Birtles Shorrock Goble
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Birtles Shorrock Goble | |
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BSG perform at Castle Towers, Sydney, Australia
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Background information | |
Also known as | BSG |
Genre(s) | Pop music Rock music |
Years active | 2002 – present |
Label(s) | Universal Capitol |
Associated acts | Little River Band Axiom, Mississippi, The Twilights, Zoot |
Website | birtlesshorrockgoble.com |
Members | |
Beeb Birtles Glenn Shorrock Graeham Goble |
Birtles Shorrock Goble are an Australian pop/rock group composed of the three original singers and songwriters of Little River Band, namely Beeb Birtles, Glenn Shorrock and Graeham Goble. The members are known for their extensive writing and performance of hit songs and distinctive vocal harmonies. They are sometimes referred to by the initials BSG.
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[edit] History
Birtles, Shorrock and Goble were vital members of popular Australian bands prior to forming Little River Band.
Birtles (born 28 November 1948 in The Netherlands) was part of Zoot and Mississippi. Shorrock (born 30 June 1944 in England) provided lead vocals for The Twilights and Axiom. Goble (born 15 May 1947 in Australia) was a member of several bands including Allison Gros, Drummond and Mississippi.
The concept of Little River Band was formulated in London in late 1974. The band was constituted in Melbourne and performed for the first time in Ballarat in March 1975.
Little River Band would go on to become one of Australia's first supergroups, achieving gold and platimum awards for multi-million international record sales, Top 10 hits in the USA for five consecutive years (1978–1982) and headlining concerts worldwide. Songs written and sung by Birtles, Shorrock and Goble continue to be played around the world more than 25 years after they were recorded:
- Birtles compositions include: "Curiosity Killed The Cat", "Every Day Of My Life", "Happy Anniversary" (co-written with David Briggs), "Home On Monday" (co-written with Glenn Shorrock)
- Shorrock compositions include: "Help Is On Its Way", "Cool Change", "Emma", "Shut Down Turn Off", "Home On Monday" (co-written with Beeb Birtles)
- Goble compositions include: "Reminiscing", "Lady", "Take It Easy On Me", "It's A Long Way There", "The Night Owls", "The Other Guy".
[edit] Departure from Little River Band
Each of these three original members of Little River Band left the band at different times, and for different reasons. Shorrock left first in 1982 to pursue a solo career, and as a consequence of increasing tensions between band members. He was replaced as lead vocalist by John Farnham.
"Basically I was told that my commitment to the group was not 100% and they wanted more commitment from their lead singer. I said I wanted to do some other things and that the songs were running down. I thought we needed to broaden our horizons a bit but that wasn't to be at that time. I was technically sacked. Beeb, Graeham and Derek [Pellicci] wanted John Farnham in. [I] was thinking about doing solo albums and some other things with my mates." Glenn Shorrock (2003) [1]
Birtles departed in 1983; his commitment as a born again Christian had estranged him from some of the other band members, and he was unhappy with the direction and management of the band.
"Being a Christian I couldn’t lie to them: I had to honestly say, 'My heart isn’t here anymore and for that reason I have to leave'. The moment I said that I felt the load lift." Beeb Birtles (1989) [2]
Goble retired from the band, first as a touring member, and subsequently altogether in 1989.
"Little River Band no longer had a recording contract and there was no immediate possibility of recording. I always preferred recording to 'live work' and when the future of the band appeared to be just playing the greatest hits for the rest of its life, then I knew it was time for me to leave." Graeham Goble (1997) [3]
In 1986, Farnham left the band and LRB effectively split-up. Glenn Shorrock returned to a re-formed Little River Band in 1988. Shorrock would leave for a second time in 1995 over a dispute about touring.
"My fellow directors of Little River Band at the time wanted to do a five-month tour. I felt that a three-month commitment was sufficient. They had another agenda and I was informed by fax that they would be employing a substitute vocalist in my place. I attempted to stop them, I sought advice, stepped down and accepted a financial settlement in lieu of earnings." Glenn Shorrock (2005) [4]
Following their departures from the band Birtles, Shorrock and Goble continued to maintain careers in the music industry.
Birtles settled in the United States and continued to write songs. He formed a production company, Sonic Sorbet, and released a solo album Driven by Dreams in 2000.
Shorrock returned to his solo career, including stage shows, corporate gigs and a career retrospective concert program. He released two solo albums, Spin Me 'Round and Meanwhile ... Acoustically.
Goble moved back to his passion: recording. He created four albums meticulously using some of the best session musicians available. Broken Voices, Nautilus, Stop and The Days Ahead reflected his thorough and fastidious recording technique.
[edit] Reformation
On 28 May 2001 Shorrock and Goble were seated on the same table at the Australian APRA Awards. Old animosities were forgotten as they realised that their respective careers were inextricably linked. [5] A reunion was first discussed after record producer Paul Rodger approached Graeham Goble and Derek Pellicci with interest from Warner Music to produce a video concert like the Eagles Hell Freezes Over. Subsequent telephone calls to Birtles and Shorrock confirmed that they, too, were not averse to a reunion.
