Southern Sons
Encyclopedia
Southern Sons was an Australia
n band, originally billed as The State, best known in Australia in the early 90's for their hits 'Heart In Danger' and 'Hold Me In Your Arms'. The band also featured world renowned drummer, Virgil Donati
.
's "Chain Reaction
" album in 1990. Phil's group The State was signed to manager Glenn Wheatley
's "Wheatley Brothers" records, and had released one album.
Hearing Farnham's treatment of his songs, Phil Buckle wanted to replace himself as lead vocalist and recruited John Farnham "sound-a-like" singer/guitarist Jack Jones
, who had auditioned for the band previously but was considered too young. Jones' claim to fame prior to that was playing in Van Halen
cover band Hans Valen.
The group changed its name from The State to Southern Sons after the addition of Jones and made its public debut as support act for Farnham's "Chain Reaction Tour", Phil and Jack also having played on the album, doing double duty as members of Farnham's backing band.
1990 saw the release of their debut album, "Southern Sons
" (which spawned three top ten hit singles) and a five-track EP, "Train Tracks", released to coincide with Phil and Jack's return to Southern Sons duties after a European tour with Farnham.
Their second album in 1992, "Nothing But The Truth
", came with the departure of guitarist Peter Bowman. After two singles, including "You Were There" one of three Phil Buckley songs in the Australian Ballet production of "Beauty and the Beast", "Nothing But The Truth" was re-released, with different cover artwork featuring a new look Jack Jones, to include the single "Silent Witnesses". Southern Sons third and final album, "Zone", was released in 1995, self-produced with former member Peter Bowman. Its lead single, "Don't Tell Me What's Right", featured vocals from Men At Work
's Colin Hay
.
Jones reunited with Farnham in 1999 for his "I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour" and the "Tour Of Duty Concert" for peacekeeping Australian troops in Dili
, East Timor
.
Buckle has collaborated with several Australian artists such as John Farnham, Rick Price
and Rob Mills
. Buckle co-wrote many of the songs from Farnham's "Chain Reaction
" (released 1990) and "Then Again...
" (released 1993) albums, the most famous being "Burn For You", ARIA
Song of the Year in 1991.
Jones was married to New Zealand-born Australian actress Rebecca Gibney
from 1992-1995. The marriage ended in divorce. He reverted to his birth name of Irwin Thomas some years ago, and has recorded under that name with a new band. He also was in a band with INXS
member Gary Beers
, Mudhead, releasing one album. Since 2004 he has been also been involved with a Melbourne band called Electric Mary and is releasing new music independently.
Jones and Donati were part of Tina Arena
's backing band for her "In Deep" tour.
Donati is currently living and working in bar-ham running clinics and recording with a variety of artists including Steve Vai
. He is currently a member of US rock band Soul Sirkus
.
Cain reportedly spent several years living in Spain but has since returned to Australia and is living in Warrnambool.
Bowman left the band before the release of "Nothing But The Truth". Since leaving Southern Sons, Bowman has pursued songwriting and record production in the independent music sector; most notably working with Debra Byrne
on her "Sleeping Child" album.
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 band, originally billed as The State, best known in Australia in the early 90's for their hits 'Heart In Danger' and 'Hold Me In Your Arms'. The band also featured world renowned drummer, Virgil Donati
Virgil Donati
Virgil Donati is an Australian drummer, frequent drum clinician and a producer. He is currently playing with the band Planet X and Seven the Hardway among other projects. Virgil is perhaps most well known for his fast, highly technical drumming skills...
.
Overview
Southern Sons was created as a direct result of songwriter Phil Buckle's collaboration on six of the twelve songs on John FarnhamJohn Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
's "Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (John Farnham album)
Chain Reaction is a studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 24 September 1990. "Chain Reaction" was the highest selling album in Australia in 1990 and debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts in September....
" album in 1990. Phil's group The State was signed to manager Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Dawson Wheatley is an Australian artist manager and entertainment industry executive.Wheatley began his career as a musician in Brisbane in the mid-1960s and in the late 1960s became nationally famous as a member of leading pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices...
's "Wheatley Brothers" records, and had released one album.
Hearing Farnham's treatment of his songs, Phil Buckle wanted to replace himself as lead vocalist and recruited John Farnham "sound-a-like" singer/guitarist Jack Jones
Irwin Thomas
Irwin Thomas was formerly known as Jack Jones, and was lead singer in the 1990s Australian band Southern Sons....
, who had auditioned for the band previously but was considered too young. Jones' claim to fame prior to that was playing in Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
cover band Hans Valen.
The group changed its name from The State to Southern Sons after the addition of Jones and made its public debut as support act for Farnham's "Chain Reaction Tour", Phil and Jack also having played on the album, doing double duty as members of Farnham's backing band.
1990 saw the release of their debut album, "Southern Sons
Southern Sons (album)
Southern Sons is a the debut album by Australian music group Southern Sons. The album was released in Australia in June 1990 and reached number 5 on the ARIA charts. The album was re-released in 2009 by Sony BMG and was also released in the Australian iTunes Store as a digital download in 2010...
