Robie Porter
Encyclopedia
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 "Si Senor" and "55 Days at Peking". From 1970, Porter ran an independent record label
called Sparmac
and produced three LPs for Daddy Cool
.
, a suburb of Sydney
. He reluctantly took steel guitar
lessons from the age of eight - he wanted to play football
instead. Sydney TV show Bandstand
featured hits from the UK and US played by Australian artists. As Rob E.G., Porter made his TV debut in 1959 performing the lap steel guitar
instrumental "Sleep Walk
" (originally by Santo & Johnny
); he was soon signed to Rex Records and became a Bandstand regular. His first single, "Your Cheatin' Heart
", a cover
of the Hank Williams hit, appeared in February 1960. In 1961, Porter received severe spinal injuries in a car accident, he adapted his playing style and continued to record. Top ten hits in Sydney include, instrumentals "Si Senor (I Theenk)" which peaked at #1 in May 1962, "Jezabel" at #2 in May 1963, and "55 Days at Peking" at #1 in July; and the vocal single "When You're Not Near" at #7 in August 1964. Although not as popular in Melbourne, these four singles also peaked into the top ten.
On the advice of The Beatles
' manager, Brian Epstein
, Porter moved to the UK in 1964 where he wrote and recorded singles for Festival Records but had no chart success. During 1967 he moved to the USA and appeared in several television shows: Malibu U
, Popendity, Daniel Boone
, Mannix
and The Immortal
. In 1969 Porter co-starred in the movie Three.
In 1970, Porter was back in Australia where he purchased a controlling share of independent record label
, Sparmac
. He recorded three of his own singles for Sparmac before focusing on managing and promoting
bands and producing records
. Porter produced three of doo wop rock band Daddy Cool
's LPs including their debut 1971 album, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
, which peaked at #1 and became the highest selling Australian album at the time. Other Sparmac artists included Rick Springfield
and Healing Force. In 1973 Porter started a new label, Wizard in partnership with Steve Binder
, with Daddy Cool and Springfield the new label also signed Hush
, Mighty Kong
and Marcia Hines
. Porter and Binder also managed Springfield and introduced him to the US market.
In the 1980s, Porter produced albums for Air Supply
, Tommy Emmanuel
and The Nauts
. He returned to the US to live and worked in television production and as a horse breeder. During 2006 Porter formed another record label named, Musique, with flautist
Jane Rutter
.
(released as Robie Porter)
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/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...
musician, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and record label owner.
Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. He provided four top ten hits including two #1 hits in Sydney with "Si Senor" and "55 Days at Peking". From 1970, Porter ran an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
called Sparmac
Sparmac
Sparmac was an Australian independent recording label of the early 1970s, best known for its association with the successful Australian rock band Daddy Cool....
and produced three LPs for Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
.
Biography
Robert George Porter was born in 1942 and raised in Ashfield, New South WalesAshfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
, a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He reluctantly took steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
lessons from the age of eight - he wanted to play football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
instead. Sydney TV show Bandstand
Bandstand (Australia)
Bandstand was an Australian musical/variety television show which screened from November 1958 to 1972. It was produced at the studios of TCN-9 in Sydney and eventually became a national program as Nine Network expanded into other Australian cities in the early 1960s.Bandstand was created by Nine...
featured hits from the UK and US played by Australian artists. As Rob E.G., Porter made his TV debut in 1959 performing the lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
instrumental "Sleep Walk
Sleep Walk
"Sleep Walk" is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny ....
" (originally by Santo & Johnny
Santo & Johnny
Santo & Johnny were an Italian-American rock and roll duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising brothers Santo and Johnny Farina.They are best known for their instrumental "Sleep Walk", which became a regional hit and eventually reached the top of the Billboard pop chart when it was released...
); he was soon signed to Rex Records and became a Bandstand regular. His first single, "Your Cheatin' Heart
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
", a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Hank Williams hit, appeared in February 1960. In 1961, Porter received severe spinal injuries in a car accident, he adapted his playing style and continued to record. Top ten hits in Sydney include, instrumentals "Si Senor (I Theenk)" which peaked at #1 in May 1962, "Jezabel" at #2 in May 1963, and "55 Days at Peking" at #1 in July; and the vocal single "When You're Not Near" at #7 in August 1964. Although not as popular in Melbourne, these four singles also peaked into the top ten.
On the advice of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' manager, Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
, Porter moved to the UK in 1964 where he wrote and recorded singles for Festival Records but had no chart success. During 1967 he moved to the USA and appeared in several television shows: Malibu U
Malibu U
Malibu U is the name of a short-lived American variety TV series that aired in the summer of 1967. Ricky Nelson starred as the dean of a fictional college called "Malibu U," where the biggest popular music stars of the 1960s performed once a week. The show lasted for only seven episodes, going...
