PEGGY VAN ZALM

Hailing from the small farming/surfing/vineyard town of Cowaramup near Margaret River in Western Australia's Southwest corner, Van Zalm helped found Martha’s Vineyard, who quickly generated a buzz, and ended up sharing stages with the likes of INXS, The Saints, Eurythmics, Simply Red, Paul Kelly, Triffids the Go Betweens and more. Later Van Zalm released a string of successful albums--1994's 'Soul Magic', 1998's 'Revival', 'Different World' in 2001 & in 2006 'Light Diamond'. She's toured extensively across Australia and earned rave reviews for her inspired live performances.

Recommended Listening

BRIDIE KING

Bridie King first came to national prominence as a blues and boogie pianist with her recording of ''Piano Frenzy'' on The Hippos' album 'Hippocracy' in 1988. Bridie studied classical piano for 16 years, including six years at the NSW Conservatorium of Music, and has a master’s degree in music (Music Education) and a Diploma in Music Education. She teaches classical, blues and improvisation on piano at her home practice. Bridie taught her Blues course at the Sydney Conservatorium’s Open Academy 2003-09.

Throughout Bridies's early childhood she was exposed to African-American music of the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's through her family's involvement with the Sydney Jazz Club and her father's love of rhythm & blues, gospel and traditional New Orleans Jazz. In the late 1970s she formed the band Mona and the Wail with her sister Sally King, on whose original soul and blues songs the band was centred. In the 1980s Bridie's work in her next two bands, The Ratbags of Rhythm and The Hippos, saw her touring major at major venues, including a support for Robert Cray at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, making many TV appearances and recording four albums. ''Piano Frenzy'' from 'Hippocracy' received radio and TV airplay, including weekly playing for on Channel 9, and was used in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Bridie has attracted many overseas performers to play as her special guests. They include Buddy Miles ( Jimi Hendrix Band), Jimmy Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Thunderbirds), Johnnie Johnson. and members of Dire Straits and Soko Richardson (Tina Turner's Band). Bridie was invited as special guest to play with Blues guitar legend Albert Collins at Selina's, Coogee. Albert Collins said of Bridie - "You can play and you cute too". Jimmy Vaughan made the comment - "you're really serious, ma’m’". Doug Anderson wrote in a review of of Basement gig in the Sydney Morning Herald - "The night cogged into overdrive with the arrival of Bridie King".

Bridie became a bandleader in 1997 when she formed Bridie and the Boogie Kings. They sustained a nine-year residency at the Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. Band members over the years included guitar master Ray Beadle (1999 – 2001).Other notables include guitarists Adam Pringle, Darren Jack, Steve Edmonds, and Mitch Grainger; bassists Rowan Lane, Hal Tupaia, Pat Savina; drummers Declan Kelly, Jim Finn; and vocalists, most notably Stephy Marchant (2001 –2008), also Jerome Smith and Kara Grainger. The Bridge residency was voted in the Top 10 of Sydney gigs in 2002 by The Sunday Telegraph. The band also played at other top Sydney live Blues venues including The Basement, and hotels The Empire, The Unity, and The Baldfaced Stag. Bridie and the Boogie Kings also played many festivals including those at Manly, Darling Harbour, Narooma, Thredbo, Wangaratta, Glebe Street Fair and the Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival. A writeup of the 2000 Wangaratta festival in the national paper The Australian claimed that ‘nothing beat the Blues and Boogie of Bridie King’.

In July 1999 Bridie recorded her first CD under her own name, titled 'My Blues'. The CD attracted excellent reviews. John Shand of the Sydney Morning Herald enthused that ‘Bridie oozes vitality’ and awarded the rating of 3 and½ stars. A reviewer in the Melbourne Sun felt the music of 'My Blues' was‘in the key of joy.’ The CD has sold 2000 copies and is on its second pressing. It has featured on the ABC shows, the Planet and Andrew Ford’s program, and on numerous FM stations, especially on the 2MBSFM program Stormy Monday.

Bridie has also played live many times on radio and TV. In 2003 she accompanied Eric Burdon on Bert Newton’s Good Morning Australia and on ABC radio. With the Hippos she performed over 10 times on TV between 1986 - 1988, and under her own name on ABC radio in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and several times on 2MBSFM, most recently in 2007.

From 2002 Bridie King researched and studied for a Music Education Master’s degree in traditional Blues and improvisation teaching methods. She graduated in 2007, and also was awarded a high distinction for her thesis and research into her students’ development in this topic. Since then she has concentrated her efforts into her busy teaching practice at home and her Blues Piano course at the Conservatorium of Sydney. However, music education has always been half of the story of Bridie’s professional life.

The other half, live performance, took a back seat during her years of Master’s research. But since 2007 she has been applying her skills in band leading and arranging in the production of her new CD 'Way Back Home' and in the presentation of gigs in Sydney. In April 2008 she was described as ‘a force in the Sydney soul scene’ in Fine Music magazine. That year Bridie introduced a new lineup focusing on the richness of the piano and of female harmonies with the introduction of the Harmony Queens vocal trio, Stephanie Marchant, Narelle Evans and Karana Nepe.

