GANGgajang

In 1984, GANGgajang was formed in Sydney, the name is onomatopoeiac for the sound of a guitar playing a loud chord. The band grew out of songwriting and performing sessions that Chris Bailey (ex-The Angels), Graham Bidstrup (ex-The Angels), his wife Kayellen Bee and Mark Callaghan (ex-The Riptides) undertook for the ABC-TV music-drama series Sweet and Sour (July–August 1984). They were soon joined by Geoffrey Stapleton (ex-The Aliens, Rat Tat Tat) on guitar and keyboards. Mercury Records released the earlier demo "Gimme Some Loving" as a single in May. It reached the top 40 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart by November.

To record their debut album, GANGGajang, they enlisted Gordon Sullivan (of Deckchairs Overboard, who had also worked on Sweet and Sour) on lead guitar; Kayellen Bee (a.k.a. Kay Bee), (who co-wrote "The Heart Plays Tricks" as K Bidstrup with G Bidstrup and Callaghan for Sweet and Sour) on vocals and percussion, and Marilyn Delaney on vocals and keyboards. The album was produced by Joe Wissert (Earth, Wind & Fire, Helen Reddy, The J. Geils Band) with band members Bidstrup and Callaghan. In August 1985 during the initial stages of recording the album, Robert James replaced Sullivan on guitar.

The group's live debut was at the Mosman Hotel in March 1985. The band gained a solid following around Australia during 1985, aided by support from national radio station, Triple J, and pop music TV series, Countdown. Their biggest commercial success came in November from the release of their self-titled debut album, which sold over 120,000 copies. The LP included the hit single, "Sounds of Then (This Is Australia)", as well as "House of Cards" and "Giver of Life". 

In 1986 Gang Gajang members, Callaghan, James and Stapleton performed with The Rock Party, a charity project initiated by The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, which included many Australasian musicians, Neil Finn, Eddie Rayner, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester (all from Crowded House); Andrew Barnum and Lissa Barnum (Vitabeats); Deborah Conway (Do-Re-Mi); Mary Azzopardi (Rockmelons), Michael Barclay, Peter Blakeley, Jenny Morris, Danny De Costa, Greg Herbert (The Promise), Spencer P Jones, Sean Kelly (Models), John Kennedy, Paul Kelly, Robert Susz (Dynamic Hepnotics) and Rick Swinn (The Venetians). The Rock Party released a 12" single "Everything to Live For", which was produced by Wissert, Phil Rigger and Phil Beazley. In 1987, Gang Gajang's music was featured exclusively in the Quiksilver surf movie Mad Wax: The Surf Movie. The film became a cult surf classic and introduced the band to a worldwide audience: Gang Gajang was named 'World's Best Band' two years in a row by the Association of Surfing Professionals.

The group released their second album, gangAGAIN, in 1987, after which various members pursued solo projects although the band continued performing irregularly. Kayellen Bee left the band in mid 1987 and over the next six years Callaghan released a solo album, reformed the Riptides, then released a live album Resurface and a studio album 'Wave Rock'. He worked as an executive for the now-defunct Festival Records group. Bidstrup played sessions, produced albums and movie soundtracks. Bailey worked with various artists: Jimmy Barnes, Alannah Miles and Nathan Cavaleri. Stapleton toured Australia and Europe with Absent Friends and then went on to form The Dukes with Sean Kelly. James wrote a book, The Second Best Book of Disunderstandabilism and then recorded his songs with Wendy Matthews.

In 1993 Gang Gajang reconvened and recorded their third album, 'Lingo', without Bee and Delaney – both had gone on to careers in the film industry. Gang Gajang were joined by Mark O'Connor on keyboards. O'Connor left soon after and was replaced by Mike Gubb on keyboards. The album was released in May 1994 on RooART and spawned three singles, "Hundreds of Languages", "Talk to Me", and "Ordinary World / Future Days".

In 1995, the first two albums were repackaged into 'The Essential (aka The Essential GANGgajang)'. In September–October the band toured Brazil for the first time. While in Rio de Janeiro they appeared on Brazilian TV's The Seu Boneco Show and met local comedy rock band, Mamonas Assassinas. Ten years after its release, "Sounds of Then" became better known to Australians when it was used for a Coca-Cola commercial. In 1996, the Nine Network used it on its station ID promotion. The group returned to Brazil for their second tour.

