Icehouse is a rock band from Sydney, formed in 1977 as Flowers. Initially known in Australia for their pub-rock style, the band later achieved mainstream success playing new-wave and synthpop music and attained Top 10 singles chart success locally and in both Europe and the U.S. The mainstay of both Flowers and Icehouse has been Iva Davies supplying additional musicians as required. The name "Icehouse", adopted in 1981, comes from an old, cold flat Davies lived in and the strange building across the road populated by itinerant people.
Primitive Man is the second studio album by Australian synthpop band Icehouse, released in September 1982. In January 1982, Icehouse founder Iva Davies started recording Primitive Man essentially as a solo project, it was co-produced with Keith Forsey who later worked with Simple Minds and Billy Idol. Forsey supplied additional percussion; Davies supplied vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, bass guitar and programmed the Linn drum machine. Released as an Icehouse album, Primitive Man reached number 3 on the National album charts and provided their international breakthrough single, "Hey Little Girl", which peaked at number 7 in Australia, number 2 in Switzerland, number 5 in Germany, the top 20 in UK, Sweden and Netherlands, and number 31 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Another single "Great Southern Land" made the Australian top 5, it was later featured in the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein, and remains their most popular song according to listeners of Triple M in 2007. To promote Primitive Man on tour, Davies re-assembled Icehouse with Michael Hoste (keyboards) and John Lloyd (drums), and new members: Bob Kretschmer, Guy Pratt and Andy Qunta.
Icehouse is the debut album released by Australian rock/synthpop band Flowers, later known as Icehouse, on the independent label Regular Records in October 1980. The title and the artist are sometimes incorrectly swapped, because the band changed their name from Flowers to Icehouse after this album was released. Containing the Top 20 Australian hits "Can't Help Myself", "We Can Get Together" and "Walls"; the album made heavy use of synthesisers, which would continue to be used throughout the band's career. Founder Iva Davies wrote all the tracks including four co-written with keyboardist Michael Hoste, however Hoste was replaced during recording sessions by Anthony Smith.
"Great Southern Land" is a song by Australian rock band Icehouse. It was released in August 1982, as the lead single from their second studio album Primitive Man. It peaked at No. 5 on the Australian Singles Chart, it was later featured in the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein, and remains their most popular song according to listeners of Triple M in 2007.
Sidewalk is the third studio album by Australian rock band Icehouse. It was originally released in June 1984, on the labels Chrysalis, Regular, and reached No. 8 on the National albums chart. Founding member Iva Davies used the Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer on this more sombre and reflective album. This is the first album bassist Guy Pratt worked on as a member of the band. Pratt would later become a session musician, and go on to work with artists such as Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Measure for Measure is the fourth studio album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse and was the third album in the world to be recorded entirely digitally. The album's title refers to the Shakespearean play of the same name.
Great Southern Land is the first compilation album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse, released by Chrysalis Records / Regular Records in October 1989. It peaked at No. 2 on the Australian albums charts, and contained two new singles "Touch the Fire", which peaked at No. 13 on the singles chart, and "Jimmy Dean", which peaked at No. 47. Several different versions of this album exist; the Regular Records release for Australian / New Zealand markets was as a 16 track double vinyl LP, twin music cassette or CD; Chrysalis Records US versions were as 10 track LP / music cassette or 11 track CD release with a different track order; Chrysalis Records UK versions had 12 tracks ; and a video version of 15 tracks was released in VHS PAL format.
Code Blue is the sixth studio album by the Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse and was released in November 1990 by Regular Records. Code Blue peaked at #7 on the Australian album charts.
Masterfile is the second compilation album by Australian rock band, Icehouse. The album covers material from the band's first album Icehouse to 1986's Measure for Measure. It also features a re-recorded version of their 1981 single "Love In Motion" with Christina Amphlett of Divinyls.
Meltdown is a remix album by Australian rock synthpop band, Icehouse with tracks remixed by Australian electronic musicians and bands including Infusion, sonicanimation and beXta. It was released in October 2002 within Australia by dIVA Records under Warner Music Australia. The single "Lay Your Hands on Me" peaked at #85 on the Australian singles chart. The album was re-released, in 2004 by Rock Up label / Star Records, as Street Cafe or more fully Street Cafe and Other Remixed Hits with a different track order and different cover art.
