Jane Clifton

Last updated

Jane Clifton
Born (1949-04-10) 10 April 1949 (age 75)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • writer
  • voice-artist
  • public speaker
Years active1970–present
Known forMargo Gaffney ( Prisoner )
Singer with Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons
Website www.janeclifton.com.au

Jane Clifton (born 10 April 1949) [1] is a Gibraltar-born Australian actress, singer, writer and former radio and voice artist.

Contents

She is best known for her role in TV serial Prisoner as tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney.

As a singer, she had a stint with Jo Jo Zep and has recorded an album featuring Jenny Morris and Wendy Matthews, Mark Williams and Marc Hunter [1]

Biography

Family and citizenship

Clifton was born in Gibraltar to British Army parents. In 1961 she emigrated to Perth, Australia, before later settling in Melbourne. She became a naturalised citizen of Australia in 1992. [1]

Radio and voice-over career

Clifton started out her career on Melbourne community radio stations 3CR and 3RMT-FM in the 1970s. She then worked for commercial stations 3AK, Radio National and 774 ABC. Clifton has also done voice-over work for commercials and audio books. [2]

Film, television and stage

Clifton has acted extensively in film and the stage and in various television programs. Beginning in cult favorites Stork (1971) and Pure S (1975), her films include The Clinic and A Slice of Life . Her stage roles include The Pack of Women and Mum's the Word . She has also made a number of television appearances, starting in the mid 70s with the Crawford's series Division 4, Homicide and Bluey, Against the Wind, Skyways, Holiday Island, Sweet and Sour , Carson's Law and Shock Jock , but her best-known acting role is probably that of tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney in Prisoner . Clifton played the role for 107 episodes from 1980 until 1984 on an intermittent basis as the script allowed, having previously appeared in the minor role of Yvonne, from episode 9, and even appeared in the Prisoner in Concert special.

Clifton also performed with Betty Bobbitt and Colette Mann as part of a three-woman troupe, The Mini Busettes, in the 1980s in RSLs across Australia. [3]

In September 2010, it was announced that Clifton would be joining the cast of Neighbours as Judge Willow. [4] Her scenes aired in November of that year. [4]

In 2015 she appeared in the television series The Doctor Blake Mysteries as Sister Josephine.

Music

Clifton is also a singer. In 1975 she was the lead singer in a pub rock band, Toads, alongside Martin Armiger on lead guitar and vocals, Andrew Bell on guitar, Eric Gradman on violin, Marney Sheehan on bass guitar and Eddie Van Roosendaal on drums and vocals. [5] [6] In the following year with Bell, Sheehan, van Roosendaal and Janie Conway on guitar and vocals, Clifton formed rock, pop group Stiletto. [5] Conway and Sheehan were replaced by Chris Worrall on guitar and Celeste Howden on bass guitar, respectively. [5] The group provided three tracks, "Nights in Parlour", "Cream" and "The Man", for a Various Artists' album, Debutantes (1977). [5]

Stiletto issued a studio album, Licence to Rage on Oz Records/EMI in September 1978, which was produced by Peter Walker. [5] [7] It peaked at No. 93 on the Kent Music Report albums chart. [8] The album provided two singles, "Bluebirds" (March) and "Goodbye, Johnny" (August). [5] Later that year the band supported a performance by Elvis Costello before breaking up early in 1979. [5] While a member of Stiletto, Clifton co-wrote "Goodbye, Johnny" with Bell and Conway. [9] The singer formed Jane Clifton Sextet, which provided cover versions of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald songs. In late 1982 Clifton provided vocals for Jo Jo Zep's single, "Taxi Mary", [5] [10] which reached No. 11 on the singles chart. [8] She also provided vocals on Zep's album, Cha (October 1982).

