Skyhooks formed in March 1973 in Melbourne with Steve Hill on vocals (ex-Lillee), Peter Ingliss on guitar (ex The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band), Macainsh on bass guitar and backing vocals, Peter Starkie on guitar and backing vocals (ex Lipp & the Double Dekker Brothers) and Strauks on drums and backing vocals. The name, Skyhooks, came from a fictional organisation in the 1956 film Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. Their first gig was on 16 April 1973 at St Jude's Church Hall in Carlton. At a later gig, former Daddy Cool frontman, Ross Wilson was playing in his group Mighty Kong with Skyhooks as a support act. Wilson was impressed with the fledgling band and signed Macainsh to a publishing deal. In August, Bob "Bongo" Starkie (ex-Mary Jane Union) on guitar replaced his older brother Peter (later in Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons) and Ingliss was replaced by Red Symons (ex- Scumbag) on guitar, vocals and keyboards. The two new members added a touch of theatre and humour to the band's visual presence.
By late 1973, Wilson had convinced Michael Gudinski to sign the band to his booking agency, Australian Entertainment Exchange, and eventually to Gudinski's label, Mushroom Records. Skyhooks gained a cult following around Melbourne including university intelligentsia and pub rockers, but a poorly received show at the January 1974 Sunbury Pop Festival saw the group booed off stage. Two tracks from their live set, "Hey What's the Matter?" and "Love on the Radio" appeared on Mushroom's 'Highlights of Sunbury '74'. After seeing his performance on TV, Hill phoned Macainsh and resigned. To replace Hill, in March, Macainsh recruited occasional singer, surfer and carpenter Strachan from his Frame era. Strachan had been dubbed "Shirley" by fellow surfers due to his curly blond hair a la Shirley Temple.
For Skyhooks, the replacement of Hill by Strachan was a pivotal moment, as Strachan had remarkable vocal skills, and a magnetic stage and screen presence. Alongside Macainsh's lyrics, another facet of the group was the twin-guitar sound of Starkie and Symons. Adopting elements of glam rock in their presentation, and lyrics that presented frank depictions of the social life of young Australia in the 1970s, the band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, make-up, lyrics, and on-stage activities. A 1.2 metre (4 ft) high mushroom-shaped phallus was confiscated by Adelaide police after a performance.
The first Skyhooks single, "Living in the 70's", was released in August, ahead of the album, and peaked at #28 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Charts. The album 'Living in the 70's' initially charted only in Melbourne upon its release on 28 October 1974. It went on to spend 16 weeks at the top of the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Charts from February to June 1975. The album was produced by Wilson, and became the bestselling Australian album, to that time, with 226,000 copies sold in Australia. Skyhooks returned to the Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1975. They were declared the best performers by Rolling Stone Australia and The Age reviewers, and Gudinski now took over their management. The second single, "Horror Movie", reached #1 for two weeks in March. The band's success was credited by Gudinski with saving his struggling Mushroom Records and enabled it to develop into the most successful Australian label of its time.
The follow-up album was, 'Ego Is Not a Dirty Word'. The album spent 11 weeks at the top of the Australian album chart from 21 July 1975, and sold 210,000 copies. It was produced by Wilson again, with the single, "Ego is Not a Dirty Word" issued in March ahead of the album, peaking at #2.
The next single, "All My Friends Are Getting Married" reached #2 in July and was followed by "Million Dollar Riff" at #6 in October. With Australian commercial success achieved, Skyhooks turned to the US market. Gudinski announced a $1.5 million deal with Mercury Records/Phonogram Records, which released a modified international version of 'Ego Is Not a Dirty Word' with "Horror Movie" and "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed" from their first Australian album replacing two tracks. A US tour followed in March–April 1976, but critics described them as imitators of Kiss due to the similarity of Symons' make-up & stage act to that of Gene Simmons, and despite limited success in Boston, Massachusetts and Jacksonville, Florida they failed to make in-roads into the general US market.