, Popendity, Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
, Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
and The Immortal
The Immortal (TV series)
The Immortal is an American television series, which aired on ABC from September 1970 to January 1971. The series is based on a pilot movie of the same name, which aired in September 1969. The pilot is based on the science fiction novel The Immortals, by James Gunn. Although the series was canceled...
. In 1969 Porter co-starred in the movie Three.
In 1970, Porter was back in Australia where he purchased a controlling share of independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Sparmac
Sparmac
Sparmac was an Australian independent recording label of the early 1970s, best known for its association with the successful Australian rock band Daddy Cool....
. He recorded three of his own singles for Sparmac before focusing on managing and promoting
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
bands and producing records
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Porter produced three of doo wop rock band Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
's LPs including their debut 1971 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...
, which peaked at #1 and became the highest selling Australian album at the time. Other Sparmac artists included Rick Springfield
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...
and Healing Force. In 1973 Porter started a new label, Wizard in partnership with Steve Binder
Steve Binder
Steve Binder is an American producer and director. He found success behind the camera on influential TV shows showcasing music, like The T.A.M.I. Show and Hullabaloo...
, with Daddy Cool and Springfield the new label also signed Hush
Hush (band)
Hush was a 1970s Australian glam rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers, and they would not have come into existence without the superb John Koutts on drums....
, 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...
and Marcia Hines
Marcia Hines
Marcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
. Porter and Binder also managed Springfield and introduced him to the US market.
In the 1980s, Porter produced albums for Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
, Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel
William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
and The Nauts
Supernaut (band)
Supernaut were an Australian glam/punk rock band from Perth, Australia formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1980.-History:Formed in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia, Supernaut had a short but successful career which yielded two straight top twenty singles and gold album status for their self titled...
. He returned to the US to live and worked in television production and as a horse breeder. During 2006 Porter formed another record label named, Musique, with flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
Jane Rutter
Jane Rutter
Jane Rutter is an Australian musician - a classical flautist with the ability to cross over into jazz and pop. She has performed in the UK, Europe, US, South-East Asia, the South Pacific, South America and China...
.
Albums
- Playing Hawaiin Guitar - Festival (FL31338) (1964)
- The Voice And The Guitar: the vocal & instrumental hits of - Festival (FL31473) (1964)
- Australia's Great Singing Star - MGM (E/SE 4397) (1966)
- The Heart of the Matter - MGM (E/SE-4458) (1966)
- Sings - Festival FL-32041 (1968)
- The Guitar Sounds of - Summit (SRA 250 049) (1970)
- 5,4,3,2,1: The Festival File - Festival (L-19003) (1988)
EPs
- The Great Instrumentals - Festival (FX-10809) (July 1964)
- Adventures in Paradise - Festival (FX-10869) (December 1964)
- Sings Country and Western - Festival (FX-10527) (1965)
- Hawaii Tattoo - Festival (FX-10995) (December 1964)
Singles
(released as Rob E. G.)- "Your Cheatin' Heart"/"Seven Foot Two" - Rex (RS-007) (1960)
- "Do You Love Me"/"Whiplash" - Pye (PP-056) (August 1960)
- "My First Love"/"Railroadin'" - Pye (PP-056) (December 1960)
- "Si Senor (I Theenk)"/"SwanRiver (Twist)" - Festival (FK-210) (1962)
- "5-4-3-2-1 Zero"/"Jamacian Farewell" - Festival (FK-274) (1962)
- "Jezebel"/"Road to Cimmaron" - Festival (FK-358) (May 1963)
- "55 Days At Peking"/Greenhorn" - Festival (FK-403) (June 1963)
- "Soul"/Cotton Pickin'" - Festival (FK-480) (1963)
- "Carmen"/"Senorita" - Festival (FK-533) (March 1964)
- "Tim-buc-too"/"Adventures in Paradise" - Festival (FK-634) (May 1964)
- "When You're Not Near"/"Aloha Oe" - Festival (FK-677) (July 1964)
- "Dear Miss Honey"/"When You're in Love" - Festival (FK-1189) (1966)
(released as Robie Porter)
- "I've Often Wondered"/"Heartache, Hurry On By" - Festival (FK-1324) (1966)
- "Either Way I Lose"/"Born" - Festival (FK-1429) (1966)
- "Either Way I Lose"/"Let it Be Me" - MGM (MGM 1313, UK) (1966)
- "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do"/"No One Lives in My World" - Festival (FK-1743) (March 1967)
- "That's The Way Love Is"/"Yesterday Years" - Festival (FK-1959) (1967)
- "You Could End The World"/"Sure Has Been Good Lovin' You Baby" - Festival (FK-2112)(January 1968)
- "Writing's On The Wall"/"If You'd Let Me" - Festival (FK-2318) (April 1968)
- "Gemini"/"He is Not Me" - Sparmac (SPR003) (August 1970)
- "Santa Claus (and We Love Him)"/"Funky Version" - Sparmac (SPR006) (1970)
- "Try to Find More Love (There Must be a Reason)"/"Empty" - Sparmac (SPR007) (March 1971)