Daddy Cool (band)
Encyclopedia
Daddy Cool is an Australia
n rock
band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan (bass
, Vocals), Ross Hannaford
(lead guitar
, bass, vocals), Ross Wilson (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
) and Gary Young
(drums, vocals) . Their debut single "Eagle Rock
" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut July 1971 LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
also reached number 1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. Their name comes from the 1957 song "Daddy Cool
" by US rock group The Rays
, Daddy Cool included their version on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool.
Daddy Cool's music featured 1950s Doo-wop
style rock cover versions and originals which were mostly written by Wilson. On stage they provided a danceable sound which was accessible and fun. Their second album was Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
from January 1972 and reached the Top Ten. Breaking up in August 1972, Daddy Cool briefly reformed during 1974–1975 before disbanding again, they reformed with the band's original line-up in 2005. Their iconic status was confirmed when they were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Hall of Fame
on 16 August 2006.
(guitar, bass, vocals) and Ross Wilson (guitar, vocals, harmonica) formed pop / R&B Melbourne-based group The Pink Finks
in 1964 while they were still attending highschool in the south eastern Melbourne
suburb of Beaumaris, they later attended the senior campus of Sandringham College
. They recorded a version of Richard Berry's
"Louie Louie
" in 1965 which led to a recording contract and three more singles. In 1967 they formed The Party Machine, which had a more radical sound (influenced by Frank Zappa
and Howlin' Wolf
), the band included Mike Rudd
(later in Spectrum
) on bass guitar. They released a single "You've All Gotta Go" in 1969; their printed songbooks were confiscated and burned by the Victorian Vice Squad for being obscene and seditious. Wilson disbanded The Party Machine after receiving an invitation to travel to London to join expatriate Australian band Procession during 1969, after they released Procession on Festival Records Wilson returned to Australia.
Wayne Duncan (bass, vocals) and Gary Young
(drums, vocals) were the rhythm section of many bands particularly instrumentals since the 1950s. One of these was The Rondells which were also the backing band for Bobby & Laurie
a popular singing duo with their number 1 hit "Hitch Hiker" from 1966.
Young and Wilson met in 1969 whilst both were working in a book warehouse, each had previous band mates who were interested in forming a new group. Wilson, Hannaford, Young and Duncan formed Sons of the Vegetal Mother
later that year, this band had a more experimental Progressive rock
sound. Other members included: Rudd (bass), Trevor Griffin (piano), Jeremy Kellock (Jeremy Noone) (tenor sax), Tim Partridge (bass), Ian Wallace (alto sax), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet) and Bruce Woodcock (tenor sax).
" (written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay) performed in 1957 by US Doo-wop
band The Rays
as the B side to their single "Silhouettes". Daddy Cool became a popular live fixture in Melbourne. Their early 1971 appearance at the Myponga Festival in South Australia
upstaged their parent group, Sons of the Vegetal Mother, which subsequently dissolved.
One-time child guitar prodigy Robie Porter
(formerly known as Rob EG), had recently returned to Australia and established himself as record producer, purchasing a share of Melbourne independent label Sparmac Records. He saw the band's performance at a 7 May 1971 gig in Melbourne and immediately signed them to his label. Sparmac also released Healing Force's "Golden Miles" and Rick Springfield's
"Speak to the Sky". The single "Eagle Rock
" was released before the end of May and quickly went to number 1 on the Australian charts where it stayed for a record ten weeks. The track written by Wilson, produced by Porter, was, ironically, replaced at #1 by a novelty version of a song from Daddy Cool's own setlist—the single "Daddy Cool
", performed in Chipmunks style by the studio band Drummond. Drummond (aka Mississippi
), which included Graeham Goble
(later in Little River Band
), had performed it in tribute of Daddy Cool. "Eagle Rock" was named the second-best Australian song of all time at the 2001 APRA Awards
with the best being "Friday on My Mind
" by 1960s group The Easybeats
.
