John is the owner and director of Mammal Music Pty Ltd audio/video production company, and Unity Gain Studios, where he has composed and produced albums for many independent artists including the ARIA Award winning Tibetan Prayer (Best World/Traditional/Folk Album 1995[7][8]), ARIA Award nominated The Hipbone Connection (Best Independent Album 2000[9] and No. 1 on the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) charts) and ARIA Award nominated The Story of Abbey (Best Show/Cast Album 2002).
He has also produced a number of works for film, television, theatre and advertising, gaining an Australian Guild of Screen Composers Nomination for orchestralcomposition and production.[10]
Musical history
1970s
Prior started playing guitar aged eight, drums at 11, vibraphone at 17 and piano at 24. During his teens, he performed in the bands Mandrake and Legend with brother Rob Prior (guitar/vocals) and neighbor Paul Williams (bass guitar) at the Mosman Spastic Centre, The Kirribilli Hotel,[citation needed] and his school, Sydney Boys High School. With the addition of keyboards player Chris Short and the name change to Conic Section, they composed original jazz-rock fusion, performed at the Limerick Castle Hotel and won the Festival Of Pop band competition at Flemington Sydney in 1974 and a 2SM song competition in 1975.[citation needed] The band TAPP, comprising John and Rob Prior, Peter Astley (bass guitar), Geoff Taylor (keyboards) and Peter Noakes (vocals) recorded at Wirra Willa Studios, Glenfield.[citation needed]
At 16, he played drums with Stevie Wright (Easybeats), Sea of Clouds, Atlantis, the Northbridge Jazz Band and formed experimental funk band Hot Dogma with Craig Learmont (guitar, The Layabouts, Klezma Orcheztra), Peter Astley (bass), Anthony Smith (keyboards, Flowers, Icehouse) and Peter Noakes (vocals).[11][12]
In 1979, Prior formed Matt Finish[6] with singer/guitarist Matt Moffitt[6] and through to the end of the seventies, they played regular residencies in clubs and pubs around Sydney every night of the week, often double-gigging on weekends.[6] In November 1979, a few months after forming, radio station 2JJ broadcast Matt Finish live-to-air from the Civic Hotel in Pitt Street, Sydney and continued to broadcast the raw live performances for a year.[13]
Matt Finish released Matt Finish Play Africa (single 1980), Short Note (album 1981), Fade Away (EP 1981), Matt Finish (EP 1983), Word of Mouth (album 1983) and numerous singles.[6] The Short Note album was re-released on CD in 1989 and is still available from music shops.[18]
During the late eighties, Prior toured Australia as drummer with Roy Buchanan,[5]Champion Jack Dupree,[5] Mal Eastick, Girl Overboard, Troy Newman, Jackie Orszaczky, Guy Le Claire, Stephanie Howell, Baby Loves To Cha-Cha, Getaway Plane, T-Vibes, Bastiaan, Bob Armstrong and Charlie McMahon; recorded Land Of The Living with Mark Edwards; performed drums with Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil) and hundreds of other drummers and percussionists at Bondi Pavilion; performed solo at the first Australian Music Day Concert;[21] performed each year at the Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane Music Trade Fairs; conducted drum clinics and music clinics in music shops around Australia sponsored by Australis Music, Tama Drums, Akai Samplers, Dynamic Music and Sabian Cymbals; taught drums at Drum City Sydney and Emmanuel School Randwick; composed music for productions at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre, Nimrod Theatre, Griffin Theatre, New Theatre (Newtown) and Belvoir St Theatre; and produced local independent artists including Megan Williams, One Franc, Sandi Chick, Amanda Mann and Guy Le Claire.[22]
In 1989, Prior travelled to New York to produce Matt Moffitt and Jennifer Barrett and perform with Pacific Orchestra[23]
1990s
In 1990, Moffitt and Prior reformed Matt Finish with Matt Moffitt, former Eurogliders members Guy Le Claire (guitar) and Lindsay Jehan (bass), and New Yorker Jennifer Barrett (guitar).[24] Managed and promoted by Prior, the band completed their most successful tour to date[25] including fifty sold-out performances around Australia. The band recorded four songs at Studios 301 and Bondi Road Studios that were released in 2009 on the album Kite on a Hurricane Day.[25]
In 1992, he formed Mammal Music production company, incorporated in 1994, and built Unity Gain Studios audio and video production facilities in Erskineville in 1997.[26]
During this period, John composed and produced several production music albums for Bruton Music UK and albums for local independent artists including ARIA Award winner Tibetan Prayer with Yungchen Lhamo featuring Tibetan Monks from Namgyal Monastery (Best World/Traditional/Folk Album 1995[8]) and the ARIA Award nominated The Hipbone Connection with iOTA (Best Independent Album 2000[9] and No. 1 on the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Charts), which spawned 6 charting singles.
