The band however were still minus a drummer, having borrowed Gerard Lee for their first show. They had a succession of drummers starting with Bruce Anthon (ex-The Survivors). With a guest drummer, Dennis Cantwell (The Riptides), they recorded their debut single, "Lee Remick", in May 1978. The song, an ode to the US actress Lee Remick, was released on the independent Able label in September 1978. The B-side to the single, "Karen", was a love song to a librarian. The sleeve depicts Forster and McLennan alongside portraits of Bob Dylan, Che Guevara and Lee Remick.
The band sent copies to record labels around the world, with interest shown by the UK arm of America's Beserkley Records. The group's first real drummer was Temucin "Tim" Mustafa, recruited after the recording of "Lee Remick", although he appears on the picture sleeve of the single. The band further expanded with the addition of guitarist Peter Milton Walsh. Beserkley offered the band a contract that proposed the re-issue of "Lee Remick" and "Karen" as two singles, followed by an eight-album deal. The band recorded two more songs for Beserkley in November 1978 (including "The Sound of Rain"); however, when Beserkley went bust weeks later Walsh left to form The Apartments.
The band's second single, "People Say", which was recorded in May 1979, was produced by The Go-Betweens with Mustapha on drums and Malcolm Kelly on piano and organ. The B-side, "Don't Let Him Come Back", is a farewell to Walsh, who remained friends with Forster and McLennan. From May 1978 to May 1979, the group recorded some tracks live in Forster's bedroom using McLennan's two-track tape deck—they were not released until 1999 as '78 'Til 79 – The Lost Album', which also includes both sides of the first two singles. These songs were simple pop tunes with a rough new wave edge, an obvious blend of pure pop influences such as The Monkees with the gritty simplicity of The Velvet Underground.
In November 1979, the duo left Australia, with a plan to shop their songs from record company to record company simply by visiting their offices and playing them. In Glasgow, Scotland, on 28 April 1980, for independent label Postcard, they recorded their next single, "I Need Two Heads", with Steven Daly of Scottish band, Orange Juice, guesting on drums and Alex Fergusson producing. Forster returned to Australia in June 1980, whilst McLennan continued to New York. They followed Australian contemporaries The Birthday Party to the busier music scene in London. "I Need Two Heads" peaked at #6 on the UK independent charts.
Members
Robert Forster (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Grant McLennan (vocals, guitar, bass, piano), Malcolm Kelly (organ, piano), Dennis Cantwell (drums), Tim Mustafa (drums), Peter Walsh (guitar), Lindy Morrison (drums), Robert Vickers (bass), Amanda Brown (violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards), John Willsteed (bass, guitar, organ, piano), Micheal Armiger (bass), Adele Pickvance (bass), Janet Weiss (drums), Glenn Thompson (drums, keyboards), Bruce Anthon (drums), Lissa Ross (drums), Steven Daly (drums), Claire McKenna (drums), Dave Tyrer (guitar), Matthias Strzoda (drums)
SINGLES
''Lee Remick / Karen'' 1978 The Able Label
''People Say / Don't Let Him Come Back'' 1979 The Able Label
''I Need Two Heads / Stop Before You Say It'' 1981 Missing Link
''Your Turn, My Turn / World Weary'' 1981 Missing Link
''Hammer The Hammer / By Chance'' 1982 Missing Link
''Cattle And Cane / Heaven Says'' 1983 Stunn
''Cattle And Cane / Man O' Sand To Girl O' Sea'' 1984 Rough Trade
''Bachelor Kisses / Rare Breed'' 1984 Sire
''Apology Accepted'' 1986 Music Station
''Spring Rain (#92) / Life At Hand'' 1986 True Tone
''Head Full Of Steam / Little Joe'' 1986 True Tone
''Right Here / When People Are Dead'' 1987 True Tone
''I Just Get Caught Out / Don't Let Him Come Back (1985)'' 1987 True Tone
''Bye Bye Pride / Time In The Desert'' 1987 True Tone
''Streets Of Your Town (#70) / Wait Until June'' 1988 Mushroom
''Was There Anything I Could Do? / Rock And Roll Friend'' 1988 Mushroom
The band's second single, "People Say", which was recorded in May 1979, was produced by The Go-Betweens with Mustapha on drums and Malcolm Kelly on piano and organ. The B-side, "Don't Let Him Come Back", is a farewell to Walsh, who remained friends with Forster and McLennan. From May 1978 to May 1979, the group recorded some tracks live in Forster's bedroom using McLennan's two-track tape deck—they were not released until 1999 as '78 'Til 79 – The Lost Album', which also includes both sides of the first two singles. These songs were simple pop tunes with a rough new wave edge, an obvious blend of pure pop influences such as The Monkees with the gritty simplicity of The Velvet Underground.
