Andrew Pendlebury is an Australian, Melbourne based guitarist known for his membership of bands such as The Sports (with Stephen Cummings) and Slaughtermen (with Ian Stephen), as well as other projects and solo efforts.
In the mid 1970s Pendlebury was a member of The Sharks, before joining the Rhythm and Blues/Country outfit, The Myriad Band, with Carrl Myriad, Mark Ferrie, Phil Smith and Chris Wilson.[1]
In August 1977 Pendlebury went on to become a member of The Sports.[2][3] The band released their first album, Reckless, in 1978 on Mushroom Records. The album peaked at #43 on the Australian album charts, with four charting singles, "Boys! (What Did The Dective Say)" (#55), "When You Walk In The Room" (#42), "Who Listens To The Radio?" (#35) and "Reckless".[4] "Who Listens to the Radio?", co-written by Cummings and Pendelbury,[5] peaked at #35 on the Australian singles charts in 1978, and was their only hit on the United States Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at #45 in November 1979.[6][7]
The band toured the UK in 1979 as support to Graham Parker & the Rumour, signing a deal with UK label Stiff Records. In the US they were released via Arista Records, Ariola Label throughout Europe. Their second album, Don’t Throw Stones, consolidated their success, charting at #9,[4] and yielding two top forty singles, "Don't Throw Stones" (#26) and "Suspicious Minds" (#74).[4] Their third album, Suddenly, featured a slicker, more commercial sound, and charted at #74.[4] The album produced another two singles "Strangers on a Train" (#22) and "Perhaps". During his time with The Sports, Andrew also moonlighted with The Gentlemen which consisted of members from Skyhooks and Daddy Cool.[1] The Sports fourth album, Sondra (#20),[4] was released in 1981, yielding three singles "Stop the Baby Talking", "How Come?" (#21) and "When We Go Out Tonight". By the end of the year The Sports had called it a day. Pendlebury then spent a year with The Dugites[1] before joining the newly formed Stephen Cummings Band.[1] Pendlebury played on Cumming’s first solo album Senso (released August 1984)[8][9] and subsequent three albums, This Wonderful Life (September 1986), Lovetown (January 1988), A New Kind of Blue (March 1989) over the next five years, also touring Australia with the outfit. A New Kind of Blue winning the 1990 ARIA Award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'.[10]
1987 saw Pendlebury branch out with his first solo album, Between the Horizon and the Dockyard. The album, which was backed by drummer Peter Jones and bassist Mark Ferrie, showcased an eclectic mix of styles from country swing, Spanish, Bluegrass, jazz and rock.
Pendlebury also ventured out during this time with Ian Stephen, bassist Ferrie and drummer Des Hefner in Slaughtermen,[1] a post-punk Southern gospel group. The band produced two albums, Party Time and Still Lovin' You, together with several singles.
In 1988 Pendlebury released his second solo album, Tigerland, which was followed in 1990 by Zing went the Strings on WEA Records. On both albums Pendlebury worked with players like Pete Linden (pedal steel), Paul Grabowsky (piano), Stephen Hadley (bass), J. J. Hacket (drums), and others including Shane O’Mara, Nick Smith, Stephen Cummings, Doug De Vries and Michael Williams. For his fourth solo album, Don’t Hold Back that Feeling, Pendlebury enlisted some guest vocalists including Chris Wilson, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano and Dave Steel. The album was critically acclaimed and went on to win the 1993 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'.[11]
In 1993 he collaborated with Doug De Vries on an album Karate and again in 1995 to record Trouble and Desire for ABC Music.
In 2002 Pendlebury reunited with Ferrie and formed a two guitar duo. In 2003 they released Late Night at the Nicholas Building. They then added a third member, Israeli cellist, Adi Sappir, playing their first performance as The Mercurials[1] at the Ian Potter Gallery in the National Gallery of Victoria in December 2003. In March 2004 they appeared at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, which was followed by appearanceas at the 2006 Port Fairy Folk Festival, and the 2006 Mt Beauty Music Muster. In July 2005 The Mercurials released their debut self titled album. This was followed by a second album, Tangents in 2008 and a third album, Silver and Gold in 2009.
Pendlebury is one of the quiet achievers of the Australian music scene from the 1970s to the 1990s and is frequently cited as one of the finest guitarist in Australia.