In 2009 Bridie took the Harmony Queens and the Boogie Kings to several festivals, including Wangaratta Jazz and Blues, and Narooma Blues Festival, with drummer James McCaffrey and bassist Merv Sequeira. The Opera Bar at Sydney Opera House was another gig, and also the inaugural Breakfast on the Bridge event where they played on the back of a vintage truck was a highlight. The 'Way Back Home' CD was played on the ABC particularly the track, ''Piano Players Blues'' on local ABC music stations nationally. The two Basement shows were played to packed houses, the first one in August was with Lez Karski and friends. The second proved to be the last of the gigs with the Harmony Queens, a great way to end a successful two-year project.

A new six-piece lineup in 2010 took Bridie’s repertoire as far south as possible, in terms of Southern roots music: contemporary zydeco music, slightly rearranged, and Texan rock'n'roll /blues. Bridie still included her piano boogie as her strong point and has added playing Hammond organ and accordion to her instrumental output. Gigs included festivals, pubs and clubs. ‘Bono’ was added to the playlist on ABC radio local stations nationally. The Basement gig (2009) with Lez Karski was aired on ABC's Live at The Basement.

In 2011 Bridie took a few months off and came back to record her new album 'Blue Ivories'. The record features mostly piano trio instrumentals and two vocal tracks by such heroes of boogie woogie piano as Memphis Slim and Amos Milburn, repertoire you would expect from Bridie’s lifelong love affair with piano blues. Add to the boogie, tunes by Henry Butler, recently dubbed by Dr. John as the pride of New Orleans, and Professor Longhair one of the true great originators of New Orleans piano, Bridie is keeping the Louisiana flag well and truly flying. This album also features tracks by The Young-Holt Trio, soul-jazz men from Philedephia, bringing a fresh new acoustic sound to Bridie’s repertoire. There are also two originals adding a completely new sound too.

Recommended Listening

LISA SCHOUW

Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Lisa Schouw and family moved to Auckland, New Zealand when she was three. As a student of classical ballet, she reached intermediate level of the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. Piano, horse riding, athletics and playing basketball were all part of her teen years. After leaving high school she spent two years training at the New Zealand Dance Centre and performed in a number of ballets including The Nutcracker Suite and La Boutique Fantastique. The school's principal was Russell Kerr and fellow company members included Jon Trimmer who was also a principal dancer with the Nederland's Ballet Company.

During a dress rehearsal for a season of The Tales of Beatrix Potter, Lisa fell and injured her ankle. Unable to dance anymore she spent a brief couple of months at university, then worked as a lab assistant, hotel receptionist, clerical worker and completed a journalism course at Auckland Technical Institute. Lisa began her singing career by doing gigs with a cabaret band and tackling the local talent quest circuit. Her desire to reach a broader audience led to a move to Australia in 1983.

"I guess I was searching for something to fill the gap inside me caused by not being able to dance anymore. I had always loved singing but had thought my voice was no good. It was only when I moved to Australia that I really started to pursue a career in music seriously."

Lisa lived in King's Cross, Sydney while she absorbed the local music scene. A move south to Melbourne led to an audition as a vocalist for local band Pointz. It was in this band that she met Robin Gist for the first time. Over a period of two years, the band changed its name to Short Story, played around Melbourne, almost secured a publishing and recording deal with Wheatley Records and then finally self-destructed. Lisa went back to New Zealand for about six months but decided to return to Australia to meet up with Robin to begin writing songs for a new project.

After auditioning various players they settled on Brett McNaughton and together the three formed Separate Tables in 1987. The band released an independent single; "Long Dark Night" backed with "Wrap Your Arms Around Me". Independent videos were shot for "Long Dark Night" and the song "Blue Falls The Rain". Both were aired on Australian TV.

After a year of writing and gigging the band secured a recording deal with RCA/BMG, the support for John Farnham's Jack's Back Tour and spent months on the road playing Entertainment Centres and concert halls around Australia promoting the single "When The Word Came Down". John Favaro joined the band on bass guitar and recording began on their debut album 'Paint a Picture' with producer Ross Fraser. The band changed it's name to Girl Overboard and put out the single, "I Can't Believe". The album was released in 1989, went gold and received two ARIA nominations; Best Debut Single - "I Can't Believe" and Best Australian Video - "Permanent Friend". Lisa co-wrote many of the band's hits including "The Love We Make".

In 1991 the band released their second album 'GO' produced by Australian producer Charles Fisher (1927, Air Supply, Hoodoo Gurus & Savage Garden) to critical acclaim. The haunting ballad "Jackie" and the catchy "Chain of Fools" were both played constantly on Australian radio. After the break-up of the band in 1993, Lisa began working with her acoustic trio. She had appeared at venues such as The Harbourside Brasserie and The Tilbury in Sydney, to excellent reviews.

Over the years Lisa had been involved in a number of different projects. She appeared in the 1989 Australian Feature film Hungry Heart with actor Norman Kaye as well as writing music for the soundtrack. In 1993 Lisa was invited to sing the title track on the award-winning New Zealand film Bread and Roses. In 1994 she collaborated and danced in a commissioned work for The Independent Dance Collection at Sydney's Performance Space. Later that year she appeared in another contemporary dance piece co-created with Dean Walsh.