Clifton released a solo single, "Girl on the Wall" (February 1984), on Mushroom. [5] [11] It is her version of a song from The Pack of Women cabaret, stage show. [11] Her backing band, the Go Go Boys, comprised Jo Jo Zep's associates from the Black Sorrows, Jeff Burstin on guitar, Wayne Burt on guitar, Wayne Duncan on bass guitar, Steve Williamson on saxophone and Gary Young on drums. [5] According to Debbie Muir of The Canberra Times , "her vocals are smooth and soft" and the song is "good and catchy". [11] It peaked at No. 13. [8] She issued two more singles, "My Machines" (June) and "Turn to Dust" (1985). [5]

Clifton provided vocals for tracks on the soundtrack album for TV series, Dancing Daze (February 1986), including "Second Home", which was released as the B-side of the single, "Might Have Been" by Jenny Morris, Wendy Matthews and Mark Williams. [12] That album was produced by former bandmate, Armiger. [12] For her track she was backed by the Green Sisters Band: Armiger and Bell both on guitars, Chris Abrahams on piano, Jeremy Alsop on bass guitar, Tony Buchanan on alto saxophone, Ricky Fataar on drums, Clive Harrison on bass guitar, Jason Morphett on tenor saxophone, Glen Muirhead on keyboards and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar. [12]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
The Marriage of Style
  • Released: 1993
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Sound Vault Records

Soundtracks

TitleAlbum details
Dancing Daze
(by Jenny Morris, Wendy Matthews, Mark Williams, Marc Hunter & Jane Clifton)
  • Released: February 1986
  • Formats: LP, Cassette
  • Label: ABC Music (RML 53191)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
YearTitlePeak chart
positions
Album
AUS
[8]
1982"Taxi Mary"
(Jo Jo Zep featuring Jane Clifton (who is uncredited on the song))
11 Cha
1984"Turn to Dust"non album single
"Girl on the Wall"13
"My Machines"

Awards and nominations

Countdown Australian Music Awards

Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week . The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. [13] [14]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1984herself – "Girl on a Wall"Best Female Performance in a VideoNominated

