surviving early footage of the Angels, were stunned.

The 1976 line-up of the Angels (left to right): Peter ‘Charlie’ King (drums), brothers John Brewster (rhythm guitar) and Rick Brewster (lead guitar), and Bernard ‘Doc’ Neeson (vocals and bass). Courtesy: Albert Productions.

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‘What a hoot!’, Hanlon says. ‘John and I have both seen it now. Amazing stuff.’

Brewster adds: ‘I reckon my memory of those early days was very good, but I still can't recall the Alice thing. Maybe we were affected by drugs! Anyway, it was great to see it.’

Brewster did however, recall some of the other early filmed appearances of ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’:

‘When we released 'Face Again' [in 1976], we did everything and anything to get exposure on both the band and the song, usually prompted under duress on our part by [Alberts A&R Manager] Chris Gilbey. We even did a performance of the song for a travel doco starring Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie). I cringe as I write this! We even did an ad for lemonade brand 7UP. Neither the song nor the drink had any success…’

Enduring success… and THAT chorus

And yet, overwhelming success would ultimately arrive. Written by the Brewster brothers (John and Rick) with Neeson, the Vanda-Young produced rocker with a catchy three-note intro riff – intended to imitate the chime of an ambulance – initially prowled the lower reaches of the Australian charts in 1976 (peaking at No. 58). However, the song would grow in popularity through the Angels’ expanding fanbase, as the hard-working band relentlessly gigged at the pubs and sweaty live venues of Australia (and later abroad), forging a significant reputation as a live music powerhouse.

While the specific origins of the infamous expletive-laden crowd rejoinder (‘No Way – Get F*cked – F*ck Off!’) remain an unconfirmed mystery to this day, what is inarguable is the lasting impact of this unofficial chorus. A live staple of every Angels gig, ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’ was reissued in 1988 in a new live recording with the infamous crowd chant included!

After signing to Mushroom, the label sought to capitalise on the band’s recent Top 10 hit, a cover of the Animals’ ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place.’ Though the re-release narrowly missed another national Top 10 placing (peaking at No. 11), the recording confirmed the Angels’ most instantly identifiable song had fully transcended its humble 1976 origins.

‘The whole thing with the chant spreading so quickly in 1983 is such a mystery to us,’ Brewster says of the legendary call-and-response. ‘We experienced the same reaction around the country, and of course, there was no internet or mobile phones in those days. It still blows me away.

It's ironic that 'Face Again' is now arguably our biggest non-hit that turned into a genuine hit. I reckon I get a request from our publishing company for it to be in a movie or TV show almost weekly.’

The Angels were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998 – acknowledgment of the band’s lasting contribution to Australian rock music.

The surviving 16mm colour print of Alice Through the Lift Doors has now been digitised by the NFSA, and its preservation and longevity are assured.

Thanks to Albert Productions, John Brewster, Dr Ray Edmondson OAM, Peter Hanlon, Ron Saunders and the Australian Retail Council.

All footage and frame captures from Alice Through the Lift Doors (Ron Saunders, 1977) © and courtesy of Australian Retail Council.

Main image: L-R: members of the Angels Rick Brewster, Doc Neeson, John Brewster onstage at Roselands.