GANGgajang

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GANGgajang are an Australian band who formed in 1984. The three principal figures in the original lineup were former Riptides frontman Mark "Cal" Callaghan and two former members of popular Australian hard rock band The Angels, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Buzz Bidstrup.

The new band's formation grew out of songwriting sessions the trio undertook for the ABC-TV music-drama series Sweet and Sour. The original lineup was completed by former Aliens keyboard player Geoffrey Stapleton, guitarist Robert James and singers Kayellen Bee and Marilyn Delaney.

The band gained a solid following around Australia during 1984-85, aided by considerable support from Triple J and Countdown. Their biggest commercial success came in 1985 with the release of their self-titled debut album, which sold over 120,000 copies. The LP included the classic single "Sounds of Then (This is Australia)", as well as the hit singles "House of Cards", "Giver of Life" and "Gimme Some Lovin" (their 1984 debut single, which was originally recorded as a 'demo' in a single take).

The group released their second album, gangAGAIN, in 1987, after which the various members pursued solo projects. During this time, Mark Callaghan worked as an executive for the now-defunct Festival Records group. They reformed in 1991 (without Bee and Delaney) and continue to perform around Australia and overseas.

In the mid-1990s the Nine Network revived the song "Sounds of Then" for use in its station ID promotion. Like several other Australian bands of the period, such as The Saints and The Church, GANGgajang have a strong following in other regions, but whilst the former acts have their major fan base in Europe (especially Scandinavia), GANGgajang have become very popular in Brazil, where they have undertaken three national tours.

The band has most recently appeared on Australian cooking program Fresh in 2004, performing their best-known song "Sounds of Then".