Gang Gajang played the Sydney Opera House and Darling Harbour as part of the Corroboree 2000 celebrations and during the 2000 Summer Olympics the band was in demand for concert appearances around Sydney as part of the Olympic Arts Festival. In February 2001 the group completed its third tour of Brazil. In October 2002 they released their fourth studio album, 'Oceans and Deserts', produced by guitarist Robbie James, which spawned the singles "Nomadsland", "Anodyne Dream" and "Trust", to critical acclaim and extensive airplay across Australia on ABC radio. Five tracks featured backing vocals from original members Kayellen Bee and Marilyn Delaney (aka Marilyn Sommer).

In 2004 a live concert featuring a selection of new songs and some of the classics was filmed for the ABC's Live at the Basement series. Late in 2006, their double DVD, The Complete Gang Gajang was issued. It featured music video clips, live performances, interviews, and a documentary of their first tour of Brazil. When not performing or recording together as Gang Gajang each band member is involved in other projects: Callaghan was General Manager of Shock Music Publishing (2002–2007); in May 2007 he was appointed GM of Australian Music Publishing Association Limited (AMPAL). As of 2010, he was writing songs for Gang Gajang's next album - due to begin recording early that year. Bidstrup has managed Australian music personality, Jimmy Little, since the release of Little's 1999 ARIA Award-winning CD 'The Messenger', and is CEO of Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up LTD, a charity whose primary aim is to provide health and nutrition education to young Indigenous Australians. Since 2002 he played with a reformed The Angels including tours with them until leaving in 2010.

Bailey worked in a variety of music cultures in Sydney and produced an album for singer-songwriter, Dave Debs. Bailey also played in Little's live band and with The Angels from 2002 to 2012. James has released three solo albums Suzannah Suite (1999) and Secrets in the Sand (2006) and 24 Hours A Night (2022). He was also a member of Yothu Yindi from 2001 when they toured Brazil with Gang Gajang until the end of 2005.

Stapleton resides in Adelaide and prepared his painting exhibition, called "Oceans and Deserts". He made several film clips for the band and for others, whilst maintaining and developing the band's website and writing new songs.Gang Gajang have a following outside Australia, but whilst other acts have their major fan base in Europe (especially Scandinavia), Gang Gajang have become popular in Brazil. For performances since 2011, Jeff Harris (ex-Divinyls) joined on drums while Bidstrup worked for the Jimmy Little Foundation. In April the group performed at the 50th anniversary of the Bells Beach Surf Classic.On 4 April 2013 Chris Bailey died of throat cancer, aged 62.

Members

Mark 'Cal' Callaghan (guitar, vocals), Chris Bailey (bass, vocals), Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup (drums, percussion, guitar, keyboards, vocals), Geoffrey Stapleton (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Robert James (guitar), James Black (guitar, keyboards), Gordon Sullivan (guitar), Kayellen Bee (percussion, backing vocals), Marilyn Delaney (backing vocals),Mark O'Connor (keyboards), Mike Gubb (keyboards) , Jeff Harris (drums)The Brasstards Horn Section: Kevin Dubber (trumpet), Mark Dennison (tenor sax, flute), Clive Hodson (alto sax)

SINGLES
''Gimme Some Loving (#46) / Noisy Talking (Part 1)'' 1984 Mercury 
''House Of Cards (#45) / From The Top To The Bottom'' 1985 Mercury 
''Giver Of Life (#48) / Mysterious'' 1985 True Tone 
''Giver Of Life / Mysterious / Walking On Sunshine / Bagman / Beat Me (Into Submission) / Noisy Talking (Part II)'' 1985 True Tone (Double Pack)
''Dream At Night'' 1985 True Tone 
''Sounds Of Then (#81) / House Of Cards (Live Version)'' 1985 True Tone 
''The Bigger They Are (#60) / Giver Of Life (Live)'' 1986 True Tone 
''Initiation (#69) / Sounds Of Then (Instrumental)'' 1987 Mercury 
''American Money (#87) / The Roof Only Leaks When It's Raining'' 1987 Mercury 
''Tree Of Love / Luck Of The Irish'' 1987 Mercury
"Hundreds of Languages" (#62) 1993 rooArt
"Talk to Me" (#88) 1994 rooArt
"Ordinary World/Future Days" 1994 rooArt
"Nomadsland" (#86) 2000 
 "Anodyne Dream" 2003
"Trust" 2003
"Surfing Round the World" 2018 
"Not Waiting Around" 2018
 "Circles in the Sand 2021
"Australian Medley'' 2021
"Speak to Me" [with Jack Thompson and William Barton] 2023

ALBUMS
'GANGgajang' (#27) 1985 True Tone 
'gangAGAIN' (#51) 1987 True Tone
'Lingo' (#66) 1994 rooArt 
'Oceans and Deserts' 2002 Shock

References

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

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