Boxes is a soundtrack credited to Sydney Dance Company with Iva Davies, released by Festival Records / Chrysalis Records in November 1985. The work was originally conceived by its composers, Iva Davies and Robert Kretschmer, in collaboration with choreographer Graeme Murphy of the Sydney Dance Company for performance as the ballet Boxes. The first live performance of Boxes was given by the Sydney Dance Company together with Davies and Kretschmer of Icehouse and guest percussionist Masaki Tanazawa in the Opera Theatre of the Sydney Opera House on 7 November 1985.
The Singles a.k.a. The Singles A sides... and selected B sides is a limited edition three-disc CD boxed set released by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse in February 1996 on dIVA Records / Massive Records in Germany and Australia; it was re-released in 1999 into the US market.
"Hey Little Girl" is a single released by Australian band Icehouse, the second single from the band's 1982 album, Primitive Man. The album and single were co-produced by band member and the track's writer, Iva Davies, and Keith Forsey. It was released in 1982 on Regular Records in 7" vinyl single and 12" vinyl single formats. UK and Europe releases by Chrysalis Records were also on 7" and 12" formats, but with different track listings. The single was then released in the US in 1983 on the same formats. On "Hey Little Girl", Iva Davies uses the Linn drum machine—the first for an Australian recording. It peaked at No. 7 on the Australian singles chart and No. 2 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Germany, Top 20 in UK, Sweden and Netherlands, and No. 31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Big Wheel is the seventh and final studio album by the Australian rock synthpop band, Icehouse, which was released by dIVA Records – founder Iva Davies' own label – and Massive Records. It was recorded at Davies' home in Whale Beach during 1993 with Davies on vocals, guitar, bass guitar and keyboards, David Chapman on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals, and Paul Wheeler on drums, percussion and backing vocals. Big Wheel peaked at #44 and was their first studio album not to reach the Top Ten on the Australian album charts. The album was digitally remastered by Davies and Ryan Scott with five bonus tracks added for the 2002 re-release by Warner Music Australia.
The Berlin Tapes is a soundtrack album, credited to Australian rock musician Iva Davies and Icehouse. The record was a collaboration between Davies and classical music composer Max Lambert to accompany the Sydney Dance Company's production of the ballet Berlin, for which Icehouse performed live on stage.
Spin One is a four-track EP released by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse in June 1993. It was issued by Massive Records. Three tracks, "Shakin' the Cage", "Dedicated to Glam" and "MLK", are also on the double CD remix album, Full Circle, released in December 1994. "Byrralku Dhangudha" is an edited version of "The Great Southern Mix" with guest appearance by aboriginal performers, keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic) and avant-garde guitarist Buckethead, and was produced by Bill Laswell.
"Can't Help Myself" is the first single released by the Australian synthpop/rock band Flowers, later known as Icehouse. It was released in May 1980 as a 7" vinyl single on independent label, Regular Records, five months ahead of debut album Icehouse. A 10" vinyl single was released in July and had a cover depicting individual images of band members diagonally across the band's name and the single's title. It peaked at #10 on the Australian Singles Charts.
White Heat: 30 Hits is a two-disc compilation album released by Australian band Icehouse on 26 August 2011 in Australia. While it is technically their third best-of compilation, following 1989's Great Southern Land and 1992's Masterfile, it is the first such compilation spanning the band's entire career, including both their early- to mid-1980s hits and material from their most commercially successful period, beginning with the Man of Colours album.
White Heat is a compilation album released in August 2011 by Australian rock band Icehouse. This album was released as a two disc set and a three disc set including a DVD of Icehouse video clips. The album peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Charts and it also charted at number 10 on Recorded Music NZ.
"Someone's Coming" is a song by the British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released in 1979 as the second and final single from his 1978 debut solo album Hobo with a Grin. It was written by Harley and Jo Partridge, and produced by Harley.