Lisa was invited to sing at the Blue Moon Gala Benefit at the Sydney Town Hall with other performers including Max Cullen and Georgie Parker. Lisa had worked as a researcher and producer's assistant on various projects for television including Missing Pieces, Andrew Denton Meets Kevin Costner, and for The Sydney Olympics The Journey Begins - Towards 2000. She has taught acting, singing and voice at The Actors Centre Australia, the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney and NIDA. She died from cancer in 2020.

Recommended Listening

JENNY ''PINEAPPLE'' MARTINELLI

Jennifer Martinelli was born in Brisbane in 1964.After several attempts from the age of 17 she finally escaped Queensland’s days of Joh Bjiekes- Petersen's tyrannical corruption at age 20. Catching a bus down south with a multi-colored 10-inch-high Stature of Liberty style Mohawk, she arrived in the city of Melbourne, the birthplace of her mother who had left Jenny at the age of three with her father to raise. Jenny was given the name ''Pineapple'' by Paul Stewart of the Painters and Dockers’ in 1985 as there were too many Jenny’s and Jenny was from the land of the pineapples.

In 1985 Jenny was an unofficial member of the Painters & Dockers singing ''Know your Product'' and joined 3CR community radio as an on-air broadcaster. Frustrated with women’s roles, or lack of, Jenny started an all-girl Punk band Plain Wrap in 1986 and also formed an eight piece all female avant guard junk percussion band for the Fringe Festival. Jenny stayed involved in Fringe as an artist and musician until 2000. Jenny’s life journey has led her to become involved in many musical and artistic endeavours including working as an official member of Painters and Dockers in 1997, design work with Pigtale Pottery in 1990 and guiding and working with Indigenous musicians and artists.

SONJA PARKINSON

Sonja Parkinson's trombone had weathered many storms. It was first blown by owner Bill Howard in the Red Onions Jazz Band in the 1950s, and then by the Loved Ones when the global success of the Beatles killed the local jazz scene. Later her dad bought it at a second-hand store and played in the Salvation Army Band before passing it down to her. She also played with the Salvos, but in 1996 she changed direction, dodging flying beer cans to add some brass spunk to cult punk band the Painters and Dockers. 

SALLY FORD

Before succumbing to the latin bug, saxophonist Sally Ford worked with many of Australia’s leading acts, including Paul Kelly, The Kevins, Joe Camilleri’s Black Sorrows and Sally’s own funk outfit, Washington Wives. She is now known as a singer and songwriter of latin genres: tex-mex, mariachi, cumbia, tango and Cuban son, primarily with her bands Texicali Rose and The Pachuco Playboys. As lead vocalist and sax player with these bands she has been a regular at music and arts festivals around the country and released award-winning albums including World Music Album of the Year in Rhythms Magazine’s Readers’ Poll and Australian Album of the Year at the 2001 Australian World Music Awards. Her current band is Sally Ford and the Idiomatics.

Recommended Listening

JEN ANDERSON

Jen Anderson has toured and recorded with many of Australia’s best-known rock, folk and country artists, including the Black Sorrows (89-93), Weddings Parties Anything (93-98), Tim Rogers (You Am I), Tiddas, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, and the Waifs. Jen has earned an international reputation as a composer and improvising violinist. With a strong classical training background and many years of professional performance improvising with numerous bands, she has also composed music for film, television, theatre and dance.

Jen enjoyed national success with her score and live performance of string quartet music to the silent film Pandora’s Box, and further national and international success with her score for the silent film The Sentimental Bloke. Jen and her band the Larrikins accompanied the screening of the film at several prestigious screen events including the London International Film Festival, Pordenone Silent film Festival (Italy), Telluride Film Festival (Colorado USA), Tokyo Film Festival (Japan) and Chungmuro Film Festival (Seoul, Korea).

As a composer for film and television her many credits include Hunt Angels (documentary feature film, 2006) The Goddess Of 1967, Simone De Beauvoir's Babies (ABC television mini-series), and the silent movies Pandora's Box and The Sentimental Bloke. She has produced and/or engineered albums for Ruby Hunter, Tim Rogers and The Waifs For the past 10 years Jen has expanded her musical interests, working with people from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds, resulting in projects such as recording a CD of traditional songs with Sudanese refugee women in Melbourne 'Old songs in a New Country', and workshopping hip hop songs with young indigenous women in the East Kimberley region of WA.

Recommended Listening

JANINE HALL

Janine Margaret Hall was born in 1952 or 1953 in New Zealand. After moving to Australia, Hall became a part of the emerging Australian punk music scene. In December 1977 Young Charlatans needed a bass player. Ollie Olsen (guitar, vocals), Rowland S. Howard (guitar) and Jeffrey Wegener (drums) had travelled from Melbourne to Sydney to rehearse; after Hall sat in she joined as their bass guitarist. The band returned to Melbourne in January 1978, but before they could release any music, they broke up in May.

