Chain (band)

This article is about the Australian blues band Chain. For other uses, see Chain (disambiguation).
Chain
Also known as The Chain, Matt Taylor's Chain
Origin Melbourne, Australia
Genres Blues, R&B
Years active 1968–1974, 1982, 1983–1986, 1988, 1991–1992, 1995–current
Labels Infinity, Festival, Mushroom, EMI, BMG, Forever
Members Phil Manning
Matt Taylor
Barry Harvey
Dirk Du Bois
Past members see personnel list below

Chain are an Australian blues band formed in Melbourne as The Chain in late 1968 with a lineup including guitarist, vocalist Phil Manning;[1] they are sometimes known as Matt Taylor's Chain after lead singer-songwriter and harmonica player, Matt Taylor.[1][2][3] Their January 1971 single "Black and Blue", which became their only top twenty hit,[4] was recorded by Chain line-up of Manning, Taylor, drummer Barry Harvey and bass guitarist Barry Sullivan.[1][2][3] The related album, Toward the Blues followed in September and peaked in the top ten albums chart.[4] Manfred Mann's Earth Band famously covered "Black and Blue" on their album "Messin`" (June 1973).

Chain had various line-ups until July 1974, they separated for several years then reformed in 1982 for a one-off concert and more permanently from 1983–1986.[1][2] Further line-up changes occurred with some forms called Matt Taylor's Chain, from 1998 Chain members are Harvey, Manning, Taylor and Dirk Du Bois on bass guitar.[1][2][3] Both Manning and Taylor have also had separate solo careers.[1][2][3] In 2005 Chain released, Sweet Honey and continued touring irregularly; on 3 May 2009, they performed at the Cairns Blues Festival.[5]

The Beaten Tracks were a pop / blues / R&B band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 1965 and included, John Vanderhagh on drums, Alan Power on lead guitar/vocals, Dave Cook on rhythm guitar/vocals, Dave Cross on rhythm guitar/vocals, Paul Frieze on bass guitar, and Ross Partington on lead vocals/harmonica (ex Majestics). They played cover versions of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mowtown, Blues, Rock material. Vanderhagh left in 1966 and was replaced by Frank Capeling on drums. Cook left in early 1967 and was replaced by Warren Morgan on Farfisa organ then Hammond organ (ex freelance jazz keyboards) Frieze left in 1967 and was replaced by John (the "Scotsman") Gray on bass guitar (ex Ray Hoff and the Offbeats). Capeling left in 1967 and was replaced by Ace Follington on drums (ex Yeoman). In late 1967 Cross left and was not replaced and Scott left and was replaced by Murray Wilkins on bass guitar/vocals (ex West Coast Trio and freelance jazz double bassist). With the addition of the Hammond organ the band incorporated material from Traffic, Vanilla Fudge, Young Rascals, The Band etc. Following their win in Perth's 1968 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds Power left and was replaced by Dave Hole on lead guitar/vocals who then left whilst the band was in Melbourne for the finals and was replaced by Phil Manning on lead guitar/vocals (ex-Bay City Union, Bobby & Laurie/Laurie Allen Revue). The band returned to Perth then eventually relocated in Melbourne. Partington departed in December 1968, returning to Perth to form The Tracks with Lindsay Wells on lead guitar/vocals and Joey Anderson on drums (both ex Sari Brit), Pete Tindal on bass guitar/vocals (ex Cherokees) and Peter Waddell on Hammond organ/vocals (ex Paul McKay Sound). Partington was replaced by Wendy Saddington (ex-James Taylor Move). She provided a new name for the band, The Chain, after the Aretha Franklin song "Chain of Fools".[1][2] Saddington left the band in May 1969 to write for teen pop newspaper Go-Set and to join the band Copperwine; she later had a solo career.[1][2] Saddington was replaced by New Zealander Glyn Mason (ex-Larry's Rebels), Wilkins left in August and was replaced by Tim Piper (ex-Electric Heap) on bass guitar, and Morgan, who left to join Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, was replaced by Claude Papesch on organ (also ex-Electric Heap).[1][2] The Chain's first single, "Show Me Home", was released by Festival Records in October,[1][2] but Follington, Piper and Papesch had all left.[1][2] Barry Harvey on drums and Barry Sullivan on bass guitar (both ex-Wild Cherries) joined and the name was shortened to Chain.[1] The band's first album Live Chain was recorded in 1970 at Caesar's Palace discothèque, Sydney;[1] by the time it was released in October, Mason had left to travel overseas, he was later in Ariel.[1][2]