In November 1979, the duo left Australia, with a plan to shop their songs from record company to record company simply by visiting their offices and playing them. In Glasgow, Scotland, on 28 April 1980, for independent label Postcard, they recorded their next single, "I Need Two Heads", with Steven Daly of Scottish band, Orange Juice, guesting on drums and Alex Fergusson producing. Forster returned to Australia in June 1980, whilst McLennan continued to New York. They followed Australian contemporaries The Birthday Party to the busier music scene in London. "I Need Two Heads" peaked at #6 on the UK independent charts.
Upon return to Brisbane, they were joined by Belinda "Lindy" Morrison (ex-Xero) on drums in 1980. In November 1980 the band played their first Sydney show at the Paris Theatre, supporting The Birthday Party and the Laughing Clowns. The band impressed Missing Link Records label boss, Keith Glass, which had re-issued "I Need Two Heads" for the Australian market and offered to release the band's next single. Their fourth single, the first with Morrison, "Your Turn My Turn", was recorded in Sydney with Tony Cohen (The Birthday Party) in April 1981. The single was released in September. They recorded ten tracks as demos in Brisbane during 1981, which were released as 'Very Quick on the Eye' by Man Made Records in 1982, the tracks showed that Morrison's "drum abilities, always a deeply underrated part of the band's appeal, fit hand in glove with the arrangements". By this time, Forster and Morrison were lovers and Morrison was living in Spring Hill.
The band's first official album, 'Send Me a Lullaby', produced by The Go-Betweens and Tony Cohen, on Missing Link in Australia, was released as an eight-track mini-album in November 1981. Missing Link's UK distributors, Rough Trade, released the album in the UK, three months later, with four tracks added. Morrison provided the album title, in preference to Two Wimps and a Witch, from a Zelda Fitzgerald novel Save Me the Waltz. The group had developed a subtler sound consisting of dry semi-spoken vocals, complex lyrics and melodic but fractious guitar pop influenced by contemporary bands such as Television, Wire and Talking Heads. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described the album as "tentative and clumsy with its brittle, rough-hewn sound". Forster and McLennan wrote all the tracks, they alternated lead vocal duties, except "People Know" which had Morrison on vocals and James Freud (Models) guesting on saxophone. Enticed by Rough Trade, the band relocated to London. The band's next single, "Hammer the Hammer", was released by Rough Trade, in July 1982. In 2002, UK label Circus released a 2× CD version of 'Send Me a Lullaby' which included "After the Fireworks" recorded as a collaboration with The Birthday Party's Nick Cave on vocals, Mick Harvey on piano and Rowland S. Howard on guitar. It had been released as a single under the band name, Tuff Monks in 1982 on Au Go Go Records.
The Go-Betweens returned to the UK and recorded their second album, 'Before Hollywood' (May 1983), with John Brand producing, at the International Christian Communications studio in Eastbourne. It established them as cult favourites while "Cattle and Cane" was released as a single and was "arguably the band's absolute highlight of its earliest years". In Australia the song had exposure on the national broadcaster, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), pop music TV series, Countdown. Their tracks were played on ABC's alternative rock radio station Triple J—although mainly heard in the Sydney region at that time. Despite the consistent critical acclaim their recordings garnered both in Australia and overseas, The Go-Betweens were mostly ignored by Australian commercial pop radio and never gained a broad national audience. 'Before Hollywood' was described as "more world-weary full of deceptively simple yet accomplished songs".
