Split Enz was a New Zealander art-rock band from Auckland, formed in late 1972 and active through several iterations over a 12-year period. In 1973, the band released a pair of singles on Vertigo and EMI, followed by nine albums on Mushroom between 1975 and 1984. Their first album, Mental Notes, includes the popular early […]
Ragnarok was a New Zealander symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album on small-press Revolution in 1975, followed by the album Nooks on Polydor in 1976. The band’s first album features vocalist Lea Maalfrid, who would later achieve international renown as a songwriter. Members: Andre Jayet (drums, synthesizer, vocals), Ross Muir (bass, synthesizer, vocals), Mark […]
Cleves was a New Zealander psych-rock band that released a self-titled album on Festival-subsidiary Infinity in 1971. Members: Gaye Brown (bass, organ, vocals), Ron Brown (lead guitar, vocals), Rob Aicken (rhythm guitar, bass), Graham Brown (drums, 1968-1971), Vince Melouney (guitar, 1971), Ace Follington (drums, 1971) Background: The Clevedonaires Cleves revolved around the musical Brown siblings: […]
Living Force were a New Zealander Latin-rock band that released a self-titled album on Atlantic in 1977. Members: Harvey Mann (guitar), Eddie Hansen (guitar), Murray Partridge (guitar), Ivan Thompson (keyboards), John Pepper (keyboards), Gary Clarke (bass), Matt Matepi (bass), Glen Absolum (drums), Mike Fisher (drums), Mona Hollguin (vocals) The roots of Living Force date back […]
Salty Dogg were a New Zealander art-pop band that released the album Love to Play and Sing on EMI in the Australasian market in 1977. Members: Mike Harvey (keyboards), Vic Williams (drums), Martin Winch (guitar), K.Chris Gunn (bass), Graham Chapman (vocals) Salty Dogg was assembled in 1975 by veteran writer/producer/keyboardist Mike Harvey and drummer Vic […]
Airlord were a New Zealander art-rock band from Wellington that released the album Clockwork Revenge on Infinity in 1977. Members: Steve MacKenzie (guitar, vocals), Ray Simenauer (guitar, vocals), Brad Murray (bass, vocals), Alan Blackburn (keyboards), Rick Mercer (drums) Prior to forming Airlord, the only member with a recorded history was guitarist/singer Steve MacKenzie, who cut […]
Waves were a New Zealander folk-rock combo that released a self-titled album on Direction Records in 1975. Members: Michael Matthews, Kevin Wildman, Graeme Gash, David Marshall Waves were signed to the short-lived Direction Records (1974–76) which existed primarily as a distribution arm for Casablanca and Capricorn in the NZ market. The band’s singular album, Waves, […]
Dr. Tree was a New Zealander jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album on EMI in 1976. Drummer Frank Gibson and bassist Bob Jackson were already established sessionists. Both appeared on the 1974 album The Song of Crazy Horse by American singer/songwriter J. D. Blackfoot. Members: Frank Gibson (drums), Murray McNabb (keyboards), Martin Winch (guitar), […]
Swingers were a Kiwi new wave band that released the album Practical Jokers in 1981. Their single “Counting the Beat” reached No. 1 in New Zealand and Australia. They feature in the 1982 Australian musical comedy Starstruck. Guitarist–singer Phil Judd was a founding member of Split Enz. Members: Phil Judd (vocals, guitar), Dwayne “Bones” Hillman […]
Pacific Eardrum were a multi-national jazz-funk/soul band that released two albums on Charisma in 1977 and 1978, followed by a third on CBS in 1980. The band’s lineup featured three New Zealanders, two Americans and one Englishman. Members: Bill Kristian (bass), Dave MacRae (keyboards), Isaac Guillory (guitar), Jeff Seopardie (drums), Jim Cuomo (sax), Joy Yates […]
Tim Finn is an New Zealander singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman of Split Enz. He debuted as a solo artist with the 1983 album Escapade, which spawned the cross-Tasman No. 2 hit “Fraction Too Much Friction.” In 1985, he appeared as a bandleader and jingle-writer in the Australian romantic comedy The Coca-Cola […]
Blerta — short for Bruno Lawrence’s Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition — were a New Zealander musical troupe that was active under assorted iterations between 1971 and 1976. The band released two singles on His Master’s Voice in 1972, followed by the album This Is the Life on the label in 1973. Members: Beaver (vocals), […]
Mike Harvey is a Kiwi keyboardist and composer who fronted the New Zealand band Salty Dogg during the late 1970s. As a solo artist, he released the album Great Expectations on EMI in 1979. Discography: Great Expectations (1979)
