Money Is Not The Answer Baby Stones Leave Here Satisfied: Various: 1991: Beggars Banquet Shock: CD: The 7th ADventure Baby Stones (Robert Forster and Grant McLennan).
The Go-Betweens, 1988 Left to right:, Courtesy Paul Cox, Background information Origin, Queensland, Australia Genres, Years active 1977–1989, 2000–2006 Labels Able, Capitol (US), Associated acts, Website Past members The Go-Betweens were an band formed in, Australia in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists and, who were its only constant members throughout its existence. Drummer joined the band in 1980, and its lineup would later expand to include bass guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Vickers was replaced by in 1987, and the quintet lineup remained in place until the band split two years later.
Forster and McLennan reformed the band in 2000 with a new lineup that did not include any previous personnel aside from them. McLennan died on 6 May 2006 of a heart attack and The Go-Betweens disbanded again. In 2010, a toll bridge in their native Brisbane was renamed the after them. In 1988, ', the first single from, entered the Top 100 on both the chart in Australia and the in the United Kingdom.
The follow-up single 'Was There Anything I Could Do?' Was a No. 16 hit on the chart in the United States. In May 2001, ', from 1983's, was selected by (APRA) as one of the of all time. In 2008, 16 Lovers Lane was highlighted on (SBS) TV's The Great Australian Albums series.
Contents. Early years and met at the where both were taking a theatre arts course. Forster on vocals, song writing, and guitar, and McLennan on vocals, song writing, and bass guitar formed The Go-Betweens in December 1977 in, Queensland. The name of the band reflects 's classic novel.
The band made its first public appearance as the support for at Baroona Hall in Brisbane in early April 1978. We performed two songs, and as soon as we got off stage, Mark Callaghan, Robert Vickers – we met them all, in five minutes. They immediately asked us to play a second show. — Robert Forster 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-). With a guest drummer, Dennis Cantwell , they recorded their debut single, ', in May 1978. The song, an ode to the US actress, 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,.
The band sent copies to record labels around the world, with interest shown by the UK arm of America's. 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. 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 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 edge, an obvious blend of pure pop influences such as with the gritty simplicity of. 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, Scotland, on 28 April 1980, for independent label, they recorded their next single, 'I Need Two Heads', with Steven Daly of band, guesting on drums and producing. Forster returned to Australia in June 1980, whilst McLennan continued to New York. They followed Australian contemporaries to the busier music scene in London. 'I Need Two Heads' peaked at No. 6 on the UK independent charts.
Upon return to Brisbane they were joined by (ex-) on drums in 1980. In November 1980 the band played their first Sydney show at the Paris Theatre, supporting The Birthday Party and the. The band impressed label boss, 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 (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. The band's first official album, 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, 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 novel.
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,. Australian rock, 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 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 on vocals, on piano and on guitar. It had been released as a single under the band name, in 1982 on. 1983-1989 The Go-Betweens returned to the UK and recorded their second album, (May 1983), with John Brand producing, at the International Christian Communications studio in. It established them as cult favourites while ' 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, (ABC), pop music TV series,.
Their tracks were played on ABC's alternative rock radio station —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'.
Joined on bass guitar in late 1983—freeing McLennan for lead guitar work. Their next album (September 1984) was produced by Brand with Robert Andrews and Colin Fairley, for. The album was acclaimed as 'the sound was bolder and more confident', while 'Man O' Sand to Girl O' Sea', ' and 'Part Company' were issued as singles.
In 1985, the band signed with distributed by., released in March 1986 on, 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'. ' (February) and ' (June) were released as singles with 'Spring Rain' reaching the Australian Singles Chart Top 100. 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. (June 1987), produced by The Go-Betweens for True Tone and Beggars Banquet contained their 'most winsome and hummable songs, ' and '; while Brown's contributions 'added extra lustre'. 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 (ex-Xero with Morrison) replaced Vickers on bass. (1988), was the group's most commercial offering, providing the alternative radio hit ' (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 a No. 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, and after recording six albums, Forster and McLennan disbanded The Go-Betweens in December 1989. McLennan and Brown had separated as a couple earlier and both Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers. Brown and Morrison formed Cleopatra Wong in 1991.
All official albums published in the 1980s have titles with a double L word, except 16 Lovers Lane, which has two words beginning with an L. Reformation (2000-2006) Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers throughout the 1990s, and McLennan also collaborated with of in the studio project band.
Forster and McLennan were inspired to work together again after they were invited by fans at French music magazine 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 on drums. In 2000, Forster, McLennan and Pickvance went to Jackpot!
Studio in Portland Oregon with members of, and recorded the album. The 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 and in October 2005, The Go-Betweens finally achieved mainstream recognition, with the album (produced by and Dave Ruffy) winning an 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.
— Grant McLennan, 1983 Their song, 'Streets of Your Town', was used by and in their station identification from 2001 to 2003. Elements from the same song were sampled in the 2003 single ' by the Italian dance group. In the of American TV Series a company is named McLennan-Forster—the producer of the series and author, wanted to express his veneration of the Go-Betweens by this company name. On the eve of the first anniversary of McLennan's death, & broadcast a tribute concert to The Go-Betweens, recorded in 2006 at Brisbane venue, the. Inspired by this tribute concert, and featuring many of the same artists, a tribute album to The Go-Betweens, was released in June 2007 in Australia by The Red Label. In 2008, 16 Lovers Lane was highlighted on TV's The Great Australian Albums series as a classic example of 1980s rock music.
The documentary was later released on DVD. On 29 September 2009, announced that a four-lane traffic bridge, previously known as Hale Street Link, would be renamed as in the band's honour, following a popularity poll.
The Go-Betweens are referenced in the song 'When I Still Have Thee' (2010), the song 'Shoot the Sexual Athlete' (2001), the song 'Don't Want to Be Grant McLennan' (1991) by fellow Australians, and the song 'Kathy' (1993). Covered their song 'Love Goes On!' On their covers album (2010). Robert Forster continues to perform and also contribute articles to magazine.
Many Australian bands and artists associated with the genre cite the Go-Betweens as a major influence, including and singer-songwriter. ^ Stafford, Andrew (2004). Pig City: from the Saints to Savage Garden.
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External links. at. Music Australia's biography at.
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