Daddy Cool's debut album, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
, sold an unprecedented 60,000 copies within a month of its release in July 1971, and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. According to Wilson, the sales required for a gold album in Australia in early 1970s had been 10,000 copies and was altered to 15000 and then 20000. The band toured Australia with Spectrum
(led by former bandmate Mike Rudd
) on the Aquarius Tour. Their second single "Come Back Again", also written by Wilson, was released in September 1971 and reached #3. Also in September, Jeremy Kellock (aka Jeremy/Jerry Noone) (saxophone
, keyboards (ex-Sons of the Vegetal Mother, Company Caine
) joined the touring lineup of the band (he had played sax on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool). The album produced by Porter, who also provided piano and steel guitar, was released in the US. The band toured there in August 1971 but had little chart or radio success, although their performances were well-received.
In November, Daddy Cool aka D.C.E.P., a five-track EP
was released and reached number 12. Each group member sang a track, the most widely played was "Lollipop" with vocals by Wilson. An edited version of the song "Hi Honey Ho", their third single, written by Wilson, was released in December and reached #16. The full 6:48 studio cut of the song was released on a rare promotional single
Wilson experimented more with his song writing on Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
, Daddy Cool's second album. Produced by Porter again, it was released on Sparmac Records in January 1972 and incorporated more progressive material similar to Sons of the Vegetal Mother's music. Two of the tracks were 1950s covers "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" and "Sixty Minute Man" and together with the album title provoked concern in media reports. It reached #15 on the national album charts, and was released in USA as Teenage Heaven. At about this time, the group were filmed by director / producer Bob Weis for a 37-minute documentary, Daddy Cool released in 1973. The documentary has interviews and performances by the Duncan, Hannaford, Noone, Wilson and Young line-up.
By February 1972, Noone had left, feeling that he was not fully involved in the spirit of the group. He was replaced in March by Ian "Willy" Winter (ex-Carson) on rhythm guitar
who was recruited to enable Ross Wilson to concentrate on singing. The band undertook a third US tour from March–June 1972 and recorded several tracks including "Teenage Blues", "At The Rockhouse" and "Rock'n'Roll Lady" at Warner Bros studios in L.A. "I'll Never Smile Again" was released in July and reached #16, but by this time tensions were growing within the band and Wilson in particular was tiring of the difficulty of presenting the more progressive material he wanted to perform within the confines of the group's entrenched "good time" image. They announced their break-up soon after their return from the USA and performed their last gig at the Much More Ballroom on 13 August 1972. The entire concert was recorded and released as the double-album Daddy Cool Live! The Last Drive-In Movie Show, issued on Porter's new label, Wizard Records in September 1973 and reached #34.
Ian Winter returned to Carson, they produced Blown in 1972 and disbanded before On the Air was released in 1973. In 1977, he rejoined Wilson in Mondo Rock
. Duncan and Young formed their own boogie band
, Gary Young's Hot Dog in September 1972, they released two singles in 1973 "Rock-a-Billy Beating Boogie Band" and "The Saga of the Three Little Pigs". Hannaford and Wilson, who were constrained by the Daddy Cool image, formed Mighty Kong
in May 1973 to play more serious music, they released one album All I Wanna Do is Rock before disbanding in December.
and Gary Young's Hot Dog had disbanded, and by early 1974 a reformed Daddy Cool (Duncan, Hannaford, Wilson and Young) played at the Sunbury Pop Festival which included a fledgling Skyhooks and UK band Queen
– the latter two were both booed off stage. In June / July, Wilson took time off from Daddy Cool to produce the recording of Skyhooks' debut album Living in the Seventies
for Mushroom Records. Besides compilations, Daddy Cool provided three new singles: "All I Wanna Do is Rock (part 1)", "The Boogie Man" and "You Never Can Tell" released in 1974 on Wizard Records. After they performed at the last Sunbury Pop Festival in 1975, Gunther Gorman joined on guitar. When Duncan was injured in a car accident, Hannaford switched to bass and guitarist Wayne Burt (later of Jo Jo Zep
) was brought in. By September 1975 the band played their final show in Prahran's
Reefer Cabaret.
