Robert F. Spencer is an Australian rock guitarist. He was a latter day member of Skyhooks (1977–1980) and the Angels (1986–1992). Spencer joined Rose Tattoo in 2017. As a songwriter he co-wrote tracks for the Angels, including sole writer for their single "Finger on the Trigger" (1988), which reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 40.
The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, also known as Soapbox Circus or Matchbox, were an Australian jug band formed in 1969. It centred on Mic Conway on lead vocals, washboard and ukulele; and his brother, Jim Conway, on harmonica, kazoo and vocals. They issued four studio albums, Smoke Dreams, Wangaratta Wahine, Australia and Slightly Troppo (1978), before they disbanded in September 1980. The Conway brothers reformed the group in 2010 as Captain Matchbox Reignited and disbanded again two years later.
Douglas John Ford is an Australian rock guitarist and songwriter since the mid-1960s. He was lead guitarist of rock n roll group, the Missing Links (1965–66), then during 1968–72, he joined the pop-rock band, the Masters Apprentices. He established a writing partnership with that group's lead singer, Jim Keays. Ford participated in some of the reunions of the Masters Apprentices from 1988 to 1991 and 1997. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998 the group were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
John Carrington Brewster-Jones is an Australian guitarist who has played in a number of Australian rock bands, including The Angels and The Party Boys. His father and grandfather Hooper Brewster-Jones were notable musicians.
Joel Silbersher is a musician from Melbourne, Australia, who was the singer and guitar player for rock and roll band, GOD (1986–1989). GOD had a minor but enduring hit with "My Pal," a song written by Silbersher. Since its release in 1988, "My Pal" has been covered by bands such as Dinosaur Jr, Magic Dirt, Violent Soho, Bonnie Prince Billy, Tide of Iron, Bad//Dreems and Peabody. At the closing of Melbourne's Tote Hotel, Silbersher and The Drones played "My Pal" as the final song.
Clive Richard Shakespeare was an English-born Australian pop guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was a co-founder of pop rock group Sherbet, which had commercial success in the 1970s including their number-one single, "Summer Love" in 1975. The majority of Sherbet's original songs were co-written by Shakespeare with fellow band member Garth Porter. Other Sherbet singles co-written by Shakespeare include "Cassandra", "Slipstream" and "Silvery Moon". In January 1976 Shakespeare left the band citing dissatisfaction with touring, pressures of writing and concerns over the group's finances. Shakespeare produced albums for other artists including Post by Paul Kelly in 1985. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002 and died of the disease in 2012, aged 64.
Simon Sean Nicholas David Austin is an Australian guitarist, songwriter, producer and sound engineer. Austin was a founding member of Frente! in Melbourne in 1989 with Angie Hart on vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar and Mark Picton on drums. Their top five hits on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Singles Chart were "Ordinary Angels" and "Accidently [sic] Kelly Street". Their debut album, Marvin the Album, reached top five on the ARIA Albums Chart in the same year. After Frente! disbanded in 1996, Austin moved into record production and sound engineering.
Patrick Thomas Robertson is an Australian musician and songwriter, who was frontman for the post-grunge rock band Motor Ace. Formed in Melbourne during 1998, Motor Ace had top five chart success on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart with Five Star Laundry and Shoot This. Their highest-charting single, "Carry On", written by Robertson, peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
James Conway is an Australian harmonica player and with his brother, Mic Conway, was a co-founder of the 1970s humour, theatre and rock group, The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band.
Les Gilbert is an Australian musician who was a founding member of the 1960s band, Wild Cherries. He appeared on their early recordings, which, together with the band's four singles for Festival, have been picked up for a compilation album by the Half a Cow record company.
Big Bad Noise is the second studio album by Australian rock band The Choirboys, released in February 1988. This album was produced by Peter Blyton, Brian McGee and The Choirboys. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart, it was certified double platinum and ranked No. 21 for 1988 in Australia.
Jamie Buchanon Hutchings is the lead singer-songwriter and guitarist for Australian band Bluebottle Kiss, who have released six albums, plus numerous EPs and singles. Hutchings has released three solo albums, The Golden Coach, His Imaginary Choir and Avalon Cassettes. Unlike Bluebottle Kiss albums, which Hutchings produces himself, His Imaginary Choir was co-produced with notable Australian producer Tony Dupe. He has produced three albums for fellow Sydney band Peabody one album for Sydney mood-blues band, The Maladies and in 2013 one for Mark Moldre. His most recent solo album, Avalon Cassettes, was released on Laughing Outlaw in early 2011. Following Avalon Cassettes, he formed another band, Infinity Broke and in 2014 released a new album, River Mirrors.
Ray Arnott is an Australian rock drummer, singer-songwriter, he was a member of Spectrum (1970–1973), which had a number one hit with "I'll Be Gone". He also played drums for The Dingoes in the 1970s and Cold Chisel in 1980s.
Jeremy Stuart Smith is an Australian rock musician; he was a founding member of Hunters & Collectors on French horn, guitars, keyboards, programming, and backing vocals (1981–1998). Smith worked on Ghostwriters's 1996 album, Second Skin.
James William Manzie, known as Jimmy Manzie or Jim Manzie, is an Australian musician and songwriter for a variety of bands including rock revival band Ol' 55 (1975–1979), pop groups The Breakers (1979–1982) and The Fives (1982) before turning to solo work, production and composing for film/television scores and soundtracks. As a member of Ol' 55, Manzie wrote "On the Prowl" their top 20 hit single on the Australian Kent Music Report in late 1975, which was followed by their debut album, Take It Greasy which reached No. 3 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976.
The Australian Rock Database was a website with a searchable online database that listed details of Australian rock music artists, albums, bands, producers and record labels. It was established in 2000 by Swedish national Magnus Holmgren, who had developed an interest in Australian music when visiting as an exchange student. Information for the database entries was initially gleaned from Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara and Paul McHenry's Who's Who of Australian Rock and Ian McFarlane's Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (1999). The Australian Ggovernment's former website on Culture and Recreation listed Australian Rock Database as a resource for Australian rock music.
Cordrazine are an Australian rock band formed in 1996 in Melbourne. They released a top ten album on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart, From Here to Wherever in April 1998. The album was nominated for ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998; however they disbanded in 1998. They reformed in 2009.
The discography of Australian rock group The Saints consists of thirteen studio albums, seventeen singles, six EPs, two live albums and ten compilation albums. The Saints began in 1974 as punk rockers and released their first single, "(I'm) Stranded", in September 1976 on their own Fatal Records label. They were signed to EMI and released their debut album in February 1977, (I'm) Stranded. Mainstay founder Chris Bailey is the principal songwriter and record producer. Their sound became more R&B and pop rock. Their highest-charting album, All Fools Day peaked in the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1986. Their cover version of The Easybeats' hit "The Music Goes Round My Head", issued in November 1988, peaked in the Top 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Nickelodeon is the first live album by The Masters Apprentices, released in November 1971 on Columbia Records.
Richard (Rick) Brewster-Jones is an Australian guitarist who has played in a number of Australian rock bands, including The Angels. His father and grandfather Hooper Brewster-Jones were notable musicians.
