The Choirboys (band)
Encyclopedia
The Choirboys are an Australian hard rock
band from Sydney formed in 1979 with mainstays Mark Gable
on lead vocals and Ian Hulme on bass guitar and were later joined by drummer Paul Wheeler. Their hit "Run to Paradise
" reached No. 3 on the Kent Music Report
Singles Chart in late 1987. The related album, Big Bad Noise
peaked at No. 5 on the Albums Chart in April 1988. It has been said that their hit Boys Will Be Boys was inspired by meeting Christopher Emsell of Sheffield, England.
area of Sydney as a hard rock pub band
in 1979. Original members were Brad Carr on lead guitar, Mark Gable on vocals, Ian Hulme on bass guitar and Lindsay Tebbutt on drums.
In 1983, after one of their demos was sent to Albert Productions
record producer George Young (ex-The Easybeats
, older brother of Angus
and Malcolm Young
of AC/DC
) they signed to Albert Records. Jim Manzie
produced their self-titled debut album, Choirboys
, which was released in July. The first single, "Never Gonna Die," followed in August and reached No. 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. Australian TV and music personality Ian "Molly" Meldrum
claimed the album was "destined to become an Aussie classic". They toured as support to The Angels
and Rose Tattoo
and then Cold Chisel
invited The Choirboys to support them on their Last Stand Tour. However in November, Gable's vocal cords had ruptured and they were unable to join that tour—they spent 1984 and 1985 in hiatus waiting for him to recover.
and released "Fireworks" in May 1986, they also opened for Deep Purple
on their tour of Australia. Brad Carr left the group to be replaced on lead guitar by Brett Williams (ex-Brakes) as they supported Bon Jovi
's tour in 1987. They recorded their second album Big Bad Noise
with producers Peter Blyton (The Radiators, Machinations
) and Brian McGee (The Rolling Stones
, Cyndi Lauper
). The next single "Run to Paradise
" reached No. 3 in October and was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties in Australia. Released in the United States, it appeared on the Billboard
Hot 100 and peaked at No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock
chart in 1989. Big Bad Noise peaked at No. 5 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1988 and went double platinum. It was ranked No. 21 for the year in Australia. Other singles from the album included "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Struggle Town" reaching No. 14 and No. 34 respectively.
, recorded at a Melbourne show.
Brad Heaney (ex-The Screaming Jets) replaced Tebbutt on drums and Steve Williams (Wa Wa Nee
) replaced Brett Williams on guitar by 1993. Their compilation album Decade 1983–1993 (The Best Of) (1993) was followed by Dancing on the Grave of Rock n' Roll (1994), with Barton Price (Models
) on drums, which was produced by Gable and Hume.
The band recorded its next album Yo-Yo in Germany during 1996, with Blyton and The Choirboys producing and Richard Lara (The Screaming Jets) replacing Brett Williams on guitar. The band supported Cheap Trick
on their Australian tour in the same year with Tony Le Rhodes on drums.
drummer Paul Wheeler joined the band. The Evolver album was released in 2004 but due to low promotion for the album, it peaked at 174 in the Australian charts. The band returned to the Australian singles charts in Australia in July when dance producer Nick Skitz
asked Gable to sing "Run to Paradise" on a dance reworking. The song, billed as "Nick Skitz vs. the Choirboys", debuted in the top 20 of the Australian singles charts.
In 2006, the Choirboys performed "Run To Paradise" on the Grand Final edition of The AFL Footy Show
and released Big Bad and Acoustic with re-recorded versions of their earlier work. In 2007 they resurfaced to bring out their next studio album, So Easy, which contained cover versions of The Easybeats
songs. Gable said, “We thought it a worthwhile exercise to explore them in a more modern light. We could redo things with a greater technical capacity [...] we could put in backgrounds that two-track recording wouldn't allow. With Pretty Girl, for example, we spent quite a bit of time, adding about 80 backing vocals around the lead".
Gable hosted a radio show, Vega Sunday Session, on Vega 95.3 FM Sydney and Melbourne. The show featured local and international artists talking about their lives and their music. On 25 October, The Choirboys performed "Run to Paradise" at the Gold Coast SuperGP (formerly Indy Carnival). They released a second compilation, Never Gonna Die - The Very Best of Choirboys 30th Anniversary (2009), and followed with a national tour into 2010.
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from Sydney formed in 1979 with mainstays Mark Gable
Mark Gable
Mark Gable is the front man and a founding member of the Australian rock band The Choirboys. The band was formed in Sydney in 1979. Mark was born in Captains Flat in New South Wales in 1950.- External links :...
on lead vocals and Ian Hulme on bass guitar and were later joined by drummer Paul Wheeler. Their hit "Run to Paradise
Run to Paradise
"Run to Paradise" is a single by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys which reached No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October 1987. It was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties. The related Big Bad Noise album peaked at No. 5, it went double platinum...
