Skyhooks were an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in March 1973 by mainstays Greg Macainsh on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Imants "Freddie" Strauks on drums. They were soon joined by Bob "Bongo" Starkie on guitar and backing vocals, and Red Symons on guitar, vocals and keyboards; and Steve Hill lead vocalist, Graeme "Shirley" Strachan became lead vocalist in March 1974. Described as a glam rock band, because of flamboyant costumes and make-up, Skyhooks addressed issues including buying drugs in "Carlton ", sex and commitment in "Balwyn Calling", the gay scene in "Toorak Cowboy" and loss of girlfriends in "Somewhere in Sydney" by namechecking Australian locales. According to music historian, Ian McFarlane "[Skyhooks] made an enormous impact on Australian social life".
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.
The Sports were an Australian rock group which performed and recorded between 1976 and 1981. Mainstay members were Stephen Cummings on lead vocals and Robert Glover on bass guitar, with long-term members such as Paul Hitchins on drums, Andrew Pendlebury on lead guitar and vocals, and Martin Armiger on guitar. Their style was similar to both 1970s British pub rock bands and British new wave. The Sports' top forty singles are "Who Listens to the Radio", "Don't Throw Stones", "Strangers on a Train" and "How Come". Their top 20 releases on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart are Don't Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra.
Moving Targets is a 1976 album by Flo & Eddie. Illegal, Immoral and Fattening and Moving Targets were reissued on a single compact disc in 2007 by Acadia Records.
Living in the 70's is the debut album by Melbourne band Skyhooks. Released in October 1974 on the Mushroom Records label, the album achieved relatively little success until early 1975. It spent 16 weeks at the top of the Australian album charts from late February 1975, and became the highest-selling album by an Australian act in Australia until that time, with sales of over 330,000. In October 2010, it was listed at No. 9 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums. The album's eponymous track was ranked number 72 as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time ranking.
Ego Is Not a Dirty Word is the second studio album released by Australian rock band, Skyhooks, in July 1975. The album was the follow-up to their highly successful debut album, Living in the 70's (1974). As with the former album, it was also produced by Ross Wilson.
Straight in a Gay Gay World was the third studio album by Australian rock band, Skyhooks. The album was released in August 1976. With the exception of "Million Dollar Riff", it was recorded at The Record Plant in Sausalito, California, after the band's first tour of the United States earlier in the same year. The title and songs are a sort of view the band had on their experience in the States. The album was produced by former Daddy Cool leader Ross Wilson. It peaked at No. 1 on the Australian charts.
Guilty Until Proven Insane is the fourth studio album released by Skyhooks on 13 March 1978. It was the first album to feature Bob Spencer, who replaced guitarist Red Symons in early 1977. Spencer had played in Sydney rock band Finch and would later become a member of The Angels.
Hot for the Orient is the fifth and final studio album from Australian glam rock band Skyhooks. This was the only album the band recorded without its second, and best-known, vocalist Graeme "Shirley" Strachan, who had been replaced with Tony Williams. The album peaked at number 64 on the Australian charts, and was the band's first studio album to fail to reach the Australian top ten. Skyhooks disbanded soon after but reformed in 1983 with the line-up which had recorded its first three albums, though it would not release new studio material until 1990.
Gregory John Macainsh is an Australian former musician and songwriter. He provided bass guitar and backing vocals for pop rockers, Skyhooks from 1973 to 1980 and subsequently for various reformations. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "Macainsh's biting, provocative songs were the perfect expression of adolescent obsessions and frustrations. With those songs, the band made an enormous impact on Australian social life." Macainsh became an intellectual property lawyer.
"Jukebox in Siberia" is a song by the Australian group, Skyhooks, released in October 1990 as the lead single from the group's compilation album, The Latest and Greatest (November). It was the group's first new recording in almost a decade, and featured the classic line-up of the band. The song was written by their bass guitarist, Greg Macainsh; his lyrics consider Russia under the rule of Gorbachev in the era of glasnost ("openness") and perestroika ("restructuring").
The Latest and Greatest is a greatest hits compilation album by Australian rock band Skyhooks. It was released by Mushroom Records in November 1990 in Australia and peaked at number 4 on the chart and was certified platinum.
Live in the 80's is a live album by Australian rock band Skyhooks. It was released by Mushroom Records in November 1983 in Australia and was certified gold.
Hits'n'Riffs is a compilation album released in November 2015 by Australian band Skyhooks. It followed two weeks after the release of the band's 3CD box set, Don't You Believe What You've Seen or You've Heard
Don't You Believe What You've Seen or You've Heard is three-disc box set by Australian glam rock band Skyhooks, subtitled '40 Years of 'Hooks Hysteria!'. The box set includes Skyhooks' first two albums Living in the 70's and Ego Is Not a Dirty Word which both peaked at number 1 in Australia in 1975. The set includes bonus original B-sides and unreleased demos. The third disc is called Skyhooks in Concert: 1974–75. it features 14 previously unreleased live tracks from 1974 and 1975. The album was packaged with a deluxe 8-panel digipak and a 36-page booklet with numerous never-before-seen images and a new essay from former Rock Australia Magazine editor and Skyhooks confidant Anthony O'Grady.
Singles and B Sides is a compilation album released in 1994 by Australian band Skyhooks.
Live! Be in It is the first live album by Australian rock band Skyhooks. It was released by Mushroom Records on cassette and vinyl in December 1978 in Australia and on CD in 1991. The live recordings are taken from various concerts around Melbourne from December 1975 to July 1978.
The Best of Skyhooks is the second compilation album released in December 1979 by Australian band Skyhooks, following The Skyhooks Tapes in 1977. The album was released after lead singer Graeme Strachan left in late 1978. The album peaked at number 9 in Australia.
Peter George Starkie was an Australian rock musician. He was the founding guitarist of Skyhooks in 1973 and joined Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons in 1975. His younger brother, Bob "Bongo" Starkie, replaced him on guitar in Skyhooks. Peter Starkie died on 14 September 2020, aged 72, of complications arising from a fall.
"All My Friends Are Getting Married" is a song by Australian band Skyhooks, released in June 1975 as the second and final single from the band's second studio album, Ego Is Not a Dirty Word. It is written by the group's bass guitarist, Greg Macainsh and was produced by Ross Wilson. The song peaked at number two in Australia.