Robert Vickers joined on bass guitar in late 1983—freeing McLennan for lead guitar work. Their next album 'Spring Hill Fair' (September 1984) was produced by Brand with Robert Andrews and Colin Fairley, for Sire Records. The album was acclaimed as "the sound was bolder and more confident", while "Man O' Sand to Girl O' Sea", "Bachelor Kisses" and "Part Company" were issued as singles. In 1985, the band signed with True Tone Records distributed by PolyGram.
'Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express', released in March 1986 on True Tone Records, received favourable reviews, and showed the band gradually moving towards a smoother and more contemporary sound, while retaining elements of their idiosyncratic early style. McFarlane claims "it remains the band's most cohesive and finely crafted statement". "Spring Rain" (February) and "Head Full of Steam" (June) were released as singles with "Spring Rain" reaching the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart Top 100.
Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals joined later in the year. Within a few months, Brown and McLennan were lovers—many of McLennan's new lyrics were about this relationship. 'Tallulah' (June 1987), produced by The Go-Betweens for True Tone and Beggars Banquet contained their "most winsome and hummable songs, "Right Here" and "Bye Bye Pride"; while Brown's contributions "added extra lustre". LO-MAX Records released a 2× CD version of 'Tallulah' in 2004, one of the additional tracks, "Doo Wop in 'A' (Bam Boom)" was co-written by Morrison, Brown, McLennan and Forster. In November 1987, The Go-Betweens returned to Australia and John Willsteed (ex-Xero with Morrison) replaced Vickers on bass.
'16 Lovers Lane' (1988), was the group's most commercial offering, providing the alternative radio hit "Streets of Your Town" (1988), which entered the chart singles both the UK and Australia peaking in the Top 100 but not higher than the number 80. The follow-up single "Was There Anything I Could Do?" was a #16 hit on US alternative Modern Rock radio stations, and Beggars Banquet, trying to encourage the band's commercial momentum re-released "Streets of Your Town" in the UK in early 1989, where it charted low once again. These minimal successes were hardly the hoped-for commercial breakthrough for the band.
After recording six albums, Forster and McLennan decided in December 1989 to disband The Go-Betweens. There were tentative plans to form an acoustic duo together. When McLennan told Brown, she ended their relationship. Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers. Brown and Morrison formed Cleopatra Wong in 1991. Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers throughout the 1990s, and McLennan also collaborated with Steve Kilbey of The Church in the studio project band Jack Frost.
Forster and McLennan were inspired to work together again after they were invited by fans at French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles to perform at the magazine's 10th anniversary on 23 May 1996 in Paris. For this performance the band comprised Forster, McLennan, Adele Pickvance on bass guitar and Glenn Thompson on drums. In 2000, Forster, McLennan and Pickvance went to Jackpot! studio in Portland, Oregon with members of Sleater-Kinney, and recorded the album 'The Friends of Rachel Worth'.
In 2001 Thompson rejoined the band for the Australian Big Day Out Festival. This line up of Forster, McLennan, Pickvance and Thompson went on to record 'Bright Yellow Bright Orange' and in October 2005, The Go-Betweens finally achieved mainstream recognition, with the album 'Oceans Apart' (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) winning an ARIA award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'. Grant McLennan died on 6 May 2006 of a heart attack, and Robert Forster subsequently announced that The Go-Betweens were no more. Forster has continued to perform and records as a solo artist and has also written well-received music criticism.