(1977–1991) and as a solo artist. Wilson was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as an individual in 1989. Since 2006 he has been a regular judge on Seven Network's
celebrity singing TV series It Takes Two. His solo 1989 song "Bed of Nails" was used as the theme for ABC-TV six-part series Bed of Roses
starring Kerry Armstrong
and broadcast from 10 May 2008.
Hannaford played in other bands and was a session guitarist including work for: Ross Hannaford Trio, The Black Sorrows
, Ian Moss
and Goanna
. Young performed and recorded with numerous other bands including: Jo Jo Zep
(1976–1981), The Rockin' Emus (1982), Cold Chisel
(1983) and The Black Sorrows (1984–1985). His work for Jo Jo Zep provided Young with his second ARIA Hall of Fame induction in 2007. Duncan was also a session musician for various artists: Jane Clifton
, The Black Sorrows and Ross Hannaford Trio.
at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. A new Daddy Cool recording, "The Christmas Bug", was released for charity.
In 2006 Aztec Music released The Complete Daddy Cool, a double DVD collection, featuring the complete video of the 2005 Tsunami Benefit performance and a 90-minute documentary on the band. The set also features Bob Weis' 1972 documentary, a "Making Of ..." feature on Weis' film, a 13-minute feature "Hanna On Lead", and nearly 50 minutes of film clips and TV appearances. A new Daddy Cool album, The New Cool
was released in 2006 on Liberation Records
. This was their first album of new material since 1972; it also included the songs recorded in 1994 as part of the ill-fated DC / Skyhooks dual tour.
There have been subsequent reformation performances, including headlining the 2007 Moomba Festival
and supporting the 2007 Australian tour by Mike Love
's Beach Boys and Christopher Cross
. Daddy Cool also played a one-off performance in Geelong
on 31 October 2007, sharing the stage with former touring partners, Spectrum
for the first time in over thirty years.
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
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Vocals), Ross Hannaford
Ross Hannaford
Ross Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
(lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, bass, vocals), Ross Wilson (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
) and Gary Young
Gary Young (Australian musician)
Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
(drums, vocals) . Their debut single "Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock (song)
"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock"...
" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut July 1971 LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
Daddy Who?... Daddy Cool was the debut album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool. Released in July, 1971 it was the first on Robie Porter's Sparmac label...
also reached number 1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. Their name comes from the 1957 song "Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (The Rays song)
"Daddy Cool" was a song by US doo-wop group, The Rays and was released on Cameo Records as the B-side of their 1957 single "Silhouettes". It became a #3 hit on the Billboard Pop singles chart. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, who had also written the A-side, "Silhouettes"...
" by US rock group The Rays
The Rays
The Rays was an American group formed in New York in 1955, and active in the 1950s. They first recorded for Chess Records. Their biggest hit single was "Silhouettes," a moderately-slow doo-wop piece of pop music that reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957, released on XYZ Records...
, Daddy Cool included their version on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool.
Daddy Cool's music featured 1950s Doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
style rock cover versions and originals which were mostly written by Wilson. On stage they provided a danceable sound which was accessible and fun. Their second album was Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven, released as simply Teenage Heaven in the US, is the second studio album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool, released in January 1972. It reached number 15 on the ARIA Charts, and contains the hit single "Hi Honey Ho"...
from January 1972 and reached the Top Ten. Breaking up in August 1972, Daddy Cool briefly reformed during 1974–1975 before disbanding again, they reformed with the band's original line-up in 2005. Their iconic status was confirmed when they were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
on 16 August 2006.
1964–1970: Previous bands
Ross HannafordRoss Hannaford
Ross Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
(guitar, bass, vocals) and Ross Wilson (guitar, vocals, harmonica) formed pop / R&B Melbourne-based group The Pink Finks
The Pink Finks
The Pink Finks was an Australian pop/R&B band of the mid-1960s. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the group is most notable for being the first in the series of bands that featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford, which culminated in the hugely successful Daddy Cool.-History:The Pink Finks formed in...
in 1964 while they were still attending highschool in the south eastern Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Beaumaris, they later attended the senior campus of Sandringham College
Sandringham College
Sandringham College is a multi campus secondary college located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria.- Campuses :Sandringham College is made up of the following campuses:...
