Australian Crawl – the band who from 1979-1986 perfectly married the sounds of the summer and good times into musical form, celebrate the 35th anniversary of their first single Beautiful People with the January 24th 2014 release of a new career-spanning ‘Greatest Hits’ collection and the digital release of their catalogue, specially mastered for iTunes for the first time ever.
Formed in 1978 on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula – Australian Crawl at the time of their debut album ‘The Boys Light Up’ in 1980 were Simon Binks (lead guitar), Bill McDonough (drums), James Reyne (vocals, piano), Brad Robinson (rhythm guitar) and Paul Williams (bass). That album sold over 4x platinum and spawned the tracks Beautiful People, The Boys Light Up, Downhearted, Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama and Indisposed.
It was followed up in 1981 with the ‘Sirocco’ recording. This album also attained 4x platinum accreditation and spent six weeks at #1 on the ARIA chart. This album boasts the singles Things Don’t Seem, Unpublished Critics, Lakeside, Oh No Not You Again and of course Errol – the latter two singles featuring lead vocals by Guy McDonough who joined the band late in 1980. ‘Sirocco’ spent eight months in the ARIA Top 20. ARIA’s 1981 Australian End of Year Album Charts has ‘Sirocco’ at #2 behind ‘Double Fantasy’ by John Lennon and ahead of AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ making it the best charting album by an Australian act in that year.
In 1982 the band issued its third album ‘Sons Of Beaches’. The album debuted at #1 yet again and spent five weeks atop the chart and achieved 2x Platinum. Singles from this album included Runaway Girls, Daughters Of The Northern Coast and Shutdown.
In 1983 – the ‘Semantics’ EP was issued. Featuring the enduring single Reckless (Don’t Be So) – this track gave the band an ARIA #1 single in November that year.
The ‘Between A Rock And A Hard Place’ album followed in 1985, while two live albums ‘Phalanx’ and ‘The Final Wave’ showcased the live prowess of the band.
Australian Crawl performed their final show in Perth on 1st February 1986. Australian Crawl was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 1996.
The Australian Crawl catalogue boasts a nigh-unparalleled, cherished legacy among fans and critics. ‘The Boys Light Up’ was included in the Top 50 entries of the 2010 publication 100 Best Australian Albums. In 2001, Reckless (Don’t Be So) was included in APRA’s Top 30 Australian songs.
The cumulative total of eleven weeks at Number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart places Australian Crawl equal fourth for most weeks at #1 for an Australian group – behind Skyhooks, The Seekers and Midnight Oil.
An important part of Australian Crawl’s history is their affiliation with beach culture. 2014 marks the 30th Anniversary of the band’s sponsorship of the 1984 ASP (Association Of Surfing Professionals) Rip Curl/Australian Crawl Bell’s Beach Surfing Carnival. This strong connection to surf culture lead to the band amassing a considerable fanbase in South America and North America particularly, while the band toured the UK with Duran Duran in 1983.
The release of Australian Crawl ‘The Greatest Hits’ and the first ever release of their digital catalogue represents a sentinel of further catalogue activity for the band in 2014. Fans of Australian Crawl will be pleased to hear Deluxe Editions of their albums are expected later in 2014; collecting archival material from deep within the band vaults for the very first time.
Australian Crawl ‘The Greatest Hits’ – Released January 24th 2014.
1 Beautiful People
2 The Boys Light Up
3 Downhearted
4 Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama
5 Indisposed
6 Things Don’t Seem
7 Errol
8 Oh No Not You Again
9 Lakeside
10 Unpublished Critics
11 Easy On Your Own
12 Shut Down
13 Daughters Of The Northern Coast
14 Runaway Girls
15 Waiting
16 Reckless (Don’t Be So…)
17 White Limbo
18 Two Can Play
19 Trouble Spot Rock
The complete catalogue – available digitally for the very first time (mastered for iTunes by Don Bartley) – January 24th 2014.
Albums:
- Boys Light Up (1980)
- Sirocco (1981)
- Sons Of Beaches (1982)
- Between A Rock & A Hard Place (1985)
Live Albums:
- Phalanx (1983)
- The Final Wave (1986)
EP:
- Semantics (1983)
