The Narcs
Encyclopedia
The Narcs were an award winning New Zealand
band, that formed in 1980 in Christchurch
, New Zealand, by bassist Tony Waine, drummer Bob Ogilvie and guitarist Garth Sinclair - departed/replaced by Australian guitarist/singer Andy Dickson.
Christchurch remained the band's base with a series of resident club and pub gigs building their following. Touring had become a regular event for The Narcs by 1981 ,and the pressures of the road contributed to Bob Ogilvie leaving - being replaced by Steve Clarkson on drums in 1982. Keyboardist Liam Ryan became a full-time Narc in 1983.
During a retreat at a commune the band wrote most of the songs for their debut album
, Great Divide. The single
, "Heart and Soul", peaked at #4 on the NZ charts, picked up five 1984 New Zealand Music Awards
and the album achieved gold disc
status.
The band worked in both in NZ and Australia, recording a total of four albums and playing alongside such acts as Midnight Oil
, Split Enz
, Elton John
and Queen
.
The Narcs were one of the first Kiwi acts, apart from Split Enz, to have records released worldwide.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
band, that formed in 1980 in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand, by bassist Tony Waine, drummer Bob Ogilvie and guitarist Garth Sinclair - departed/replaced by Australian guitarist/singer Andy Dickson.
Christchurch remained the band's base with a series of resident club and pub gigs building their following. Touring had become a regular event for The Narcs by 1981 ,and the pressures of the road contributed to Bob Ogilvie leaving - being replaced by Steve Clarkson on drums in 1982. Keyboardist Liam Ryan became a full-time Narc in 1983.
During a retreat at a commune the band wrote most of the songs for their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Great Divide. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Heart and Soul", peaked at #4 on the NZ charts, picked up five 1984 New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards show, is a major annual New Zealand music event where musical acts and singers are awarded each year. It has occurred every year since 1965 to outstanding New Zealand musicians and groups....
and the album achieved gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status.
The band worked in both in NZ and Australia, recording a total of four albums and playing alongside such acts as Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
, Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and 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 Narcs were one of the first Kiwi acts, apart from Split Enz, to have records released worldwide.
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| 1983 | "No Turning Back" | 12 | — | No Turning Back |
| 1983 | "Look The Other Way" | 38 | — | No Turning Back |
| 1984 | "Heart and Soul" | 4 | Gold | Great Divide |
| 1984 | "Lazy Susan" | 35 | — | Great Divide |
| 1985 | "Diamonds on China" | 15 | — | The Narcs |
| 1988 | "It's Got To Be Love" | 49 | — | Single |