. They recorded a version of Richard Berry's
Richard Berry
Richard Berry was an African American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs and The Robins....
"Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" in 1965 which led to a recording contract and three more singles. In 1967 they formed The Party Machine, which had a more radical sound (influenced by Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
), the band included Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
(later in Spectrum
Spectrum (band)
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne in 1969 and, in its original period, remained in existence until 1973. Its members also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps...
) on bass guitar. They released a single "You've All Gotta Go" in 1969; their printed songbooks were confiscated and burned by the Victorian Vice Squad for being obscene and seditious. Wilson disbanded The Party Machine after receiving an invitation to travel to London to join expatriate Australian band Procession during 1969, after they released Procession on Festival Records Wilson returned to Australia.
Wayne Duncan (bass, vocals) and Gary Young
Gary Young (Australian musician)
Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
(drums, vocals) were the rhythm section of many bands particularly instrumentals since the 1950s. One of these was The Rondells which were also the backing band for Bobby & Laurie
Bobby & Laurie
Bobby & Laurie were a popular Australian singing duo of the 1960s, featuring Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright . Their regular backing band were The Rondells...
a popular singing duo with their number 1 hit "Hitch Hiker" from 1966.
Young and Wilson met in 1969 whilst both were working in a book warehouse, each had previous band mates who were interested in forming a new group. Wilson, Hannaford, Young and Duncan formed Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother were an Australian "esoteric special-occasion progressive band", formed in late 1969, with a floating lineup based around the nucleus of Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford. A side-project of the band, formed in 1970 was Daddy Cool, which played 1950s doo-wop music plus some...
later that year, this band had a more experimental Progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
sound. Other members included: Rudd (bass), Trevor Griffin (piano), Jeremy Kellock (Jeremy Noone) (tenor sax), Tim Partridge (bass), Ian Wallace (alto sax), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet) and Bruce Woodcock (tenor sax).
1970–1972: Original line-up
As a side project from Sons of the Vegetal Mother, four of its members (Duncan, Hannaford, Wilson and Young) formed Daddy Cool in 1970. All shared a love of 1950s music and initially played covers of songs from their record collections. One of these was "Daddy CoolDaddy Cool (The Rays song)
"Daddy Cool" was a song by US doo-wop group, The Rays and was released on Cameo Records as the B-side of their 1957 single "Silhouettes". It became a #3 hit on the Billboard Pop singles chart. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, who had also written the A-side, "Silhouettes"...
" (written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay) performed in 1957 by US Doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
band The Rays
The Rays
The Rays was an American group formed in New York in 1955, and active in the 1950s. They first recorded for Chess Records. Their biggest hit single was "Silhouettes," a moderately-slow doo-wop piece of pop music that reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957, released on XYZ Records...
as the B side to their single "Silhouettes". Daddy Cool became a popular live fixture in Melbourne. Their early 1971 appearance at the Myponga Festival in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
upstaged their parent group, Sons of the Vegetal Mother, which subsequently dissolved.
One-time child guitar prodigy Robie Porter
Robie Porter
Robie Porter is an Australian country, pop/rock musician, producer and record label owner.Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. He provided four top ten hits including two #1 hits in Sydney with...
(formerly known as Rob EG), had recently returned to Australia and established himself as record producer, purchasing a share of Melbourne independent label Sparmac Records. He saw the band's performance at a 7 May 1971 gig in Melbourne and immediately signed them to his label. Sparmac also released Healing Force's "Golden Miles" and Rick Springfield's
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
"Speak to the Sky". The single "Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock (song)
"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock"...
" was released before the end of May and quickly went to number 1 on the Australian charts where it stayed for a record ten weeks. The track written by Wilson, produced by Porter, was, ironically, replaced at #1 by a novelty version of a song from Daddy Cool's own setlist—the single "Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (The Rays song)
"Daddy Cool" was a song by US doo-wop group, The Rays and was released on Cameo Records as the B-side of their 1957 single "Silhouettes". It became a #3 hit on the Billboard Pop singles chart. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, who had also written the A-side, "Silhouettes"...