In 1979, Hall joined a reformed version of Australian punk group The Saints in England alongside founding mainstay Chris Bailey on lead vocals, Mark Birmingham on drums, Bruce Callaway on guitar and Barry Francis on guitar, releasing their music on the punk rock record label, New Rose Records. She replaced the previous Saints bassist, Algy Ward, who had left to play with British punk rock band, the Damned and to work with Lemmy and Fast Eddie Clarke of Motörhead. After recording their extended play 'Paralytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow' (March 1980), she returned to Australia. There, she recorded on the band's follow up album 'The Monkey Puzzle' (February 1981) and continued performing with the Saints until 1985.

She was an original member of the short-lived Wolfgang (a.k.a. Wolf Gang), with Mick Medew and Michael Charles, which formed 1983 and performed alongside Medew's other band the Screaming Tribesmen. The band played songs Medew had written for his other band, and their own debut single "Shadow in the Hall" was intended for release in March 1984 by Citidel Records. During this period, Hall took a break from touring with the Saints.

Hall had joined Weddings Parties Anything (WPA) in 1986 on bass and vocals; she was recorded on their debut album, 'The Scorn of the Women'.She left in August 1987 as the band were in the process of recording their next album and joined King of the World.  From the early 1990s Hall worked in naturopathy. She died on 20 May 2008, aged 55, in Melbourne. In 2012 Hall was inducted into the EG Hall of Fame at The Age 2012 EG Music Awards. Together with former WPA band mate Jen Anderson, Hall was one of the first two women in that Hall of Fame.

Recommended Listening

EVE VON BIBRA

 

Eve von Bibra was born on 27 June 1966 and grew up in Melbourne. She relocated to London to enrol in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Upon return to Australia, at the age of 18, she joined the Victorian State Opera as a soprano in Gilbert and Sullivan productions and in a Bach Operetta.

She acted in a 1980s television soap opera, Sons and Daughters. In 1986 she formed a pop group, Chantoozies. They released two albums, 'Chantoozies' (1987) and 'Gild the Lily' (1991) before disbanding in 1991. In July 1988 their third single, "Wanna Be Up", which was co-written by Von Bibra and Brett Goldsmith, peaked at #6 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The band's fourth single, another Brett and Von Bibra song, "Kiss 'n' Tell", was released in August 1988 and peaked at #25 in October. One of the group's last singles was a cover version of Stephen Stills' track, "Love the One You're With". 

After Chantoozies disbanded in late 1991 von Bibra returned to acting with roles on mid-1990s TV including Time Trax (1993) and The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (1994). Aside from acting, von Bibra has also worked on TV shows as an artist co-ordinator for RocKwiz (2007–2012) and assisting production for Angry Boys (2011) and Outland (2012). In November 2008 on RocKwiz, von Bibra appeared as a guest contestant, performed her solo rendition of "Love the One You're With" and a duet with Jed Kurzel (The Mess Hall) for a cover of Bee Gees hit, "To Love Somebody".

Recommended Listening

SHERINE ABEYRATNE

Sherine Yvonne Abeyratne is an Australian singer. She and her identical twin sister, Suzanne "Zan", were born in 1961 in London, and raised in Australia. They sang together as backing singers of a number of groups including Models, INXS and U2. Their Sri Lankan-born parents also have two sons; their mother entertained her children by playing piano and with her dancing, while their father shared his admiration of Louis Armstrong and jazz music. After moving from London, the family lived in Sri Lanka for several years before migrating to Australia. Both sisters became vocalists in bands both together, and separately, from 1978. They were members of Grand Wazoo, Sherine left to become a backing vocalist for Jo Jo Zep and then INXS, while Zan became a member of Bang. Sherine provided lead vocals for Big Pig from 1985 to 1991. Sherine was also associated with Grand Wazoo Band of 1000 Dances, The Editions (1980–84), Bang, Big Choir, Bob Starkie Shape Up, Gospel Truth, Jo Jo Zep, Black Coffee, Dianna Boss and The Extremes, The Rock Party, Mercy Mercy (1991), Sherine, and Sherine's X Machine.

Recommended Listening

JILL BIRT

Jillian Margaret Birt was born in Tambellup, a rural agricultural region of Western Australia 317 km south east of Perth. Her parents were grain and sheep farmers, Philip Howard Birt and Margaret Brigid (née O'Neill). With her two older brothers, Birt was raised in a deeply religious household. Birt attended the local Tambellup Primary School and then boarded at the Methodist Ladies' College in Perth. After secondary education Birt studied fine arts and formed an all-girl punk band, What Are Little Boys Made Of. Later she was a member of Precious Title.

In April 1983, Jill Birt became a member of the alternative rock and pop band, The Triffids, replacing the band's original keyboardist, Margaret Gillard. The group had formed in Perth in 1978 and, by early 1983, had a line-up of Martyn P. Casey on bass guitar, David McComb on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, his older brother Robert McComb on violin and guitar, and Alan 'Alsy' MacDonald on drums and vocals. They had signed to Mushroom Records' White Label and released the 'Bad Timing and Other Stories' extended play in March. The Triffids had relocated to Sydney where Birt joined on piano, organ and vocals. She played on five albums with the band.