1970–1971: Classic line-up to Toward the Blues

In September 1970, Manning asked Matt Taylor to become their full-time front man. Taylor had moved to Melbourne from Brisbane with his band the Bay City Union (which had briefly included Manning), although that band had subsequently broken up. At this point, Chain were Manning, Taylor, Harvey (Little Goose, LG or Albert Goose) and Sullivan (Big Goose or BG), referred to by fans as the classic line-up.[1][2][3][6] "Black and Blue" was released by this line-up as a single in March 1971 on Festival's Infinity label, which peaked at #12 on the national singles charts in May.[4] The second single, "Judgement" released in July reached the top 40 nationally[4] and was followed in September by their first studio album Toward the Blues,[1][2][3] on the Infinity Records label (a subsidiary of Festival records). The Album was Produced by John L Sayers and recorded at TCS Studios. This included an extended version of their signature track, "Black and Blue", and continued to sell steadily, eventually going gold over twenty years after its original release. A further single "Gonna Miss you Babe" was recorded with this lineup at Festival Studios Sydney. also produced by John L Sayers.The classic line-up of Chain only lasted about eleven months (August 1970 to July 1971) at that time, when Harvey, Manning and Sullivan all left.[1][2] Harvey joined King Harvest, Manning formed a duo Pilgrimage with ex-The Chain bandmate Morgan, and Sullivan joined Carson.[1][2]

Other 1970s line-ups

In July 1971, Taylor briefly enlisted Kevin Murphy on drums (ex-Wild Cherries, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, King Harvest), Charlie Tumahai on bass guitar and Lindsay Wells on lead guitar (both ex-Healing Force).[1][2] Murphy left in September and Taylor continued for another month with Laurie Pryor on drums (ex-Healing Force) but then Taylor commenced his solo career. Taylor's best known solo works are his singles, "I Remember when I Was Young" and "Fair Dinkum Aussie Blues" and his albums, Straight as a Die and Music.[1] Chain reformed in November 1971 with Harvey, Manning, Mason, Morgan and Sullivan to record, Live Again, which was not released until October 1972.[1][2] A three piece line-up of Morgan, Pryor and Sullivan performed at the inaugural 1972 Sunbury Pop Festival.[1][2] In February 1973, Manning changed the name of his then group Mighty Mouse to Chain with: Mal Capewell on saxophone, flute (ex-Company Caine), Ian Clyne on organ (ex-The Loved Ones), Sullivan on bass guitar and Harvey on drums.[1][2] Chain's band manager, Michael Gudinski had signed the band to his newly formed label, Mushroom Records which released two non-charting singles and then an album, Two of a Kind in December 1973 with contributions from James Madison on guitar and George Beauford on vocals and harmonica.[2] Both were members of touring mate Muddy Waters' band.[1] Forming in February 1974, the next Chain line-up were Manning, Sullivan and Mal Logan on keyboards (ex-Healing Force, Carson) and Tony Lunt on drums (ex-Carson); they broke up in July and Mushroom released the compilation album, History of Chain, in October.[1]

Later line-ups to current

After breaking up completely for several years, Chain briefly reformed with the classic line up (Harvey, Manning, Sullivan and Taylor) in January 1982, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Mushroom Records.[1][2] A couple of songs from their performance appeared on the triple album set Mushroom Evolution Concert.[1][2] A more permanent reformation occurred from December 1983, which resulted in Child of the Street in October 1985 and two singles.[1][2] Manning and Sullivan left again in late 1986, Taylor and Harvey continued Chain with John Meyer on guitar (ex-Saracen, Rose Tattoo) and Roy Daniel on bass guitar; they released, Australian Rhythm and Blues in April 1988.[1][2] Meyer, Taylor and Bob Fortesque on bass guitar (ex-Blackfeather) and Michael Burn on drums released the next Chain album Blue Metal in May 1990.[1][2] By late 1991, Taylor had formed another version of Chain now called, Matt Taylor's Chain with Dirk Du Bois on bass guitar, Jeff Lang on guitar, Bob Patient on piano and Gus Warburton on drums.[1][2] This line-up recorded a new album Trouble in the Wind aka Walls 2 McGoo released in 1992.[1][2] From 1992, varied line-ups of Chain or Matt Taylor's Chain toured Australia irregularly.[7] In 1998, Chain as Matt Taylor, Phil Manning, Barry Harvey and Dirk Du Bois performed at Mushroom's 25th anniversary concert, Mushroom 25 Live and released their own live album, The First 30 Years.[1][2] Chain toured into 1999 and released a new album, Mix up the Oils in July on Forever Records.[1][2] In 2005 they released, Sweet Honey and continued touring irregularly; on 3 May 2009, Chain performed at the Cairns Blues Festival.[5]
This latest Chain lineup continues on into 2014 with appearances at The Caravan Club (a music venue attached to the Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL club) in Oakleigh, Victoria.

Personnel

Includes members of The Chain, Chain and Matt Taylor's Chain.[1][2]

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Chain'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on August 23, 2004. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Culnane, Paul (2007). "CHAIN". MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964-1975. Milesago. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nimmervoll, Ed. "Chain". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
  5. 1 2 "Cairns Blues Festival > Artists". Kanaka Creative. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
  7. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/longway/artist_index/chain.htm

External links

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