" reached No. 3 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 in late 1987. The related album, Big Bad Noise
Big Bad Noise
Big Bad Noise is the second album by Australian rock band The Choirboys which was released in 1987. This album was produced by Peter Blyton , Brian McGee and The Choirboys...
peaked at No. 5 on the Albums Chart in April 1988. It has been said that their hit Boys Will Be Boys was inspired by meeting Christopher Emsell of Sheffield, England.
Early years
The Choirboys formed in the Northern BeachesNorthern Beaches (Sydney)
The Northern Beaches is an informal term used to describe the northern coastal suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located near the coast of the Pacific Ocean...
area of Sydney as a hard rock pub band
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....
in 1979. Original members were Brad Carr on lead guitar, Mark Gable on vocals, Ian Hulme on bass guitar and Lindsay Tebbutt on drums.
In 1983, after one of their demos was sent to Albert Productions
Albert Productions
Albert Productions, a division of music publishing and recording company Albert Music, is one of Australia's longest established independent Australian record label to specialise in rock and roll music. The label was founded in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned and operated the Australian...
record producer George Young (ex-The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
, older brother of Angus
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
and Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
) they signed to Albert Records. Jim Manzie
Jimmy Manzie
James "Jimmy/Jim" William Manzie is an Australian musician and songwriter for a variety of bands including rock revival band Ol' 55 , pop groups The Breakers and The Fives before turning to solo work, production and composing for film/television scores and soundtracks...
produced their self-titled debut album, Choirboys
Choirboys (album)
Choirboys is the self titled debut album of the Australian rock band The Choirboys. The album was recorded in early 1983 at Albert Studios One in Sydney, Australia with producer, Jim Manzie. and released in July of the same year. The first single, "Never Gonna Die," was released with great success...
, which was released in July. The first single, "Never Gonna Die," followed in August and reached No. 30 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...
Singles Chart. Australian TV and music personality Ian "Molly" Meldrum
Ian Meldrum
Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, record producer , and musical entrepreneur...
claimed the album was "destined to become an Aussie classic". They toured as support to The Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
and Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
and then Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
invited The Choirboys to support them on their Last Stand Tour. However in November, Gable's vocal cords had ruptured and they were unable to join that tour—they spent 1984 and 1985 in hiatus waiting for him to recover.
1986–89: "Run to Paradise" and Big Bad Noise
The Choirboys signed with Mushroom RecordsMushroom 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...
and released "Fireworks" in May 1986, they also opened for Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
on their tour of Australia. Brad Carr left the group to be replaced on lead guitar by Brett Williams (ex-Brakes) as they supported Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's tour in 1987. They recorded their second album Big Bad Noise
Big Bad Noise
Big Bad Noise is the second album by Australian rock band The Choirboys which was released in 1987. This album was produced by Peter Blyton , Brian McGee and The Choirboys...
with producers Peter Blyton (The Radiators, Machinations
Machinations (band)
Machinations was a popular Sydney-based outfit working the mid-1980s independent Australian music scene. Notable national hits included "Pressure Sway", "My Heart's On Fire" and "No Say In It". They also achieved indie prominence with the two versions of their first single, "Average Inadequacy"...
) and Brian McGee (The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
). The next single "Run to Paradise
Run to Paradise
"Run to Paradise" is a single by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys which reached No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October 1987. It was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties. The related Big Bad Noise album peaked at No. 5, it went double platinum...
" reached No. 3 in October and was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties in Australia. Released in the United States, it appeared on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 and peaked at No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
chart in 1989. Big Bad Noise peaked at No. 5 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1988 and went double platinum. It was ranked No. 21 for the year in Australia. Other singles from the album included "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Struggle Town" reaching No. 14 and No. 34 respectively.
1990s: Midnight Sun to Yo-Yo
The Choirboys recorded Midnight Sun, the follow-up to Big Bad Noise, in Los Angeles with producer Marc Tanner in 1991. While it generated two top 40 hits in "Empire" and "Rendezvous", the album didn't achieve the level of success as its predecessor—it peaked at No. 30. Late in the year they released a live album, Dead Drunk Live HangoversDead Drunk Live Hangovers
Dead Drunk Live Hangovers released in late 1991 is the first Live album by The Choirboys to hit the shelves.The Choirboys perform their all time classics in front of an adoring crowd live from Melbourne.-Track listing:#Stuggle Town#Fight By The Book...
, recorded at a Melbourne show.
Brad Heaney (ex-The Screaming Jets) replaced Tebbutt on drums and Steve Williams (Wa Wa Nee
Wa Wa Nee
Wa Wa Nee was an Australian funk/pop band, active from approximately 1985 to 1989.-Career: Led by singer/songwriter Paul Gray and guitarist Steve Williams, bassist Mark Gray and drummer 'The Sween', the band signed with CBS Records in 1985. Wa Wa Nee had four singles in the Australian top 40 from...
