Blackfeather
Encyclopedia
Blackfeather was an Australia
n rock group in the 1970s. The group had many members and went through two major incarnations - the earlier (shortlived) heavy rock version of the group, which recorded the album At The Mountains of Madness
(1970) and the hit single "Seasons of Change", and the later piano-based lineup led by singer Neale Johns, which scored an Australian #1 hit single with "Boppin' The Blues".
, bassist Leith Corbett and drummer ike McCormack] (all from the final lineup of recently disbanded Sydney group The Dave Miller Set), plus lead vocalist Neale Johns. Corbett and McCormack left soon after, replaced by Robert Fortesque (bass) and Alexander Kash (drums). Corbett subsequently reunited with singer Dave Miller to record the duo album Reflections of a Pioneer.
The second lineup of Blackfeather soon became a major draw-card around NSW and the group was signed by Festival Records
' newly-founded progressive subsidiary Infinity Records, for whom they recorded their acclaimed debut album At the Mountains of Madness (1970). The LP was co-produced by Robinson and Festival staff producer Richard Batchens
(who went on to work with Sherbet
and Richard Clapton
), and it featured the hit song "Seasons of Change".
During this time Robinson had become close friends with members of the group Fraternity
, including keyboardist John Bissett and singer Bon Scott
(both of whom contributed to the Blackfeather album). He gave them "Seasons of Change" to record as a single, and also sought an undertaking from Infinity that they would not release the original Blackfeather version to compete with it. However, as soon as Fraternity's version reached the top of the charts in their home town of Adelaide, Festival reneged on the agreement and rush-released Blackfeather's version as a single; it reached #15 nationally, #39 in Sydney, and charted for 16 weeks.
Despite this success, internal frictions escalated and there were more lineup changes. Kash and Fortesque both quit after the album came out; Kash was briefly replaced by Terry Gascoigne, then by Steve Webb, and Fortesque by Harry Brus
, who had briefly worked with Robinson in the original lineup of the Dave Miller Set back in 1967). After a heated argument at Festival studios during a recording session in early 1971, Robinson and Johns parted ways but, unknown to Robinson, manager Peter Conyngham had registered the Blackfeather name and thus owned the rights to it and Johns subsequently formed a new version of Blackfeather.
Robinson, Webb and Brus struggled on as a trio for a short time before disbanding. Robinson's later ventures included work with local all-star group Duck and a sought-after solo album, Pity For The Victim. He eventually retired from performing in the 1980s and became a teacher and composer.
The new Blackfeather led by Neale Johns (as lead vocalist and songwriter) included Warren Ward (bass), Jim Penson (drums), guitarist Alex "Zac" Zytnick (ex Tamam Shud
) and pianist Paul Wylde. Zytnick left in December 1971 (replaced by guitarist Billy Taylor (ex-Flake), followed by Penson at the start of 1972.
In July they released the single, "Boppin' The Blues" (b/w "Find Somebody To Love"), a reworking of an old Carl Perkins
song, which became a number one hit in Australia in October 1972 for the band. which featured Aztecs member Gil Matthews on drums. Since the group was between drummers at the time, the single was actually cut with Aztecs drummer Gil Matthews; drummer Trevor Young joined temporarily just before the single was released, but Young and Billy Taylor left soon after. Young was succeeded by Greg Sheehan but Taylor wasn't replaced and Blackfeather continued as a four-piece for the next few months. This lineup recorded the second Blackfeather LP, the Howard Gable
-produced live album Boppin' The Blues, recorded from shows at Melbourne Town Hall and the Q Club in September, and released in December 1972.
Paul Wylde quit at the end of 1972. He was replaced by two guitarists, Lindsay Wells (ex-Healing Force) and Tim Piper, which returned Blackfeather to the harder, guitar-based style of the Robinson era. They performed at the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973 and their set was recorded and released the following year as a live LP; one track ("I'm Gonna Love You") also featured on Mushroom Records
' inaugural release, the triple-album recording of the concerts, released in April 1973.
