DOUG PARKINSON IN FOCUS

Doug Parkinson in Focus was formed early in 1968 from the ashes of The Questions with members Billy Green on guitar, Duncan McGuire on bass, Rory Thomas on keyboards, Doug Parkinson on vocals. Doug Lavery (ex-Running Jumping Standing Still) was added on drums. They released a single on Festival, " Advice / I Had A Dream", in May and finished third in that year's Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds. That version disbanded in August. In the following month a new line-up comprising Parkinson, Green, McGuire and Johnny Dick (ex-Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs) on drums formed, which "became one of the most popular outfits on the Melbourne suburban dance/inner-city discotheque circuit" as they were "perfectly in sync with the tempo of the times." The group signed with EMI/Columbia and issued a cover version of the Beatles' track, "Dear Prudence", in May 1969, which peaked at #5 on the Go-Set National Top 40. Also, in that year the group won the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds.

Their follow up single, "Without You / Hair" (October), reached #4. In November Green and McGuire left to join Rush while, in the following month, Parkinson and Dick recruited Mick Rogers (ex-Procession) and Les Stacpool (ex-Levi Smiths Clefs) each alternating on bass and lead guitars. By February 1970 Green and McGuire had returned and Rogers and Stacpool had left. The group issued another single, "Baby Blue Eyes / Then I Run" (May), which reached #36. In the same year the band supported The Four Tops on their Australian tour. They disbanded when Parkinson and Dick relocated to the United Kingdom where, in June 1970, they formed Fanny Adams with Vince Melouney (ex-Aztecs/Bee Gees) on guitar and vocals and Teddy Toi (ex-Max Merritt and The Meteors) on bass guitar. Duncan McGuire died in 1989 from lung cancer. Drummer Johnny Dick died in 2017. Doug Parkinson died in 2021.

Members

Doug Parkinson (vocals), Billy Green (guitar), Duncan McGuire (bass), Rory Thomas (organ), Doug Lavery (drums), Johnny Dick (drums), Mick Rogers (guitar), Les Stacpool (guitar)

SINGLES

''Advice / I Had A Dream'' 1968 Festival
''Dear Prudence (#5) / This Must Be The End'' 1969 Columbia
''Without You (#4) / Hair'' 1969 Columbia
''Baby Blue Eyes (#42) / Then I Run'' 1970 Columbia
''Purple Curtains / Pour Out All You've Got'' 1970 Fable

EPs

'Doug Parkinson In Focus' 1970 Columbia

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Parkinson

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/