", performed in Chipmunks style by the studio band Drummond. Drummond (aka Mississippi
Mississippi (band)
Mississippi was an Australian band , which featured some big names in Australian rock music, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Kerryn Tolhurst...
), which included Graeham Goble
Graeham Goble
Graeham George Goble is a musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as a founding member of rock performers Little River Band ....
(later in Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
), had performed it in tribute of Daddy Cool. "Eagle Rock" was named the second-best Australian song of all time at the 2001 APRA Awards
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
with the best being "Friday on My Mind
Friday on My Mind
"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the track became a worldwide hit, reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US, #1 in Australia and #6 in the UK, as well as charting in several...
" by 1960s group The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
.
Daddy Cool's debut album, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
Daddy Who?... Daddy Cool was the debut album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool. Released in July, 1971 it was the first on Robie Porter's Sparmac label...
, sold an unprecedented 60,000 copies within a month of its release in July 1971, and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. According to Wilson, the sales required for a gold album in Australia in early 1970s had been 10,000 copies and was altered to 15000 and then 20000. The band toured Australia with Spectrum
Spectrum (band)
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne in 1969 and, in its original period, remained in existence until 1973. Its members also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps...
(led by former bandmate Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
) on the Aquarius Tour. Their second single "Come Back Again", also written by Wilson, was released in September 1971 and reached #3. Also in September, Jeremy Kellock (aka Jeremy/Jerry Noone) (saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, keyboards (ex-Sons of the Vegetal Mother, Company Caine
Company Caine
Company Caine, also known as Co. Caine and Company Kane, is an Australian progressive rock band of the 1970s. The band was formed in Melbourne in 1970 with member as follows:* Gulliver Smith * Russell Smith * Jeremy Noone 1970-71, 1975...
) joined the touring lineup of the band (he had played sax on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool). The album produced by Porter, who also provided piano and steel guitar, was released in the US. The band toured there in August 1971 but had little chart or radio success, although their performances were well-received.
In November, Daddy Cool aka D.C.E.P., a five-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was released and reached number 12. Each group member sang a track, the most widely played was "Lollipop" with vocals by Wilson. An edited version of the song "Hi Honey Ho", their third single, written by Wilson, was released in December and reached #16. The full 6:48 studio cut of the song was released on a rare promotional single
Wilson experimented more with his song writing on Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven, released as simply Teenage Heaven in the US, is the second studio album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool, released in January 1972. It reached number 15 on the ARIA Charts, and contains the hit single "Hi Honey Ho"...
, Daddy Cool's second album. Produced by Porter again, it was released on Sparmac Records in January 1972 and incorporated more progressive material similar to Sons of the Vegetal Mother's music. Two of the tracks were 1950s covers "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" and "Sixty Minute Man" and together with the album title provoked concern in media reports. It reached #15 on the national album charts, and was released in USA as Teenage Heaven. At about this time, the group were filmed by director / producer Bob Weis for a 37-minute documentary, Daddy Cool released in 1973. The documentary has interviews and performances by the Duncan, Hannaford, Noone, Wilson and Young line-up.
By February 1972, Noone had left, feeling that he was not fully involved in the spirit of the group. He was replaced in March by Ian "Willy" Winter (ex-Carson) on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
who was recruited to enable Ross Wilson to concentrate on singing. The band undertook a third US tour from March–June 1972 and recorded several tracks including "Teenage Blues", "At The Rockhouse" and "Rock'n'Roll Lady" at Warner Bros studios in L.A. "I'll Never Smile Again" was released in July and reached #16, but by this time tensions were growing within the band and Wilson in particular was tiring of the difficulty of presenting the more progressive material he wanted to perform within the confines of the group's entrenched "good time" image. They announced their break-up soon after their return from the USA and performed their last gig at the Much More Ballroom on 13 August 1972. The entire concert was recorded and released as the double-album Daddy Cool Live! The Last Drive-In Movie Show, issued on Porter's new label, Wizard Records in September 1973 and reached #34.