The Triffid's final studio album, 'The Black Swan' was released in April 1989. Birt's vocals were highlighted on the album's lead single "Goodbye Little Boy", issued in March which reached #81 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The single's cover depicts a close-up of Birt in sunglasses. Allmusic's Wilson Neate discovered her "little-girl voice and an electronic sheen make ''Goodbye Little Boy'' one of the band's purest pop statements". "Good Fortune Rose" from the album is another composition by Birt – co-written with MacDonald. In April 1989 NME '​s Gavin Martin described "Goodbye Little Girl" as "a modern girlie pop classic – breathy charm with a sting in the tale, a sure fire hit whenever the necessary radio edit has been made of the line 'I'm so fucking tired'" and found her own composition, "Good Fortune Rose" to be "a delicately blossoming thing etching a young girl's aspirations on the cusp of womanhood – a heady mix of innocence and sophistication".

David McComb described her songwriting "the great thing about Jill’s songs is that they're the first she's ever written and the first 10 songs that anyone writes are usually the best, they're so fresh and alive ... When Jill was going to join the band, I interviewed a techno keyboard player who was a brilliant musician, but he wasn't right. Jill joined for fun, friendship and adventure. Those are far better reasons". In August 1989, tired from the constant travelling and touring, the band dissolved.

Jill Birt married MacDonald, and they have three children Connor, Oscar and Ebony MacDonald, the family reside in East Fremantle. In 1990, The Triffids were honoured at the West Australian Music Industry Awards with a trophy for 'Most Outstanding International Achievement Award'.

In 1993, Birt studied architecture at the University of Western Australia and became a qualified architect, whilst MacDonald is a lawyer for the Equal Opportunity Commission in Perth. In February 1999 David McComb died of heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant. Both Birt and MacDonald have performed on The Triffids reunions, in June 2006, and January 2008. Surviving members of The Triffids – Birt, Casey, Lee, MacDonald and Robert McComb – were joined by guest singers and musicians, Mick Harvey (The Bad Seeds), Toby Martin (Youth Group), Rob Snarski (The Blackeyed Susans), Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Melanie Oxley. Graham Hill of ABC's national radio's Dig Music, found the "delivery of 'Goodbye Little Boy' was as close to 'original line-up' as you could hope for, but throughout the evening it was hard to shake the obvious absence – this was not a reunion, it was a celebration of a songwriter". Hill noted "the final song was left to Jill Birt, who offered a word-perfect rendition of 'Tender Is the Night' despite losing her lyrics amidst the mountain of crib sheets of earlier singers". The 2008 performances were issued as a DVD documentary, It's Raining Pleasure (2009), directed by Steven Levett.

On 1 July 2008, The Triffids were inducted by Nick Cave into the ARIA Hall of Fame; former members were joined on-stage by Snarski as vocalist for "Red Pony" and Kilbey as vocalist for "Wide Open Road". In April 2010, The Triffids reunited for performances in London with various guest vocalists in place of David McComb, Dev Hynes, Harvey, Snarski, Simon Breed and Tindersticks' Stuart Staples.

In July 2011 Birt released a solo four-track EP, 'Still Life'. Joining Birt on the EP were Casey and MacDonald with Adrian Hoffman (The Morning Light), guesting on individual tracks were Rob McComb and Lee. Birt designed the cover, with Pippa Hurst, and the lino cut was provided by Oscar MacDonald. Birt and MacDonald toured Australia in July 2011. In November and December that year another The Triffids reunion series, including an appearance at the Queenscliff Music Festival, had guest vocals from Harvey and Breed.

On 21 April 2012 Birt released her debut solo album, 'Render & Prosper.' All nine songs were written by Birt, together with one a collaboration with MacDonald. Similar to her EP, MacDonald, Casey and Hoffman all both perform on the album with appearances by Graham Lee, Robert McComb and Ricky Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre). In May 2012 Birt and McDonald performed tracks from her debut solo album in Newtown.

Recommended Listening

LINDY MORRISON

Belinda "Lindy" Morrison OAM (born 2 November 1951) is an Australian musician originally from Queensland. She was the drummer in indie rock group The Go-Betweens from 1980 to 1989, appearing on all the band's releases from their first LP in 1981 until the band's first break up on 26 December 1989. Their song, "Cattle and Cane" from 1983's 'Before Hollywood' was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. In 2008, '16 Lovers Lane' was highlighted on Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) TV's The Great Australian Albums series as a classic example of 1980s rock music. The Go-Betweens reformed during 2000–2006 without Morrison.

Morrison has also performed in Silent Figures, Shrew, Xero, The Four Gods, Deep Blue Sea, Cleopatra Wong with Amanda Brown (ex-The Go-Betweens), and Tuff Monks. She played drums in The Rainy Season from 2007 until 2011. Morrison stood for election as the candidate for the Australian Democrats in the New South Wales (seat of Coogee) in the 2003 state elections and in the Division of Wentworth in the 2004 federal elections. 