After completing their 1976 US tour, the band remained in San Francisco and recorded their third album with Wilson producing, 'Straight in a Gay Gay World'—called 'Living in the 70's' for US release with "Living in the 70's" replacing "The Girl Says She's Bored"—which appeared in August and peaked at #3 on the Australian album charts. In July, upon return to Australia they launched The Brats Are Back Tour with a single, "This is My City", which reached the Top 40. "Blue Jeans" followed in August and peaked at #12 on the singles chart. By October, Strachan provided his debut solo single, "Every Little Bit Hurts" (a cover of Brenda Holloway's 1964 hit), which reached #3.
In February 1977, Symons left the band and was replaced on guitar by Bob Spencer (ex-Finch later called Contraband). With Symons' departure the band dropped the glam rock look and used a more straight forward hard rock approach. During 1977 Skyhooks toured nationally three times, while their first single with Spencer, "Party to End All Parties", peaked into the top 30 in May. Strachan released his second solo single, a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears", which reached the top 20 in July. Meanwhile, Mushroom released a singles anthology, 'The Skyhooks Tapes', which entered the top 50 in September. The band's mass popularity had declined although they still kept their live performances exciting and irreverent.
In January 1978 they toured New Zealand and performed at the Nambassa festival. In February their next single, "Women in Uniform", was issued and peaked at #8, while its album 'Guilty Until Proven Insane' followed in March and reached #6. The album was produced by Americans Eddie Leonetti and Jack Douglas. The second single from the album, "Megalomania" issued in May, did not peak into the top 40. Strachan told band members he intended to leave—but it was not officially announced for six months—he continued regular shows until his final gig with Skyhooks on 29 July.
Strachan released further solo singles, "Mr Summer" in October and "Nothing but the Best" in January 1979, but neither charted in the top 50. Strachan's replacement in Skyhooks, on lead vocals, was Tony Williams (ex-Reuben Tice with Macainsh). Williams' first single for Skyhooks, "Over the Border", a political song about the state of the Queensland Police Force at the time, reached the top 40 in April, and their fifth studio album, 'Hot for the Orient', appeared in May 1980, but failed to peak into the top 50.
From 1975 to 1977, Skyhooks were—alongside Sherbet—the most commercially successful group in Australia, but over the next few years, Skyhooks rapidly faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. Ian "Molly" Meldrum, usually a supporter of Skyhooks, savaged 'Hot for the Orient' on his "Humdrum" segment of Countdown—viewers demanded that the band appear on a following show to defend it. Poor reception of the album both by the public and reviewers led the band to take out a page-sized ad in the local music press declaring "Why Don't You All Get Fu**ed" (title of one of their songs) and they played their last performance on 8 June, not in their hometown of Melbourne, but in the mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. In December 1982, Mushroom released a medley of Skyhooks songs as "Hooked on Hooks" which peaked at #21.
Demands for the "classic" line-up of the band—Macainsh, Bob Starkie, Strachan, Strauks and Symons—to reform were successful and on 23 April 1983, they started the Living in the 80's Tour. Support acts for the first concert included The Church, Mental as Anything, The Party Boys, The Sunnyboys, and Midnight Oil—who acknowledged, "Hooks were the only Australian band they would let top the bill above them". A one-off reunion concert took place in October 1984, and in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, including "Jukebox in Siberia", released in September, which peaked at the top of the ARIA Singles Charts for two weeks. In November, 'The Latest and Greatest: 16 Greatest Hits', a compilation album, was released, which peaked at #4 on the ARIA Albums Charts.
The tracks were taken from Skyhooks' first four studio albums along with two recent singles, "Jukebox In Siberia" and the uncharted "Tall Timber". In 1992, Skyhooks were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame, while their manager, Gudunski, and record label, Mushroom Records, received a 'Special Achievement Award'. Producer of their first three albums, Ross Wilson, had been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 as an individual and again as a member of Daddy Cool in 2006. The final release of new Skyhooks material came in June 1999 when a twin-CD, 'Skyhooks: The Collection', was issued. Disc one contained a greatest hits package, very similar to "The Latest and Greatest", with additional tracks. Disc two is referred to by fans as "The Lost Album", with previously unreleased songs from their 1990 and 1994 recording sessions.