The band's first official album, 'Send Me a Lullaby', produced by The Go-Betweens and Tony Cohen, on Missing Link in Australia, was released as an eight-track mini-album in November 1981. Missing Link's UK distributors, Rough Trade, released the album in the UK, three months later, with four tracks added. Morrison provided the album title, in preference to Two Wimps and a Witch, from a Zelda Fitzgerald novel Save Me the Waltz. The group had developed a subtler sound consisting of dry semi-spoken vocals, complex lyrics and melodic but fractious guitar pop influenced by contemporary bands such as Television, Wire and Talking Heads. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described the album as "tentative and clumsy with its brittle, rough-hewn sound". Forster and McLennan wrote all the tracks, they alternated lead vocal duties, except "People Know" which had Morrison on vocals and James Freud (Models) guesting on saxophone. Enticed by Rough Trade, the band relocated to London. The band's next single, "Hammer the Hammer", was released by Rough Trade, in July 1982. In 2002, UK label Circus released a 2× CD version of 'Send Me a Lullaby' which included "After the Fireworks" recorded as a collaboration with The Birthday Party's Nick Cave on vocals, Mick Harvey on piano and Rowland S. Howard on guitar. It had been released as a single under the band name, Tuff Monks in 1982 on Au Go Go Records.
The Go-Betweens returned to the UK and recorded their second album, 'Before Hollywood' (May 1983), with John Brand producing, at the International Christian Communications studio in Eastbourne. It established them as cult favourites while "Cattle and Cane" was released as a single and was "arguably the band's absolute highlight of its earliest years". In Australia the song had exposure on the national broadcaster, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), pop music TV series, Countdown. Their tracks were played on ABC's alternative rock radio station Triple J—although mainly heard in the Sydney region at that time. Despite the consistent critical acclaim their recordings garnered both in Australia and overseas, The Go-Betweens were mostly ignored by Australian commercial pop radio and never gained a broad national audience. 'Before Hollywood' was described as "more world-weary full of deceptively simple yet accomplished songs".
Robert Vickers joined on bass guitar in late 1983—freeing McLennan for lead guitar work. Their next album 'Spring Hill Fair' (September 1984) was produced by Brand with Robert Andrews and Colin Fairley, for Sire Records. The album was acclaimed as "the sound was bolder and more confident", while "Man O' Sand to Girl O' Sea", "Bachelor Kisses" and "Part Company" were issued as singles. In 1985, the band signed with True Tone Records distributed by PolyGram.
'Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express', released in March 1986 on True Tone Records, received favourable reviews, and showed the band gradually moving towards a smoother and more contemporary sound, while retaining elements of their idiosyncratic early style. McFarlane claims "it remains the band's most cohesive and finely crafted statement". "Spring Rain" (February) and "Head Full of Steam" (June) were released as singles with "Spring Rain" reaching the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart Top 100.
Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals joined later in the year. Within a few months, Brown and McLennan were lovers—many of McLennan's new lyrics were about this relationship. 'Tallulah' (June 1987), produced by The Go-Betweens for True Tone and Beggars Banquet contained their "most winsome and hummable songs, "Right Here" and "Bye Bye Pride"; while Brown's contributions "added extra lustre". LO-MAX Records released a 2× CD version of 'Tallulah' in 2004, one of the additional tracks, "Doo Wop in 'A' (Bam Boom)" was co-written by Morrison, Brown, McLennan and Forster. In November 1987, The Go-Betweens returned to Australia and John Willsteed (ex-Xero with Morrison) replaced Vickers on bass.
'16 Lovers Lane' (1988), was the group's most commercial offering, providing the alternative radio hit "Streets of Your Town" (1988), which entered the chart singles both the UK and Australia peaking in the Top 100 but not higher than the number 80. The follow-up single "Was There Anything I Could Do?" was a #16 hit on US alternative Modern Rock radio stations, and Beggars Banquet, trying to encourage the band's commercial momentum re-released "Streets of Your Town" in the UK in early 1989, where it charted low once again. These minimal successes were hardly the hoped-for commercial breakthrough for the band.
After recording six albums, Forster and McLennan decided in December 1989 to disband The Go-Betweens. There were tentative plans to form an acoustic duo together. When McLennan told Brown, she ended their relationship. Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers. Brown and Morrison formed Cleopatra Wong in 1991. Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers throughout the 1990s, and McLennan also collaborated with Steve Kilbey of The Church in the studio project band Jack Frost.
