Harry Brus
Encyclopedia
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
.
Thredbo Blues Festival describes Harry Brus as "a unique stylist" and he is widely recognized as "a powerful and sensitive player" with "tons of credibility".
, Austria where his music career started in 1964, inspired by James Jamerson
, Hank Marvin
and The Beatles
.
In 1965, Brus' band The Amazons signed a record deal with Festival
subsidiary Leedon Records
and since then he has continued to work as a professional musician. Another band member of The Amazons also included John Cave
.
In 1967, he played lead guitar with pop idol Johnny Young
and later joined Tony Gaha and The In People, featuring Ron Barry and Janice Slater. During this period he was recruited for the original lineup of The Dave Miller Set but left the band soon after it formed.
In the late sixties, Brus teamed up with Geoff Oakes playing soul music.
Brus also performed bass guitar in the stage musical Hair
, before forming the band Birth with jazz pianist Roger Frampton
and English drummer Tony Hicks from Backdoor.
Also in 1970, he recorded a live album with Australian blues singer Wendy Saddington
, Live At Walacia.
This was followed by stints with Blackfeather
, Dave Miller Set, Ross Wilson
, Little Sammy and The In People, Birth, Hunger, Mother Earth, The Bobby Gebert Trio, Fender Benders, Foreday Riders, Duffhead, The Healers, Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues Band.
Brus then began long-term relationships as bass player with Renée Geyer
and Kevin Borich
.
In the late seventies, Brus joined the Barry Leef Band, featuring guitarist Stevie Housden and they had a residency at the Musicians Club in Sydney for two years.
, Renée Geyer
, Marcia Hines
, Joe Walsh
, Phil Emmanuel, Ross Wilson
and Russell Morris
.
In 1985, Brus became a member of Australian Crawl
and recorded Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
Other highlights include jamming with Leon Russell
, Billy Preston
and Ron Wood
.
, Renée Geyer
, Jimmy Barnes
, Billy Thorpe
, Brian Cadd
and was bass guitarist in the house band on the highly successful Long Way To The Top
tour and album.
and Leo Sayer
. He is a regular performer at the annual Thredbo Blues Festival and has recorded and toured with James Southwell and Gail Page.
In 2007, he joined Matt Finish
with John Prior
and recorded bass guitar and vocals on their 1978 - 2008 album and New Frontier EP.
Bass Player
Bass player can refer to:*Bass Player , an album by Rhombus*Bass Player , a magazine for bassists*Bassist, or bass player, a musician who plays the bass guitar...
and guitarist, best known for his work with Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
, Kevin Borich
Kevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
, Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
, Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
, 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...
, 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...
, Ross Wilson
Ross Wilson
Ross Andrew Wilson is an Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer who fronted the groups Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, and produced albums by Australian band Skyhooks. He has also performed solo, and as a judge on celebrity singing TV series It Takes Two from 2005...
and Billy Thorpe
Billy Thorpe
William Richard "Billy" Thorpe, AM was a renowned English-born Australian pop / rock singer-songwriter and musician...
.
Thredbo Blues Festival describes Harry Brus as "a unique stylist" and he is widely recognized as "a powerful and sensitive player" with "tons of credibility".
1960s
Harry "The Doctor" Brus arrived in Australia at the age of seven from GrazGraz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria where his music career started in 1964, inspired by James Jamerson
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
, Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
and 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...
.
In 1965, Brus' band The Amazons signed a record deal with Festival
Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
subsidiary Leedon Records
Leedon Records
Leedon Records was an Australian record label active from 1958 to 1969. It was founded by American entrepreneur Lee Gordon in early 1958.-Establishment and early releases:...
and since then he has continued to work as a professional musician. Another band member of The Amazons also included John Cave
William Shakespeare (singer)
William Shakespeare was the stage name of Australian Glam rock singer John Stanley Cave, also known as John Cabe or Billy Shake. He had two Australian hit singles, "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" which peaked at #2 on the Kent Music Report in 1974 and "My Little Angel" which peaked at #1 in 1975...
.
In 1967, he played lead guitar with pop idol Johnny Young
Johnny Young
Johnny Young is an Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from Netherlands, his family settled in Perth, Western Australia in the early 1950s...
and later joined Tony Gaha and The In People, featuring Ron Barry and Janice Slater. During this period he was recruited for the original lineup of The Dave Miller Set but left the band soon after it formed.
In the late sixties, Brus teamed up with Geoff Oakes playing soul music.
Brus also performed bass guitar in the stage musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
, before forming the band Birth with jazz pianist Roger Frampton
Roger Frampton
Roger Frampton was an Australian jazz pianist, saxophonist, composer, and educator. Based in Sydney, he played a major role in shaping the evolution of Australian jazz...
and English drummer Tony Hicks from Backdoor.
1970s
In 1970, Brus joined Jeff St John and The Copperwine, who had a top five Australian hit single with Teach Me How To Fly.Also in 1970, he recorded a live album with Australian blues singer Wendy Saddington
Wendy Saddington
Wendy June Saddington is an Australian blues / soul / jazz singer and was in the bands Chain, Copperwine and the Wendy Saddington Band. She wrote for teen pop newspaper Go-Set from September 1969 – September 1970 as an agony aunt in her weekly "Takes Care of Business" column and as a...
, Live At Walacia.
This was followed by stints with Blackfeather
Blackfeather
Blackfeather was an Australian rock group in the 1970s. The group had many members and went through two major incarnations - the earlier heavy rock version of the group, which recorded the album At The Mountains of Madness and the hit single "Seasons of Change", and the later piano-based lineup...