Author

Clifton is the author of the novels Half Past Dead and A Hand in the Bush. [15]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1971 Stork Student (uncredited)Feature film
1975 Pure S (aka 'Pure Shit')Party GirlFeature film
1982 A Slice of Life FayFeature film
1982 The Clinic SharonFeature film
1984Anna Who?HerselfFilm short
1988 As Time Goes By MechanicFeature film
1990 A Kink in the Picasso BellaFeature film
1992 Garbo MayorFeature film
2010 Matching Jack Fin's DoctorFeature film
2014Helen Garner's Monkey GripHerselfFilm short
2017BeastBeaFilm short
2017 Lost Gully Road MotherFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1971; 1973 Division 4 Guest roles: Anne Mason / Hippy GirlTV series, 2 episodes
1973 Ryan Guest role: JennyTV series, 1 episode: "A Little Something Special"
1975–76 Homicide Guest roles: Cheryl / Jenny Walker / Janice ThelgoodTV series, 3 episodes
1977 Bluey Guest role: SeabootsTV series, 1 episode: "Father and Son"
1978RockturnalHerself – Band 'Stiletto'TV series, 1 episode
1978; 1982; 1984 Countdown Herself – Band 'Stiletto' sing "Goodbye Johnny"TV series, 1 episode
1978 Against the Wind Convict WomanTV miniseries, 2 episodes
1979 Prisoner Guest role: YvonneTV series, 3 episodes
1979 Skyways Guest role: ShelleyTV series, 1 episode: "The Flying Sleuths"
1980Working UpHerselfFilm documentary
1980–1984 Prisoner Regular role: Margo GaffneyTV series, 104 episodes
1981 Holiday Island Guest role: FranTV series, episode: 'A Mother's Revenge'
1981Prisoner in ConcertHerselfTV special
1981 Home Guest role: KearnsTV series, 2 episodes
1982-1988 Hey Hey It's Saturday SingerTV series, 9 episodes
1982 Countdown Herself & Jo Jo Zep singing 'Taxi Mary'TV series, 1 episode
1983For Love or MoneyHerselfFilm documentary
1984Sweet and SourGuest role:ABC TV series, 1 episode
1984, 1985 Hey Hey It's Saturday Night SingerTV series, 2 episodes
1984 Countdown Co-hostTV series, 1 episode
1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1984 Carson's Law Guest role: Mrs. WatkinsTV series, 1 episode
1984; 1985 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer sings "Turn To Dust"TV series, 1 episode
1984 Special Squad Guest roleTV series, 1 episode
1985 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer - Herself with band CricketTV series, 1 episode
1985 A Single Life Support role: LeeTV movie
1986 Dancing Daze Lead role: Lee HarperTV miniseries
1986 Five Times Dizzy Regular role: Mrs. WilsonTV series, 12 episodes
1986Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten TelethonGuest - Herself with Prisoner cast: Colette Mann, Elspeth Ballantyne, Glenda Linscott & Val Lehman taped appearanceTV special
1986 The Pack of Women HerselfTV special
1989 The Power, The Passion Regular role: Carla GrantTV series
1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest - Herself with Victoria Nicholls & Julie AdamsTV series, 1 episode
1989In Melbourne TodayGuest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1990 The Flying Doctors Guest role: GretaTV series, 1 episode: "The Last Carnival"
1991 Col'n Carpenter Guest role: Emily SutcliffeTV series, 1 episode
1991In Sydney TodayGuestTV series, 1 episode
1992 World Series Debating HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1993–2005 Good Morning Australia Regular singerTV series
1995 Janus Guest role: Phillipa StrongTV series, 1 episode: "A Lawful Apprehension"
1998 In Melbourne Tonight Guest / SingerTV series, 1 episode
1999; 2000 Denise GuestTV series, 2 episodes
2001 Round the Twist Guest role: ProducerTV series, 1 episode: "TV or Not TV"
2001Shock JockGuest role: Joy GoldTV series, 1 episode: "Cops and Dobber"
2010; 2019 Neighbours Guest recurring role: Judge Nerida WillowTV series, 4 episodes
2011 A Current Affair Herself with Prisoner cast: Patsy King, Val Lehman, Elspeth Ballantyne, Carol Burns, Judith McGrath & Margaret Laurence TV series, 1 episode
2011 Spicks and Specks HerselfTV series, 1 episode
2011 The Morning Show Guest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
2014 Winners & Losers Guest role: Lynette VanderthorpeTV series, 1 episode: "The New Me"
2015 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Guest role: Sister JosephineTV series, 1 episode: "This Time and this Place"
2016 Bringing Our Stories Home Guest role: Miss MulhollandTV series, 1 episode: "Doing Our Bit"
2017 Classic Countdown NarratorTV series, 1 episode: "1978"
2019 Neighbours Guest role: Meg FletcherTV series, 1 episode
2023 Seven News Adelaide HerselfTV series, 1 episode

Related Research Articles

<i>Sweet and Sour</i> (1984 TV series) Australian television series

Sweet and Sour was an Australian television series that screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1984. It was created by Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott and was produced internally for the ABC by Jan Chapman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deborah Conway</span> Australian musician

Deborah Ann Conway is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top-5 hit "Man Overboard".

Stephen Donald Cummings is an Australian rock singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of Melbourne-based rock band the Sports from 1976 to 1981, followed by a solo career which has met with critical acclaim but has had limited commercial success. He has written two novels, Wonderboy (1996) and Stay Away from Lightning Girl (1999), and a memoir, Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy (2009). In 2014 a documentary film, Don't Throw Stones, based on his memoir premiered as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival.