The third Blackfeather single, a version of Little Richard
's "Slippin & Slidin' " was issued in February 1973, by which time Sheehan had quit. He was briefly replaced by John Lee, but the group only lasted a short time and split in April. Lee then joined the newly-formed country rock group The Dingoes and later joined the second lineup of Ariel
.
Johns formed a new version of Blackfeather in 1975, with Billy Taylor, Ray Vanderby (ex-Band Of Light
, keyboards), Billy Rylands (bass) and Doug McDonald (drums), but this lasted only a short time. In early 1976 Johns formed a more pop-oriented version, with Vanderby, Lee Brosman, Warwick Fraser and Stewart Fraser (then aged just 14). Johns quit in November 1976 and went overseas, but the remaining members stayed together; picking up John Swan on lead vocals and Wayne Smith on guitar they renamed the group Feather. In mid-1977 Swan's half-brother Jimmy Barnes
announced that he was quitting Cold Chisel
to join Feather, but his farewell performance went so well that he decided to remain with Chisel.
Johns returned to Australia in 1977 and in June 1978, after a brief stint with the band Fingerprint, he formed a new version of Blackfeather that reunited the '72 lineup of Wylde, Ward and Young. By October all the members except Johns had left, and replaced by Ray Oliver, Rick Rankin, Jeff Rosenberg and Huk Treloar. Ex-Dingoes drummer John Strangio briefly replaced Treloar, but this version folded by the end of the year.
Johns formed a final Blackfeather lineup in 1983 with Hinton, Andy Cowan (ex-Madder Lake), Judge and Vizzone but this too was shortlived.
In the 2000s Johns has occasionally performed under the Blackfeather name in collaboration with bassist Kerry McKenna and guitarist Brendan Mason (from Madder Lake).
Mountains lineup:
Late 1970- early 1971:
Post-1971 lineups:
Neale Johns (vocals), with
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock group in the 1970s. The group had many members and went through two major incarnations - the earlier (shortlived) heavy rock version of the group, which recorded the album At The Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness is a novella by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931 and rejected that year by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright on the grounds of its length. It was originally serialized in the February, March and April 1936 issues of Astounding Stories...
(1970) and the hit single "Seasons of Change", and the later piano-based lineup led by singer Neale Johns, which scored an Australian #1 hit single with "Boppin' The Blues".
History
The original version of Blackfeather was formed in early 1970 by guitarist John RobinsonJohn Robinson
-Academics:*John Martin Robinson , English Officer of Arms and historian*John Alan Robinson , philosopher and mathematician*John Thomas Romney Robinson , Irish astronomer and physicist*John T. Robinson, paleontologist...
, bassist Leith Corbett and drummer ike McCormack] (all from the final lineup of recently disbanded Sydney group The Dave Miller Set), plus lead vocalist Neale Johns. Corbett and McCormack left soon after, replaced by Robert Fortesque (bass) and Alexander Kash (drums). Corbett subsequently reunited with singer Dave Miller to record the duo album Reflections of a Pioneer.
The second lineup of Blackfeather soon became a major draw-card around NSW and the group was signed by Festival Records
Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
' newly-founded progressive subsidiary Infinity Records, for whom they recorded their acclaimed debut album At the Mountains of Madness (1970). The LP was co-produced by Robinson and Festival staff producer Richard Batchens
Richard Batchens
Richard Batchens is an Australian record producer and recording engineer. He was the main in-house producer for the Australian recording company Festival Records in the early-mid 1970s and was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era....
(who went on to work with Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
and Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" and "I Am an Island"...
), and it featured the hit song "Seasons of Change".
During this time Robinson had become close friends with members of the group Fraternity
Fraternity (band)
Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott , John Swan , and his brother Jimmy Barnes...
, including keyboardist John Bissett and singer Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
(both of whom contributed to the Blackfeather album). He gave them "Seasons of Change" to record as a single, and also sought an undertaking from Infinity that they would not release the original Blackfeather version to compete with it. However, as soon as Fraternity's version reached the top of the charts in their home town of Adelaide, Festival reneged on the agreement and rush-released Blackfeather's version as a single; it reached #15 nationally, #39 in Sydney, and charted for 16 weeks.
