Australian Rock by Memorable Music

The La De Das was the first Australasian band to record a concept album. Entitled The Happy Prince (March, 1969), it was based on the Oscar Wilde story of the same name. The band didn't release another album until 1973 [Rock And Roll Sandwich).
One-time La De Das member Reno Tehei was arrested in the early seventies for robbing a Sydney bank.

Dinah Lee
Dinah Lee's first performances were at her father's nightclub in Auckland at the tender age of fifteen.
Dinah's 'Don't You Know Yockomo' (October, 1964) was the biggest selling Australian single in 1964.
By early 1965 Dinah Lee had been dubbed 'Miss Mod' by the media because other progressive style of dressing and trendy hairstyle.

Lonnie Lee
In February, 1957 Lonnie Lee entered an Elvis Presley Contest at the Trocadero nightclub in Sydney. He won and greatly impressed the compere who happened to be Johnny O'Keefe.
Lonnie's first single, and first hit 'Ain't It So' (December, 1959) was written by Johnny O'Keefe.
Lonnie Lee's biggest hit was 'Starlight Starbright' which made number one nationally in February, 1960. In August, 1971 Lonnie decided to attempt a chart comeback and released a re-recorded version of 'Starlight Starbright' on Festival's Sunshine label. The disc was unsuccessful.
On June 27th, 1960 Lonnie Lee was the first person to arrive on the scene following Johnny O'Keefe's near fatal accident on the Pacific Highway near Kempsey (N.S.W.)
During 1984 the Lonnie Lee Rock' n' Remember show toured Australia.
Lonnie Lee's second album Starring Lonnie Lee (November, 1961) was twice reissued under the title of Lonnie Lee's Greatest Hits.
Lonnie Lee's November, 1965 album A Country Boy At Heart was the first Australian album to be totally recorded in stereo.

Reg Lindsay
Reg Lindsay was the first Australian to appear at the world famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, USA in 1974.

Little Pattie
Little Pattie was discovered by singer Jay Justin who spotted her performing at the Bronte Surf Club. Jay arranged for her to audition for EMI Records and provided
Pattie with a song he had co-written entitled 'He's My Blonde Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy'. It became her biggest hit in December, 1963.
During the summer of 1965/66 Little Pattie starred in the stage production of The Ugly Duckling.
In 1966 Little Pattie sang at the Command Performance for the Queen Mother at the Adelaide Festival Of Arts.

Little River Band
Early members Rick Formosa and Roger McLachlan toured as musicians with the stage production Godspell before joining Little River Band.
The title of Little River Band's third album Diamantina Cocktail (April, 1977) was the name of a drink which was popular in the early 1900s. It consisted of Bundaber
Rum, condensed milk and an emu egg. Diamantina Cocktail was the biggest selling Australian album in 1977.
The title of Little River Band's fourth album Sleeper Catcher (April, 1978) was 'two-up' term used to decribe the person who picks up the bets that have been lying on the floor too long.
The track 'Redheaded Wildflower' (from the Sleeper Catcher album) was composed by Beeb Birtles and journalist Ed Nimmervoll. It was dedicated to Sherbet secretary and ex-Go-Set journalist Glenys Long who died in 1977.
By 1978 Little River Band was achieving success in South America and most European countries especially France. Consequently lead vocalist Glenn Shorrod recorded special versions of their hit song 'Reminiscing' in Spanish and French.
Throughout December, 1979 Glenn Shorrock, Derek Pellici and David Briggs formed and performed in a good-time group they called Glenn Shorrock's Christmas Band.
LRB bass player George McArdle quit the group in February, 1979 to study religion.
After nearly nine years together (spanning 1975 to 1984), Little River Band had nine line-up changes (and three temporary players), with Graham Gobies the only original member.
The film clip for Little River Band's 'Playing To Win' single (December, 1984) was the most expensive made by an Australian band to that point with production costs in excess of $100,000. And that was after a proposed 'chariot race of old cars' sequence was scrapped.

Master's Apprentices
Bass player Glenn Wheatley went on to become a powerful industry figure in the seventies and eighties as manager of Little River Band and John Farnham, and head of the Wheatley Organization.
Master's Apprentices' single 'Elevator Driver' (March, 1968) was written by The Groop's Brian Caine (later known as Cadd), and was originally entitled 'Silver People'.
Master's Apprentices was such a close second to Doug Parkinson In Focus at the 1969 Hoadley's National Battle Of The Sounds that they were also offered a trip to England (which was the winner's prize).
Master's Apprentices recorded 'Because I Love You' (February, 1971) in Studio 2 of London's famous Abbey Road Studios. At the same time, in Studio 1, John
Lennon was recording 'Working Class Hero'.