During 2001, Prior traveled to Europe and the US to attend numerous music festivals. Back in Australia, he produced the jazz/fusion album Day And Night with Bob Spencer's band Eclection before forming the experimental electronic project Ear Candy, with jazz saxophonist Dale Barlow, singer Wendy Dorsett and her son Kayci, producing the underground dance hits Made in Australia, Feels Like Summer and Candy For Your Soul.[citation needed]
In 2002, he co-composed, arranged and produced the ARIA Award nominated rock operaThe Story of Abbey (Best Show/Cast Album 2002), which also had a successful theatrical run at the Sydney Seymour Centre,[28] and produced the album The Need To Fall with rock band Merge.[citation needed]
In 2003, he produced Leave Nothing Untouched with dance troupe Astral Taxi and composed 20 albums of commercial library music that appeared in soundtracks around the world.[citation needed]
In 2004, he composed an orchestral score for the Deloitte advertising campaign Out For Glory and formed the world/fusion band Newtown Beats with Eddie Quansah (Osibisa, Bob Marley, King Cobra).[citation needed]
In 2005, he produced jazz vocalist Jennifer Whatson's debut self-titled album and composed an orchestral score for New Theatre's production of the Spike Milligan play Badjelly the Witch, which ran in January 2006 and January 2007.[citation needed]
In 2006, he composed and produced an orchestral score for the short film A Fairytale of the City featuring Sam Worthington, produced recordings with Newtown Beats, Robot Productions, guitarist Bob Spencer and singer Meryl Leppard, performed live with Sydney bands Newtown Beats, The Lovely Sons and Swing Thing; and toured Australia with King Crimson singer/guitarist Adrian Belew and bassist Al Slavik.[29] Their first performance was at Byron Bay Bluesfest (East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival) for 75,000 people.[30][31] John and Rob Prior promoted further shows with Adrian at the Basement in Sydney and Manchester Lane in Melbourne.[32]
In November 2006, he produced the Matt Finish single Don't Fade Away with singer/guitarist Luke Dixon, bassist Matt Cornell and sound engineer Greg Clarke; directed, edited and promoted the accompanying video clip;[33] and in December 2006, John and his brother Rob promoted Matt Finish's Matt Moffitt Memorial Tour featuring Dixon, Cornell, Clayton and a guest performance by Rick Grossman.[34]
During 2007, he managed, promoted and performed on a 35-show Matt Finish tour featuring vocalist David Adams, bassist Harry Brus and a number of guest guitarists including Guy Le Claire, Eliot Reynolds,[35] Steve Edmonds, Les Rankin and Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.[24][36][37] While touring, Prior also promoted and performed a number of music clinics and workshops at music stores around Australia in association with sponsors Australis Music, Allans Music, Tama and Sabian cymbals, including a performance at the Sydney Guitar Show featuring Kevin Borich and Steve Edmonds. In December 2007, he produced the Matt Finish album 1978 - 2008, released January 2008.[38]
During 2008, he produced Steve Lockyer's debut Sticks & Stones and David Kingdom's Tattoo, and managed a Matt Finish tour with special guest musicians Dale Barlow and Guy Le Claire, both childhood friends.[39] In December 2008, he directed, edited and produced a video clip for the Matt Finish song Short Note from archival footage.[40]
In January 2009, Prior edited, produced and authored the Matt Finish DVD Live at the Musicians Club 1981 with the only existing concert video of Matt Finish in the eighties.[41] In February 2009, he produced the Matt Finish EP New Frontier featuring singer David Adams and collated and remastered an extensive collection of Matt Finish recordings that were released in December 2009 as the Matt FinishFlight Case, a 12-disc box-set including a book and posters. The band performed more than 30 shows around the country during the year.[42] He also produced the albums The Shaggers with The Shaggers and The Cat, The Fiddle & This Tune with Sameera Bashir.
