XL Capris was an Australian indie-punk band formed in Sydney in 1978 by drummer Julie Anderson, guitarist Tim Gooding, bassist Johanna Pigott and guitarist Kimble Rendall. Gooding and Pigott had studied architecture during the early 1970s at the University of Sydney along with friend Angela Webber. Early practice sessions by XL Capris were held in the front room of a rented house where Gooding (and later Rendall) lived. The mattress soundproofing was not effective, and the band was threatened with eviction. Practice was relocated to a lightproof and airproof shed in the grounds of the infamous Cockroach Towers.
Each band member had a punk nickname: Pigott was 'Alligator Bagg', Gooding: 'Errol Cruz', Anderson: 'Nancy Serapax' and Rendall: 'Dag Rattler'. Their first single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney" (1979), arranged by Gooding and produced by Dragon's Todd Hunter. The promo video, recorded at the Sheraton Hotel in a room The Beatles had occupied during their Australian tour, featured the four band members in bed together! The single received much independent radio airplay but was not a commercial success. It is one of the 143 singles stored in a small wooden box by British DJ John Peel that is the subject of the television documentary John Peel's Record Box.
"Skylab (Son of Telstar)", written by Gooding and Rendall, received radio airplay as a tape in mid 1979. It was never released as a single and did not appear on either of the XL Capris' two albums. The song does feature on later compilation albums featuring independent bands of the period. Before their debut album 'Where is Hank? was recorded Julie Anderson left to be replaced by Michael Farmer. The album was produced by Todd Hunter from Dragon. Gooding wrote ten of the fourteen tracks including two with Pigott. 'Hank' in the title was a German shepherd owned by Rendall: "Hank went to live on a farm at Nambucca Heads". 'Tosca' was the name of their landlady's cat and it was chased up a tree by Hank thus the album title 'Where Is Hank?' is a pun on a 1980s TV ad for a chocolate bar: 'Where's George?' The response is 'gone for a Tosca!'.
Their next single, "World War Three" (produced by Todd Hunter) was written by Pigott and Hunter. Rendall left to form Le Hoodoo Gurus in January 1981. He later became a music video director and then a second unit director for the latter two Matrix series movies. He was replaced by Todd Hunter (ex-Dragon). Second album was 'Weeds' (October 1981, produced by Hunter). Pigott and Hunter wrote six songs including the single "Igloos" and Gooding wrote six songs. Hunter returned to Dragon in late 1981 and XL Capris dissolved in 1982.
Their next single, "World War Three" (produced by Todd Hunter) was written by Pigott and Hunter. Rendall left to form Le Hoodoo Gurus in January 1981. He later became a music video director and then a second unit director for the latter two Matrix series movies. He was replaced by Todd Hunter (ex-Dragon). Second album was 'Weeds' (October 1981, produced by Hunter). Pigott and Hunter wrote six songs including the single "Igloos" and Gooding wrote six songs. Hunter returned to Dragon in late 1981 and XL Capris dissolved in 1982.
Members
Julie Anderson (drums), Tim Gooding (guitar, vocals), Johanna Pigott (bass vocals), Kimble Rendall (guitar, vocals). Michael Farmer (drums). Todd Hunter (guitar), Michael Chirnside (bass), Barry Blackler (drums)
My City Of Sydney / Dead Budgies'' 1979 Axle
''World War 3 Dusty/ Axle
''Igloos / Elevator'' 1981 Axle
''Red Bikini Runaway / K-Tel City'' 1981 7 Records
'Where Is Hank' 1981 7 Records
'Weeds' 1981 Axle
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XL_Capris
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