Lutha were a New Zealand band that released two albums on His Master’s Voice in 1972 and 1973. Members: Graham Wardrop (guitar, vocals, 1971-73), Garry McAlpine (percussion, vocals), Peter Edmonds (drums), Peter Fraser (bass, vocals), Kevin Foster (keyboards) Discography: Lutha (1972) Earth (1973)
Hello Sailor were a New Zealander rock band that released two albums on Zodiac-subsidiary Key in 1977 and 1978. The band regrouped in the mid-1980s for an album on Zulu Records. Members: Graham Brazier (vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar), Harry Lyon (guitar, vocals), Dave McArtney (guitar, vocals, 1975-2013), Graeme Turner (drums, 1975-76), Tony McMaster (bass, 1975), […]
Dragon are a New Zealander rock band that released two albums on Vertigo in 1974 and 1975, followed by four titles on CBS/Portrait between 1977 and 1979. Another round of albums appeared on Polydor and RCA Victor during the mid-to-late 1980s. Members: Todd Hunter (bass, vocals, 1972-97, 2006-present), Ray Goodwin (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1972-76), Neil […]
Mi-Sex was a New Zealand new wave band that released four albums between 1979 and 1983 on CBS–Epic. Members: Don Martin (bass), Murray Burns (keyboards), Richard Hodgkinson (drums, 1977-1981), Steve Gilpin (vocals, 1977-1984), Kevin Stanton (guitar, 1977-1986), Paul Dunningham (drums, 1981-present), Colin Bailey (guitar, 1983-present) In late 1978, Mi-Sex debuted with the single “Straight Laddie” […]
Mike Nock (born Sept. 7, 1940) is a New Zealander jazz pianist with an international career in music dating back to the early 1960s. At the turn of the 1970s, he recorded three album with stateside jazz-rock pioneers the Fourth Way. In 1971, he debuted as a bandleader with the MPS release Between or Beyond. […]
Mother Goose were a New Zealander art-rock band that released two albums on Mushroom Records between 1977 and 1979, followed by a third album on Parole in 1982. Members: Craig Johnston (vocals), Marcel Rodeka (drums), Pete Dickson (lead guitar, 1975-79, 1983-85), Justin McCarthy (lead guitar,1979-83), Kevin Collings (rhythm guitar), Steve Young (keyboards, 1975-82), Neil Shilkin […]
Schtüng were a New Zealander symphonic-rock band that released a self-titled album on Polydor in 1977. Members: David Bowater (saxophone, flute), Geoff Bowdler (percussion), Andrew Hagen (keyboards, vocals, guitar), Paul Jeffery (keyboards, vocals), Rob Sinclair (bass, vocals), Morton Wilson (guitar, vocals) Discography: Schtüng (1977)
Space Farm were a New Zealander psych-rock quartet that released the album Going Home to Eternity on Zodiac in 1972. Members: Glen Absolum (drums), Harvey Mann (guitar), Billy Williams (bass), Bob Gillette (saxophone) Discography: Going Home to Eternity (1972)
Space Waltz were a New Zealander art-rock band that released a self-titled album on EMI in 1975. Members: Alastair Riddell (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Eddie Rayner (piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesizer), Greg Clark (electric guitar), Peter Cuddihy (bass), Brent Eccles (drums) Discography: Alastair Riddell: Space Waltz (1975)
Zaine Griff — aka Glenn Mikkelson (born Oct. 4, 1957) — is a Kiwi vocalist and musician who was primarily active during the 1970s and early 1980s. Following a stint with New Zealand heroes The Human Instinct, he moved to England and released a single apiece with the bands Baby Face and Screemer. As a […]
Ticket was a New Zealander post-psych band that released the albums Awake and Let Sleeping Dogs Lie on small-press Down Under Records in 1972. Members: Eddie Hansen (guitar), Ricky Ball (drums, 1970-73), Paul Woolright (bass, 1970-73), Trevor Tombleson (vocals, 1970-72), Glen Absolum (drums, 1974), Billy Williams (bass, 1974) Background Ticket formed in Auckland in 1970 […]
Shona Laing (born Oct. 9, 1955) is a Kiwi singer/songwriter who rose to fame in her native New Zealand with a pair of teen-prodigy albums on Vertigo and Philips in 1973 and 1974. During the 1980s, she gained renown in the Northern Hemisphere with the hi-tech political numbers “(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” and “Soviet […]
Think were a New Zealander art-rock band that released the album We’ll Give You a Buzz on Atlantic in 1976. Members: Alan Badger (bass), Phil Whitehead (guitar), Neville Jess (drums), Don Mills (keyboards), Ritchie Pickett (vocals), Kevin Stanton Discography: We’ll Give You a Buzz (1976)
The Human Instinct were a New Zealander hard-rock/psych band that released a string of singles on Mercury and Deram in the late 1960s, culminating with the album Burning Up Years on Marble Arch in 1969. Four further albums appeared on AIR, Pye, and Zodiac between 1970 and 1974. Members: Maurice Greer (drums, lead vocals), Bill […]
