Absent Friends (band)

Last updated

Absent Friends
Also known asSean Kelly and His Absent Friends
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Years active1989–1990
Labels rooArt
Past members Sean Kelly
James Valentine
Garry Gary Beers
Geoffrey Stapleton
Wendy Matthews
Michael King
John Mackay
Ron Francois

Absent Friends were an Australian band from Sydney. The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990. It featured a number of notable Australian musicians including Sean Kelly (Models, The Dukes), Andrew Duffield, James Valentine (both also ex-Models), Garry Gary Beers (INXS), Geoffrey Stapleton (GANGgajang) and Wendy Matthews.

Contents

Biography

Following the break-up of Models in 1988, [1] Sean Kelly attempted to launch a solo career with the single "Thank You, Goodnight" (March 1988) [2] (which happened to be the name of Models' last tour), but the single was not a commercial success and in early 1989 Kelly found himself at a loose end. Kelly contacted a number of friends, with a view of putting together an informal band to play a few gigs. The impromptu cooperative was initially dubbed Sean Kelly and His Absent Friends. The initial line-up varied, usually dependent upon the availability of individual members at any given time. Sean Kelly and His Absent Friends kicked off life as a touring act in May 1989, with Kelly (vocals/guitar) joined on occasion by his partner Wendy Matthews (vocals) [3] (who performed backing vocals for Models and was a guest vocalist on the Rockmelons debut and ARIA award winning album, Tales of the City ), Garry Gary Beers (the bassist for INXS), [4] Nicole Ainslie (keyboards/vocals), Andrew Duffield (keyboards) ex-Models, James Valentine (saxophone) ex-Models, Danglin' Brothers guitarist Michael King ex-Jimmy Barnes, and drummer John Mackay ex-Machinations. [5] Within a couple of months the high-profile group were supporting Crowded House at their July 1989 'Rock For Land Rights' concert. [2]

In late 1989 the band entered the recording studio to record a few original tracks that they had been playing live. The first single released by the newly named Absent Friends was "Hallelujah" in November 1989. The single peaked at number 100 on the ARIA Charts in January 1990. In March 1990, a second single titled "Hullabaloo" was released and peaked at number 46 on the Australian charts. [6]

The album, Here's Looking Up Your Address was released on rooArt in April 1990 and peaked at number 7 on the ARIA Charts. [6]

The album's third single, "I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You" was a significant commercial success. It is a cover of the 1976 Dorothy Moore song, written by Eddie Floyd. "I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You" peaked at number 4 on the Australian charts in July 1990 and was certified gold. [6] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, the song won the ARIA Award for Best Single. [7] The album yielded one more minor hit with "Harmony" reaching number 92 on the Australian singles charts. [6] The band toured Australian throughout 1990, out of which a promotion live EP, Networking Live was reordered. [2] [5]

Later in 1990, Absent Friends supported INXS on an eight-week European tour, with ex-Eurogliders bassist Ron Francois taking Beers' place and GANGgajang keyboardist Geoff Stapleton filling the void on keyboards left by the departure of Duffield. [8] Ainslie and Valentine also left the band at this time. [2] [5] The band played 10,000 seat stadiums through Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland and England (including five performances at Wembley Arena).

Soon after Kelly decided that Absent Friends had run its course, and the band members went their separate ways.

Matthews soon after recorded her debut album, Émigré , [9] whilst Kelly and Stapleton pieced together another band during 1991 called The Dukes.

Members

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
AUS
[6]
1990 Here's Looking Up Your Address 7
  • ARIA: Gold [6]

Extended plays

YearAlbum details
1990Networking Live
  • Released: December 1990
  • Label: rooArt (878671-1)
  • Formats: 12" LP

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
AUS
[6]
"Hallelujah"1989100Here's Looking Up Your Address
"Hullabaloo"199046
"I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You"
(as Absent Friends featuring Wendy Matthews)
4
  • ARIA: Gold [6]
"Harmony"92

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Lewis has won three awards from 14 nominations. [10] [11]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1991 "I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You" ARIA Award for Single of the Year Won
ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single Nominated
Here's Looking Up Your Address ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Models (band)</span> Australian rock band

Models are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in August 1978. They went into hiatus in 1988, but re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. The band began regularly performing again from 2010 onwards. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit, appeared on the Australian singles charts in July 1985. The related album, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, peaked at No. 3 on the Australian albums charts after its release in August. Out of Mind, Out of Sight appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with the single, "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. An earlier song from the same album, "Barbados", had peaked at No. 2 on the Australian singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Morris (musician)</span> New Zealand singer

Jennifer Patricia Morris is a New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter. Her first success came with New Zealand band The Crocodiles, who had a top 20 hit single with "Tears". Re-locating to Sydney in February 1981, she was a backing vocalist for various groups and formed a trio, QED, in 1983.

Wendy Joan Matthews is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Let's Kiss ", "The Day You Went Away" and "Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, You've Always Got The Blues, Émigré, Lily, The Witness Tree and her compilation, Stepping Stones. She has won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garry Gary Beers</span> Australian musician

Garry William Beers, known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS.

<i>The Swing</i> (INXS album) 1984 studio album by INXS

The Swing is Australian rock band INXS's fourth studio album, released in April 1984. It peaked at number one on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart for five non-consecutive weeks from early April to mid-May 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on backing vocals. Overall, the album featured a slightly harder-edged sound than their previous releases.

<i>X</i> (INXS album) 1990 studio album by INXS

X is Australian rock band INXS's seventh studio album, released on 25 September 1990. The follow-up to the massive seller Kick, X scored hits with "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear". Both singles were later used in the soundtrack to the 1991 American teen comedy Mystery Date. Two other singles from X were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" but they had less chart success. A fifth single, "The Stairs", was only issued in the Netherlands to coincide with the release of the Live Baby Live album.