" (which spawned three top ten hit singles) and a five-track EP, "Train Tracks", released to coincide with Phil and Jack's return to Southern Sons duties after a European tour with Farnham.
Their second album in 1992, "Nothing But The Truth
Nothing But the Truth (Southern Sons album)
Nothing But The Truth is a the second studio album by Australian music group Southern Sons. The album was released in Australia in 1992 and reached number 26 on the ARIA charts. The album was re-released in 1994 with the bonus track, "Silent Witnesses". The album was also released in the Australian...
", came with the departure of guitarist Peter Bowman. After two singles, including "You Were There" one of three Phil Buckley songs in the Australian Ballet production of "Beauty and the Beast", "Nothing But The Truth" was re-released, with different cover artwork featuring a new look Jack Jones, to include the single "Silent Witnesses". Southern Sons third and final album, "Zone", was released in 1995, self-produced with former member Peter Bowman. Its lead single, "Don't Tell Me What's Right", featured vocals from Men At Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
's Colin Hay
Colin Hay
Colin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :...
.
Jones reunited with Farnham in 1999 for his "I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour" and the "Tour Of Duty Concert" for peacekeeping Australian troops in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
Buckle has collaborated with several Australian artists such as John Farnham, Rick Price
Rick Price
Rick Price is an Australian singer and songwriter.-Early life:Price was born in Beaudesert, a small country town near Brisbane, Queensland. He began playing music at the age of nine appearing with his family band "Union Beau". "It was kinda weird I guess...
and Rob Mills
Rob Mills
Rob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
. Buckle co-wrote many of the songs from Farnham's "Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (John Farnham album)
Chain Reaction is a studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 24 September 1990. "Chain Reaction" was the highest selling album in Australia in 1990 and debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts in September....
" (released 1990) and "Then Again...
Then Again (John Farnham album)
Then Again... is a studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 18 October 1993, and reached #1 on the ARIA charts. It is notable along with its predecessor, Chain Reaction, for the fact that Farnham himself co-wrote most of the songs on the album, in this...
" (released 1993) albums, the most famous being "Burn For You", ARIA
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
Song of the Year in 1991.
Jones was married to New Zealand-born Australian actress Rebecca Gibney
Rebecca Gibney
Rebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand born Australian actress.-Biography:Gibney was born the youngest of six children, and brought up in Wellington. She has said she wasn't so much funny as a "bit odd" as a child. "I was a bit like Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family...
from 1992-1995. The marriage ended in divorce. He reverted to his birth name of Irwin Thomas some years ago, and has recorded under that name with a new band. He also was in a band with INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
member Gary Beers
Gary Beers
-External links:*...
, Mudhead, releasing one album. Since 2004 he has been also been involved with a Melbourne band called Electric Mary and is releasing new music independently.
Jones and Donati were part of Tina Arena
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
's backing band for her "In Deep" tour.
Donati is currently living and working in bar-ham running clinics and recording with a variety of artists including Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
. He is currently a member of US rock band Soul Sirkus
Soul SirkUS
Soul SirkUS is a band that initially featured singer Jeff Scott Soto, guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Marco Mendoza, and drummer Deen Castronovo.-History:...
.
Cain reportedly spent several years living in Spain but has since returned to Australia and is living in Warrnambool.
Bowman left the band before the release of "Nothing But The Truth". Since leaving Southern Sons, Bowman has pursued songwriting and record production in the independent music sector; most notably working with Debra Byrne
Debra Byrne
-Career:Byrne made her television debut on Brian and the Juniors, an early predecessor of Young Talent Time, which was hosted by a young Brian Naylor. She stayed with the show for 12 months. In 1971 she was cast as one of the original six Young Talent Time cast members...
on her "Sleeping Child" album.
Albums
| Year | Album | ARIA chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Southern Sons Southern Sons (album) Southern Sons is a the debut album by Australian music group Southern Sons. The album was released in Australia in June 1990 and reached number 5 on the ARIA charts. The album was re-released in 2009 by Sony BMG and was also released in the Australian iTunes Store as a digital download in 2010... |
5 |
| 1992 | Nothing But The Truth Nothing But the Truth (Southern Sons album) Nothing But The Truth is a the second studio album by Australian music group Southern Sons. The album was released in Australia in 1992 and reached number 26 on the ARIA charts. The album was re-released in 1994 with the bonus track, "Silent Witnesses". The album was also released in the Australian... |
26 |
| 1995 | Zone | — |
Singles & EPs
| Year | Single | ARIA chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Always And Ever" | 16 |
| 1990 | "Heart In Danger" | 5 |
| 1991 | "Hold Me In Your Arms" | 9 |
| 1991 | "The World Is Mine" (European Release) | — |
| 1991 | "Train Tracks (EP)" | 40 |
| 1992 | "Lead Me To Water" | 36 |
| 1993 | "You Were There" | 6 |
| 1995 | "Don't Tell Me What's Right" (with Colin Hay Colin Hay Colin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :... ) |
— |
| 1996 | "Trust In Me" | — |
Videos
| Year | Album | ARIA chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Southern Sons: The Video | — |