Morrison was appointed a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Music Council of Australia in 2007. For services as Board member and one who "gave great assistance to community music initiatives and guidance in issues around performers' rights". In 2008, an image of Morrison painted by artist Katherine Close was entered in the 2008 Archibald prize. The image depicts her sitting behind her favourite 'Ludwig' drum kit, the actual drum kit used on most of the Go-Betweens recordings and performances. On 26 January 2013, Morrison was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services as a performer and advocate and the next year she received the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. In 2023, she was awarded the Queensland Lifetime Achievement Award at the Queensland Music Awards

Recommended Listening

AMANDA BROWN

Amanda Gabrielle Brown (born 17 November 1965) is an Australian composer, classically trained musician, singer and songwriter. Brown's early bands (during the early 1980s) were Climbing Frame, Tender Mercies (with John Willsteed, also later with the Go-Betweens) and Blood Brothers, in which she played violin, oboe, guitar and keyboards. In 1986, The Go-Betweens – soon after signing a new contract (this time with Beggars Banquet) – discovered Amanda Brown playing live in a café. She later joined the band in London, her addition expanding the line-up to a five-piece, for which she provided backing vocals, violin, oboe, guitar and keyboards and arrangements.

Brown played on two studio albums, 'Tallulah' (1987) and '16 Lovers Lane' (1988). The Go-Betweens toured for 18 months following the release of '16 Lovers Lane', ending in Munich, Germany, and broke up in December 1989, after a farewell tour of England. Following the break-up of the Go-Betweens, Brown formed the band, Cleopatra Wong (1991–1992), with Go-Betweens drummer Lindy Morrison, resulting in two marginally successful mini-CDs on the rooArt label, 'Egg' and 'Cleopatra's Lament', including the single (and video) "Thank You". During this period, she also undertook session work with Tactics, the Shane Howard Band and Wendy Matthews Band and sang back-up vocals on former Go-Betweens member Grant McLennan's 1991 debut album 'Watershed'.

Later work includes playing with Sydney band Love Me (1997–1998) and diverse session appearances with artists including R.E.M., The Reels, Died Pretty, Silverchair, David Bridie, David Lane, The Cruel Sea, The Apartments, The Junction House Band and Boxcar (on the album 'Algorhythm').

A graduate of the Australian Film Television and Radio School, Amanda Brown has established a career as a screen composer, writing for television and film soundtracks. In 2003 she released the 'Incognita' soundtrack CD, a mixture of songs and instrumentals accompanying a performance by the Stalker Theatre Company. The performance of Incognita toured Australia and Europe, commencing at the Sydney Festival 2003, and the show explored issues of Australia's past and present.

Brown composed scores for feature films, including Preservation (2003), Floodhouse (2003), Look Both Ways (2005) Monkey Puzzle (2007) and Son of a Lion (2008). Documentaries she has composed the music for include Suburb For Sale (2006) and A Well Founded Fear (2008). Brown is also the occasional 'sixth' member of Toni Collette's live band, The Finish, and has continued to record and perform with various artists including The Vines, Youth Group and Josh Pyke. In the winter 2007–08 she duetted with the Danish singer Michael Møller on the song ''A Sunday Routine'' from his debut solo outing from his band Moi Caprice.

Since November 2007, Brown has been a member of The Rainy Season, a five-piece band fronted by Jed Brown, and including Peter Jones (ex-Cosmic Psychos), Clyde Bramley (ex-Hoodoo Gurus), and fellow former Go Between Lindy Morrison.

In 2008 Brown won the IF Inside Film Award for Best Music for her score to Son of a Lion. A soundtrack album of the music from Son of a Lion was released in late 2008. In 2009 she won the APRA/Australian Guild of Screen Composers Award for Best Music in a Documentary for the score to Sidney Nolan: Mask and Memory. Brown continues to diversify and in 2009 she mixed David Lane's album 'Head in the Clouds'. However, she now has no plans to make her first solo album of songs. On her 50th birthday in 2015, Brown was elected to the APRA Board as a Writer Director. She resides in Sydney.

Recommended Listening

NADA SINKOVIC

Nada Sinkovic is a keyboard player. She started out in the late 70s joining Sydney band Moving Parts. Jump Incorporated was her next band and had some success on the charts

Recommended Listening

TINA CROSS

Tina Marie Cross ONZM was born 27 January 1959 in New Zealand. Cross is one of six siblings and grew up in Ōtara from the age of four, except for a three-year stint in Kaitaia. Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Te Aupōuri and Ngāti Porou. Cross' mother is of Maori-Croatian descent. While the family were in Northland, Tina and one of her siblings won a talent quest.

In 1974, her friend, Kim Hart, encouraged Cross to audition for the school's musical productions with their band, Chalkdust, and the pair sharing singing duties. In 1975, the group auditioned for television talent show Opportunity Knocks and while the band missed out, the producers saw enough in 16-year-old Cross to offer her a one-year contract where she learned her craft. Cross was soon presenting herself to a national audience via popular television shows such as Smile and Once More With Feeling.

In 1976 Chalkdust became a finalist in the 1976 Battle of the Bands competition. Kim Hart would sign with EMI Australia in 1977 and would have a top 10 hit "Love At First Night" by 1980. In 1977 Cross spent some time as a dancer on the television show, Top of the World and also appeared on several episodes of Ready to Roll, where she sang the current popular hits of the day. In 1978 Cross won the rising star award at the Entertainer of the Year awards. In 1979, Cross released four singles, all of which made the top 50 of the New Zealand charts. Her fourth single, "Nothing But Dreams", was the New Zealand entry into the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, which it won. Cross released her debut studio album 'You Can Do It' in 1979.