Despite this success, internal frictions escalated and there were more lineup changes. Kash and Fortesque both quit after the album came out; Kash was briefly replaced by Terry Gascoigne, then by Steve Webb, and Fortesque by Harry Brus
Harry Brus
Harry Brus is an Australian bass player and guitarist, best known for his work with Matt Finish, Kevin Borich, Renée Geyer, Australian Crawl, Leo Sayer, Marcia Hines, Jimmy Barnes, Ross Wilson and Billy Thorpe....
, who had briefly worked with Robinson in the original lineup of the Dave Miller Set back in 1967). After a heated argument at Festival studios during a recording session in early 1971, Robinson and Johns parted ways but, unknown to Robinson, manager Peter Conyngham had registered the Blackfeather name and thus owned the rights to it and Johns subsequently formed a new version of Blackfeather.
Robinson, Webb and Brus struggled on as a trio for a short time before disbanding. Robinson's later ventures included work with local all-star group Duck and a sought-after solo album, Pity For The Victim. He eventually retired from performing in the 1980s and became a teacher and composer.
The new Blackfeather led by Neale Johns (as lead vocalist and songwriter) included Warren Ward (bass), Jim Penson (drums), guitarist Alex "Zac" Zytnick (ex Tamam Shud
Tamam Shud
Tamam Shud were an Australian psychedelic and progressive rock band, formed in Sydney in 1967, which released two albums, Evolution and Goolutionites and the Real People before disbanding in 1972...
) and pianist Paul Wylde. Zytnick left in December 1971 (replaced by guitarist Billy Taylor (ex-Flake), followed by Penson at the start of 1972.
In July they released the single, "Boppin' The Blues" (b/w "Find Somebody To Love"), a reworking of an old Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
song, which became a number one hit in Australia in October 1972 for the band. which featured Aztecs member Gil Matthews on drums. Since the group was between drummers at the time, the single was actually cut with Aztecs drummer Gil Matthews; drummer Trevor Young joined temporarily just before the single was released, but Young and Billy Taylor left soon after. Young was succeeded by Greg Sheehan but Taylor wasn't replaced and Blackfeather continued as a four-piece for the next few months. This lineup recorded the second Blackfeather LP, the Howard Gable
Howard Gable
Howard Gable is a New Zealand-born record producer who is best known for his work as an A&R manager and house producer for EMI's Columbia pop label in Australia in the late 1960s and early 1970...
-produced live album Boppin' The Blues, recorded from shows at Melbourne Town Hall and the Q Club in September, and released in December 1972.
Paul Wylde quit at the end of 1972. He was replaced by two guitarists, Lindsay Wells (ex-Healing Force) and Tim Piper, which returned Blackfeather to the harder, guitar-based style of the Robinson era. They performed at the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973 and their set was recorded and released the following year as a live LP; one track ("I'm Gonna Love You") also featured on Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
' inaugural release, the triple-album recording of the concerts, released in April 1973.
The third Blackfeather single, a version of Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
's "Slippin & Slidin' " was issued in February 1973, by which time Sheehan had quit. He was briefly replaced by John Lee, but the group only lasted a short time and split in April. Lee then joined the newly-formed country rock group The Dingoes and later joined the second lineup of Ariel
Ariel (band)
Ariel was an Australian progressive rock band based around the duo Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after the breakup of their previous group Spectrum . The original Ariel line-up was Rudd , Putt , Tim Gaze , Nigel Macara and John Mills...
.
Johns formed a new version of Blackfeather in 1975, with Billy Taylor, Ray Vanderby (ex-Band Of Light
Band of Light
Band of Light was an Australian heavy blues style based rock band formed in October 1972 and disbanded in late 1974. Phil Key was the founding member, bringing with him Peter Roberts, both of whom were originally with The La De Das. Ian Rilen replaced Roberts after three gigs, with Norm Roue and...
