The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved some success in Australia, but greater success in the UK and in Scandinavia in the 1980s before disbanding in 1989. Some of their best-known songs include "Wide Open Road" and "Bury Me Deep in Love". SBS television featured their 1986 album, Born Sandy Devotional, on the Great Australian Albums series in 2007, and in 2010 it ranked 5th in the book The 100 Best Australian Albums by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell.
David Richard McComb was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career including leading David McComb and The Red Ponies. Over his career McComb had bouts of alcoholism, and amphetamine and heroin abuse. He developed cardiomyopathy and in 1996 underwent a heart transplant. David McComb died on 2 February 1999 "due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant", according to the coroner. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" by The Triffids – written by McComb – as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. On 1 July 2008 The Triffids were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with McComb's contribution acknowledged by a tribute performance.
Graham Francis Lee is an Australian musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'.
Martyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass.
For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.
Born Sandy Devotional is an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. All the songs on the album were written by David McComb. The album was recorded at Mark Angelo Studios in London in August 1985 with Gil Norton co-producing with the band, and mixed at Amazon Studios in Liverpool in September 1985. The cover photo shows Mandurah, Western Australia – now a large urban centre – as it appeared in 1961.
When we finished Born Sandy Devotional I knew it was the best thing we’d ever done, there was no question about it. The writing was much more autobiographical than anything I’d done before, I felt quite close to the subject matter. I found myself almost following the idea of fidelity as a complete all-consuming faith, to give you some sort of direction or something.
And 'Born Sandy Devotional'? It was the name of a song which didn’t make it onto the record which is about someone called Sandy ... I like titles like those, they’re just a law unto themselves and they have a feeling unto themselves.
Born Sandy Devotional is the culmination of our efforts trying to capture our more considered lyrical approach with a physical intensity ... well not really, but that will have to do. David McComb -
In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August 1986, which reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.
Calenture is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group The Triffids, it was released in November 1987 and saw them explore themes of insanity, deception and rootlessness—the title refers to a fever suffered by sailors during long hot voyages. It reached No. 32 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. In November 1987, it reached No. 24 on the Swedish Albums Chart, in May 1988 it peaked at No. 25 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. The album spawned three singles, "Bury Me Deep in Love" (1987), "Trick of the Light" and "Holy Water". The latter track was recorded with American producer Craig Leon.
Love In Bright Landscapes is an anthology by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids, which was released in 1986. The original LP had ten tracks compiled from their album, EP and single releases in the period from 1983 to 1985, during which time the group were resident in Perth, Sydney and London. Three additional tracks from the same sources were included on the later CD version of the album.
Treeless Plain is the debut album by The Triffids, released in November, 1983. The album was recorded at Emerald City Studios, Sydney, Australia in twelve midnight to dawn sessions, during August through to September 1983. It was the band's first release after signing with Hot Records.
Lawson Square Infirmary was a 12" extended play released in November 1984 by the Triffids and James Paterson under the collaborative project of the same name. In 2008 all six tracks from the EP were included on the compilation Beautiful Waste and Other Songs.
Raining Pleasure is a record released in 1984 by the Australian folk rock group The Triffids as a 12" vinyl EP. It reached No. 95 on the Australian Charts. Its seven tracks were co-produced by the group with Nick Mainsbridge who also supplied trumpet.
Field Of Glass by The Triffids was released as a 12" extended play in 1985. All three tracks were generally recorded live at BBC Studio 5, Maida Vale, London. The EP was produced by Mark Radcliffe, engineered by Mike Robinson, engineered by Owen Davies and remixed by Nick Cook at Townhouse 3.
Alan MacDonald is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'.
Bury Me Deep in Love is a single released by Australian folk rock group The Triffids from their album Calenture. It appeared in October 1987 and reached No. 48 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb, the group's lead singer and guitarist. The B-sides "Baby Can I Walk You Home" and "Region Unknown" were produced by Victor Van Vugt and The Triffids. The single was released as 7", 12" & CD single versions.
"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released in March 1989 by Australian group The Triffids ahead of their album The Black Swan. Lead vocals are provided by Jill Birt, their keyboardist, instead of David McComb, the group's usual lead singer. Birt is also featured on the single's front cover.
"Holy Water" was the third single taken from Australian folk rockers The Triffids' Calenture album, and was released in August 1988. It was produced by Craig Leon and was written by lead guitarist and lead singer David McComb. This was one of only two tracks that resulted from Leon's production of the band's fourth album. The production costs of Leon's efforts were more than the total costs of the band's break-through album, Born Sandy Devotional. The record sleeve however credits the production to Gil Norton who produced the remainder of the album with the band. The single was released as 7", 12" and CD single versions by Island Records but failed to chart in either Australia or the United Kingdom.
"Falling Over You" was the second single, released in September 1989, by Australian folk rock group The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The tracks were recorded between September and October 1988 at The Justice Room, Cathanger, Somerset and mixed at Fallout Shelter, London, November 1988. "You Minus Me" was written and produced by McComb. The single appeared as a 7", 12" and CD single version.
"Beautiful Waste" is a single released by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids in February 1984. It was not included on any of the band's studio albums nor extended plays, it was first compiled on Australian Melodrama (1994). The B-side, "Property Is Condemned", was included on the 1984 EP Raining Pleasure. A film clip was made for "Beautiful Waste". Its name was adapted for a 2008 posthumous compilation of mid-1980s non-album tracks, Beautiful Waste and Other Songs.
Jillian Margaret Birt is an Australian rock musician and architect. Birt was the keyboardist and vocalist of the alternative rock and pop band, The Triffids from 1983 to 1989. In 2008, The Triffids were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame.
