Supergroove

Supergroove
Also known as Low Down Dirty Blues Band
Origin Auckland, NZ
Genres Funk rock[1]
Years active 1989–1997, 2007–present
Labels BMG
Associated acts Che Fu, The Drab Doo-Riffs
Members Che Ness
Joe Lonie
Tim Stewart
Ben Sciascia
Karl Steven
Ian Jones
Nick Atkinson
Past members Paul Russell

Supergroove is a New Zealand funk rock music group. Their debut album Traction was released in 1994. The group disbanded in 1997 but reformed in 2007.

History

The band was founded on New Year's Eve 1989/1990, having previously been named the Low-Down Dirty Blues Band.[2]

Supergroove's first release was the single Here Comes the Supergroove, which wasn't added to either of their original albums. Supergroove released two albums of original content - Traction, from which four singles were taken, and Backspacer, which yielded two singles. Between the two they recorded the EP Tractor, and put out an EP of remixes, GreatMixes.

They split up in 1997 over creative differences. Seven years after the group split a 'Best Of' compilation, Postage, was released.

Performance

Solo careers

Notable former members include Che Ness, aka Che Fu, now with a successful solo career, Joe Lonie, a music video producer, and Paul Russell, who moved on to start the New Zealand band Eight (who recently split), and who still studio drums with Che Fu and Brooke Fraser. Two other ex-members, Tim Stewart (trumpet) and Ben Sciascia (guitar) formed a new band in late 2005 called Svelte.[3] Ian Jones recently joined upcoming Sydney band, Lost Valentinos on drums. Karl Steven has completed a PhD in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy at Cambridge University and is now a member of Auckland surf-punk band The Drab Doo-Riffs.

Reunion

Despite what was widely considered to be a less than amicable break up, Supergroove supported Crowded House for the three shows of their October 2007 New Zealand tour. This reunion included Che Fu, Jo Lonie, Tim Stewart, Ben Sciascia, Ian Jones, Nick Atkinson and Karl Steven.

Supergroove continued in 2007 on a summer tour, playing alongside popular New Zealand bands such as Atlas, Elemeno P, The Feelers[4] and were one of the headline Kiwi acts of the Big Day Out 2008 in Auckland.[5] The band featured in the University of Otago's, the University of Canterbury's and the University of Waikato's 2008 orientation weeks.[6][7]

Supergroove played at the Groove in the Park 2008 festival held on New Zealand's Waitangi Day (6 February), at the Western Springs in Auckland. Supergroove also played at the Homegrown [8] Festival in Wellington on 14 March 2009.

In February 2015, Supergroove reunited to play in all shows of The Winery Tour - 12 shows at various vinyards around New Zealand. http://thewinerytour.co.nz

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak chart
positions
Certifications
(sales thresholds)
NZ AUS
1994 Traction
  • Label: BMG
  • Catalogue number: 74321 27954 2
1 46
  • NZ: Platinum
  • Indonesia: Gold
1996 Backspacer 2
  • NZ: Gold
2003 Postage
  • Label: BMG
10

EPs

Year Album Peak chart
positions
Certifications
(sales thresholds)
NZ
1995 Tractor 2
  • NZ: Platinum
1996 GreatMixes
  • Label: BMG
  • 74321 30851 2
34

Singles

Year Title Peak chart
positions
Certifications Album
NZ AUS
1992 "Here Comes The Supergroove" 21 Non-album single
1993 "You Gotta Know" 4 Traction
"Scorpio Girls" 3
  • NZ: Gold
1994 "Can't Get Enough" 1 32
  • NZ: Platinum
"Sitting Inside My Head" 6
  • NZ: Gold
1996 "If I Had My Way" 7 Backspacer
"5th Wheel"
2003 "For Whatever Remix" Postage

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

Year Recipient Award Result Ref
1994 Malcolm Welsford - "You Gotta Know" Best Engineer style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated [9]
1995 Traction Album of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won [10]
"Can't Get Enough" Single of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Supergroove Best Group style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Jo Fischer and Matt Noonan – "Can't Get Enough" Best Video style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Karl Steven & Malcolm Welsford – Traction Best Producer style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Malcolm Welsford - Traction Best Engineer style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
1996 Supergroove International Achievement style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated [11]
Sigi Spath and Jo Fisher – "You Gotta Know" Best Video style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
1997 Sigi Spath and Joe Lonie – "If I Had My Way" Best Video style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won [12]
Malcolm Welsford and Karl Steven - Backspacer Best Producer style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Malcolm Welsford - Backspacer Best Engineer style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
2014 Supergroove Legacy Award style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won [13]

References

  1. de Graaf, Peter (28 October 2014). "Trio freaked out in the groove". The Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. Chunn, Mike and Jeremy, The Mechanics of Popular Music, GP Publications, 1995.
  3. Svelte website
  4. The Feelers, Elemeno P, Atlas Summer Tour
  5. Big Day Out Press Releases
  6. "Orientation 2008". Orientation 2008 official programme. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  7. "Supergroove events from 2008". Last.FM. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  8. http://www.homegrown.net.nz/page/37-Line-Up+Jim-Beam-Rock-Stage
  9. "1994 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  10. "1995 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  11. "1996 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  12. "1997 Winners". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  13. "TUI STALWARTS TAKE OUT LEGACY AWARD". NZ Music Awards. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 October 2014.

External links