1972–1974: Daddy Cool separates
When asked why Daddy Cool first broke up, Wilson responded with:Ian Winter returned to Carson, they produced Blown in 1972 and disbanded before On the Air was released in 1973. In 1977, he rejoined Wilson in Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, most prominent in the early 1980s. The band was formed in late 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ross Wilson.-Early years: 1976–1979:...
. Duncan and Young formed their own boogie band
Boogie
Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
, Gary Young's Hot Dog in September 1972, they released two singles in 1973 "Rock-a-Billy Beating Boogie Band" and "The Saga of the Three Little Pigs". Hannaford and Wilson, who were constrained by the Daddy Cool image, formed Mighty Kong
Mighty Kong (band)
Mighty Kong were an Australian 'supergroup' successor to Daddy Cool, which broke up in August 1972. It was also the fifth in the line of groups that featured singer-songwriter Ross Wilson and guitarist Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink Finks in 1965...
in May 1973 to play more serious music, they released one album All I Wanna Do is Rock before disbanding in December.
1974–1975: First reformation
Both Mighty KongMighty Kong (band)
Mighty Kong were an Australian 'supergroup' successor to Daddy Cool, which broke up in August 1972. It was also the fifth in the line of groups that featured singer-songwriter Ross Wilson and guitarist Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink Finks in 1965...
and Gary Young's Hot Dog had disbanded, and by early 1974 a reformed Daddy Cool (Duncan, Hannaford, Wilson and Young) played at the Sunbury Pop Festival which included a fledgling Skyhooks and UK band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
– the latter two were both booed off stage. In June / July, Wilson took time off from Daddy Cool to produce the recording of Skyhooks' debut album Living in the Seventies
Living in the Seventies
Living in the 70's was the debut album released by Melbourne band Skyhooks in October 1974 on the Mushroom Records label. Initially charting in Melbourne only in 1974, by early 1975 the rest of the nation began to catch on...
for Mushroom Records. Besides compilations, Daddy Cool provided three new singles: "All I Wanna Do is Rock (part 1)", "The Boogie Man" and "You Never Can Tell" released in 1974 on Wizard Records. After they performed at the last Sunbury Pop Festival in 1975, Gunther Gorman joined on guitar. When Duncan was injured in a car accident, Hannaford switched to bass and guitarist Wayne Burt (later of Jo Jo Zep
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were an Australian blues and rock music band which featured singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri . The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do"...
) was brought in. By September 1975 the band played their final show in Prahran's
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
Reefer Cabaret.
1975: Second separation
Wilson continued as a record producer on two more albums for Skyhooks, three albums for Jo Jo Zep and for other artists; he also performed as a founding member of Mondo RockMondo Rock
Mondo Rock is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, most prominent in the early 1980s. The band was formed in late 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ross Wilson.-Early years: 1976–1979:...
(1977–1991) and as a solo artist. Wilson was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as an individual in 1989. Since 2006 he has been a regular judge on Seven Network's
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
celebrity singing TV series It Takes Two. His solo 1989 song "Bed of Nails" was used as the theme for ABC-TV six-part series Bed of Roses
Bed of Roses (TV series)
Bed of Roses is an Australian comedy / drama television series which first screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 10 May 2008...
starring Kerry Armstrong
Kerry Armstrong
Kerry Michelle Armstrong is an Australian actress on film, television, and stage. She is one of only two actresses to win two Australian Film Institute Awards in the same year...
and broadcast from 10 May 2008.
Hannaford played in other bands and was a session guitarist including work for: Ross Hannaford Trio, The Black Sorrows
The Black Sorrows
The Black Sorrows are an Australian band founded by Joe Camilleri, the group's only constant member. Founded in 1983, The Black Sorrows are still active today, and are best remembered for their top 40 Australian hits of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "Hold On To Me", "Chained To The...
