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Line Up
John Ordazzo - Bass
Dave Humes - Lead Guitar
John Finseth - Rhythm Guitar
Brad Wisham - Drums
Stellar Records - 1981
1. Summer Fashion
2. Don't Feel So Bad
3. Or Something Like That
4. Any Other Girl
♫♫►►Is It Really Worth The Price You Pay◄◄♫♫
Here we are. Coming up on the end of another year. I hope you and your families are happy and healthy! I swear, the older I get; the faster time seems to go. I was really hoping to be more active this year but alas, once again, it didn't happen. Unfortunately, my life becomes quite hectic sometimes; not leaving time for anything else.
I spend allot of time in my truck driving, to and from work. It gives me an opportunity to listen to my sizeable, continuously growing collection. I have a 250 gig flash drive, more than half filled with music and I add to it regularly. I set it to play everything randomly. Songs will hit me and I think about sharing them. Thing is, I'm not interested in putting together a proper post. I'm thinking of sharing one song a week. I've figured out how to make my own player and host the song; it wont be available for download, just for listening. I'll put the name of the band and the song; it will be available for a limited amount of time. If you like what you hear, you can research and pursue it on your own. If anyone has any questions regarding the song; I'll try my best to answer them. The nice thing about not making the songs available for download is; I think it will give me more freedom. The songs won't be of any specific genre or time period. Pretty much, whatever grabs me. These songs will be in edition to my usual post's.
Anyway, I feel like I should be able to handle one song a week, lol. I've been trying to come up with something to call the weekly segment but keep coming up empty. I'm hoping for suggestions. I'll pick the one I like most and it will be done... Thank You!! here's this week's song.
Fotomatic Take a Ride
Line Up
Dennis Mitchell - Guitar and Vocals
a repost, by request, originally posted 8/5/10 new rips and scans, Enjoy!
made instant connections to the young inner city Sydney audience moving on from the 1980 punk scene.
At the time there was also the first Mod revival emerging from the Sussex Hotel and a few Mods connected with the Singles. However the Singles were never a ‘Mod’ band and largely stuck to themselves not chasing any scene except their own.
In early 1980 the Singles release their first ep ‘Love of Loves’ on Double Think Records. This ep immediately sold out. The Singles continued to play to the inner city venues. The band soon found a loyal following on the lower North Shore too playing venues such as the Mosman and San Miguel hotels
Later in 1980 the Singles release ‘Someone that I knew’ on Basilisk Records and this further cemented their sound and their audience. ‘Someone that I knew’ started getting airplay on the ABC’s Sydney music station Double Jay. The Singles started to pack out the inner-city venues and booking agencies tried them in the large suburban beer barns where their post punk pop sound didn’t go down with audiences who were into the Aussie booze and biff culture and wanted the sounds of the Radiators, ‘Chisel’ and the Angels.
Around this time the legendary ‘Sunny Boys’ released “Love to Rule’ and they took off playing the suburban beer barns with their harder rock sound winning favour with suburban audiences. Soon the Singles found a slot supporting the Sunny Boys in the caverns of the Brookvale Hotel, Sylvania Hotel, Castle Hill Tavern, and Selinas at Coogee Bay. The Singles also found favour with the InXS audience and soon found support spots with them up and down the NSW coast.
After working hard live for most of 1980 Geoff Smith and Rod Brunell decided to leave to band to focus on their own projects. Andrew asked a mate Stephen Thompson to join the band. After placing an ad in a street press music paper for a bass player they found Andrew Richards formerly of legendary Adelaide band ‘Young Modern’.
The new line up started writing and rehearsing new songs and got back to playing live with a residency at the San Miguel Hotel in autumn 1981. The new sound was different and many of their inner city supporters had moved on. Then interestingly enough the band started to attract a new support base along with their north shore following, this time from the ‘Shire’ area of Caringbah and Sutherland. The kids in these areas rejected the bland booze and biff surfer culture of the area and were looking something different, sharp and smart. The Singles started to play the Caringbah Inn along with the traditional venues in the inner city and the lower North Shore.
The Singles continued to work hard live consolidating their following and making a push into Sydney’s Western Suburbs where they still found hostility as they were considered ‘wimps’. The Singles then added a new venue where they consistently drew good audiences, The Sydney Trade Union Club. The ‘Trades’ as it was know was the new hub of Sydney’s alternative and inner city scene. Here the Singles headlined their own shows and played many great supports to the likes of the Church, the Divinyls, Hunters and Collectors, Sunny Boys, Serious Young Insects, Laughing Clowns and Sardine V.
The Singles continued to work hard through 1982 and recoded the single ‘The Party’ in late 1982. However the scene had moved on and no label would release the record. After many knock backs Andrew Richards decided leave the band. This line up played their last show at the Sydney Trade Union Club in November 1982.
Disheartened but not beaten Andrew and Stephen recruited a new bass player Tim Bottrell and a new guitarist, Stephen’s brother David Thompson. In mid 1983 they recorded the single ‘The Day’. The Singles then played a few shows through 1983 at the Graphic Arts Club keeping a low profile. The band tried to secure a label to release ‘The Day’ but to no avail. The Singles version 3 then became less active. In late 1984 ‘The Day’ was featured on Survival Records compilation ‘Shake and Shout’ that is a record of those heady times of the inner-city pop scene.
Andrew and Tony never played again. Stephen went on to form Doppelgangers in the late 1988 with Christa Hughes. Doppelganger released a self funded release ‘Speak to Me’ in 1989 and a 12” single ‘Sweet Smell of Success in 1990 an album ‘Face the Truth’ 1993 on Phantom Records. Stephen currently works under the pseudonym ‘Les Années’ and with a self titled psychedelic artpop album out on Melbourne’s ‘Off The Hip Records’ .