The Sports were an Australian rock group which performed and recorded between 1976 and 1981. Mainstay members were Stephen Cummings on lead vocals and Robert Glover on bass guitar, with long-term members such as Paul Hitchins on drums, Andrew Pendlebury on lead guitar and vocals, and Martin Armiger on guitar. Their style was similar to both 1970s British pub rock bands and British new wave. The Sports' top forty singles are "Who Listens to the Radio", "Don't Throw Stones", "Strangers on a Train" and "How Come". Their top 20 releases on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart are Don't Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra.

Pat Wilson is an Australian singer and journalist. Wilson wrote for Go-Set, a 1960s and 1970s pop music newspaper, under the pen-name "Mummy Cool" during 1971–1972. Wilson released several singles in the early 1980s including the hit single "Bop Girl". The song was written by her then husband Ross Wilson of the bands Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock. Pat currently resides in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood.

Big Pig was an Australian funk, rock and pop band that existed from 1985 to 1991. An early line-up was Sherine Abeyratne on lead vocals and percussion ; Tony Antoniades on vocals and harmonica; Neil Baker on drums; Nick Disbray on vocals and percussion; Tim Rosewarne on vocals and keyboards (ex-Bang); Adrian Scaglione on drums; and Oleh Witer on vocals and percussion (ex-Bang). They issued two albums, Bonk and You Lucky People, on the White Label Records imprint of Mushroom Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Camilleri</span> Australian singer

Joseph Vincent Camilleri, aka Jo Jo Zep, is a Maltese Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows. Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons' highest-charting single was "Hit & Run" from June 1979, which peaked at #12; Jo Jo Zep's "Taxi Mary" peaked at No. 11 in September 1982; and The Black Sorrows top single, "Chained to the Wheel", peaked at No. 9 in March 1989.

John Martin Armiger was an Australian musician, record producer and composer. He was one of the singer-songwriters and guitarists with Melbourne-based rock band the Sports from August 1978 to late 1981, which had Top 30 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart with, "Don't Throw Stones" (1979), "Strangers on a Train" (1980) and "How Come" (1981); and Top 20 albums with Don't Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra (1981).

The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues rock band formed in 1983 by mainstay vocalist Joe Camilleri, who also plays saxophone and guitar. Camilleri has used various line-ups to record 17 albums, with five reaching the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Charts: Hold on to Me, Harley and Rose, Better Times, The Chosen Ones - Greatest Hits and Lucky Charm. Their top 40 singles are "Chained to the Wheel", "Harley + Rose" and "Snake Skin Shoes".

Peter Solley was an English musician and record producer. He recorded with Eric Clapton, Al Stewart and Whitesnake, as well as producing records for Ted Nugent, Oingo Boingo, Motörhead, The Romantics, Jo Jo Zep, Peter Frampton, The Sports, Wreckless Eric and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons</span> Australian blues and rock music band

Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons are an Australian blues and rock band that features the singer, songwriter and saxophonist Joe Camilleri. The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do". The Falcons dissolved in 1981 and the group's biggest Australian hit, 1982's "Taxi Mary", as well as the New Zealand top ten hit "Walk on By", were both credited simply to "Jo Jo Zep". In 1983, Camilleri and other members of the Falcons formed the Black Sorrows.

Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan, Ross Hannaford, Ross Wilson and Gary Young. Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut, July 1971's LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool, also reached number 1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. The group's name came from the 1957 song "Daddy Cool" by US rock group The Rays. Daddy Cool included their version of this song on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool.

<i>Talk</i> (Paul Kelly album) 1981 studio album by Paul Kelly and the Dots

Talk is the debut album by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Dots and was originally released on 30 March 1981 by Mushroom Records and re-released in 1990. Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons leader Joe Camilleri produced seven of the eleven tracks with three tracks produced by Martin Armiger and one by Trevor Lucas. The album spawned the singles, "Recognition", "Billy Baxter" and "Lowdown". Only "Billy Baxter" appeared on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart it peaked at No. 38. The album peaked at No. 44 on the related Albums Chart. All tracks were written by Kelly, including two co-written with guitarist Chris Langman.

