TED MULRY GANG

Ted Mulry, on lead vocals and, initially, on rhythm guitar, formed his own backing group in Sydney, which became Ted Mulry Gang (TMG), in September 1972. Other founders were Les Hall on lead guitar, Steve Hart on bass guitar and Herman Kovacs on drums. Hall and Kovacs had been members of a "popular suburban dance band", the Velvet Underground (not the US band of the same name), which had formed in Newcastle in 1967 and had relocated to Sydney in 1969. They had previously included Malcolm Young (later of AC/DC) on rhythm guitar. One of TMG's first performances was in September 1972 at the Waitara Festival, Newcastle. Hall, Hart and Kovacs backed Mulry on ABC-TV's popular music series, GTK, in 1973 to promote his own version of "You're All Woman".

During a 1974 gig Hart stormed out leaving his bass guitar behind, Mulry picked up the instrument and finished the show on vocals and bass guitar. Ted Mulry Gang signed with Albert Productions in that year and released their first album, 'Here We Are' (November 1974). Before the album appeared, they recruited Gary Dixon on rhythm guitar (ex-Fat Henry). It reached the Kent Music Report top 100 albums chart. Its first single, "Sunday Evenings" (March 1975), also appeared in the lower reaches of the singles chart top 100. Due to low sales the record company wanted Mulry to go back to his solo career, however, with his band's support he adopted a harder rocking style.

Their first major hit, and the biggest of their career, was the next single, "Jump in My Car" (September 1975), which spent six weeks at #1. According to musicologist Ian McFarlane, "it set the tone for subsequent releases with its simplistic, 12-bar boogie guitar riffs, thumping beat, Mulry's gravelly, gregarious vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics." Over the next two years they achieved a string of top ten singles including a rocked-up version of an old jazz song, "Darktown Strutters' Ball" (February 1976); followed by "Jamaica Rum" (January 1977) and "My Little Girl" (May). Many of TMG's songs, including "Jump in My Car", were co-written by Mulry and Hall. By late in 1980 their chart success had ended but they remained popular performers on the Australian pub circuit until they disbanded in 1986. 

With his music career side-lined Mulry started a business with his mechanic. In 1989 Ted Mulry Gang briefly reformed, with Mulry, Hall and Kovacs joined by sometime Rose Tattoo guitarist Mick Cocks. They released an album, 'Re-Union' for Albert, on Sony. This marked their first on compact disc. Other CD reissues followed in the early 1990s. In 1998 Mulry, as a solo artist issued a CD, 'This Time', featuring songs co-written by himself and his brother, Steve. Mulry died of brain cancer on 1 September 2001 in Sydney, a day before his 54th birthday.

Members

Ted Mulry (vocals, bass), Steve Hart (bass), Gary Dixon (guitar), Les Hall (guitar),
Herman Kovac (drums)

SINGLES

Sunday Evenings

7 APR '75

#87

Jump in My Car

29 SEP '75

#1

The Darktown Strutters Ball

26 JAN '76

#3

Crazy

31 MAY '76

#11

Steppin' Out

20 SEP '76

#42

Jamaica Rum

13 DEC '76

#10

My Little Girl

13 JUN '77

#8

Naturally / Sha La La La Lee

26 SEP '77

#37

Heart of Stone

17 JUL '78

#37

(You've Got The) Devil in You

18 DEC '78

#69

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Mulry

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