Headless Chickens

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Headless Chickens
ChickensHomebake.JPG
Headless Chickens at Homebake 2008
Background information
Origin New Zealand
Genres Rock, industrial rock
Years active1985–1999; 2008-2009
LabelsFlying Nun
Past members Chris Matthews
Fiona McDonald
Johnny Pierce
Michael Lawry
Grant Fell
Bevan Sweeney
Anthony Nevison
Rupert E. Taylor
Bevan Larsen
Flex - aka Simon Claridge
Angus McNaughton
Gerard Presland
John McDermott

The Headless Chickens was a New Zealand band. Going against the grain of the Dunedin sound that dominated the Flying Nun Records roster at the time, the Headless Chickens made extensive use of electronic instruments in their music.

Contents

History

The Headless Chickens recorded three albums, Stunt Clown (1988), Body Blow (1991), and Greedy (1997), plus various EPs for Flying Nun Records in the 1980s and 1990s.

The band first became known in New Zealand when they won the 1987 Rheineck Beer Rock award. The prize money from the award went into the funding for their innovative (for its use of sampling) 1988 debut album Stunt Clown.

The 1988 CD release of Stunt Clown compiled the vinyl release of this name with the 1986 Headless Chickens EP.

A second album, Body Blow , appeared in 1991 which featured singer Fiona McDonald. It was during this time with McDonald that the Headless Chickens would attract their widest audience. Two versions of Body Blow were released, with the revised and expanded 1993 version going double platinum in New Zealand.

This album spawned the single "Cruise Control" which became a hit in New Zealand and (in a remixed form) Australia. "Cruise Control" was notable for its sampling, particularly for elements of Shona Laing's 1973 single "1905" and the Crocodiles' 1980 single "Tears".

At the time, the band's use of electronic elements and sampling in a "rock" setting was out of the ordinary and had an influence on many other N.Z. bands that followed them.

The follow-up 1997 Greedy album took several years to complete, and during that time several band members left, including singer McDonald. Greedy contained the track "George" which became a No. 1 hit single in their home country; "George" was the first (and so far, only) track from the Flying Nun Records label to achieve No. 1 status.

The Headless Chickens split up soon after the release of Greedy.

In 2002 Flying Nun Records released a 2CD best-of compilation named ChickensHits.

In July 2008 it was announced that the band would reform to play the Homebake Festival in Sydney, Australia on 6 December. The line-up would feature both Chris Matthews and Fiona McDonald. [1] They played further concerts in Australia and New Zealand and were scheduled to play at the Auckland Big Day Out in January 2009. [2]

On 27 January 2018, bassist Grant Fell died of cancer at the age of 56. [3]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
Certifications
NZ AUS
[4] [5] [6]
1988 Stunt Clown 18
1991 Body Blow 1746
  • NZ: 2×Platinum
1997 Greedy
  • Label: Flying Nun Records/Festival Music
  • Catalogue: FNCD320
167
2002 ChickensHits
  • Label: Flying Nun Records
  • Catalogue: FNCD467
26
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ AUS [4]
[5] [6]
1988"Soulcatcher" / "Donka"--Stunt Clown
1989"Expecting to Fly"--
1990"Gaskrankinstation" / "Crash Hot"28-Body Blow
1991"Cruise Control"623
1992"Donde esta la pollo"4161
"Juice" / "Choppers"7104
1993"Mr. Moon"2293
1994"George" / "Cruise Control"167Greedy
1997"Magnet"--
"Dark Angel"--
1998"Secondtime Virgin"--

The group have appeared on many compilations and soundtracks since 1990 in both New Zealand and Australia. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by the Headless Chickens.