, Ian Moss
Ian Moss
Ian Moss is an Australian rock musician, best known as the guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial ten year career, Moss recorded eight albums, three of which were No. 1 national hits. His solo career began with a No. 1 album and single and five ARIA Awards...
and Goanna
Goanna (band)
Goanna is an Australian folk rock group which formed in 1977 in Geelong as The Goanna Band with mainstay Shane Howard as singer-songwriter and guitarist...
. Young performed and recorded with numerous other bands including: Jo Jo Zep
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were an Australian blues and rock music band which featured singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri . The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do"...
(1976–1981), The Rockin' Emus (1982), 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...
(1983) and The Black Sorrows (1984–1985). His work for Jo Jo Zep provided Young with his second ARIA Hall of Fame induction in 2007. Duncan was also a session musician for various artists: Jane Clifton
Jane Clifton
Jane Clifton is a Gibraltar-born actress and singer who lived as a child in Cardiff, Wales. In 1961 she emigrated to Perth, Australia. Her best known acting role is probably that of tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney in Prisoner...
, The Black Sorrows and Ross Hannaford Trio.
1994: With Skyhooks
Daddy Cool briefly reformed to support Skyhooks in a proposed 1994 stadium tour. Together, they released a four track CD-single with two new tracks "$64,000 Question" and "Ballad of Oz" by Daddy Cool, combined with "Happy Hippy Hut" and "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed" by Skyhooks. The reformation collapsed when the single did not chart well and the tour was downgraded to the pub circuit.2005–current
The band reformed in February 2005 to play at a 27 February 2005 benefit concert for victims of the 2004 tsunami2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. A new Daddy Cool recording, "The Christmas Bug", was released for charity.
In 2006 Aztec Music released The Complete Daddy Cool, a double DVD collection, featuring the complete video of the 2005 Tsunami Benefit performance and a 90-minute documentary on the band. The set also features Bob Weis' 1972 documentary, a "Making Of ..." feature on Weis' film, a 13-minute feature "Hanna On Lead", and nearly 50 minutes of film clips and TV appearances. A new Daddy Cool album, The New Cool
The New Cool
The New Cool is the third studio album, the fourth album overall, by Australian rock band Daddy Cool. It was released in November 2006, thirty-four years after the release of their previous studio album, Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven....
was released in 2006 on Liberation Records
Liberation Records
Liberation Records is a Southern California record company. It was formed by 16-year-old David Taba in 1994. The label notably discovered and released the debut album of Home Grown and, in 1994, released the classic Punk Sucks compilation...
. This was their first album of new material since 1972; it also included the songs recorded in 1994 as part of the ill-fated DC / Skyhooks dual tour.
There have been subsequent reformation performances, including headlining the 2007 Moomba Festival
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
and supporting the 2007 Australian tour by Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
's Beach Boys and Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
. Daddy Cool also played a one-off performance in Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
on 31 October 2007, sharing the stage with former touring partners, Spectrum
Spectrum (band)
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne in 1969 and, in its original period, remained in existence until 1973. Its members also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps...
for the first time in over thirty years.
Band members
- Wayne Duncan — bass, vocals (1970–1972, 1974–1975, 2005–present)
- Ross HannafordRoss HannafordRoss Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
— lead guitar, bass, vocals (1970–1972, 1974–1975, 2005–present) - Ross Wilson— lead vocals, guitar, harmonica (1970–1972, 1974–1975, 2005–present)
- Gary YoungGary Young (Australian musician)Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
— drums, vocals (1970–1972, 1974–1975, 2005–present) - Jeremy Noone (Jeremy Killock) — saxophone (tenor sax), keyboards (1971–1972)
- Ian "Willy" Winter — rhythm guitar (1972)
- (Ian) Gunther Gorman — guitar (1975)
- Wayne Burt — guitar (1975)
Albums
- Daddy Who? Daddy CoolDaddy Who? Daddy CoolDaddy Who?... Daddy Cool was the debut album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool. Released in July, 1971 it was the first on Robie Porter's Sparmac label...
– Sparmac (July 1971) #1 - Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage HeavenSex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage HeavenSex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven, released as simply Teenage Heaven in the US, is the second studio album by Australian rock band Daddy Cool, released in January 1972. It reached number 15 on the ARIA Charts, and contains the hit single "Hi Honey Ho"...
