LITTLE HEROES

In 1980 The Little Heroes was formed in Melbourne from the remnants of pub rockers, Secret Police. Secret Police had formed in 1978 with Roger Hart (aka Roger Wells or Roger Hart-Wells, ex-The Cruisers) as singer-songwriter and guitarist, Bruce Pumpa on drums, and Neil Walker on bass guitar, Andrew Callender on guitar and backing vocals, and Peter Linley on saxophone. Walker died in 1979 from leukaemia and was replaced by John Taylor (ex-Soap, Llama, Hot Rocket and Uncle Bob's Band). The Secret Police did not issue any records, although they posthumously contributed "Emotion" and "Everybody Looks Lovely at Night" to Missing Link Records' various artists compilation album 'The Melbourne Club' (1981). In 1980 Hart, Pumpa and Taylor joined with David Crosbie on keyboards to start an indie pop band, The Little Heroes.

The Little Heroes competed in the Victorian state heat of the 1980 Battle of the Sounds, finishing second; however, upon progressing they won the national final in Sydney, earning $5000. In November that year they released their debut single, "She Says". Huk Treloar (ex-Bleeding Hearts, High Rise Bombers, Living Legends, Sneakers) replaced Pumpa on drums. The group signed with Giant Records/CBS to record their debut self-titled album, with production by Peter Dawkins (Matt Finish), which was released in August 1981. It reached #81 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and provided three singles, "For a Bleeding Heart" (March 1981), "Last Number One" (June), and "India Was Calling Me" (September), none of which appeared on the related Kent Music Report Singles Chart. Late that year Alan 'Clutch' Robertson replaced Treloar on drums.

By early 1982 the group had signed to EMI Records and started recording their second album, 'Play by Numbers', at Melbourne's Armstrong Studios with Dave Marrett producing. The first single from these sessions, "One Perfect Day", was written by Hart (as Roger Galtier Hart-Wells), and released in May, which reached #12. Their second single, "Young Hearts" (September), which reached #42, was co-written by Hart (as R Wells) and Crosbie. By June Martin Fisher (ex-Breakers) had replaced Crosbie on keyboards, and Peter Leslie replaced Taylor on bass guitar. The new line up completed 'Play by Numbers' at 301 Studios in Sydney in July with Marrett. The album was released in August and peaked at #37. In October it yielded a third single, "Saturday (Afternoon) Inside", which failed to chart, was written by Hart (as Roger Galtier Wells).

At the end of 1982 Fisher and Leslie left to join fellow indie pop band, Dear Enemy, and were replaced by Paul Brickhill (ex-MEO-245) on keyboards and bass guitarist, Rick Loriot (ex-Inserts). Loriot left after four weeks and was replaced on bass guitar by Anthony Tavasz (ex-Modesty). The group added Paul Bell on guitar which allowed Hart more freedom as lead vocalist. They travelled to the United Kingdom in June 1983 to record their third album, 'Watch the World', at Farmyard Studios with UK producer, Rupert Hine (The Fixx, Howard Jones). The album was issued in Australia in September and reached #50.

The lead single, "Watch the World", was released in August and reached #73, while the second single "Bon Voyage" (November) peaked at #51. Both are written by Hart (as Roger Galtier Wells). A third single "Modern Times", co-written by Hart and Bell, appeared in March the following year but it failed to chart. Also, that month Hart announced he was leaving the group and by June The Little Heroes had disbanded.

Members

Roger Hart (vocals, guitar), David Crosbie (keyboards), Martin Fisher (keyboards),
Paul Brickhill (keyboards), John Taylor (bass), Peter Leslie (bass), Ric Loriot (bass),
Anthony Tavasz (bass, synthesizer), Bruce Pumpa (drums), Huk Treloar (drums),
Alan Robertson (drums, percussion), Paul Bell (guitar, vocals)

SINGLES

One Perfect Day

12 APR '82

#12

Young Hearts

9 AUG '82

#42

Watch the World

10 OCT '83

#73

Bon Voyage

12 DEC '83

#51

References

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

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