Grace Ethel Knight is an English-born Australian vocalist and songwriter. During the 1980s she was a mainstay of pop group Eurogliders which formed in Perth, Western Australia. Knight later became a solo jazz singer and musician based in Sydney. In 1984, Eurogliders released an Australian top ten album, This Island, which spawned their No. 2 hit single, "Heaven ". "Heaven" also peaked at No. 21 on the United States' Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and appeared on the Hot 100. The song, written by Eurogliders' guitarist, Bernie Lynch, and vocals by Knight, was their only hit in United States. Knight and Lynch married in 1985 but separated soon after. Another Australian top ten album, Absolutely, followed for Eurogliders in 1985, which provided three further local top ten singles, "We Will Together", "The City of Soul" and "Can't Wait to See You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Baxter (song)</span> 1980 single by Paul Kelly and the Dots

"Billy Baxter" is a song by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Dots, released on 20 October 1980 as the lead single from the album Talk (1981). It was written by band members Paul Kelly and Chris Langman. It peaked at No. 38 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song was produced by Joe Camilleri for Mushroom Records. In early November the group performed the track on national pop music TV show, Countdown – it was Kelly's first TV appearance. The song's subject, Billy Baxter, is an Australian musician and was a long term member of Coodabeens Footy Show on ABC Radio National.

<i>Screaming Targets</i> 1979 studio album by Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons

Screaming Targets is the fourth studio album by Australian pop rock band Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons. The album was the band's first via Mushroom Records. Released in July 1979, the album peaked at number 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report, becoming the band's first top twenty album. The album was released with a limited edition bonus record featuring songs recorded live at Sentimental Bloke Hotel, Bombay Rock, Melbourne, April 1979.

<i>Cha</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Jo Jo Zep

Cha is the seventh studio album by Australian band Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, but first and only to be credited as Jo Jo Zep. It is also the final studio album by the band until Ricochet in 2003. The album was released in November 1982 and peaked at number 28 on the Australian Kent Music Report. David Nichols called Cha primarily a "latin-based dance record".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gymnasium (song)</span> 1984 single by Stephen Cummings

"Gymnasium" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Stephen Cummings. "Gymnasium" was released in July 1984 as the fourth single from Cummings' debut studio album Senso. The song reached number 27 on the Australian singles chart.

<i>Goodbye Tiger</i> 1977 studio album by Richard Clapton

Goodbye Tiger is the fourth studio album by Australian rock music singer-songwriter, Richard Clapton. It was released in August 1977 via Infinity Records/Festival Records and was produced by Richard Batchens. It peaked at No. 11 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. In October 2010 it was listed at No. 15 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.

Peter George Starkie was an Australian rock musician. He was the founding guitarist of Skyhooks in 1973 and joined Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons in 1975. His younger brother, Bob "Bongo" Starkie, replaced him on guitar in Skyhooks. Peter Starkie died on 14 September 2020, aged 72, of complications arising from a fall.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bio". Jane Clifton. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  2. "Radio". Jane Clifton. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  3. "Actress". Jane Clifton. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Pranita moves into Neighbourhood". Herald Sun . 7 September 2010. p. 21.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Stiletto'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 23 August 2004.
  6. Holmgren, Magnus. "Martin Armiger". Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 19 March 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. Down, Jennifer (7 February 2015). "The Carlton Few". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.n.b.: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  9. "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Goodbye, Johnny'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. "Joe Camilleri". Music Theatre Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Muir, Debbie (13 February 1984). "Rock Music". The Canberra Times . Vol. 58, no. 17, 669. p. 10. Retrieved 14 May 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  12. 1 2 3 "Dancing Daze". tvmem.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  13. "Countdown to the Awards" (Portable document format (PDF)). Countdown Magazine. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). March 1987. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  14. "Final episode of Countdown". 1970scountdown. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  15. Writers on the Road Archived 25 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine – State Library of Victoria