The Spinning Wheels formed in 1964 when singer Rod Turnbull met guitarist Don Hirst at a schoolmate’s party. Hirst was already playing in a skiffle group called the Four Preachers with a drummer Graeme Lord and guitarist Michael Perrin but they were all keen for something new. The Beatles had recently hit the charts and they sensed change in the air. When Glen Sievers joined on bass the first line-up of the group was complete. They began rehearsing in Hirst’s garage during the week and Siever’s place on the weekend.
Rod Turnbull’s music loving mother had recently moved to the UK and wrote regularly to her son. In one letter she told him about a young group she’d heard that she thought he might be interested in—The Rolling Stones. She included a copy of their first EP and when the boys played the record its effect was immediate. They had found their sound. Manager Ian Oschlak came on board and within five weeks of getting together they were playing their first gigs in St Kilda. Searching for greater exposure, Oschlak got them a spot-on TV talent show New Faces. They finished second last but were spotted by promoter Brian de Courcy who booked them to play at his Mentone shows for the winter of 1964. This block of work gave the group an opportunity to sharpen their chops and build a committed following.
In November 1964 guitarist Tom Cowburn joined as the sixth member just in time to make his debut with the group at the Myer Music Bowl in front of 40,000 screaming teenagers. Carol West took over their management and in January 1965, with their date at EMI studios already booked, the group were fortunate enough to meet Manfred Mann during their tour of Melbourne. The Spinning Wheels told the group that they loved their version of ''Got Mt Mojo Working'' and that they were considering recording it themselves the following month. Mann lead singer Paul Jones was encouraging, and even took some time to share harmonica techniques he’d learned from touring American artists.
When the band arrived at the Sydney EMI studios on 11 February, they were nervous and excited. Slim Dusty was in the studio before them recording an album and they sat and watched him work before their turn came. In total they cut four sides: ''Got My Mojo Working'', ''Follow Me Down'', ''Creepy John'' and ''Bo Diddley''. ''Got My Mojo Working'' was released on 14 April 1965 and within a few weeks had risen to #3 on the Melbourne charts, it was kept out of the top spots by The Beatles and Bobby and Laurie. The Spinning Wheels went on to release three further singles. Their last recording session was in Melbourne where they got the chance to work in the studio with engineer Roger Savage, who they later found out had helped the Rolling Stones on their first recordings.
For the next 18 months The Spinning Wheels enjoyed a rollercoaster ride to the top and were one of the most in-demand groups around Melbourne and Victoria. By late 1966 the group had split, citing a combination of dwindling interest and the conscription of Mike Perrin and Tom Cowburn to national service. The Spinning Wheels time may have been short, but they had a lot of fun while they were in motion. There have been hundreds of electric blues bands in Australia since them, but The Spinning Wheels were at the vanguard. They reformed in 2000 for a one-off concert at the Tote Hotel. A compilation album of all their recordings was released in 2003 on Corduroy Records. Glen Sievers died in 1971 and Tom Cowburn died of a heart attack in March 2002.
Members
Tom Cowburn (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Donald Hirst (guitar, organ, piano, vocals), Graeme Lord (drums), Michael Perrin (guitar, vocals), Glen Sievers (bass, vocals), Rod Turnbull (vocals, harmonica, percussion)
SINGLES
''Got My Mojo Working (#35) / Follow Me Down'' 1965 HMV''Bo Diddley (#98) / Creepy John'' 1965 HMV
''Can't Catch Me / Shame, Shame, Shame'' 1965 HMV
''One Kind Favour / Saved'' 1965 HMV
References
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/rarecollections/the-spinning-wheels-get-their-mojo-working/6328336
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
Where do are they now
ReplyDelete