, keyboards), Billy Rylands (bass) and Doug McDonald (drums), but this lasted only a short time. In early 1976 Johns formed a more pop-oriented version, with Vanderby, Lee Brosman, Warwick Fraser and Stewart Fraser (then aged just 14). Johns quit in November 1976 and went overseas, but the remaining members stayed together; picking up John Swan on lead vocals and Wayne Smith on guitar they renamed the group Feather. In mid-1977 Swan's half-brother Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
announced that he was quitting Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
to join Feather, but his farewell performance went so well that he decided to remain with Chisel.
Johns returned to Australia in 1977 and in June 1978, after a brief stint with the band Fingerprint, he formed a new version of Blackfeather that reunited the '72 lineup of Wylde, Ward and Young. By October all the members except Johns had left, and replaced by Ray Oliver, Rick Rankin, Jeff Rosenberg and Huk Treloar. Ex-Dingoes drummer John Strangio briefly replaced Treloar, but this version folded by the end of the year.
Johns formed a final Blackfeather lineup in 1983 with Hinton, Andy Cowan (ex-Madder Lake), Judge and Vizzone but this too was shortlived.
In the 2000s Johns has occasionally performed under the Blackfeather name in collaboration with bassist Kerry McKenna and guitarist Brendan Mason (from Madder Lake).
Members
Original lineup:- John Robinson (guitar) Apr 1970 - Aug 71
- Neale Johns (vcls) 1970-73, 1976, 1978, 1983
- Leith Corbett (bass) 1970
- Mike McCormack (drums) 1970
Mountains lineup:
- John Robinson (guitar)
- Neale Johns (vocals)
- Robert (Bob) Fortesque (bass) 1970-71
- Alexander (Al) Kash (drums) 1970-71
Late 1970- early 1971:
- John Robinson (guitar)
- Neale Johns (vocals)
- Robert (Bob) Fortesque (bass) 1970-71
- Harry Brus (bass, vocals) 1971
- Terry Gascoigne (drums) 1971
- Steve Webb (drums) 1970
Post-1971 lineups:
Neale Johns (vocals), with
- Steve Murphy (guitar) 1970-71
- Lindsay Wells (guitar) 1970-71,1973
- Alex "Zac" Zytnik (guitar) Aug-Dec 1971
- Warren Ward (bass) 1971-73, 1978
- Paul Wylde (piano) 1971-73, 1978
- Warren Morgan (piano) late 1972
- Jim Penson (drums) 1971-72
- Billy Taylor (guitar) 1972, 1975
- Paul Gray 1972
- "Ginger"(Bob Evans) (drums 1972)
- Trevor Young (drums) 1972, 1978
- Greg Sheehan (drums) 1972-73, 1978
- Tim Piper (guitar) 1972/73
- John Lee (drums) 1973
- Ray Vanderby (kbds) 1975
- Ian Winter (guitar) 1975
- Ian Rilen (bass) 1975 -
- Billy Rylands (bass) -1975
- Doug McDonald (drums) 1975
- Lee Brossman (bass) 1976
- Rex Bullen (keyboards)
- Stuart Fraser (guitar) 1976
- Warwick Fraser (drums) 1976
- Wayne Smith (guitar) 1976
- Ray Oliver (guitar) 1978 , 1983
- Derek Pelecci (drums)
- Rick Rankin (guitar) 1978
- Sam Righi (drums)
- Jeff Rosenberg (bass) 1978
- Gulliver Smith (vocals)
- Phil Smith (drums)
- John Strangio (bass) 1978
- Huk Treloar (drums) 1978
- John Tucak (bass)
- Tom ? (bass) 1983
- Andy Cowan (keyboards) 1983
- Cleve Judge (bass) 1983
- Phil Gordon (drums) 1983
Singles
- "Seasons Of Change" / "On The Day That I Die" (Infinity INK 4248), May 1971
- "Boppin' The Blues" / "Find Somebody To Love" (Infinity INK 4721), Jul. 1972
- "Slippin' & Slidin' "/ "Fly On My Nose" (Infinity INK 4988), Feb. 1973
Albums
- At The Mountains of Madness (Infinity SINL 934159), Apr. 1971
- Boppin' the Blues (Infinity INL 34731), Dec. 1972
- Blackfeather Live at Sunbury (Infinity L25095), 1974