In 1980, Cross again represented New Zealand at the Pacific Song Contest, this time, a duet with Derek Metzger titled, "Once Again With You", taking out second place. Cross began working on a second studio album, a shift from disco to new wave ultimately failed and the album, 'Tina X', did not chart. Cross maintained a high profile with numerous television appearances and in 1982 she relocated across the Tasman to Sydney, Australia and began singing on the cabaret circuit.

In 1984 she teamed up with composer-pianist Leon Berger and formed Koo De Tah. They had a hit with "Too Young for Promises" in 1985 which made it #6 on the Australian charts, two further singles "Body Talk" and "Think of Me" were released and a self-titled album in 1986. The group disbanded in 1987. Following Koo De Tah, Cross launched a corporate cabaret act and toured India and Asia before returning to Auckland in 1990. 

Recommended Listening

HELEN CARTER

So we wonder, contrary to the portrayal of women in one particular historical document, whether Helen Carter, bass player with Do Re Mi, was more than just one of Bon Scott’s last girlfriends. By the late 70s and early 80s, the musical climate was shifting again, first towards punk and then to English new wave. Like Merle and Rosalie in 1965, these two musical styles freed women to occupy once male-dominated spaces. ''I think I was very lucky because I could have been surrounded by people who said, look you’re a girl don’t worry'' says Helen. ''But with punk, I did have a lot of particularly English role models I could look to, say the Slits, the Modettes and the Aupair’s''.

Punk has been described as the great leveler, with the kind of punk ethic where anyone would get up and have a go, as Helen puts it, and it encouraged women to take to the stage, and to instruments. Attitudes towards female instrumentalist continued to pervade the scene. ''We played around a couple of the pubs, and I never felt like a novelty, but I certainly had difficulties with people not believing I was in the band,'' remembers Helen. ''There was always some reason for me being in that position other being a good bass player. Later down the track there’s all those stories of bouncers at the door saying ‘Oh you’re carrying your boyfriends guitar’ and ‘can you prove you’re in the band''.

''You get these men, ‘saying sit on my face!'' continues Helen. ''And Deb (Deborah Conway) and I would go, ‘Why? Is your nose bigger than your dick?''. Their take no shit attitude would inspire the band to write a protest of male chauvinism with their song, ''Man Overboard'', which snuck under the radar and onto the airwaves. After the break up of Do Re Mi she joined the short lived Lupi and showed up later in Underfelt.

Recommended Listening

SANDI CHICK

Sandra Elizabeth McLean was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 27, 1956. As and 8-year-old Sandi’s family left Southampton England migrating to Sydney Australia, arriving November 1962. In her mid-teens Sandi fondly remembers breaking into bands by first rehearsing in a Terrey Hills garage and at the Harbord Surf Club at Freshwater with the legendary Duke Kahanamoku’s surfboard propped up in the corner. 

Sandi found her voice, as did others, she was in demand and so was called on to be backing vocalist on Mental As Anything’s single ''Apocalypso'' and the stunning 'Fundamental As Anything' album. This led to more backing vocalist work with Club Ska, John Kennedy and Samurai Trash. By 1985 Sandi was part of the R’n’B-Soul band The Rockmelons and was up front for the lead vocals on the recording of ''Time Out for Serious Fun''. From here it was on the road touring and recording with John Kenny and Peter Blakely and onto the Divinyls’ What a Life Australian Tour. 

Sandi’s commanding voice has always been in demand getting her onstage with numerous bands such as Machinations, The Dropbears and as a member of The Cheatin’ Hearts. She formed a duo with Steve Kilbey (The Church) in the 90s and released one album as the band Fake. Sandi has been a director of Steve Chick Research since its inception in 1989 and has been involved with licensing the Midi Bass to the UK, Sweden, USA and of course Australia. She is now head of Artist Relations and Administration.

Recommended Listening

LISSA BARNUM

Lissa Barnum (Mendelsohn) was born in Mexico City to American parents of European descent. She was a film and theatre major at UCLA and a High School speech champion in Northern California. She came to Australia in the early 80s with her husband Andrew Barnum. They met producer Mark Moffat who got them signed to the Hot Music Co. through Festival / EMI records as an independent act called Vitabeats. Vitabeats created their national independent dance hits ''Boom Box'' (which charted inside the Top 40) and ''Audrey Hepburn'' which led to the release of the album 'Spot the Spanner' in the mid 80s.

Recommended Listening

ZAN ABEYRATNE

Suzanne (later shortened to Zan) Abeyratne and her identical twin sister, Sherine Abeyratne, were born in 1961 in London. Their Sri Lankan-born parents, also have two sons; their mother entertained her children by playing piano and with her dancing, while their father shared his admiration of Louis Armstrong and jazz music. After moving from London, the family lived in Sri Lanka for several years before migrating to Australia. Both sisters became vocalists in bands both together, and separately, from 1978. They were members of Grand Wazoo, Sherine left to become a backing vocalist for Jo Jo Zep and then INXS, while Zan became a member of Bang.

