The State (band)

Last updated

The State
Also known asThe Cutters
Origin Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresPop
Years active1987 (1987)–1989 (1989)
Labels
Past members

The State were an Australian band, which formed as The Cutters. Their second single, "Real Love" (October 1988), was nominated for the 1989 ARIA Award for Best New Talent. They released their debut album, Elementary, in February 1989. After that, all four members formed Southern Sons with Jack Jones late that year.

Contents

History

The Cutters were formed in Melbourne by Peter Bowman on guitars and vocals (ex-Talk That Walk), Phil Buckle on vocals and guitar, and Geoff Cain on bass guitar. [1] [2] They were joined by Virgil Donati on drums (ex-Cloud Nine, Taste, Peter Cupples Band, the Cosy Connection) and changed their name to the State in 1987. [2]

By 1988 the group were signed to Glenn Wheatley's label, Wheatley Bros Records, and released their debut single, "Responsible", in June. [1] It was followed by "Real Love" in October. [1] [2] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989 they were nominated for Best New Talent for "Real Love". [3] They issued their debut album, Elementary, in February 1989. [1] [2]

The Age 's Mike Daly observed, "[there] is some polished playing on [the album] but it is undermined by predictable material. The quartet... produce hi-tech pop dominated by Donati's hard-edged acoustic and synthesised rhythms. Buckle is an accomplished guitarist, a jazz fusion veteran like Donati, which gives this group more chops than most contemporary bands. The opener. 'Responsible', is catchy, while some flashy guitar is unleashed on 'Real Love' and 'One Step', with strong vocal back-up. But the songwriting is superficial and short on melodic hooks." [4]

During 1989 the State supported the Eurythmics Australian tour. [1] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "[their] future looked promising, but there was one vital ingredient required to make the push into the big time (i.e. a good frontman and songwriter)." [1] The State members formed Southern Sons with American-born guitarist-vocalist, Jack Jones (a.k.a. Irwin Thomas), in 1989, who became their front man. [1] [2] Jones "had auditioned for the band previously but was considered too young." [5]

Band members

Discography

Albums

TitleDetails
Elementary
  • Released: February 1989 [4]
  • Label: RCA Victor (VPCD0739)
  • Format: Vinyl, CD

Singles

YearTitleAlbum
1988"Responsible"Elementary
"Real Love"
1989"So Lonely Now"

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1989 "Real Love" Best New Talent Nominated [6]
Ross Fraser for "Real Love" by The State Producer of the Year Won
Doug Brady for "Real Love" & "So Lonely Now" by The State Engineer of the Year Won

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Seymour</span> Australian bassist (born 1958)

Nicholas More Seymour is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitarist in the rock band Hunters and Collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Younger</span> Australian musician, songwriter and producer

Rob Younger is an Australian rock musician, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He is a founding mainstay of the punk rock group Radio Birdman, and he is a pioneer of the local independent music scene. Radio Birdman, formed with Deniz Tek on guitar in November 1974, was one of the first punk rock bands ever formed in Australia, and it is considered one of the most influential and crucial bands in Australian music history. Younger formed a short-term super-group, New Race, in 1981. He also formed New Christs in that year, who is still active today.

Southern Sons was an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 1989 by members of The State along with lead vocalist and guitarist Irwin Thomas, who was then using the stage name Jack Jones. They are best known for their Australian top ten hits "Heart in Danger", "Hold Me in Your Arms", and "You Were There".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Barker</span> Australian musician

Nicholas Paul Barker is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who formed a rock, power pop band, Nick Barker & the Reptiles, in March 1988. Their cover version of Cockney Rebel's "Make Me Smile " reached the top 30 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Singles Chart in November 1989. They provided two top 40 albums on the related ARIA Albums Chart, Goin' to Pieces (1989) and After the Show (1991). He formed another group, Barker, in 1993, and their single, "Time Bomb", was listed at No. 20 on Triple J Hottest 100 for 1994. Barker then went solo from 1995.

My Friend the Chocolate Cake are an Australian chamber pop group formed in 1989 by mainstays David Bridie on vocals and keyboards and Helen Mountfort on cello and backing vocals. They have released seven studio albums with two reaching the ARIA Albums Chart top 50, Brood (1993) and Good Luck (1996). These two albums have both won the ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album; in 1995 and 1997.

