Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd. Their popularity peaked in the mid- to late 1980s with albums Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder.
Stoneage Romeos is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live performances. With radio and television support for their third single "My Girl" (1983), complete with a film clip about a greyhound of the same name, the band's following grew. The album's other singles were "Leilani", "Tojo" and "I Want You Back". The album peaked at number 29 on the Australian charts.
The Victims were an Australian punk band from Perth, Western Australia, active from 1977 to 1979. The founding mainstay members were James Baker on drums, Dave Flick on guitar and vocals, and Rudolph V on bass guitar. Their debut single, "Television Addict", was issued in April 1978 and was followed by a five-track extended play, The Victims, in August of that year. The group disbanded early in the next year. In 1989 Timberyard Records released a compilation album, All Loud on the Western Front, of their material. In late 2014 and early 2015 Baker and Faulkner were joined by Ray Ahn as the Television Addicts to perform the Victims material. The 2014 and 2015 shows were so well received that the trio assumed the band name The Victims and played sold-out shows at Rosemount Hotel and Mojo's Bar.
Mars Needs Guitars! is Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' second album, released in August 1985. The title is a reference to the 1967 science fiction film, Mars Needs Women. Singles from the album were "Bittersweet", "Like Wow – Wipeout", "Death Defying" and "Poison Pen". Mars Needs Guitars! reached No. 140 on the American Billboard 200 albums chart in 1986.
James Lawrence Baker is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of various rock and punk rock groups, including the Victims, the Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and the Dubrovniks. In 2006 Baker was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The following year, Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
David Jonathan Faulkner is an Australian rock musician who also performed as Dave Flick. Faulkner is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist; he has performed with several bands, but is best known as a member of Hoodoo Gurus. He wrote the band's best known single, 1987 hit "What's My Scene?", which reached No. 3 on the National charts.
Kinky is the fifth studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released on 9 April 1991 by RCA Records and peaked at number 4 on the Australian charts and number 172 on the American Billboard charts.
Crank is the sixth studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in February 1994 and peaked at number 2 on the ARIA charts. The album was produced by Ed Stasium, who had mixed Hoodoo Gurus previous studio album, Kinky in 1991. It was the band's first release on Zoo Records.
Mach Schau is the eighth studio album by the Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was recorded eight years after their previous studio album, Blue Cave, and released by EMI/Capitol Records on 15 March 2004. It was co-produced by the group with Kim Salmon. The album peaked at number 67 on the ARIA Charts.
Electric Soup a.k.a. Electric Soup: The Singles Collection is the first compilation album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus and released in August 1992. The album peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Charts, and was certified triple platinum. For the Electric Soup Tour in November of that year, Hoodoo Gurus were supported by Died Pretty and the Welcome Mat.
Bite the Bullet is a compilation album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus, released in July 1998.
Ampology is the fifth compilation album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. The album spans the group's career from their first single, "Leilani" in October 1982 through to "Real Deal" in 1997. The album peaked at number 76 on the ARIA charts.
"Leilani" is the debut single by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus when they were called Le Hoodoo Gurus, released on Phantom Records in October 1982. It had been written by all four Gurus: James Baker, Dave Faulkner, Roddy Radalj and Kimble Rendall. Rendall left shortly before its release and, not long after, the band dropped the 'Le' to become Hoodoo Gurus. Le Hoodoo Gurus were noted for having three guitars and no bass player, creating a distinctive, layered sound. This was captured on "Leilani", which told the story of a maiden sacrificed to the gods and an erupting volcano while her true love looked on helplessly. A re-recorded version of the song was later released on Hoodoo Gurus' first album Stoneage Romeos (1984).
"Astute listeners will note the absence of bass guitar in the band... "Leilani" was based on an old 50s movie, Bird of Paradise starring Jeff Chandler..." - Dave Faulkner.
"Tojo"a.k.a."Tojo Never Made it to Darwin" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in June 1983 as the second single from their debut studio album, Stoneage Romeos. It was written by their lead singer-guitarist, Dave Faulkner. It was also featured on their first album Stoneage Romeos (1984), which was produced by Alan Thorne. Tojo in the title refers to the World War II Japanese General and Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō.
Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus have released ten studio albums, thirty-seven singles, two extended plays, six compilation albums and 3 video albums. Formed in January 1981, the band was originally known as Le Hoodoo Gurus for the release of their first single, "Leilani", in October 1982. As Hoodoo Gurus, the band signed with Big Time Records and premiered their debut album, Stoneage Romeos, in March 1984. Also issued in the United States through A&M Records, the record remained atop the Alternative/College Albums Chart for four consecutive weeks, with it also becoming one of the most played albums of that year on the college network. The group's subsequent albums, Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder, all reached the Billboard 200.
Rodney John "Roddy" Radalj is a Croatian-born Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He has provided guitar, bass guitar and vocals in several influential Australian bands starting with Perth punk bands in the late 1970s before relocating to Sydney to become a founder of the Hoodoo Gurus in 1981 and of Dubrovniks in 1988. Since 1989, as Roddy Ray'Da he has released a number of solo albums, including Guns Girls & Guitars in 2005.
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands: Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus' status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame induction in a row; the 2006 award was for his stint with Divinyls. Often referred to as Rick Grossman, he has also performed with other Australian bands: Matt Finish, Ghostwriters, Persian Rugs, The Kelly Gang and Men at Work.
"Poison Pen" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was written by Dave Faulkner. and released in September 1986 as the fourth and final single from the group's second studio album, Mars Needs Guitars!. The song peaked at number 76 on the Australian charts.
Bradley Mark Shepherd is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially Hoodoo Gurus.
Mark Adrian Kingsmill is an Australian rock musician. He has drummed with several bands including the Hitmen (1979–84), New Christs (1983–84), the Screaming Tribesmen (1984) and Hoodoo Gurus. He is the older brother of Richard Kingsmill, music director and presenter on Triple J.