From 1983 to 1985 Abeyratne provided backing vocals for fellow Melbourne-based group, Models, including their single, "God Bless America" (April 1984), and appeared in the related music video and toured in support of that group's fourth studio album, 'Out of Mind, Out of Sight' (August 1985). The Abeyratne twins were in the music video for Models single, "Barbados" (March 1985). The pair also worked on a record by Kids in the Kitchen. During her time with I'm Talking they performed, "Lead the Way", at the Oz for Africa concert in July 1985. They appeared before Charles and Diana at the Rockin' the Royals concert in Melbourne in November 1985, which was head-lined by INXS and included Models and Kids in the Kitchen.

In 1984, Abeyratne joined Melbourne-based pop music group, I'm Talking. That group had formed in the previous year by Kate Ceberano on lead vocals (ex-Expozay, Hoagy Cats), Stephen Charlesworth on keyboards, Ian Cox on saxophone, Robert Goodge on guitar, Barbara Hogarth on bass guitar and Cameron Newman on drums. Cox, Goodge and Hogarth were all ex-members of Essendon Airport, an electronic, post-punk band. Abeyratne was recorded on I'm Talking's single, "Trust Me" (November 1984), with Ceberano on lead vocals. Abeyratne provided lead vocals for "Holy Word" (July 1986), the second single from the group's debut album, 'Bear Witness' (August). It peaked at #9 in Australia, and #21 in New Zealand.

Goodge described how Abeyratne was chosen for "Holy Word's'' vocals, "Kate wasn't available for the demos. Up until then Zan had resisted being a full-time member, I guess we wanted to reward her as being part of the band and for all the work she'd done." She recalled, "It was awesome for me to get to sing that song. It was a special song for me. It came out and we got whisked off overseas so I didn't get to fully experience it all." Abeyratne toured internationally with the band, and they returned for the Australian Made tour in December 1986 and the following January, before she left the group in March 1987.

Abeyratne's debut solo dance/pop single, "It's Your Move", was released via Mushroom Records/Festival Records under the mononym, Zan, in February 1989. It was co-written by Clyde Lieberman and Eliot Lewis and was recorded in Los Angeles with Richard James Burgess producing. It peaked at #82 on the ARIA Singles Chart. She followed with "Good Love", in November, but it did not reach the top 100. It was written by Paul Francis Gray (of Wa Wa Nee) and was produced by Todd Hunter (of Dragon). Her next single, "Nobody Else", was released in March 1991, which was written by Ashley Cadell (ex-Flotsam Jetsam) and was covered by her next band, Mercy Mercy, which included her sister.

Abeyratne followed with "You're So Vain" in February 1995. Working as Xan, she released a solo album of the same name in 1995 via Amber Records/Polydor Records. It provided two singles, "Make It" and "Run Away Girl", in the same year. The album was co-produced by Abeyratne with Bob Brockmann. In October 2013 she was the featured vocalist on "Risin' Up" by StrictLove. In March 2018 I'm Talking's album, 'Bear Witness', was remastered and re-released on CD as well as an expanded version of 2× CDs with bonus tracks. October 2018 Abeyratne confirmed that I'm Talking is due to reform, in support of Bryan Ferry's Australian tour, from February to April 2019. Joining her was Ceberano, Charlesworth, Goodge and Hogarth.

Recommended Listening

MICHELLE KENNEDY

In the mid 60s Michelle Kennedy was in a vocal trio, The Creations with Colleen Hewett. That group also backed various solo singers including Billy Adams and then Buddy England and thereby toured Australia. In April 1967 she joined a soul-based group, Dice, which were renamed as Laurie Allen Revue. In April 1967 Laurie Allen had told Go-Set: "I realized just a three-piece group couldn't give me the sound I wanted, so I added two girl vocalists, Colleen Hewett and Kennedy, they are an act in themselves and combined to give us a distinctive sound which can't be done by any Australian group". The band released three singles and an EP on the Festival label. In October 1968 The Vibrants had a lineup change and the remaining members John Hossen, Barry Rogers and Marc Leon formed a new group called The Graduate. Don La Roche was the manager and added Michelle as lead vocalist. She stayed with the band for two years before announcing her departure in 1970.

Recommended Listening

GLENYS HEWETT

Glenys Hewett is the talented younger sister of Colleen. Her singing career began in Bendigo with a band called The Lonely Ones at the age of 13. She then gained prominent exposure working with the Laurie Allen Revue. In 1969 Glenys went to entertain the troops in Vietnam for six months. Like Colleen, Glenys has a fine, powerful voice and on return from overseas became the lead singer with Melbourne band Graduate led by Marc Leon (ex-The Vibrants), one of the most popular pop/cabaret bands of the 70's, performing and recording with them from 1970-72 and then from 1975-78. She was also an original member of Brian Cadd's Bootleg Family and a member of The Gary Hyde Tradition for a short period. In between she pursued a solo career and released singles for RCA and did a number of radio and TV ads for Mike Brady and Peter Sullivan. Glenys has also provided backing vocals on most of Colleen's recordings but unfortunately for us, has now long retired from the music scene.

Recommended Listening