Little River Band (album)
Encyclopedia
Little River Band is the eponymous debut album by Australian rock group Little River Band
which was released by EMI
in November 1975. It peaked at No. 12 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Albums Chart. The band's debut single, "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" was released in September ahead of the album and peaked at No. 15 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Emma" appeared in January 1976 and peaked at No. 20. In May, the band released, "Everyday of My Life" together with its album, After Hours
.
In September, the group left on their first international tour with support dates to Queen
in London; then toured the rest of Europe; next they toured the US as support to Average White Band. The third single from Little River Band—a trimmed version of "It's a Long Way There"—was released in November and reached the Australian Top 40. To coincide with the tour, the album was released internationally and reached No. 80 in the United States
on the Billboard 200
album chart in 1976. "It's a Long Way There" became the band's first US Top 40 hit. It also charted in Netherlands
to reach No. 14. The next single, "I'll Always Call Your Name", also charted in the US but had no chart success in Australia.
On 30 July 2010, the album became available for download (in digitally remastered form) at the iTunes Store
.
in 1975 from the remains of Mississippi
, which had tried to break into the UK market with little success. They were named after a road sign for the Victoria
n township of Little River
, on the way to Geelong
. The band's original members were lead singer Glenn Shorrock
, guitarists and vocalists Graeham Goble
and Beeb Birtles
, lead guitarist Ric Formosa
, bass guitarist Roger McLachlan and drummer Derek Pellicci
. All three vocalists had experienced the local Australian music scene and the UK market with their previous bands and were keen to achieve greater recognition internationally. Their manager was Glenn Wheatley
who had been bass guitarist for The Masters Apprentices
which also tackled the UK scene.
With Wheatley's guidance, Little River Band decided to focus on the US market instead, and they started locally to build up sufficient funds and performance experience. Wheatley had them signed to EMI
for Australian releases and Capitol Records
for international markets. Birtles, Goble, Shorrock and Wheatley also handled the record production. Their debut single, "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" was released on 22 September and peaked at No. 15 on the Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. The album, Little River Band followed in November and reached No. 12 on the related albums chart. A second single, "Emma" appeared in January 1976 and peaked at No. 20. The band returned to the recording studio and released another single, "Everyday of My Life" together with its album, After Hours
in May.
Wheatley and the band used established contacts to set up their first international tour taking in England, rest of Europe and then the US. They trimmed down the album track, "It's a Long Way There", released Little River Band internationally and set off on their tour from September. They supported Queen
on dates in London, then toured the rest of Europe, and next tackled the US market as support act for Average White Band. "It's a Long Way There" was released in November and peaked in Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The album reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200
albums chart. They had further US chart success with their next single, "I'll Always Call Your Name" reaching the Top 100.
Line-up changes occurred prior to the tour with McLachlan replaced on bass guitar by George McArdle, while Formosa was replaced by David Briggs
on lead guitar. The new line-up worked on the third album, Diamantina Cocktail
which was released in an alternate form in the US in 1977.
Additional musicians
Production details
Singles
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...
which was released by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in November 1975. It peaked at No. 12 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Albums Chart. The band's debut single, "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" was released in September ahead of the album and peaked at No. 15 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Emma" appeared in January 1976 and peaked at No. 20. In May, the band released, "Everyday of My Life" together with its album, After Hours
After Hours (Little River Band album)
After Hours is the second album from the Australian rock band Little River Band, released in 1976 by Capitol Records. The first single from the album, "Everyday of My Life" was a top ten hit in Australia....
.
In September, the group left on their first international tour with support dates to 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...
in London; then toured the rest of Europe; next they toured the US as support to Average White Band. The third single from Little River Band—a trimmed version of "It's a Long Way There"—was released in November and reached the Australian Top 40. To coincide with the tour, the album was released internationally and reached No. 80 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart in 1976. "It's a Long Way There" became the band's first US Top 40 hit. It also charted in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to reach No. 14. The next single, "I'll Always Call Your Name", also charted in the US but had no chart success in Australia.
On 30 July 2010, the album became available for download (in digitally remastered form) at the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Background
Little River Band formed in MelbourneMelbourne
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...
in 1975 from the remains of 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 had tried to break into the UK market with little success. They were named after a road sign for the Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n township of Little River
Little River, Victoria
Little River is a town in Victoria, Australia, 51 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Wyndham and Greater Geelong. At the 2006 Census, Little River had a population of 375.-History:...
, on the way to 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...
. The band's original members were lead singer Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
, guitarists and vocalists 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 ....
and Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles , is a Dutch / Australian musician, one of the founding members of the Little River Band....
, lead guitarist Ric Formosa
Ric Formosa
-External links:...
, bass guitarist Roger McLachlan and drummer Derek Pellicci
Derek Pellicci
Derek Allan Pellicci is an Australian pop music drummer. He is best known as a founding member of Little River Band...
. All three vocalists had experienced the local Australian music scene and the UK market with their previous bands and were keen to achieve greater recognition internationally. Their manager was 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...
who had been bass guitarist for The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
which also tackled the UK scene.
