Skyhooks were an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1973. Their classic lineup (1974–1977) comprised Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (vocals), Greg Macainsh, Red Symons, Bob "Bongo" Starkie, and Imants "Freddie" Strauks (drums).
Graeme Ronald Strachan, professionally billed and known as "Shirley" Strachan or Shirl, was an Australian singer, songwriter, radio and television presenter, and carpenter. He was the lead singer of the rock group Skyhooks. While still a member of Skyhooks, he had solo singles, which charted on the Kent Music Report, with a cover recording of Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts" and a remake of The Miracles "Tracks of My Tears". After leaving Skyhooks in July 1978, he concentrated on his solo career. He was the host of children's TV program Shirl's Neighbourhood (1979–83). From 1993, he appeared on home renovation TV program Our House as a carpenter and co-host. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993, Skyhooks were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Strachan died in August 2001 in a self-piloted helicopter accident.
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne, Brad Robinson, Paul Williams (bass), Simon Binks and David Reyne (drums) in Melbourne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough. They were later joined by his brother Guy McDonough. The band was named after the front crawl swimming style also known as the Australian crawl.
Juice were an Australian funk rock band formed in 1991 by brothers: Amarnath and Krishna Jones both on guitar and vocals, Lucius Borich on drums; and David Kyle on bass guitar. They released their debut album, Wine of Life, in 1994 which peaked in the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994, their debut extended play, Movin' On, was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Independent Release.
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was the mainstay of the La De Da's, the leader of Kevin Borich Express, and a founding member of the Party Boys, as well as a session musician for numerous acts.
Ganggajang, stylised as GANGgajang are an Australian pop rock band which formed in 1984.
The La De Da's were a New Zealand rock band from 1963 to 1975. They were formed as a mod-ish group, the Mergers, in Te Atatū, by long-term members Kevin Borich on lead guitar and vocals, Phil Key on lead vocals and guitar and Trevor Wilson on bass guitar. In mid-1968 they relocated to Australia. Their popular singles in New Zealand were "How Is the Air Up There?", "On Top of the World", "Hey! Baby", "All Purpose Low" and "Rosalie", while their hits on Australia's Go-Set National Top 40 were "Gonna See My Baby Tonight" (1971), "Morning, Good Morning" (1972) and "Too Pooped to Pop" (1974). The group released one of the first Australasian rock music concept albums, The Happy Prince (1969).
Semantics was a 1983 EP by Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. The album marked a change in the line-up of the band as Bill McDonough (drums) was replaced first by Graham Bidstrup to record the EP. The more permanent replacement, after the EP, was John Watson.
The Party Boys was an Australian rock supergroup with a floating membership commencing in 1982. Created by Mondo Rock's bass guitarist, Paul Christie, with founding member Kevin Borich as a part-time venture for professional musicians with downtime from their other projects; the group had temporary members from Status Quo, the Angels, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Rose Tattoo, the Choirboys, Australian Crawl, Divinyls, Models, Dragon and Swanee, plus international stars such as Joe Walsh, Eric Burdon, Alan Lancaster, and Graham Bonnet.
Marc Alexander Hunter was a New Zealand rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. He was the lead vocalist of Dragon, a band formed by his older brother, Todd Hunter, in Auckland in January 1972. They relocated to Sydney in May 1975. He was also a member of the Party Boys in 1985. For his solo career he issued five studio albums, Fiji Bitter, Big City Talk, Communication, Night and Day and Talk to Strangers. During the 1970s Hunter developed heroin and alcohol addictions and was incarcerated at Mt Eden Prison in Auckland in 1978. He was recklessly outspoken and volatile on-stage. In November 1978, during the band's American tour, supporting Johnny Winter, they performed in Dallas, Texas, where "he made some general stage observations about redneck buddies, illegal oral sex and utility trucks" and called the audience members "faggots". Upon his return to Australia, in February 1979, he was fired from the group by his brother, Todd.
Greatest Hits (of Other People) is the second album by Australian rock band The Party Boys. It was recorded live during a tour in 1983.
The Party Boys is the self-titled sole debut album by Australian rock band the Party Boys. Tracks 2, 4, 5 and 8 were originals, the rest of the songs are covers, originally recorded by : Argent, John Kongos, Them, the Angels, La De Da's and AC/DC, however "It Could Have Been You" was originally released by Party Boy's lead singer John Swan as a single in 1985.
Stephen Vert Balbi is an Australian musician and record producer. He was the founding bass guitarist in pub rockers, Noiseworks in 1986 and formed a psychedelic pop group and production duo, Electric Hippies in 1993 with fellow Noiseworks member, Justin Stanley. He joined Mi-Sex in 2011. Balbi issued his debut solo album, Black Rainbow, in October 2013.
You Need Professional Help is the fourth album by the Australian rock band, The Party Boys. It was released in 1985, on the label CBS.
"Reckless" (aka "Reckless (Don't Be So)", "Reckless (Don't You Be So)", "She Don't Like That") is a 1983 song from the EP Semantics by Australian band Australian Crawl. The song showed a change in the line up of the band as drummer Bill McDonough was temporarily replaced by Graham Bidstrup (also on keyboards). After the EP was released, Bidstrup was replaced by John Watson (drums).
Harvey James born Harvey William James Harrop was an English-Australian rock guitarist. He was a member of the bands Mississippi (1973–74), Ariel (1974–75), Sherbet and the Party Boys (1982–83). James was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2010 and died on 15 January 2011, aged 58, leaving behind his three children, Gabriel, Alexandra and Joshua.
Graham Leslie "Buzz" Bidstrup is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and talent manager. He was a member of the Angels (1976–1981), the Party Boys (1983–1984) and Gang Gajang. He has managed Jimmy Little, Nathan Cavaleri and Diana Ah Naid. He was the CEO of the Jimmy Little Foundation from 2005 to 2015 and is the founder and Managing Director of associated Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up Ltd.
Paul Adrian Christie is an Australian rock bassist and vocalist. He was a member of various groups including Kevin Borich Express (1978–79), Mondo Rock (1980–82) and the Party Boys. As a member of Mondo Rock he performed on the tracks, "State of the Heart", "Cool World", "Summer of '81", "Chemistry", "No Time", "The Queen and Me" and "In Another Love".
Kevin Borich Express are an Australian rock band formed in 1976 by the New Zealand-born Kevin Borich.
Ronald Robert Peel, who also performed as Rockwell T. James, was an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of numerous bands starting with the Missing Links and the Pleazers in the mid-1960s; then the La De Da's from 1972 to 1975 and in various backing bands for John Paul Young. He released a solo album Shot of Rhythm and Blues in 1977 under the James pseudonym, which provided his only top 40 single, "Roxanne". He co-wrote "Rock Me Gently" for Sherbet with its band members, which is a top 10 hit for that group. Peel died in 2020 due to an unspecified cancer.
