THE HI-FI's / THE CICADAS / THE GIBSONS

The Cicadas were one of the first of Australia's bands to be influenced by The Beatles. Other early Beatle bands were Melbourne's Flies (which gave the world Ronnie Burns), Sydney's Rajahs, who had transformed themselves from 50's rocker Dig Richard's backing band, The R'jays, by putting on Beatle wigs and turbans, and The D-Men, whose main claims to fame were that they were the first resident band at Sydney's first disco, Beatle Village, and came from the Sydney suburb of Liverpool (their lead singer Freddie Cooke later migrated to Melbourne, joined The Vibrants and changed his name to Marc Leon).

Managed by Horrie Dargie and originally known as The Hi-Fi's with Geoff Dart (bass), John Kaye (vocals/guitar) and John Rigby (vocals/guitar) they formed around 1960 performing on TV variety shows like Bandstand and Sing Sing Sing and they recorded a couple of singles on the Astor label ''I Want The World To Know'' and ''Step By Step''. In 1964 The Hi-Fi’s gained a recording contract with RCA Victor, jumped on the Beatles bandwagon and released a cover of British band The Marauder's ''That’s What I Want''. Johnny Devlin produced the record, renamed the group The Cicadas, and backed them up with The Denvermen. This single was their most successful release. The single was also released in Canada, Denmark, Germany, NZ and the USA.

The Cicadas toured Australia and New Zealand with Billy J Kramer, Robbie EG and Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs; and continued appearing at night clubs, RSL clubs and leagues clubs. Their second single with a similar Beatles title, ''I Need You'' was written by Devlin. This was a minor hit in Sydney. After a further, unsuccessful, single, a cover of another Marauders single, Carter-Lewis's ''Always on My Mind'' followed by the self penned ''Is It Love'', they headed to the UK in December 1964 adding longtime friend John Bromell as drummer. Like a lot of Aussie bands at the time they worked their passage on the P&O ship, SS Canberra. 

The group was managed by Phillip Solomon, who did not like the name The Cicadas (as no one in UK knew what a cicada was) so renamed the band The Gibsons. In September 1966, John Rigby left the group and returned to Australia being replaced by Paul Stevens from Rochdale Manchester as lead singer. The Gibsons continued doing BBC radio and TV, as well as performing at American Bases, including Tripoli and North Africa (before Gadhafi!). The Gibsons released a number of singles all throughout Europe on various labels, (none were released in Australia) including the catchy ‘Magic Book’ (which did well on the charts with the help of radio), and performed at the magnificent Blackpool Opera House, with shows that included Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Englebert Humperdinck. In February 1968, Paul Stevens left the group and went back to solo work, and John Bromell returned to Australia. Geoff Dart and John Kaye were then joined by Jim Shaw from Salford, Manchester on banjo. The Gibsons returned to a being an ‘unplugged’ trio – banjo, guitar and double bass. They continued working, which included a stint on an American Air Base in Berlin, where they went through Check Point Charlie into East Berlin. An amazing experience in those days. That group finished abruptly after almost a year to the day, in September 1969 when Jim had to leave the group.

Being tired of changes to the band, Geoff and John asked their wives, Pam and Gaye, to join the group. Pam had been a Tivoli dancer and Gaye had never sung a note in her life. After frantic rehearsals for a month, they were off to American Bases in Germany and Spain. Musically, the group was not as good as previous group line-ups, but visually, so much more attractive! The Bases loved them. Although no longer doing any radio or recording, the group did add theatre seasons to their standard venues. These were prized jobs as they were in one venue for 5, 12, or 14 weeks.

After a 20 week season in Jersey, Channel Islands, and another three week stint on Bases in UK and Germany, the group returned to Australia in 1970 on board P&O Orsova via Panama Canal, arriving Sydney 20 December. On arriving home Geoff and Pam returned to Melbourne and John and Gaye continued on as duo Gaye & Johnny Kaye. Their manager was Tony Brady and work included the usual Leagues and RSL Clubs, Mike Walsh shows, country tours, and Australian Tours with Jimmie Rogers and Val Doonican. Then followed a tour of West Coast USA with Jimmy Rodgers.  

John Bromell became managing director of Warner Chappell Australia for 17 years and earlier set up Rondor Music in Australia. During his career, Bromell had an incredible strike rate – 60 of his signings went on to have Top 10 success in Australia. The biggest of these were Cold Chisel, with whom he did a handshake deal for $750 in 1977 for three years to assign their publishing to Rondor. They’d arrived a year before to Sydney from Adelaide to score a record deal, but no label was interested. Chisel’s Jimmy Barnes recalled, “John told Warner Records that a couple of other labels were interested and Warners rushed us into a contract.” Other signings included INXS, Midnight Oil, Lee, Tania and Fiona Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Swanee, Garth Porter, Gina Jeffreys and The Radiators. John Rigby died in Byron Bay in 1986. John Bromell died in a car crash near his home in Coffs Harbour in 2013.

Members

John Bromell (drums), Geoff Dart (bass), John Kaye (vocals/guitar), John Rigby (vocals/guitar), Paul Stevens (vocals), Jim Shaw (banjo), Pam Dart (vocals), Gaye Kaye (vocals)

SINGLES (as The Hi-Fis]

''I Want The World To Know / Bing Walla Bang'' 1960 Astor
''Step By Step / Just Give Me A Ring'' 1960 Astor

SINGLES (as The Cicadas)
''That's What I Want (#45) / Hey Wha 'd' Ya Say'' 1964 RCA
''I Need You (#86) / I'll Prove It'' 1964 RCA
''Let's Try Again / Always On My Mind'' 1964 RCA
''Is It Love / I Am'' 1964 RCA

References

Alpha Video Productions

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