With Wheatley's guidance, Little River Band decided to focus on the US market instead, and they started locally to build up sufficient funds and performance experience. Wheatley had them signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
for Australian releases and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
for international markets. Birtles, Goble, Shorrock and Wheatley also handled the record production. Their debut single, "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" was released on 22 September and peaked at No. 15 on the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart. The album, Little River Band followed in November and reached No. 12 on the related albums chart. A second single, "Emma" appeared in January 1976 and peaked at No. 20. The band returned to the recording studio and released another single, "Everyday of My Life" together with its album, After Hours
After Hours (Little River Band album)
After Hours is the second album from the Australian rock band Little River Band, released in 1976 by Capitol Records. The first single from the album, "Everyday of My Life" was a top ten hit in Australia....
in May.
Wheatley and the band used established contacts to set up their first international tour taking in England, rest of Europe and then the US. They trimmed down the album track, "It's a Long Way There", released Little River Band internationally and set off on their tour from September. They supported 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...
on dates in London, then toured the rest of Europe, and next tackled the US market as support act for Average White Band. "It's a Long Way There" was released in November and peaked in Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The album reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart. They had further US chart success with their next single, "I'll Always Call Your Name" reaching the Top 100.
Line-up changes occurred prior to the tour with McLachlan replaced on bass guitar by George McArdle, while Formosa was replaced by David Briggs
David Briggs (Australian musician)
David Briggs is an Australian musician and record producer, educated at Wesley College, Melbourne best known for his time as a guitarist in the rock band, Little River Band between 1976 and 1981.In 1976 he joined Little River Band. He wrote their hit single "Lonesome Loser", as well as "Happy...
on lead guitar. The new line-up worked on the third album, Diamantina Cocktail
Diamantina Cocktail
Diamantina Cocktail is the third album by the Little River Band. The U.S. version of the album was actually a partial compilation of the Australian versions of After Hours and Diamantina Cocktail. In the 1980s, Capitol Records released the remaining tracks on a U.S...
which was released in an alternate form in the US in 1977.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Little River Band members as shown.- "It's a Long Way There" (Graeham GobleGraeham GobleGraeham George Goble is a musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as a founding member of rock performers Little River Band ....
) – 8:39 - "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" (Beeb BirtlesBeeb BirtlesBeeb Birtles , is a Dutch / Australian musician, one of the founding members of the Little River Band....
) – 3:40 - "Meanwhile ..." (Glenn ShorrockGlenn ShorrockGlenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
) – 3:35 - "My Lady & Me" (Goble) – 5:45
- "I'll Always Call Your Name" (Birtles) – 4:48
- "Emma" (Shorrock) – 3:35
- "The Man in Black" (Shorrock) – 5:06
- "Statue of Liberty" (Shorrock) – 3:28
- "I Know It" (Goble) – 3:21
Personnel
Little River Band members- Beeb BirtlesBeeb BirtlesBeeb Birtles , is a Dutch / Australian musician, one of the founding members of the Little River Band....
– lead vocals, backing vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s (acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electricElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
) - Ric FormosaRic Formosa-External links:...
– guitars (leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, acoustic, slideSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
) - Graeham GobleGraeham GobleGraeham George Goble is a musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as a founding member of rock performers Little River Band ....
– lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars (acoustic, electric), vocal arrangements - Roger McLachlan – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Derek PellicciDerek PellicciDerek Allan Pellicci is an Australian pop music drummer. He is best known as a founding member of Little River Band...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Glenn ShorrockGlenn ShorrockGlenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
– lead vocals, backing vocals, percussion, harmonicaHarmonicaThe 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...
Additional musicians
- Stephen Cooney – clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
(track 2), mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
(track 9) - Gary Hyde – percussion
- Peter Jones – stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
(arrangement, conductor), pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(tracks 1–5, 7–9) - Col Laughnan – saxophoneSaxophoneThe 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...
(track 8) - Ian Mason – piano (track 6)
Production details
- EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Ross Cockle (recording and remix), Mark OpitzMark OpitzMark Opitz, started his career with ABC TV in Sydney in the 1970’s and has since gone on to work with many of the great Australian musicians that have graced both the Australian and international music charts for the past 25 years....
(mastering) - ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– Birtles, Shorrock, Glenn WheatleyGlenn WheatleyGlenn 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...
, Goble - Studio – Armstrong's StudiosArmstrong's Studios-- also known as Bill Armstrong's Studio and later renamed AAV is an important Australian commercial recording studio located in Melbourne, Victoria....
, Melbourne
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... (Australia) Albums |
12 |
| 1976 | Billboard (United States) Pop Albums | 80 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" | Kent Music Report (Australia) Singles | 15 |
| "Emma" | 20 | ||
| 1976 | "It's a Long Way There" | 35 | |
| GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... (Netherlands) Top 40 Singles |
14 | ||
| Billboard (United States) Hot 100 Singles | 28 | ||
| "I'll Always Call Your Name" | 62 | ||