) replaced Brett Williams on guitar by 1993. Their compilation album Decade 1983–1993 (The Best Of) (1993) was followed by Dancing on the Grave of Rock n' Roll (1994), with Barton Price (Models
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
) on drums, which was produced by Gable and Hume.
The band recorded its next album Yo-Yo in Germany during 1996, with Blyton and The Choirboys producing and Richard Lara (The Screaming Jets) replacing Brett Williams on guitar. The band supported Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
on their Australian tour in the same year with Tony Le Rhodes on drums.
2000-present
The Choirboys recorded the Evolver album in 2002 and 2003 in between going on an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand. Former IcehouseIcehouse (band)
Icehouse is an Australian rock band, formed as Flowers in 1977 in Sydney. Initially known in Australia for their pub rock style, they later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synthpop style music and attained Top Ten singles chart success in both Europe and the U.S...
drummer Paul Wheeler joined the band. The Evolver album was released in 2004 but due to low promotion for the album, it peaked at 174 in the Australian charts. The band returned to the Australian singles charts in Australia in July when dance producer Nick Skitz
Nick Skitz
Nick Skitz is an Australian DJ and dance music producer. He was born as Nicholas Agamalis and his career in dance music started in the early 1990s...
asked Gable to sing "Run to Paradise" on a dance reworking. The song, billed as "Nick Skitz vs. the Choirboys", debuted in the top 20 of the Australian singles charts.
In 2006, the Choirboys performed "Run To Paradise" on the Grand Final edition of The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
and released Big Bad and Acoustic with re-recorded versions of their earlier work. In 2007 they resurfaced to bring out their next studio album, So Easy, which contained cover versions of The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
songs. Gable said, “We thought it a worthwhile exercise to explore them in a more modern light. We could redo things with a greater technical capacity [...] we could put in backgrounds that two-track recording wouldn't allow. With Pretty Girl, for example, we spent quite a bit of time, adding about 80 backing vocals around the lead".
Gable hosted a radio show, Vega Sunday Session, on Vega 95.3 FM Sydney and Melbourne. The show featured local and international artists talking about their lives and their music. On 25 October, The Choirboys performed "Run to Paradise" at the Gold Coast SuperGP (formerly Indy Carnival). They released a second compilation, Never Gonna Die - The Very Best of Choirboys 30th Anniversary (2009), and followed with a national tour into 2010.
Members
- Brad Carr – lead guitar (1979–1987)
- Mark Gable – lead vocals, guitar (1979–present)
- Ian Hulme – bass guitar, backing vocals (1979–present)
- Lindsay Tebbutt – drums (1979–1992-2010–present)
- Brett Williams – lead guitar (1987–1992)
- Bob Spencer – guitar (1992–2004)
- Brad Heaney – drums (1993–1994)
- Steve Williams – guitar (1993–1995)
- Barton Price – drums (1994–1996)
- Richard Lara – guitar (1995–1999)
- Tony Le Rhodes – drums (1996–1997)
- Richard Coleman – drums (1997–2003)
- Johnny Ghiselli – guitar (2002–2003)
- Rohan Cannon – guitar (2007)
- Paul Wheeler – drums, backing vocals (2003–2009)
- Chris Emsell – mascot (1981-present)
Studio albums
- ChoirboysChoirboys (album)Choirboys is the self titled debut album of the Australian rock band The Choirboys. The album was recorded in early 1983 at Albert Studios One in Sydney, Australia with producer, Jim Manzie. and released in July of the same year. The first single, "Never Gonna Die," was released with great success...
(8 August 1983) 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...
No. 26 - Big Bad NoiseBig Bad NoiseBig Bad Noise is the second album by Australian rock band The Choirboys which was released in 1987. This album was produced by Peter Blyton , Brian McGee and The Choirboys...
(11 April 1988) AUS No. 5 - Midnight Sun (26 May 1991) AUS No. 30
- Dancin on the Grave of Rock n' RollDancin on the Grave of Rock n' RollDancing on the Grave of Rock n' Roll is the fourth studio album by Australian hard rock band The Choirboys which was released in 1994 and is the follow-up to their previous studio album, Midnight Sun. It was produced by mainstay band members Mark Gable and Ian Hulme...
(1994) - Yo-YoYo-Yo (album)Yo-Yo was released by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys in 1996 and is the follow-up to their previous studio album, Dancing on the Grave of Rock n' Roll. The album was recorded in Cologne, Germany with producer Peter Blyton...
(1996) - Evolver (2004)
- Big Bad and Acoustic (2006)
- So Easy (2007)
Compilation albums
- Decade 1983–1993 (The Best Of) (1993)
- Never Gonna Die - The Very Best of Choirboys 30th Anniversary (2009)