Pip Proud
Encyclopedia
Pip Proud was an Australian singer-songwriter, poet, novelist and dramatist whose idiosyncratic song-poems gained a cult following in Australia in the 1960s and around the world in the 1990s-2000s. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1947 and is the brother of the well-known artist Geoffrey Proud
.
Proud's unusual musical style has been likened to that of Britain's Syd Barrett
, though he was unfamiliar with Barrett's work when he recorded three albums of his own songs in the late Sixties. The first, De Da De Dum (Grendel, 1967) was privately produced and only about 50 copies were pressed. He was signed to the Philips label and his first LP for them Adreneline and Richard (Philips, 1968) reprised most of the songs from his first LP, some of them with a full band backing added without his involvement. After recording his second album A Bird In The Engine (Philips, 1969) he travelled to Britain to further his career. He ceased working with the Philips label and did not release any further recordings until the mid-1990s.
Proud was also the subject of a 15-minute experimental documentary, De Da De Dum, directed by Sydney filmmaker Garry Shead
, a member of the Ubu Films
collective. One of his greatest supporters in the late 1960s was the highly regarded poet Michael Dransfield
, who encouraged him to write novels.
Most of Proud's later output remained unpublished, but in the 1970s two of his plays -- Vlort Phlitson, Intergalactic Trouble Shooter and Don Coyote -- were realised as radiophonic works by the ABC's rock music radio station Double Jay.
Proud was tracked down in the mid-1990s by historian/writer David Nichols and this ultimately led to the re-release of his two Philips LPs on CD on Nic Dalton's Half A Cow
label. Proud resumed recording and released several more albums of new music primarily for the Emperor Jones label. He died on 4 March 2010 from throat cancer.
Geoffrey Proud
Geoffrey Proud is an Australian artist who won the Archibald Prize in 1990 with a portrait of Dorothy Hewett, and the Sulman Prize in 1976 with Untitled Jane. He has held 41 solo exhibitions in his career.-External links:*...
.
Proud's unusual musical style has been likened to that of Britain's Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
, though he was unfamiliar with Barrett's work when he recorded three albums of his own songs in the late Sixties. The first, De Da De Dum (Grendel, 1967) was privately produced and only about 50 copies were pressed. He was signed to the Philips label and his first LP for them Adreneline and Richard (Philips, 1968) reprised most of the songs from his first LP, some of them with a full band backing added without his involvement. After recording his second album A Bird In The Engine (Philips, 1969) he travelled to Britain to further his career. He ceased working with the Philips label and did not release any further recordings until the mid-1990s.
Proud was also the subject of a 15-minute experimental documentary, De Da De Dum, directed by Sydney filmmaker Garry Shead
Garry Shead
Garry Shead is an Australian artist and filmmaker who won the Archibald Prize in 1992/93 with a portrait of Tom Thompson, and won the Dobell Prize in 2004 with Colloquy with John Keats....
, a member of the Ubu Films
Ubu Films
Ubu Films was an experimental film-making collective based in Sydney, Australia that operated from 1965 to around 1970. It was formed by Albie Thoms, David Perry, Aggy Read and John Clark at Sydney University in 1965. Group associates included Matt Carroll, Peter Weir, Phillip Noyce and Bruce...
collective. One of his greatest supporters in the late 1960s was the highly regarded poet Michael Dransfield
Michael Dransfield
Michael Dransfield was an Australian poet active in the 1960s and early 1970s who wrote close to 1000 poems. He has been described as "one of the most widely read poets of his generation." -Early life:...
, who encouraged him to write novels.
Most of Proud's later output remained unpublished, but in the 1970s two of his plays -- Vlort Phlitson, Intergalactic Trouble Shooter and Don Coyote -- were realised as radiophonic works by the ABC's rock music radio station Double Jay.
Proud was tracked down in the mid-1990s by historian/writer David Nichols and this ultimately led to the re-release of his two Philips LPs on CD on Nic Dalton's Half A Cow
Half A Cow
Half a Cow is an independent record label from Australia, established in 1990 by Sydney musician and music identity Nic Dalton.- History :In 1987 - 1989 Dalton ran a bookshop in the Sydney suburb of Glebe called Dalton's Books...
label. Proud resumed recording and released several more albums of new music primarily for the Emperor Jones label. He died on 4 March 2010 from throat cancer.