ELM TREE

Initially performing as John Young, his first involvement in music began in late 1967 when he formed a band, Elm Tree, with schoolmates. ''It was my friends who convinced me that I could be a singer. One weekend I rolled up and they were standing there with two bass guitars and an announcement; that we were going to form a band. I immediately poo-pooed the whole thing because I'd just started my apprenticeship in sheet metalwork and after paying off a car, no way was I going to be paying off equipment or anything like that so they said, 'You can be the singer because you're always singing and you don't need any equipment' – and I fell for it''. — John Paul Young, The Drum Media, 30 July 2009

The other members included Robert (Slim) Barnett on bass guitar, Ollie Chojnacki on guitar, Philip Edwards (drums 1968–1971, 1972–1976), Andy Imlah on co-lead vocals, Ron Mazurkiewicz on keyboards and Geoff Watts on drums. Elm Tree gained a moderate following around Sydney, and after being spotted by producer Martin Erdman, they cut one single for his Du Monde label, a cover of UK band Marmalade's "Rainbow", which was released through Festival in November 1970, but did not enter the top 50 Australian singles charts. In mid-1971 they entered the New South Wales heats of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds and got as far as the Sydney finals, but they didn't make it through to the national final, and so never managed to break out of the Sydney suburban dance circuit. Although it has previously been reported that Elm Tree broke up at the end of 1971, they in fact continued for several more years, although without the services of John Paul Young, Elm Tree had evolved from a pop outfit into a progressive rock band in the ilk of Yes, King Crimson, ELP and others.

Members

John Paul Young (vocals), Ron Mazurkiewicz (keyboards), Robert Barnett (bass), Oli Chojnacki (guitar), Philip Edwards (drums), Andy Imlah (vocals), Geoff Watts (drums), Dave Kantek (bass), George Taylor (drums)

SINGLES 
''Rainbow / Lonely Nights'' 1970 du Monde