Madder Lake (band)
Encyclopedia
Madder Lake is an Australian progressive rock
band formed in Melbourne
in 1971. They were one of the first band's signed to the Michael Gudinski
co-owned Mushroom Records
which released their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop" in February 1973, followed by the album Stillpoint in August. This contained their most recognisable single, "12lb Toothbrush". Their second album Butterfly Farm was released in April 1974, they left Mushroom after their last single, "I Get High" appeared in July 1976. A compilation album
The Best of Madder Lake was released by Mushroom Records in 1978.
band formed by Swinburne Institute of Technology (now Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn campus) Graphic Design
students in 1968, including Kerry McKenna on bass guitar
and Brendan Mason on guitar
. By 1969 the line-up was McKenna, Mason, Mick Fettes on vocals, Jack Kreemers on drums
and John McKinnon on keyboards
, they were playing cover versions for the pub circuit
. Original material was introduced and, by late 1970, band members were leaving their tertiary studies to fulfil their bookings. With a repertoire of progressive
, psychedelic
, blues music they changed their name, in early 1971, to Madder Lake—madder lake
is a crimson
-coloured water-based dye (alizarin) mixed with alum
and used in painting
.
The Melbourne
-based line-up of Fettes, Kreemers, Mason, McKenna and McKinnon were picked up by Michael Gudinski
's booking agency, Consolidated Rock. Madder Lake were influenced by British progressive rock acts, Family
, Traffic
and King Crimson
. They were the opening act at the inaugural Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1972. As their popularity increased, they were one of the first band's signed to the Gudinski co-owned Mushroom Records
in late 1972. By 1973 they were a headlining act at the 1973 Sunbury Pop Festival and Mushroom Records' first release was their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop", in February. The single peaked at #15 in Melbourne and made the Australian singles
Top 40. Mushroom Record's first album release was the ambitious triple-live, The Great Australian Rock Festival - Sunbury 1973, which was released in early April, and included two Madder Lake tracks. Madder Lake's debut album, Stillpoint followed in August, which peaked at #13 on the Australian albums chart, it spawned their most recognised single, "12lb Toothbrush" written by band members, Fettes, Kreemers, McKenna and McKinnon. McKinnon had been replaced on keyboards by Andy Cowan by the time the album and its related single had been released.
In 1974, the band recorded their second album, Butterfly Farm which was released in April but the album and its related singles had less critical and commercial success than earlier work. British conductor, David Measham
, who had worked with Rick Wakeman
on his Journey to the Centre of the Earth
, was based in Perth, Western Australia
from 1974. He commissioned Madder Lake for a theme piece on Aldous Huxley
's science fiction
novel Brave New World
, but the project stalled when funding from Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) was cut-back and Measham's other commitments intruded. Cowan and Fettes left Madder Lake by late 1975, Fettes formed Bandicoot with comedian, Shane Bourne
. Fettes was initially replaced by Colin Setches on vocals but when McKinnon returned in early 1976 he took up vocals in addition to keyboards, meanwhile Ian Holding replaced a departing McKenna on bass guitar and the band recorded their last single, "I Get High" and left Mushroom Records. McKenna returned, now on second guitar, and Tony Lake joined on vocals but soon left. Although not formally disbanding, Madder Lake subsequently had numerous periods of low activity.
Fettes returned in April 1978 for touring and Mushroom released their compilation album
, The Best of Madder Lake in May, a new album was planned but Fettes left again in January 1979. Madder Lake resurfaced with three tracks on The Mushroom Evolution Concert live album, to celebrate the record company's tenth anniversary in 1982. They returned to touring in 1996 and appeared on Mushroom 25 Live: The Concert of the Century released in 1998, after which Gudinski sold his interests in Mushroom to Festival Records. Madder Lake's two studio albums have been re-issued by Aztec Music with bonus tracks added, Stillpoint on 10 October 2008 and Butterfly Farm on 24 March 2009. As of May 2009, Madder Lake are Andy Burns on keyboards, Fettes, Kreemers, Mason and McKenna. The band headlined the Queenscliff Music Festival in November 2008.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band formed in Melbourne
Melbourne
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 1971. They were one of the first band's signed to the Michael Gudinski
Michael Gudinski
Michael Solomon Gudinski, AM is an Australian entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry...
co-owned Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
which released their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop" in February 1973, followed by the album Stillpoint in August. This contained their most recognisable single, "12lb Toothbrush". Their second album Butterfly Farm was released in April 1974, they left Mushroom after their last single, "I Get High" appeared in July 1976. A compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
The Best of Madder Lake was released by Mushroom Records in 1978.
History
San Sebastian was a part-time rockRock 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...
band formed by Swinburne Institute of Technology (now Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn campus) Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
students in 1968, including Kerry McKenna on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Brendan Mason on guitar
Guitar
The 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...
. By 1969 the line-up was McKenna, Mason, Mick Fettes on vocals, Jack Kreemers on drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
and John McKinnon on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, they were playing cover versions for the pub circuit
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Australian music today....