The initial plans provided for Birtles, Shorrock, Goble, Pellicci, David Briggs and George McArdle to re-form under the band name The Original Little River Band. [6] Those plans were quickly frustrated when former Little River Band manager Glenn Wheatley told Birtles, Shorrock and Goble that things would be a lot easier if they reformed on their own.[citation needed] It was determined that the name Little River Band and associated logos had been transferred by Wheatley and Goble to a company owned by LRB lead guitarist Stephen Housden without the permission of the other members of the band. [7] (See Legal battles.)
Wheatley decided that the three singer/songwriters would henceforth appear as Birtles Shorrock Goble: The Founding Members of Little River Band. ("Not BSG," said Shorrock, "it sounds like something you get at a Chinese restaurant"). [7]
After 7373 days apart, the first public performance of the reformed group would occur on 1 March 2002 at the Australian Grand Prix Ball. The hour-long set of twelve songs reprised many of their international hits. [8]
In March 2003 Birtles Shorrock Goble appointed Paul Rodger as their manager and signed a recording contract with Universal Music Australia.
[edit] Legal battles
The seeds of future legal conflict were sown in 1987. With a new lineup and new recording company, the members of Little River Band formed a "clean slate" company known as We Two Pty Ltd. The five band members at that time were made equal shareholders. [4] Band assets, including the name and logo, were transferred into this company. Goble acknowledges that mistakes were made:
"The LRB name was never 'for sale,'. It was lost to Stephen Housden because of a legal document that transferred the name to We Two Pty. Ltd. The name should have been licensed, not transferred. We were ill advised and totally unaware of what we were leaving behind." Graeham Goble (2005) [4]
As the other members left over time, by 1997 Stephen Housden was the sole remaining member, and ownership of We Two Pty Ltd (including rights to the name Little River Band) passed to him. He formed a new version of the band and, with various personnel changes, Little River Band continues to tour North America each year.
When Birtles, Shorrock and Goble initially proposed to re-form as The Original Little River Band, Housden asserted his rights to the name and took the matter to the Federal Court of Australia. In an out-of-court settlement, it was agreed that Birtles, Shorrock and Goble would not use the trade mark (name) or logo as or in the name of their band, but "shall be entitled to refer prominently but always only in a descriptive way in promotional and advertising material, to the fact that they were members of the original line up of the Little River Band". [9]
Loss of access to the LRB name for Birtles, Shorrock and Goble came as a shock to many fans and received considerable attention in the Australian media. [7] [10] [11]
The settlement would be tested repeatedly, including the blocking [12] of a Little River Band retrospective DVD put together by Birtles, Shorrock and Goble. [13] Housden also challenged the manner in which BSG described their link to LRB in promotional material and recordings. Further legal action ensued in Australia [14] and in the United States. [15]
When the Full Circle DVD was released in the United States, a marquee reference to Little River Band on the cover was digitally altered to ?????? ????? ???? [1].
[edit] Touring
With Birtles residing in the United States and members having solo commitments, opportunities for touring have been limited. Birtles Shorrock Goble have presented more than 70 live performances since 2002 including seven Australian tours, corporate events and television shows. [16]
In August-September 2007 Birtles Shorrock Goble toured Australia with the Countdown Spectacular 2 which reacquainted Australian fans with many of the outstanding performers who appeared on the iconic television program Countdown. Birtles Shorrock Goble were given penultimate billing before Rick Springfield, Birtles' former bandmate in Zoot. BSG performed a medley consisting of eight of their most famous hits.
[edit] Full Circle
Since reforming, Birtles Shorrock Goble have released a major live DVD and CD. Recorded over two nights at The Forum in Melbourne, Australia before packed houses, Full Circle showcased all of the hits made famous by the singers and songwriters of Little River Band, together with album tracks performed during a mid-concert acoustic set. New songs written by each of the members were also introduced.
Full Circle was produced by Birtles Shorrock Goble manager Paul Rodger and mixed by longtime supporter and friend Michael Costa at Stream AV Studios in Melbourne.