Joseph Benjamin Geia is an Aboriginal Australian musician of Murri heritage. As a solo artist he has released three albums, Yil Lull (1988), Tribal Journey (1996) and Nunga, Koori and a Murri Love (2005). He has worked with artists, No Fixed Address (1982–83), Shane Howard and Rebecca Barnard (1990). In 1988 Geia composed the track, "Yil Lull", which has been recorded by other artists, Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Jimmy Barnes, and the Singers for the Red, Black and Gold, which included Howard, Kelly, Christine Anu, Renée Geyer, and Tiddas.

Irwin Thomas is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He performs professionally using the stage name Jack Jones from when he was the lead vocalist-guitarist in the band Southern Sons (1990–1996).

For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.

<i>...Ish</i> (album) 1988 studio album by 1927

...ish is the debut album by Australian pop rock band 1927, released on 14 November 1988, which peaked at number one for four weeks in early 1989 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album remained in the top 50 for 46 weeks and reached No. 2 on the 1989 ARIA Year End Albums Chart. The album was awarded 5× platinum certification – for shipment of more than 350,000 copies. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, 1927 won 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' for "That's When I Think of You" and 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' for ...ish. At the 1990 ceremony the group won 'Best Video' for "Compulsory Hero", which was directed by Geoff Barter. In 1999 rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described the album as "brimful of stirring, stately pop rock anthems". As of 2002, it was in the top 10 of the most successful debut albums by Australian artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Baker (musician)</span> Australian musician

James Lawrence Baker is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of various rock and punk rock groups, including the Victims, the Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and the Dubrovniks. In 2006 Baker was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The following year, Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Mississippi were an Australian soft rock band (1972–1975), which included Graham Goble on lead vocals and guitar, Beeb Birtles on lead vocals and guitar, and Derek Pellicci on drums. The band had started as Allison Gros in Adelaide in 1970 and moved to Melbourne in 1971 where they recorded as Allison Gros, Drummond and, early in 1972, became Mississippi. As Drummond they issued a cover version of "Daddy Cool", which peaked at No. 1 on the Go-Set National Top 40 for eight weeks. As Mississippi they reached No. 10 with "Kings of the World". In early 1975, with Birtles, Goble and Pellici aboard and the addition of Glenn Shorrock, the group were renamed Little River Band.

The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues rock band formed in 1983 by mainstay vocalist Joe Camilleri, who also plays saxophone and guitar. Camilleri has used various line-ups to record 17 albums, with five reaching the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Charts: Hold on to Me, Harley and Rose, Better Times, The Chosen Ones - Greatest Hits and Lucky Charm. Their top 40 singles are "Chained to the Wheel", "Harley + Rose" and "Snake Skin Shoes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Balbi</span> Australian musician and record producer

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.

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.

<i>A.O. Mod. TV. Vers.</i> 1986 studio album by v. Spy v. Spy

A.O. Mod. TV. Vers. is the second studio album by Australian rock band Spy vs Spy, produced by Leszek Karski and released through WEA in December 1986.

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".

<i>Uncovered</i> (John Farnham album) 1980 studio album by John Farnham

Uncovered is a solo studio album by British-born Australian singer John Farnham, produced by Little River Band's Graeham Goble, and released on 3 July 1980, which peaked at No. 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report album chart and was certified gold in 1981.

<i>Southern Sons</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Southern Sons

Southern Sons is the self-titled debut album by Australian band Southern Sons. The album was released in Australia through Wheatley Records in June 1990 and reached number 5 on the ARIA charts. A total of 4 singles were released from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart in Danger</span> 1990 single by Southern Sons

"Heart in Danger" is the debut single by Australian pop-rock band Southern Sons, released in August 1990. It was written by the group's guitarist, Phil Buckle, and produced by Ross Fraser. The song peaked at number five in Australia and was included on their debut album, Southern Sons (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Royall</span> Australian musician

Dallas Leslie "Digger" Royall was an Australian hard rock drummer. He was a member of Band of Talabene (1973), Buster Brown (1975) and Rose Tattoo (1976–1983). He died of an unspecified cancer in 1991 while being treated for heroin and alcohol addictions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Southern Sons'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 The State related entries at the Australian Rock Database:
    • The State: Holmgren, Magnus. "The State". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
    • Southern Sons: Holmgren, Magnus. "Southern Sons". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year: 3rd Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 Daly, Mike (18 May 1989). "Records: New Notes". The Age .
  5. ↑ Nimmervoll, Ed. "Southern Sons". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 26 January 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  6. ↑ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year: 3rd Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.