, Dave Miller Set, Ross Wilson
Ross Wilson
Ross Andrew Wilson is an Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer who fronted the groups Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, and produced albums by Australian band Skyhooks. He has also performed solo, and as a judge on celebrity singing TV series It Takes Two from 2005...
, Little Sammy and The In People, Birth, Hunger, Mother Earth, The Bobby Gebert Trio, Fender Benders, Foreday Riders, Duffhead, The Healers, Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues Band.
Brus then began long-term relationships as bass player with Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
and Kevin Borich
Kevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
In the late seventies, Brus joined the Barry Leef Band, featuring guitarist Stevie Housden and they had a residency at the Musicians Club in Sydney for two years.
1980s
During the Eighties, Brus toured and recorded with Kevin BorichKevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s 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...
, Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
, Phil Emmanuel, Ross Wilson
Ross Wilson
Ross Andrew Wilson is an Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer who fronted the groups Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, and produced albums by Australian band Skyhooks. He has also performed solo, and as a judge on celebrity singing TV series It Takes Two from 2005...
and Russell Morris
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
.
In 1985, Brus became a member of Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
and recorded Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
Other highlights include jamming with Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
and Ron Wood
Ron Wood
Ronald David "Ronnie" Wood is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a former member of The Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and current member of The Rolling Stones. He also plays lap and pedal steel guitar....
.
1990s
During the nineties, Brus toured and recorded with Kevin BorichKevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
, 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...
, Billy Thorpe
Billy Thorpe
William Richard "Billy" Thorpe, AM was a renowned English-born Australian pop / rock singer-songwriter and musician...
, Brian Cadd
Brian Cadd
Brian George Cadd is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist and producer who has performed as a member of The Groop, Axiom, Flying Burrito Brothers and solo...
and was bass guitarist in the house band on the highly successful Long Way To The Top
Long Way To The Top
Long Way To The Top was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era.-Production:...
tour and album.
2000s
Brus continues to tour and record with Kevin BorichKevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
. He is a regular performer at the annual Thredbo Blues Festival and has recorded and toured with James Southwell and Gail Page.
In 2007, he joined Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
with John Prior
John Prior (musician)
John David Prior is an Australian drummer, composer and producer recognized for his work with Matt Finish, Adrian Belew , Mick Taylor , Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree, New Theatre, Coca-Cola, The Great Outdoors, iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.Sydney Morning Herald...
and recorded bass guitar and vocals on their 1978 - 2008 album and New Frontier EP.
Discography
- 1966 The Amazons / Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby b/w You’d Better Mind
- 1967 Dave Miller Set / Why? Why? Why? b/w Hard Hard Year
- 1968 Dave Miller Set / Hope b/w Having A Party and Let's Get Together" b/w A Bread and Butter Day
- 1968 Dave Miller Set / Dave Miller Set EP
- 1970 Jeff St John And The Copperwine / Teach Me How To Fly
- 1971 Wendy SaddingtonWendy SaddingtonWendy June Saddington is an Australian blues / soul / jazz singer and was in the bands Chain, Copperwine and the Wendy Saddington Band. She wrote for teen pop newspaper Go-Set from September 1969 – September 1970 as an agony aunt in her weekly "Takes Care of Business" column and as a...
and Copperwine / Live At Wallacia - 1973 Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
with Mother Earth / Renée GeyerRenée Geyer (album)Renee Geyer is the first solo album by Australian soul/R&B singer Renée Geyer. She is backed by her then current band Mother Earth, though they receive only a small credit on the back of the LP sleeve.- Track listing :... - 1979 Kevin BorichKevin BorichKevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
/ Australian Guitar Compilation - 1985 Australian CrawlAustralian CrawlAustralian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
/ Between a Rock and a Hard Place - 1986 Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
/ Live At The Basement - 1993 Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
/ Seven Deadly Sins (ABC TV mini-series soundtrack) - 1998 Kevin BorichKevin BorichKevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
/ Heart Starter - 2001 Russell MorrisRussell MorrisRussell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
/ Gimme Ted live DVD - 2001 Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
/ Women at the Well - Songs of Paul Kelly - 2002 Various Artists / Long Way To The TopLong Way To The TopLong Way To The Top was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era.-Production:...
Australian tour CD and DVD - 2004 Kevin BorichKevin BorichKevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
/ Nomad - 2005 Jimmy BarnesJimmy BarnesJames 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...
/ Double HappinessDouble Happiness (album)Double Happiness is an album by Australian singer Jimmy Barnes. It was released on 18 July 2005 on CD and vinyl. The album contains duets Barnes performed with various solo artists and bands.-Track listing :... - 2006 James Southwell Band / Dark Angel
- 2006 Leo SayerLeo SayerLeo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
/ Live In Melbourne - 2008 Matt FinishMatt FinishMatt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
/ 1978 - 2008 - 2009 Matt FinishMatt FinishMatt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
/ New Frontier
External links
- Harry Brus on MySpace
- What's On Central Coast gig and CD reviews
- Thredbo Blues Festival
- Harry Brus video
- Harry Brus video at The Bass Player music store (Sydney)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QZDk8NpAacHarry Brus video at John Prior's Unity Gain Studios in SydneyJohn Prior (musician)John David Prior is an Australian drummer, composer and producer recognized for his work with Matt Finish, Adrian Belew , Mick Taylor , Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree, New Theatre, Coca-Cola, The Great Outdoors, iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.Sydney Morning Herald...
] - Blackfeather article
- Australian Crawl Australian Music History database