Credits:
Beeb Birtles – Guitar, vocals | Producer and Manager – Paul Rodger | Tour/Production Manager – Ross Ferguson |
Glenn Shorrock – Lead vocals | Associate Producer – Michael Costa | Lighting Designer – Chris McGuffin |
Graeham Goble – Guitar, vocals | Mix Engineer – Michael Costa | Lighting Assistant – Jeff Wickenden |
David Beck – Drums | Camera Director – Jon Olb | Stage Monitors – Sid Pittlik |
Simon Hosford – Lead guitar | On Line Video Editor – Paul “Sinko” Sinkovich | Stage Technicians – Mark Tinson, Josh Goble and James Laydon |
Alejandro Vega – Percussion | Recording and Front of House Engineer – Ern Rose | Extra Video Footage – Matt Orr |
Jason Vorherr – Bass guitar | Assistant Recording Engineer and Music Editor – Haydn Buxton | Still Photographer – Serge Thomann |
Dorian West – Keyboards, trumpet, flugelhorn, steel guitar, piano accordion | Digico/Digitrax D5 Operator – David Williams | Master of Ceremonies – Barry Bissell |
[edit] Discography
Release | Track listing | Reviews and comments |
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Countdown Spectacular Live 2 (CD) Countdown Spectacular Live 2 (DVD) |
Little River Band medley: An included compilation disc features the original song (CD) and video clip (DVD) of "Lonesome Loser". |
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Full Circle (DVD)
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1. Full Circle |
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Full Circle (CD) Australian release: |
1. Full Circle On the Australian release, "Take It Easy On Me" is placed between "Lady" and "The Night Owls". |
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The Spirit of Christmas |
3. O Holy Night |
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Beginnings |
Volume 1 Volume 2 |
From the liner notes:
Released originally as two separate albums on vinyl (Volume 1 and Volume 2), a compilation CD was released in 2000. A review:
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[edit] Awards
Birtles Shorrock Goble have achieved awards for songwriting, live performance and recording sales since they reformed:
- 2003 – Gold Award for sales of the Full Circle live concert DVD [19]
- 2004 – Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with other members of the Classic Lineup of Little River Band [20]
- 2004 – Australian Entertainment Award for Classic Rock Performers of the Year [21]
- 2006 – Inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association Hall of Fame [19]
[edit] Musicians
Since forming in 2002, Birtles Shorrock Goble have used a small nucleus of support musicians who have mastered the original LRB sound. [22]
- Lead guitar
- Simon Hosford 2002–2006
- Brett Garsed 2007
- Bass guitar
- Jason Vorherr 2002–present
- Guitar
- Joshua Goble 2003, 2007
- Nathan Goble 2007
- Drums
- John Watson 2002
- Angus Burchall 2002, 2006–2007
- Dave Beck 2002–2005
- Keyboard
- Stewart Wilkinson 2002
- Dorian West 2002–2005, 2007
- Scott Griffiths 2006
- Percussion
- James Richardson 2002
- Alejandro Vega 2002–present
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
Philips, Greg (2003) BSG - Birtles, Shorrock and Goble, Australian Musician On-line.
Cashmere, Paul (2003) Hang On, BSG Is On Its Way undercover.com.au, 3 July 2003
Kruger, Debbie(2003) Haaang On, BSG is on its way..., Melbourne Weekly Magazine, 6 July 2003
Cashmere, Paul (2003) Birtles, Shorrock, Goble undercover.com.au, October 2003
[edit] References
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (2003) Hang On, BSG Is On Its Way undercover.com.au
- ^ Forbes, Clark (1989) Whispering Jack, Hutchinson Australia, (ISBN 0-0916944-1-8).
- ^ Aue, Frankie (1997) A web-interview with Mr Goble 22 July 1997.
- ^ a b c Miller, Chuck (2005) Born in the Sign of Water Goldmine, 4 February 2005.
- ^ birtlesshorrockgoble.com Birtles Shorrock Goble: Welcome!
- ^ Te Koha, Nui (2001) Legends of rock to return AUSPAYTV NEWS, 13 December 2001.
- ^ a b c Elder, Bruce (2002) Help is far away for a famous band The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 November 2002.
- ^ Birtles, Beeb (2002) BSG 2002 Archives birtles.com
- ^ Federal Court of Australia (2002) We Two Pty Ltd v Shorrock (2002)
- ^ Gregory, Peter (2002) The Little River Band, a name banned The Age, 13 June 2002
- ^ McFadyen, Warwick (2002) A river too big to cross The Age, 16 June 2002
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (2004) Little River Band DVD Delayed Over Legal Issues undercover.com.au, 14 October 2004
- ^ Raymond, Jean-Luc (2004) Little River Band: It's A Long Way There, 9 October 2004
- ^ Federal Court of Australia (2005) We Two Pty Ltd v Shorrock (No 2) (2005)
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (2005) Birtles, Shorrock and Goble Settle With Steve Housden undercover.com.au, 27 July 2005
- ^ graehamgoble.com Reminiscing: Live Shows Birtles Shorrock Goble
- ^ Zuel, Bernard. "Ageing rockers show how to pack a paunch", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-08-21. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ Gusworld (2007-08-18). Countdown Spectacular 2, Newcastle: Medleys, momentum and missed opportunities. www.gusworld.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ a b graehamgoble.com Reminiscing: Awards
- ^ Sams, Christine (2004) ARIAs reunite Little River Band The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 September 2004.
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (2004) Birtles, Shorrock, Goble Score A Mo undercover.com.au, 30 June 2004
- ^ Grafton, Julius (2002) Not the Little River Band - Live in Sydney CX magazine, 29 November 2002.