. Original material was introduced and, by late 1970, band members were leaving their tertiary studies to fulfil their bookings. With a repertoire of progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
, blues music they changed their name, in early 1971, to Madder Lake—madder lake
Alizarin
Alizarin or 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent dye, originally derived from the roots of plants of the madder genus.Alizarin was used as a red dye for the English parliamentary "new model" army...
is a crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
-coloured water-based dye (alizarin) mixed with alum
Alum
Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as alums have the related empirical formula, AB2.12H2O.-Chemical properties:Alums are...
and used in painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
The Melbourne
Melbourne
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...
-based line-up of Fettes, Kreemers, Mason, McKenna and McKinnon were picked up by Michael Gudinski
Michael Gudinski
Michael Solomon Gudinski, AM is an Australian entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry...
's booking agency, Consolidated Rock. Madder Lake were influenced by British progressive rock acts, Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
, Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
and King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
. They were the opening act at the inaugural Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1972. As their popularity increased, they were one of the first band's signed to the Gudinski co-owned Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in late 1972. By 1973 they were a headlining act at the 1973 Sunbury Pop Festival and Mushroom Records' first release was their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop", in February. The single peaked at #15 in Melbourne and made the Australian singles
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...
Top 40. Mushroom Record's first album release was the ambitious triple-live, The Great Australian Rock Festival - Sunbury 1973, which was released in early April, and included two Madder Lake tracks. Madder Lake's debut album, Stillpoint followed in August, which peaked at #13 on the Australian albums chart, it spawned their most recognised single, "12lb Toothbrush" written by band members, Fettes, Kreemers, McKenna and McKinnon. McKinnon had been replaced on keyboards by Andy Cowan by the time the album and its related single had been released.
In 1974, the band recorded their second album, Butterfly Farm which was released in April but the album and its related singles had less critical and commercial success than earlier work. British conductor, David Measham
David Measham
David Michael Lucian Measham was a British-Australian conductor and violinist. Measham was born in Nottingham, England, to a musical family. His father, Lester, had trained as an opera singer and his mother, Joan, was a pianist. He began violin studies at age 7, and first conducted at age 13...
, who had worked with Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
on his Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the second album from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman, released through A&M Records in May 1974. The album is a live recording from his second of two sold-out concerts on 18 January 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London...
, was based in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
from 1974. He commissioned Madder Lake for a theme piece on Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel Brave New World
Brave New World
Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of...
, but the project stalled when funding from Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) was cut-back and Measham's other commitments intruded. Cowan and Fettes left Madder Lake by late 1975, Fettes formed Bandicoot with comedian, Shane Bourne
Shane Bourne
Shane Bourne is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor and a television host.-1980's / 1990's:...
. Fettes was initially replaced by Colin Setches on vocals but when McKinnon returned in early 1976 he took up vocals in addition to keyboards, meanwhile Ian Holding replaced a departing McKenna on bass guitar and the band recorded their last single, "I Get High" and left Mushroom Records. McKenna returned, now on second guitar, and Tony Lake joined on vocals but soon left. Although not formally disbanding, Madder Lake subsequently had numerous periods of low activity.
Fettes returned in April 1978 for touring and Mushroom released their compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, The Best of Madder Lake in May, a new album was planned but Fettes left again in January 1979. Madder Lake resurfaced with three tracks on The Mushroom Evolution Concert live album, to celebrate the record company's tenth anniversary in 1982. They returned to touring in 1996 and appeared on Mushroom 25 Live: The Concert of the Century released in 1998, after which Gudinski sold his interests in Mushroom to Festival Records. Madder Lake's two studio albums have been re-issued by Aztec Music with bonus tracks added, Stillpoint on 10 October 2008 and Butterfly Farm on 24 March 2009. As of May 2009, Madder Lake are Andy Burns on keyboards, Fettes, Kreemers, Mason and McKenna. The band headlined the Queenscliff Music Festival in November 2008.
Personnel
- Mick Fettes — vocals
- Jack Kreemers — 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 ....
- Brenden Mason — 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...
- Kerry McKenna — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar - John McKinnon — keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Andy Cowan — keyboards, vocals
- Ian Holding — bass guitar
- Tony Lake — vocals
- Colin Setches — vocals
- Luke McKinnon — drums
- Andy Burns — keyboards
Singles
- "Goodbye Lollipop" — February 1973 (Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
, K 4986) #31 AUSKent Music ReportThe 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... - "12 LB Toothbrush" — August 1973 (Mushroom, K 5230) #35 AUS
- "Butterfly Farm" — April 1974 (Mushroom K 5453)
- "Booze Blues" — June 1974 (Mushroom K 5516) #85 AUS
- "It's All In Your Head" — November 1974 (Mushroom K 5732)
- "I Get High" — July 1976 (Mushroom K 6425)
Albums
- Stillpoint — April 1973 (Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
, LP MRL 34915) #13 AUSKent Music ReportThe 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... - Butterfly Farm — April 1974 (Mushroom L35090) #22 AUS
- The Best of Madder Lake — May 1978 (Mushroom L36585)