THE SCIENTISTS

Kim Salmon had formed a proto-punk band, the Cheap Nasties, in August 1976. He left in December 1977 and the remainder, with Robbie Porritt joining as lead vocalist, continued as the Manikins. Salmon replaced Mark Demetrius in the Exterminators, who then became known as the Invaders. The lineup included Roddy Radalj (guitar, vocals), Boris Sujdovic (bass) and John Rowlings (drums). The Invaders became the Scientists in May 1978, when James Baker from the Victims replaced Rowlings. Sujdovic left the band in August 1978 (later recording with the Rockets). The songwriting partnership that ensued, with Baker writing lyrics which Salmon would put to music, naturally favoured a melodic, pop-infused style of punk.

The band started playing again in January 1979 with Dennis Byrne on bass. This lineup recorded the band's first single, "Frantic Romantic / Shake (Together Tonight)", released in June 1979 on the D.N.A. Records label. Radalj and Byrne left in April 1979, replaced by Ben Juniper (guitar) and Ian Sharples (bass). This lineup recorded the band's second release, 'The Scientists' EP (released February 1980 by White Rider Records) and did two tours of Melbourne and Sydney, in December 1979 and February/March 1980. In Melbourne, the band appeared on pop TV show Countdown, performing "Last Night" from the EP.

Juniper left the band in May 1980, and Salmon, Baker and Sharples continued as a trio. The band broke up in January 1981 after recording their debut album, 'The Scientists' (commonly referred to as The Pink Album), released in August 1981 by EMI Custom Records. In Sydney, Baker had joined Radalj to form Le Hoodoo Gurus with Dave Faulkner (ex-the Victims) and Kimble Rendall in January 1981.

Salmon then formed Louie Louie with Kim Williams (bass) and Brett Rixon (drums), though this band broke up in August 1981. In September 1981, Kim Salmon, Boris Sujdovic,  Brett Rixon and Tony Thewlis moved from Perth to Sydney. For this version of the band, the musical direction of the band turned more towards swampy, psychedelic-tinged rock'n'roll, incorporating the influence of bands such as The Cramps, Suicide, The Stooges and Captain Beefheart.

The band was signed by Au Go Go Records, who released "This Is My Happy Hour / Swampland" (December 1982), the influential 'Blood Red River' mini-LP (September 1983) and "We Had Love / Clear Spot" (December 1983). By the end of 1983, The Scientists were one of the most popular Australian independent bands. Deciding to move on to new horizons, they left Australia to move to London in March 1984. In October 1984, the band supported The Gun Club on their European tour. Meanwhile, Au Go Go had issued the darker, harsher mini-album 'This Heart Doesn't Run on Blood, This Heart Doesn't Run on Love' (September 1984). The band released a 12" EP, 'Demolition Derby', in Belgium in February 1985, and their first full overseas album, 'You Get What You Deserve', in the UK in July 1985 on their manager's Karbon label, followed by the "You Only Live Twice / If It's The Last Thing I Do" 7" in September.

Owing to contractual disputes with Au Go Go, different mixes of some tracks appeared in Australia as the mini-album 'Atom Bomb Baby', with the 7" "Atom Bomb Baby / Backwards Man" and a compilation LP 'Heading For A Trauma' (comprising ''Demolition Derby'' with rare, radio and live tracks) being released with it in July 1985. Brett Rixon left the band in February 1985 to be replaced by Phillip Hertz, who was replaced in December 1985 by Leanne Chock. The band signed a new deal with Big Time Records, who asked them to prepare a best-of compilation to introduce them to the market. The band rerecorded 11 of their songs with producer Richard Mazda as 'Weird Love', released in April 1986.

Sujdovic had to leave the UK after the recording owing to visa problems and was replaced by Joe Presedo of Silver Chapter. Presedo and Chock left in December 1986, Salmon shifted to bass and Nick Combe joined on drums. The Salmon/Thewlis/Combe lineup recorded the album 'Human Jukebox' in December 1986. This lineup returned to Australia in April 1987 for the Human Jukebox tour. Salmon moved back to Perth with his wife Linda Fearon (co-writer of "Blood Red River") and son. 'Human Jukebox' was released on Karbon in October 1987. The band toured Australia in November 1987, with a lineup of Salmon, Thewlis, Combe on drums and Brett Rixon  rejoining on bass. Their last show was at the Shenton Park Hotel, Perth, Saturday 27 November 1987.

The first version of the Scientists, as the Salmon/Baker/Sharples/Juniper lineup, reformed for a one-off show in Perth on 10 February 1995. There have been other reformation shows by both versions of the band. In May 2006, the Scientists (with a line-up of Thewlis, Salmon, Sujdovic and Chock) were invited by Mudhoney to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in the UK. They also supported Mudhoney at a performance at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on 11 May 2006. In 2007, a live recording of that performance, 'Sedition', was released on the ATP Recordings label. The same lineup played in London in April 2007 and at the ATP festival the same month. In February 2008, they supported Sonic Youth for their Australian Daydream Nation shows, performing the mini album 'Blood Red River' in its entirety as part of the ATP-curated Don't Look Back series.

In September 2010, the group played their first ever U.S. show at the ATP New York music festival in Monticello, where they performed 'Blood Red River' in its entirety. In 2018 and 2019 the Scientists (with a line-up of Salmon, Cowie (née Chock), Sujdovic and Thewlis) toured in Europe and North America and said that they would soon release a new recording. In April 2021, the band confirmed the release of a new studio album titled 'Negativity' scheduled for June 2021 and released single "Outsiders"; "I Wasn't Good at Picking Friends" was released in May 2021. The 2021 line-up features singer-guitarist Kim Salmon, lead guitarist Tony Thewlis, drummer Leanne Cowie and bassist Boris Sujdovic.

Members

Kim Salmon (vocals, guitar), Boris Sujdovic (bass), James Baker (drums), Roddy Raldaj (guitar, vocals), Dennis Byrne (bass), Ben Juniper (guitar), Ian Sharples (bass), Brett Rixon (drums, bass), Tony Thewlis (guitar), Richard Hertz (drums), Leanne Chock (drums), Rob Coyne (bass), Nick Combe (drums)

SINGLES
''Frantic Romantic / Shake (Together Tonight)'' 1979 D.N.A.
''This Is My Happy Hour / Swampland'' 1982 Au-go-go 
''We Had Love / Clear Spot'' 1983 Au-go-go 
''When Worlds' Collide / Ghost Train'' 1983 Au-go-go 
''Atom Bomb Baby / Backwards Man'' 1985 Au-go-go 
''The Other Place / She Cracked'' 1985 Au-go-go 

''Moth Eaten Velvet / Subject Matter'' 2023 Tym

EPs
'The Scientists E.P.' 1980 White Rider 

'This Heart Doesn't Run On Blood, This Heart Doesn't Run On Love' (#10) 1984 Au-go-go

ALBUMS
'The Scientists' 1981 EMI Custom Records
'Blood Red River' 1983 Au Go Go 
'Rubber Never Sleeps' 1985 Au Go Go
'Atom Bomb Baby' 1985 Au Go Go
'Weird Love' 1986 Karbon 

'The Human Jukebox' 1987 Karbon 
'Sedition' 2007 ATP Recordings 
'Live At ATP-NY 2010' 2010 Free Music Archive
'Not For Sale: Live 1978/79' 2019 Grown Up Wrong!
'Negativity' 2021 In The Red Recordings 

References

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