In August, 1987, Master's Apprentices re-formed for an appearance on the Nine Network's Hey Hey It's Saturday Back To The Sixties Special. This particular line-up of the band (Jim Keays, Glenn Wheatley, Doug Ford, Colin Burgess) last played together in 1972.

lan 'Molly' Meldrum

lan 'Molly' Meldrum was born on a ship outside the port of Aden, South Yemen.
During 1966 and 1967 lan Meldrum worked as a mimer on the television programme Kommotion.
Meldrum worked as a journalist throughout the latter half of the sixties for rock magazine Go-Set.
It was Melbourne radio announcer Stan Rofe who coined lan Meldrum's nickname of Molly in 1970.
Molly Meldrum compared a children's television show on the Seven Network called Do It (later changed to Anything Can Happen) in 1973. The programme's main claim to fame was that it featured Skyhooks' debut television appearance, in 1974.
Molly worked with the ABC's now defunct television rock show Countdown right from its inception in October, 1974 until it was finally axed in July, 1987. Molly
worked as talent co-ordinator, but didn't appear on camera until June, 1975 with his Humdrum report.
Since 1967 Molly Meldrum has been the producer of several hit singles, including:
'Hush' SOMEBODY'S IMAGE (December, 1967)
'The Real Thing' RUSSELL MORRIS (April, 1969)
'The Girl That I Love' RUSSELL MORRIS (August, 1969)
'Superstar' COLLEEN HEWETT (July, 1971)
'Day By Day' COLLEEN HEWETT (December, 1971)
'Don't Fall In Love' THE FERRETS (August, 1977)
'Walking In The Rain' CHEETAH (October, 1978)
'Deeper Than Love' CHEETAH (June, 1979).
Molly Meldrum was elected King Of Moomba for Melbourne's 1985 Moomba Festival.
At the Final Countdown Awards ceremony in July, 1987 Molly Meldrum removed his usually steadfast Akubra hat to reveal a shiny pate. He shaved his head just prior to the telecast.'

Men at Work
Men At Work was formed in 1979, and took up a residency at the tiny Cricketer's Arms Hotel in Melbourne. Within a short time the band became a big drawcard at venues around the city. In fact, before releasing any vinyl, the band was Australia's highest paid unrecorded band.
By January, 1983 Men At Work's single 'Down Under' had made the No. 1 position on the Australian, U.S., British, Canadian and several European charts. Not only did it introduce the vegemite sandwich to the world, but it also declared Down Under to be the place where 'Women glow and men chunder'.
In October, 1983 'Down Under' was unofficially adopted as the theme to the America's Cup Challenge (which was eventually won by the Alan Bond syndicate). 'Down Under' was reissued and reached No. 9 on the national charts.
In February, 1983 the 'Down Under' single and the Business As Usual album were simultaneously No. 1 on the U.S. and British charts. Only seven other acts in rock history, including the Beatles, have charted similarly. Men At Work's Business As Usual album sold more than 10 million copies through-out more than fifty countries, and was the biggest selling Australian album for 1982.
In 1983 CBS Records awarded Men At Work the Crystal Globe Award. This is awarded to CBS artists that have sold more than five million records outside their home country. This put Men At Work in the same category as other CBS artists like Santana, Simon And Garfunkel, Earth Wind And Fire, and Bob Dylan.
Men At Work became the first Australian based act to have a cover story in the U.S. edition of Rolling Stone Magazine (23rd June, 1983).
Men At Work's Business As Usual held the record for weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. charts. The album stayed on top for 15 weeks.
Men At Work's second album, Cargo (May, 1983), also reached No. 1 on the Australian national charts. Although not as successful overseas as Business As Usual, Cargo sold more than a million copies in the U.S. on advance orders alone.
In 1984, leader Colin Hay produced the debut album for Melbourne band Le Club Foote. The album was titled Cinema Qua. Following the break-up of Men At Work at the end of 1985, Colin Hay embarked on a solo career. He enjoyed minor success with the Looking For Jack album

Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything was formed in 1977, and legend has it that the band's first gigs were played on a makeshift stage that had been placed on top of a pooltable.
Copies of Mental As Anything's debut independent E.P., Plays At Your Party (late 1978), were sold by the band members from the boot of a car.
The title of Mental As Anything's second album Expresso Bongo (July 1980) is taken from a 1959 movie starring Cliff Richard.
Mental As Anything's single 'Berserk Warriors' (January 1982) was allegedly written about famous Swedish pop act ABBA.
When British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello toured Australia in 1982, Mental As Anything persuaded him to produce the single 'I Didn't Mean To Be Mean' (September, 1982).
Mental As Anything's albums Fundamental As Anything (April, 1985) and Word Of Mouth (August, 1987) were recorded by veteran U.S. Producer Richard Gottehrer
(Blondie).
In 1986, Martin Plaza reached No. 2 on the national singles chart with his solo cover version of Unit 4 + 2's 'Concrete And Clay' (March, 1986). The single was lifted from his solo album Plaza Suite (March, 1986).
Mental As Anything's keyboards player/singer, Andrew Smith, received the nickname 'Greedy' after he demolished 16 pieces of Kentucky Fried chicken in one sitting.
As well as their musical pursuits, the members of Mental As Anything are all well known for their artistic talents. They attended art school, and have designed their own album covers, singles' sleeves (most notably Reg Mombassa), posters, T-shirts, and were even commissioned by the Victorian Department of Transport to paint a Melbourne tram. In addition, the boys have all held their own painting exhibitions, and Reg designed the picture sleeve to Mondo Rock's single 'Primitive Love Rites'.

Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil's first charting release was the four track, 30 cm (12") E.P. Bird Noises (December, 1980) which reached No. 28 on the national singles chart. The record featured the understated instrumental track 'Wedding Cake Island'.
Midnight Oil's 30 cm (12") single 'Armistice Day' (May, 1982) came wrapped in a Midnight Oil T-shirt. The single reached No. 31 on the national charts, and prompted
the comment 'the first T-shirt to make the charts'.
As well as having a reputation for being Australia's most formidable live act, Midnight Oil has succeeded in transferring its energy onto record. The band's 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 album stayed in the national Top 20 for 42 weeks (December, 1982 to October, 1983) and broke the record set by Skyhooks' Living In The 70's in 1975 as the most successful Australian recorded album in Australian chart history (that is until John Farnham's Whispering Jack in 1987).
In 1984 Midnight Oil recorded its fifth album, Red Sails In The Sunset (October, 1984), in Tokyo with producer Nick Launay.
The cover of Red Sails In The Sunset was by Japanese montage artist Tsunehisa Kimura. It depicted an atomic fireball at the time of impact, right in the heart of Sydney, with the sails of the Opera House aglow.
At the December, 1984 Federal elections lead vocalist Peter Garrett stood for the Senate, as a candidate for the Nuclear Disarmament Party, of which he was leader.
In January, 1985 Midnight Oil played a gig on tiny Goat Island in Sydney's Port Jackson Harbour. The concert was broadcast by ABC FM Radio, and on ABC Television with the title Oils On Water.
When the nomadic Pintubi tribe, the members of which had never seen a white man before, was discovered in the Northern Territory in October, 1984 the first western music they heard was a cassette of Midnight Oil.
Peter Garrett was the only Australian musician to appear on the Artists United Against Apartheid single 'Sun City', released in 1986.
In 1986, Peter Garrett became the first civilian to be allowed through the front gates of the American Intelligence installation at Pine Gap. He delivered a notice from the people of Australia saying that they intended to terminate the U.S. Government's lease on the site. Unfortunately, the lease was renewed in September, 1987.
Midnight Oil's 30 cm (12") single 'The Dead Heart (Lives)' (August, 1986) was written for the film Uluru-An Anangu Story. The film was produced by the Aboriginal people, and told the story of the official handing back of Ayers Rock (Uluru) to them.
In 1986, with the aid of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Midnight Oil undertook a tour of remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Aboriginal band the Warumpi Band toured as support (the band had appeared on the B-side of 'The Dead Heart', together with Coloured Stone). All royalties from 'The Dead Heart' single, which reached No. 4 on the national charts, were donated to
those communities.
In March, 1987 Midnight Oil sponsored the S.A.N.D. (Surfers Against Nuclear Destruction) contest as part of the ongoing campaign to draw attention to the nuclear issue.
Peter Garrett is an Arts/Law graduate from the Australian National University.
In 1987 Peter Garrett took up a position on the Individual and Democratic Rights Committee of the commission set up by the Federal Government to review Australia's Constitution.
Midnight Oil's album Diesel And Dust (September, 1987) debuted at No. 1 on the national charts.
Despite being one of Australia's most popular bands, producing consistent best selling records, Midnight Oil refused to appear on Australia's best known television
rock show Countdown.
Midnight Oil has supported causes such as Greenpeace, Rock Against Racism, Aboriginal Land Rights, Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament (Stop The Drop), and the Wilderness Society.