Members
Steve Hills (vocals), Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (vocals), Greg Macainsh (bass), Bob Starkie (guitar), Freddie Strauks (drums), Red Symons (guitar, keyboards), Peter Ingliss (guitar),
Peter Starkie (guitar), Bob Spencer (guitar), Tony Williams (vocals)
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhooks_%28band%29
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
For Skyhooks, the replacement of Hill by Strachan was a pivotal moment, as Strachan had remarkable vocal skills, and a magnetic stage and screen presence. Alongside Macainsh's lyrics, another facet of the group was the twin-guitar sound of Starkie and Symons. Adopting elements of glam rock in their presentation, and lyrics that presented frank depictions of the social life of young Australia in the 1970s, the band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, make-up, lyrics, and on-stage activities. A 1.2 metre (4 ft) high mushroom-shaped phallus was confiscated by Adelaide police after a performance.
The first Skyhooks single, "Living in the 70's", was released in August, ahead of the album, and peaked at #28 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Charts. The album 'Living in the 70's' initially charted only in Melbourne upon its release on 28 October 1974. It went on to spend 16 weeks at the top of the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Charts from February to June 1975. The album was produced by Wilson, and became the bestselling Australian album, to that time, with 226,000 copies sold in Australia. Skyhooks returned to the Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1975. They were declared the best performers by Rolling Stone Australia and The Age reviewers, and Gudinski now took over their management. The second single, "Horror Movie", reached #1 for two weeks in March. The band's success was credited by Gudinski with saving his struggling Mushroom Records and enabled it to develop into the most successful Australian label of its time.
The follow-up album was, 'Ego Is Not a Dirty Word'. The album spent 11 weeks at the top of the Australian album chart from 21 July 1975, and sold 210,000 copies. It was produced by Wilson again, with the single, "Ego is Not a Dirty Word" issued in March ahead of the album, peaking at #2.
The next single, "All My Friends Are Getting Married" reached #2 in July and was followed by "Million Dollar Riff" at #6 in October. With Australian commercial success achieved, Skyhooks turned to the US market. Gudinski announced a $1.5 million deal with Mercury Records/Phonogram Records, which released a modified international version of 'Ego Is Not a Dirty Word' with "Horror Movie" and "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed" from their first Australian album replacing two tracks. A US tour followed in March–April 1976, but critics described them as imitators of Kiss due to the similarity of Symons' make-up & stage act to that of Gene Simmons, and despite limited success in Boston, Massachusetts and Jacksonville, Florida they failed to make in-roads into the general US market.
After completing their 1976 US tour, the band remained in San Francisco and recorded their third album with Wilson producing, 'Straight in a Gay Gay World'—called 'Living in the 70's' for US release with "Living in the 70's" replacing "The Girl Says She's Bored"—which appeared in August and peaked at #3 on the Australian album charts. In July, upon return to Australia they launched The Brats Are Back Tour with a single, "This is My City", which reached the Top 40. "Blue Jeans" followed in August and peaked at #12 on the singles chart. By October, Strachan provided his debut solo single, "Every Little Bit Hurts" (a cover of Brenda Holloway's 1964 hit), which reached #3.
In February 1977, Symons left the band and was replaced on guitar by Bob Spencer (ex-Finch later called Contraband). With Symons' departure the band dropped the glam rock look and used a more straight forward hard rock approach. During 1977 Skyhooks toured nationally three times, while their first single with Spencer, "Party to End All Parties", peaked into the top 30 in May. Strachan released his second solo single, a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears", which reached the top 20 in July. Meanwhile, Mushroom released a singles anthology, 'The Skyhooks Tapes', which entered the top 50 in September. The band's mass popularity had declined although they still kept their live performances exciting and irreverent.
In January 1978 they toured New Zealand and performed at the Nambassa festival. In February their next single, "Women in Uniform", was issued and peaked at #8, while its album 'Guilty Until Proven Insane' followed in March and reached #6. The album was produced by Americans Eddie Leonetti and Jack Douglas. The second single from the album, "Megalomania" issued in May, did not peak into the top 40. Strachan told band members he intended to leave—but it was not officially announced for six months—he continued regular shows until his final gig with Skyhooks on 29 July.