In 2010, Prior composed, produced and released an album of original Arabic music entitled The Red Sea, produced an album of Russian folk music with Sydney composer and pianist Tatyana, and performed drums live with Matt Finish, Newtown Beats, JFK, The Erskinevillains, Bulli Lama, The Swingers, Ray Husband's band and Mysterious Travellers, a tribute to Weather Report featuring acclaimed jazz musicians Dale Barlow (sax), Bill Risby (piano), Phil Scorgie (bass), Fabian Hevia and David Fester (percussion).[citation needed]
In 2011, he formed the band Stone and the Sky with Swedish vocalist Pontus Duvsjo, which recorded and performed a number of live shows including a benefit concert that raised $50,000 for the Prince of Wales Foundation. He produced the album Nowhere To Hide with vocalist Peter Colleer's band The Unnamed Sources.[citation needed]
In February 2012, he promoted a tour with Matt Finish and a series of performances at the Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club entitled The Do featuring local soul and groove artists. A percentage of ticket sales was donated to local charity Father Dave's Youth Centre.[citation needed]
During 2012 and 2013, he produced albums at his studio, Unity Gain Studios Erskineville, with Sophie Von, Ray Husband, Love Child, The Inner West, The Ians and Peter Colleer; plus the single Bass Straight with Gordon Trott.[citation needed]
Between 2014 and 2018, Prior produced and played on albums and soundtracks for Farooq Haider, Love Child, Deloitte Australia, Sacred Cow, Heavily Made Up Boy, Shanghaied Project, Warren McLean from Divinyls, Placebo Cure, Magnus, Trevor Rowe, Music Box, Ray Husband, Travis Masters, Samantha Cartwright, Paul Kougias, Eddie Brown, Jacquie McGill, Martin Nickson, The Final Word, Craig Leermont, Mi-Sex guitarist Kevin Stanton and The Good Life. During that time he also performed live with Ray Husband, Matt Finish and Oz Rock Roadshow featuring special guests Mark Gable from Choirboys, Angry Anderson from Rose Tattoo, Steve Mulry from Ted Mulry Gang, Mick Peeling from Stars and Bob Spencer from Skyhooks and The Angels.[citation needed]
Between 2017 and 2020, Prior taught music and produced student recordings at Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design sponsored by Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club; and Matt Finish performed at 'Sunset Sounds', 'Classic Hits' and 'Pure Gold' shows for Empire Touring, featuring other popular Australian artists such as Ian Moss, Eurogliders, The Models, Jon Stevens, Dragon, Radiators, Ross Wilson, Mi-Sex, Real Life, Wendy Matthews and GANGgajang, with sold-out shows at Enmore Theatre Sydney, WIN Entertainment Centre Wollongong, Sandstone Point, Wagga Racecourse, Gosford Racecourse, Roche Estate Hunter Valley, and Australia DayParramatta Park in Sydney with 20,000 people.[43]
Between 2020 and 2022, during the pandemic, Prior composed and produced theme music for PayPal Brazil, produced albums for independent Australian artists Peter Colleer, Ethelated Spirits, Travis Masters, Sophie Von, Anita Monk, Coast Collective, Seven, Aegean Quartet and Peter Fenwick, and produced and played drums on the song When I See You Dancing by Steve Williams from Wa Wa Nee, Jon Lord and Matt Finish featuring vocalist John Kenny from Rockmelons.
Associations
In 2012, Prior co-formed The Association of Australian Musicians (AM) and The Australian Independent Musicians Association (AIMA), an online forum for Australian musicians managed by AM, with more than 12,000 members in 2022. AM and AIMA members have developed The Australian Music Plan proposing a range of music industry reforms.
In 2014, Prior became a co-founder and active member of the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) Resolution Pathways Dispute Resolution Committee, APRA Writer Members Sub-Committee and APRA Peer Review Committee, developing a peer review system for more than 100,000 APRA members to seek advice and resolve disputes, winning the Australian Disputes Centre's ADR Corporate Team of the Year award in 2016 for innovative dispute resolution.[44] In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, John resigned from all APRA committees.
Legal issues
In 1995, Prior won an Expert Determination commissioned by APRA and conducted by Davis Catterns QC regarding authorship of the theme and underscore music for the television series Great Outdoors created in 1992.
In 2000, John won Prior v Sheldon & Artec Sound Vision in the Federal Court regarding authorship of the theme and underscore for Great Outdoors after eight years of dispute.
From 2010 to 2020, no-win-no-fee lawyers sued Prior thrice consecutively regarding property and copyright ownership in the Federal and Supreme Courts of Australia, all of which he won. On 25 March 2019, during the Supreme Court case, John's solicitor and friend Christopher John Boyd died at The Gap in Watson's Bay Sydney. On April 5, 2019, Boyd's favourite song, "Short Note", was played at his funeral at St Joan of Arc Church Haberfield.[45]
In 2018, an APRA Peer Review Panel of APRA Writer Members upheld claims by Rick Grossman, Jeff Clayton and Prior regarding authorship of Matt Finish songs.
In 2022 Prior won two disputes at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) regarding equipment sales.
Prior has also won seven District Court cases brought by South Sydney Council regarding parking outside his studio and residence.
A dispute regarding claims by Matt Finish members of copyright infringement of Matt Finish works by Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Origin Music Publishing, MCA Music, Mushroom Music, APRA and AMCOS continues unresolved. John has spoken about this dispute and the state of the Australian music industry in interviews with ABC News Radio, ABC Drive and numerous community radio stations.
Discography
Matt Finish
1980 Matt Finish Play Africa: CIA–Mancini Shuffle
1981 Short Note
1981 Short Note–Layman's Day
1981 Fade Away
1983 Matt Finish
1984 Words and Wars–Still Roads (I Need It)–Come on Over
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