Ganggajang are an Australian pop rock band which formed in 1984. The four founders are frontman Mark 'Cal' Callaghan (ex-Riptides) on guitar and lead vocals, Chris Bailey on bass guitar, Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup on drums and Kayellen Bee vocals and percussion. They were soon joined by Geoffrey Stapleton (ex-Aliens] on keyboards, guitar and vocals, and Robbie James on lead guitar. Their most popular song, "Sounds of Then", a.k.a. "This Is Australia", was issued in December 1985 and peaked in the top 40 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It gained further exposure in Australia ten years later when it was used on TV in a Coca-Cola ad and then for the 1996 Nine Network station ID promotion. Their highest selling album was GANGgajang, which was released in November 1985. They have issued three other studio albums, Gang Again, Lingo and Oceans and Deserts.

<i>Gang Again</i> Album by Gang Gajang

Gang Again is the second studio album recorded by Australian band Gang Gajang. It was released in 1987 by True Tone Records and distributed by Polygram Records.

Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, were an Australian pop/dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. Primary members are Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Australian top five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word (L.O.V.E.)", both sung by Deni Hines. The associated album, Form 1 Planet, peaked at number 3 on the ARIA albums chart in 1992, and was certified platinum in Australia.

The Dukes were an Australian rock band active from 1991 to 1994. Initially called Sean Kelly and the Iron Dukes, they were formed by Sean Kelly on vocals and keyboards; and Geoffrey Stapleton on keyboards and guitar. They were soon joined by Michael Armiger on bass guitar; Michael King on guitar and backing vocals; and John Mackay on drums and percussion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Kelly (Australian musician)</span> Australian musician

Sean Patrick Kelly is an Australian singer, guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the bands Models, Absent Friends and The Dukes.

<i>Out of Mind, Out of Sight</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Models

Out of Mind, Out of Sight is the fourth studio album by Australian new wave rock band Models, it was their most successful album and peaked at No. 3 on the Australian albums chart. It was released in August 1985 by Mushroom Records with Nick Launay, Reggie Lucas and Mark Opitz producing.

<i>The Pleasure of Your Company</i> 1983 studio album by Models

The Pleasure of Your Company is the third studio album by Australian new wave rock band Models, which peaked at No. 12 on the Australian albums chart. It was released in October 1983 on Mushroom Records with Nick Launay producing. The album provided three singles, "I Hear Motion" released in September, which peaked at No. 16. Neither "No Shoulders, No Head" released in December, nor "God Bless America" released in April 1984, peaked into the Australian Top 50 singles chart. The video for "God Bless America", from March 1984, featured backing singers Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne.

<i>Heres Looking Up Your Address</i> 1990 studio album by Absent Friends

Here's Looking Up Your Address is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Absent Friends. It was released in April 1990 and peaked at number 7 on the ARIA Charts and was certified gold.

Australian Made was a festival concert series held during 1986–1987 in the six state capitals of Australia and featured local rock acts Mental as Anything, I'm Talking, The Triffids, The Saints, Divinyls, Models, INXS and even Jimmy Barnes. The series started in Hobart on 26 December 1986 and concluded in Sydney on 26 January 1987. Rock journalist Jeff Jenkins rated it as one of his 50 most significant events in Australian music history, "It wasn't a huge success, but it showed that an all-Australian festival could work." Australian Made was conceived to counter tours of international acts, like Dire Straits' 1985–1986 world tour, which were drying up funds for Australian groups. As from October 2010, the following artists have been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame: INXS and The Saints, Barnes, Divinyls (2006), The Triffids (2008), Mental As Anything (2009), and Models (2010).

The Stetsons are an Australian country and western band formed by members of GANGgajang, Mental As Anything and Flying Emus. They released a self-titled album in 1987. In 1997 some of the original members got back together and released a second album called Their Most Successful Album...Ever. Their single "There's A Train In My Head" from their self-titled debut album was used in Crocodile Dundee II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Mind, Out of Sight (song)</span> 1985 single by Models

"Out Of Mind Out Of Sight" is the title single by Australian new wave rock band Models from their album of the same name. It was released in June 1985 and was their most successful single, which peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The album followed in August on Mushroom Records with Nick Launay, Reggie Lucas and Mark Opitz producing and reached No. 3 on the related albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Mason (musician)</span> Australian keyboardist

Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of new wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists. From the early 1990s he has composed music for television and feature films.

<i>Émigré</i> (album) Album by Wendy Matthews discography

Émigré is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia in November 1990. It was produced by Ricky Fataar and reached No. 11 on the Australian Albums Chart. It yielded three singles: "Token Angels", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's Kiss ". Matthews won the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 1991.

Andrew Peter Duffield is an Australian musician, producer and teacher. He has been a member, on keyboards, synthesisers or electronics, for various groups, including Whirlywirld, Models and Absent Friends. Duffield has also been a backing musician for other artists both on tours and for studio sessions.

References

  1. "Long Way to the Top: The Models". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Absent Friends'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86448-768-2. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  3. "Talking Heads:Wendy Matthews". ABC TV. 30 May 2005. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  4. "INX Band Bios: Garry Beers". INXS.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Holmgren, Magnus; Francois, Ron. "Absent Friends". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. "1991 Aria Awards". ARIA. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  8. "Absent Friends". GANGgajang.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  9. "Wendy Matthews". Allmusic . Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  10. "ARIA Awards Search Results – Dean Lewis". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  11. "ARIA Awards 2019: Tones and I wins big & Human Nature Hall of Fame". MediaWeek. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.