Forster and McLennan were inspired to work together again after they were invited by fans at French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles to perform at the magazine's 10th anniversary on 23 May 1996 in Paris. For this performance the band comprised Forster, McLennan, Adele Pickvance on bass guitar and Glenn Thompson on drums. In 2000, Forster, McLennan and Pickvance went to Jackpot! studio in Portland, Oregon with members of Sleater-Kinney, and recorded the album 'The Friends of Rachel Worth'.
In 2001 Thompson rejoined the band for the Australian Big Day Out Festival. This line up of Forster, McLennan, Pickvance and Thompson went on to record 'Bright Yellow Bright Orange' and in October 2005, The Go-Betweens finally achieved mainstream recognition, with the album 'Oceans Apart' (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) winning an ARIA award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'. Grant McLennan died on 6 May 2006 of a heart attack, and Robert Forster subsequently announced that The Go-Betweens were no more. Forster has continued to perform and records as a solo artist and has also written well-received music criticism.
Members
Robert Forster (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Grant McLennan (vocals, guitar, bass, piano), Malcolm Kelly (organ, piano), Dennis Cantwell (drums), Tim Mustafa (drums), Peter Walsh (guitar), Lindy Morrison (drums), Robert Vickers (bass), Amanda Brown (violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards), John Willsteed (bass, guitar, organ, piano), Micheal Armiger (bass), Adele Pickvance (bass), Janet Weiss (drums), Glenn Thompson (drums, keyboards), Bruce Anthon (drums), Lissa Ross (drums), Steven Daly (drums), Claire McKenna (drums), Dave Tyrer (guitar), Matthias Strzoda (drums)
''Lee Remick / Karen'' 1978 The Able Label
''People Say / Don't Let Him Come Back'' 1979 The Able Label
''I Need Two Heads / Stop Before You Say It'' 1981 Missing Link
''Your Turn, My Turn / World Weary'' 1981 Missing Link
''Hammer The Hammer / By Chance'' 1982 Missing Link
''Cattle And Cane / Heaven Says'' 1983 Stunn
''Cattle And Cane / Man O' Sand To Girl O' Sea'' 1984 Rough Trade
''Bachelor Kisses / Rare Breed'' 1984 Sire
''Apology Accepted'' 1986 Music Station
''Spring Rain (#92) / Life At Hand'' 1986 True Tone
''Head Full Of Steam / Little Joe'' 1986 True Tone
''Right Here / When People Are Dead'' 1987 True Tone
''I Just Get Caught Out / Don't Let Him Come Back (1985)'' 1987 True Tone
''Bye Bye Pride / Time In The Desert'' 1987 True Tone
''Streets Of Your Town (#70) / Wait Until June'' 1988 Mushroom
''Was There Anything I Could Do? / Rock And Roll Friend'' 1988 Mushroom
ALBUMS
'Send Me a Lullaby' 1981 Missing Link
'Before Hollywood' 1983 Stunn
'Spring Hill Fair' 1984 Sire
'Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express' (#62) 1986 True Tone
'Tallulah' (#71) 1987 True Tone
'16 Lovers Lane' (#48) 1988 Mushroom
'The Friends of Rachel Worth' (#61) 2000 W. Minc
'Bright Yellow Bright Orange' 2003 Trifekta
'Oceans Apart' (#54) 2005 LO-MAX
'Send Me a Lullaby' 1981 Missing Link
'Before Hollywood' 1983 Stunn
'Spring Hill Fair' 1984 Sire
'Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express' (#62) 1986 True Tone
'Tallulah' (#71) 1987 True Tone
'16 Lovers Lane' (#48) 1988 Mushroom
'The Friends of Rachel Worth' (#61) 2000 W. Minc
'Bright Yellow Bright Orange' 2003 Trifekta
'Oceans Apart' (#54) 2005 LO-MAX
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Go-Betweens
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Go-Betweens
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
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