The Fourmyula

The Fourmyula
Origin New Zealand
Genres Rock
Years active 1967–1971
Labels EMI (1999 only)
Past members
Martin Hope
Wayne Mason
Ali Richardson
Chris Parry
Carl Evenson

The Fourmyula were a New Zealand rock group formed in 1967. Ten of their fourteen singles reached the New Zealand Top 20.

The group consisted of Martin Hope (guitar and vocals), Wayne Mason (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Ali Richardson (bass and vocals) and Chris Parry (drums). They were joined in 1968 by Carl Evenson as lead vocalist.

Their first release, "Come With Me" made it to number 2 in August 1968. They released fourteen singles (ten of which reached the New Zealand Top 20) and five albums and won the New Zealand Entertainers of the Year award in 1970.

The Fourmyula's best known song, "Nature", written by Wayne Mason and produced by Peter Dawkins, reached number one in the New Zealand charts in December 1969.[1] It won the APRA Silver Scroll Award for the year. The Mutton Birds released a rockier version of Nature is 1995, and in 2001 it was voted New Zealand's greatest pop song ever - becoming the title track of the best-selling Nature's Best compilation.

In 2010 the band reformed to promote the compilation The Complete Fourmyula, a 4-CD set which includes a previously unreleased album "Turn Your Back on the Wind", originally recorded for Decca. They played two concerts, one in Auckland on 18 February 2010 and another in Upper Hutt, on 20 March 2010.[2]

The Fourmyula was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2010 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.[3]

Contents

Discography

Date of Release Title Label Charted Certification Catalog Number
Albums
1968 The Fourmyula HMV - -
1969 Green B Holiday - -
1970 Creation - -
The Fourmyula Live - -
1974 A Portrait of The Fourmyula Axis - -
1992 The Most of The Fourmyula EMI - -
1999 Very Best of The Fourmyula EMI - -
2010 The Complete Fourmyula EMI - -

Singles

Year Single Album Chart Certification
1968 "Come With Me" #2 (NZ) -
1968 "Alice Is There" #4 (NZ) -
1968 "I Know Why" #7 (NZ) -
1969 "Start By Giving To Me" #21 (NZ) -
1969 "Home" #10 (NZ) -
1969 "Lady Scorpio" #7 (NZ) -
1969 "I'll Song You A Song" #3 (NZ) -
1969 "Nature" #1 (NZ) -
1970 "Make Me Happy" #19 (NZ) -
1970 "Otaki" #15 (NZ) -
1971 "Lullaby" #21 (NZ) -

References

See also