Mixtures
The original Mixtures formed as a trio in 1965 and this line-up and their rockier sound bore no resemblance to the 1970 version of the band which produced four big hits ('In The Summertime', pushbike Song', 'Henry Ford' and 'Captain Zero').
The Mixtures' first single 'Koko Joe' (which charted in Melbourne in September, 1966) came about quite by accident. The group was in the studio doing some backing
tracks and had some spare time so they decided to record a couple of songs themselves. Executives at EMI were so impressed that they decided to release them as
a single on the HMV label.
Events that led to the Mixtures achieving international success came about midway through 1970 when they were signed by the Fable label and recorded a cover version of Mungo Jerry's 'In The Summertime'. It was during a period when radio stations were in dispute with certain record companies and the Mixtures' version went to number one in Australia, unchallenged by the original.
The Mixtures' second big hit Pushbike Song' (written by lead singer Idris Jones and his brother Evan) made number one in Australia, number two in Great Britain and forty-four in the USA.

Models
Between August, 1978 and early 1987, there were fifteen different musicians through Models' ranks, with the mainstay being singer/guitarist Scan Kelly.
Models' first vinyl release was a giveaway single, 'Early Morning Brain' (November, 1979), which featured Boys Next Door's 'Scatterbrain' on the flip-side. The band was dissatisfied with the single's release, and temporarily broke up as a result.
In 1981 Models released a 25 cm (10") mini album, Cut Lunch (July, 1981), which was just one of four such mini-albums released by Mushroom Records during that
year.
Prior to joining Models in early 1982, James Freud had enjoyed success as leader of the bands (Teenage) Radio Stars and Berlin, and as a solo singer ('Modern Girl' single, and Breaking Silence album).
Models produced a film in 1982 called Pop Movie, which featured animation and live footage of the band. The film was screened on rock show Nightmoves, as well as at cinemas.
The video for Models' single 'God Bless America' (March, 1984) was filmed in 3D. It was shot at a junk-yard, and featured appearances by I'm Talking singers Kate Ceberano and Zan.
Models' 'Out Of Mind Out Of Sight' (August, 1985) was the only Australian recorded single to attain No. 1 status during 1985. The single reached No. 36 on the U.S. •charts in June, 1986.
Despite its sunny title, Models' single 'Barbados' (March, 1985) had a darker side. The song was about alcoholism, and the film clip to accompany it, directed by Richard Lowenstein, was influenced by The Deer Hunter. Several scenes had to be edited out: at the start James Freud is seen driving a jeep, and later he holds a gun to his head, a shot is heard and he slumps over the wheel.

Models donated all the proceeds from the single 'King Of Kings' (December, 1985) to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

Ted Mulry

In October, 1971 Ted Mulry obtained a contract for the release of his records in England on the Blue Mountain label (a subsidiary of Island Records). However, the company's executives thought his name was too dull so they changed it to Steve Ryder. Ted's records were unsuccessful in England and he resorted to his real name for Australian releases.
Both Ted Mulry and Ronnie Burns celebrate their birthday on the same day — September 8th.

Mushroom Evolution Concert
One of the most significant events in the history of Mushroom Records was the ambitious Mushroom Evolution Concert, held on the Australia Day Weekend of 1982, to celebrate the label's 10th anniversary.
100,000 people gathered at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, in Melbourne, over two days to watch the following bands perform: Bill Miller And The Great Blokes, the re-formed Chain, Dave And The Derros, JoJo Zep And The Falcons, Kevin Borich Express, Paul Kelly, the re-formed Madder
Lake, Mike Rudd And The Heaters, Models, Renee Geyer, Rock Doctors, Russell Morris And The Rubes, Sunnyboys, The Swingers, The Fives (OP55), and The Sports.
The resultant triple album, The Mushroom Evolution Concert (1982), featured just some of the highlights of the weekend. It drew comparisons with the triple live Sunbury 1973 set (May, 1973), which in fact had been Mushroom Record's very first album release.

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