YearTitleLabelTrack
1990 In Love With These Times Flying Nun Records Donca
1991Aotearoa: Stand Strong '91 Festival Cruise Control
Getting Older 1981-1991Flying Nun RecordsTotalling Dad's Car
Pink Flying Saucers Over the Southern AlpsFlying Nun RecordsRailway Surfing
1993Collision White Cruise Control
1994 Abbasalutely Flying Nun Records Super Trouper (ABBA cover)
1996In The Neighbourhood Warner Music Cruise Control
Popeyed Flying Nun Records George
1999 Scarfies Flying Nun Records George
2002Absolute Bliss Festival Cruise Control
2003Give It A Whirl Propeller Records Gaskrankinstation
Natures Best 3 Sony Music Entertainment Cruise Control
2005V8 Supercars Australia: A Full Tank of Rock Festival Mushroom Records Cruise Control

Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1987Headless ChickensRheineck Rock AwardWon [7]
1992Body Blow NZ Music Awards - Album of the YearWon [8]
1992"Cruise Control" NZ Music Awards - Single of the YearNominated [8]
1992Fiona McDonald NZ Music Awards - Best Female VocalistWon [8]
1992Headless Chickens NZ Music Awards - Best GroupNominated [8]
1992"Cruise Control" NZ Music Awards - Best VideoNominated [8]
1992Rex Visible (Body Blow) NZ Music Awards - Best ProducerNominated [8]
1994"Juice"/"Choppers" NZ Music Awards - Single of the YearWon [9]
1994Fiona McDonald NZ Music Awards - Best Female VocalistWon [9]
1994Headless Chickens NZ Music Awards - Best GroupWon [9]
1994Headless Chickens NZ Music Awards - International AchievementNominated [9]
1994Johnny Ogilvie ("Mr Moon") NZ Music Awards - Best VideoNominated [9]
1995Johnny Ogilvie ("Cruise Control") NZ Music Awards - Best VideoNominated [10]

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<i>Greedy</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Headless Chickens

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George (song)</span> 1994 single by Headless Chickens

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juice (Headless Chickens song)</span> 1992 single by Headless Chickens

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Chris Matthews is a New Zealand rock musician. He has been a member of numerous bands, notably Children's Hour, This Kind of Punishment and The Headless Chickens for whom he was guitarist and lead vocalist, as well as writer or co-writer of many of their songs. Among these was the 1991 single "Cruise Control", co-written by Matthews and Michael Lawry, which was voted by APRA's members as the 76th greatest New Zealand song of all time.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruise Control (Headless Chickens song)</span> 1991 single by Headless Chickens

"Cruise Control" is a song by New Zealand band Headless Chickens. Written by members Chris Matthews and Michael Lawry, the track was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Body Blow (1991), in 1991 and reached number six on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Three years later, the song was remixed and re-released as the "Eskimos in Egypt" mix. This version of the song peaked at number 26 in Australia and topped the New Zealand chart as a double A-side with "George".

<i>Stunt Clown</i> 1988 studio album by Headless Chickens

Stunt Clown is the debut full-length studio album by the New Zealand rock band Headless Chickens. The album, released in 1988 through Flying Nun Records, peaked at number 18 in the New Zealand charts. Primarily produced by Rex Vizible and Roland Morris as well as the Headless Chickens themselves, Strawpeople member Mark Tierney also served production duties on the album's bonus tracks. It was reissued in 1995, affixed with the tracks featured in the band's 1986 EP that had previously been included in some international releases of Stunt Clown.

References

  1. "Kiwi band Headless Chickens reform". stuff.co.nz. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  2. Kara, Scott (1 December 2008). "Review: Headless Chickens at the Powerstation". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  3. Former Headless Chickens musician Grant Fell dies of cancer
  4. 1 2 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 126.
  5. 1 2 "Headless Chicken's ARIA chart history, received from ARIA in 2022 page 1". ARIA. Retrieved 3 December 2023 via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  6. 1 2 "Headless Chicken's ARIA chart history, received from ARIA in 2022 page 2". ARIA. Retrieved 3 December 2023 via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  7. "The Headless Chickens". Muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1992 Winners". NZMA. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "1994 Winners". NZMA. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  10. "1995 Winners". NZMA. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.