The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved some success in Australia, but greater success in the UK and Scandinavia in the 1980s before disbanding in 1989. Their best-known songs include "Wide Open Road" and "Bury Me Deep in Love". SBS television featured their 1986 album, Born Sandy Devotional, on the Great Australian Albums series in 2007, and in 2010 it ranked 5th in the book The 100 Best Australian Albums by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell.
David Richard McComb was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career including leading David McComb and The Red Ponies. Over his career McComb had bouts of alcoholism, and amphetamine and heroin abuse. He developed cardiomyopathy and in 1996 underwent a heart transplant. David McComb died on 2 February 1999 "due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant", according to the coroner. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" by The Triffids – written by McComb – as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. On 1 July 2008 The Triffids were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with McComb's contribution acknowledged by a tribute performance.
Graham Francis Lee is an Australian musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'.
Martyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass.
For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.
Born Sandy Devotional is an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. The songs were written by David McComb.
In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August 1986, which reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.
Calenture is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group The Triffids, it was released in November 1987 and saw them explore themes of insanity, deception and rootlessness—the title refers to a fever suffered by sailors during long hot voyages. It reached No. 32 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. In November 1987, it reached No. 24 on the Swedish Albums Chart, in May 1988 it peaked at No. 25 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. The album spawned three singles, "Bury Me Deep in Love" (1987), "Trick of the Light" and "Holy Water". The latter track was recorded with American producer Craig Leon.
Love In Bright Landscapes is an anthology by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids, which was released in 1986. The original LP had ten tracks compiled from their album, EP and single releases in the period from 1983 to 1985, during which time the group were resident in Perth, Sydney and London. Three additional tracks from the same sources were included on the later CD version of the album.
The Black Swan is the fifth and final studio album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and peaking at No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts. The album was originally conceived as a double album.
Stockholm is a live recording by Australian rock group, The Triffids, released in July 1990 and is the final official recording by the band. All tracks were recorded live in Stockholm in 1989 for Swedish National Radio, The Bommen Show. The album was produced by Lars Aldman, engineered by Michael Bergek, and mixed at Planet Sound Studios, Perth on 15, 16 and 17 September 1989 by James Hewgill and David McComb.
Lawson Square Infirmary was a 12" extended play released in November 1984 by the Triffids and James Paterson under the collaborative project of the same name. In 2008 all six tracks from the EP were included on the compilation Beautiful Waste and Other Songs.
"Trick of the Light" is a single released in January 1988 by Australian group The Triffids from their album Calenture. The single appeared in 7", 10", 12" and CD single versions. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb. The B-Side "Love the Fever" was co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters and was produced by Peters. It was recorded in August 1986.
Bury Me Deep in Love is a single released by Australian rock group The Triffids from their album Calenture. It appeared in October 1987 and reached No. 48 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb, the group's lead singer and guitarist. The B-sides "Baby Can I Walk You Home" and "Region Unknown" were produced by Victor Van Vugt and The Triffids. The single was released as 7", 12" & CD single versions.
"Wide Open Road" is a single released in 1986 by Australian rock band The Triffids from their album Born Sandy Devotional. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb on vocals, keyboards and guitar. The B-side "Time of Weakness" was recorded live at the Graphic Arts Club, Sydney, November 1985 by Mitch Jones, mixed by Rob Muir. "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" was recorded at Planet Sound Studios, Perth and produced by the Triffids. "Wide Open Road" reached No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart in 1986, and No. 64 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.
"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released in March 1989 by Australian group The Triffids ahead of their album The Black Swan. Lead vocals are provided by Jill Birt, their keyboardist, instead of David McComb, the group's usual lead singer. Birt is also featured on the single's front cover.
"Holy Water" was the third single taken from Australian rock group The Triffids' Calenture album, and was released in August 1988. It was produced by Craig Leon and was written by lead guitarist and lead singer David McComb. This was one of only two tracks that resulted from Leon's production of the band's fourth album. The production costs of Leon's efforts were more than the total costs of the band's break-through album, Born Sandy Devotional. The record sleeve however credits the production to Gil Norton who produced the remainder of the album with the band. The single was released as 7", 12" and CD single versions by Island Records but failed to chart in either Australia or the United Kingdom.
Spanish Blue is the second single released by Australian rock group, The Triffids in 1982. The single was produced by Les Karski for the White Label Records imprint of Mushroom Records, owned by Michael Gudinski. The single was initially released independently by No Records but was re-released in October 1982 following the band's signing with White Label Records.
They'd recorded "Spanish Blue" when the spectre of the Gudinski organisation loomed, and they were summoned to the Mushroom/White Citadel. Gudinski liked "Spanish Blue". 'It was just that he wanted us to re-write it, and re-mix it,' McComb laughs. 'We ended up putting it out ourselves immediately they started dilly dallying because we said we wouldn't re-mix it. We thought that we couldn't just wait for people to decide what they wanted to do.'
"Stand Up" is the debut single released by Australian rock group, The Triffids in July 1981. The production by Peter Simpson for the Shake Some Action label was the prize for the band winning a song competition in late 1980. The competition was sponsored by the Western Australian Institute of Technology Student Guild’s radio show on 6NR.