Strachan released further solo singles, "Mr Summer" in October and "Nothing but the Best" in January 1979, but neither charted in the top 50. Strachan's replacement in Skyhooks, on lead vocals, was Tony Williams (ex-Reuben Tice with Macainsh). Williams' first single for Skyhooks, "Over the Border", a political song about the state of the Queensland Police Force at the time, reached the top 40 in April, and their fifth studio album, 'Hot for the Orient', appeared in May 1980, but failed to peak into the top 50.
From 1975 to 1977, Skyhooks were—alongside Sherbet—the most commercially successful group in Australia, but over the next few years, Skyhooks rapidly faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. Ian "Molly" Meldrum, usually a supporter of Skyhooks, savaged 'Hot for the Orient' on his "Humdrum" segment of Countdown—viewers demanded that the band appear on a following show to defend it. Poor reception of the album both by the public and reviewers led the band to take out a page-sized ad in the local music press declaring "Why Don't You All Get Fu**ed" (title of one of their songs) and they played their last performance on 8 June, not in their hometown of Melbourne, but in the mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. In December 1982, Mushroom released a medley of Skyhooks songs as "Hooked on Hooks" which peaked at #21.
Demands for the "classic" line-up of the band—Macainsh, Bob Starkie, Strachan, Strauks and Symons—to reform were successful and on 23 April 1983, they started the Living in the 80's Tour. Support acts for the first concert included The Church, Mental as Anything, The Party Boys, The Sunnyboys, and Midnight Oil—who acknowledged, "Hooks were the only Australian band they would let top the bill above them". A one-off reunion concert took place in October 1984, and in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, including "Jukebox in Siberia", released in September, which peaked at the top of the ARIA Singles Charts for two weeks. In November, 'The Latest and Greatest: 16 Greatest Hits', a compilation album, was released, which peaked at #4 on the ARIA Albums Charts.
The tracks were taken from Skyhooks' first four studio albums along with two recent singles, "Jukebox In Siberia" and the uncharted "Tall Timber". In 1992, Skyhooks were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame, while their manager, Gudunski, and record label, Mushroom Records, received a 'Special Achievement Award'. Producer of their first three albums, Ross Wilson, had been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 as an individual and again as a member of Daddy Cool in 2006. The final release of new Skyhooks material came in June 1999 when a twin-CD, 'Skyhooks: The Collection', was issued. Disc one contained a greatest hits package, very similar to "The Latest and Greatest", with additional tracks. Disc two is referred to by fans as "The Lost Album", with previously unreleased songs from their 1990 and 1994 recording sessions.
Shirley Strachan died in an air crash on 29 August 2001, when the helicopter he was learning to fly solo crashed into Mount Archer near Kilcoy, northwest of Brisbane. Original guitarist Peter Starkie died of complications after a fall, in mid-September 2020, aged 72.
Members
Steve Hills (vocals), Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (vocals), Greg Macainsh (bass), Bob Starkie (guitar), Freddie Strauks (drums), Red Symons (guitar, keyboards), Peter Ingliss (guitar),
Peter Starkie (guitar), Bob Spencer (guitar), Tony Williams (vocals)
SINGLES
Living in the 70's
| 23 SEP '74 | #28 |
Horror Movie
| 23 DEC '74 | #1 |
Ego is Not a Dirty Word
| 21 APR '75 | #2 |
All My Friends Are Getting Married
| 7 JUL '75 | #2 |
Million Dollar Riff
| 17 NOV '75 | #6 |
Let it Rock / Revolution
| 5 APR '76 | #26 |
This is My City / Somewhere in Sydney
| 19 JUL '76 | #32 |
Blue Jeans
| 6 SEP '76 | #12 |
Party to End All Parties
| 9 MAY '77 | #24 |
Women in Uniform
| 13 MAR '78 | #8 |
Megalomania / BBBBBBBBBBBBBoogie
| 12 JUN '78 | #93 |
Over the Border
| 7 MAY '79 | #32 |
Hooked on Hooks
| 20 DEC '82 | #21 |
Jukebox in Siberia
| 14 OCT '90 | #1 |
Tall Timber
| 9 DEC '90 | #66 |
Happy Hippy Hut
| 28 AUG '94 | #35 |
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhooks_%28band%29
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
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