– Sparmac (January 1972) #15 aka Teenage Heaven (US release) - Daddy Cool Live! The Last Drive-In Movie ShowDaddy Cool Live! The Last Drive-In Movie ShowDaddy Cool Live! The Last Drive-In Movie Show is the third album, and the first live album, by Australian rock band Daddy Cool released in Australia on Wizard Records in September 1973...
– Wizard (September 1973) #34 - The New CoolThe New CoolThe New Cool is the third studio album, the fourth album overall, by Australian rock band Daddy Cool. It was released in November 2006, thirty-four years after the release of their previous studio album, Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven....
– Liberation (October 2007)
EPs
- The Daddy Cool EP – Sparmac (November 1971) #12
- The D. C. Hits EP – Sparmac (1975)
Compilations
- Best Of Daddy Cool (1972)
- Daddy Cool's Golden Hits – Sparmac (January 1973) #9
- The Daddy Cool Story (1973)
- Greatest Hits – Wizard (1976) #52
- The Missing Masters – Wizard (1980)
- Daddy's Coolest – Wizard (1982) #5
- Daddy's Coolest Vol. 2 – Wizard (1984)
- The Daddy Cool Collection – Axis (1984)
- Totally Cool (1992) #67
- That's Cool (2000)
- The Essential Daddy CoolThe Essential Daddy CoolThe Essential Daddy Cool is a two-disc career retrospective compilation of Australian rock band Daddy Cool released in Australia on Sony/BMG...
– Sony/BMG Australia (October 2007)
Singles
- "Eagle RockEagle Rock (song)"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock"...
" / "Bom Bom" – Sparmac (May 1971) #1 - "Come Back Again" / "Just As Long As We're Together" – Sparmac (September 1971) #3
- "Hi Honey Ho" / "Don't Ever Leave Me" (December 1971) #16
- "Teenage Blues" / "At the Rockhouse" – Sparmac (1972) #83
- "I'll Never Smile Again" / "Daddy Rocks Off" – Sparmac (July 1972) #16
- "Rock'n'Roll Lady" / "Cadallacin'" – Sparmac (September 1972)
- "One Night" / "Cadallacin'"(live) – Wizard (July 1973)
- "Boy, You're Paranoid" (live) / "One Night" (live) – Wizard (July 1973)
- "Flash in My Head" / "Little Darlin'" / "Boy You're Paranoid" – Wizard (August 1973)
- "Duke of EarlDuke of Earl"Duke of Earl" is a 1962 number-one song, originally by Gene Chandler. It is the best known of Chandler's songs, and he subsequently dubbed himself 'The Duke of Earl'. The song was penned by Bernice Williams, Eugene Dixon, and Earl Edwards....
" / "Jambalaya" – Wizard (September 1973) - "All I Wanna Do is Rock (part 1)" / "All I Wanna Do is Rock (part 2)" – Wizard (1974)
- "The Boogie Man" / "I Was a Teenage Creature" – Wizard (1974)
- "You Never Can Tell" / "All I Wanna Do is Rock" – Wizard (1974)
- "Eagle Rock" / "Cadillacin'" (live) – Wizard (January 1981) #17
- "Eagle Rock" / "Daddy Rocks Off" 12" – Wizard (June 1982)
- "Come Back Again" (short vers.) / "Come Back Again" (long vers.) – Wizard (September 1982)
- "Hi Honey Ho" (long vers.) / "Come Back Again" (long vers.) 12" – Wizard (November 1982)
- "Eagle Rock" / "Come Back Again" – Wizard (October 1989)
- "Ballad of Oz" / "Happy Hippy Hut" (by Skyhooks) – MushroomMushroom RecordsMushroom 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...
(1994) #36 - "The Christmas Bug" (2005)
External links
- Daddy Cool Official Website
- Daddy Cool YouTube Channel
- Listen to a clip from 'Eagle Rock' and read more about the song on australianscreen online
- 'Majestic Fanfare' was added to the Sounds of Australia Registry in 2010