Helen Henderson London (Aeroplane)

★★★★

Invercargill-born singer-songwriter Helen Henderson recorded this album in 1979. At the time it had no name but the demos, which are the foundation of London, caught the attention of David Geffen. His major signing John Lennon died within weeks of Henderson arriving in New York to negotiate an album deal. With Lennon-mania stretching the company it got put on the backburner. Thirty seven years later it has surfaced with a few tracks re-recorded and in songs such as Love On Love and

Anyone’s Baby you have a fascinating reminder of why the winsome folkie could have been one of New Zealand biggest exports. A gem that deserves its place in Kiwi music history.