The Swingers
| The Swingers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | Rock, new wave |
| Years active | 1979–1982 |
| Labels | Mushroom Records |
| Past members |
Phil Judd Wayne Stevens Mark Hough Ian Gilroy Andrew Snoid |
The Swingers were a New Zealand rock band.
Background
Formed out of the remnants of The Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd (guitar, vocals), Wayne Stevens (aka Bones Hillman) (bass), and Mark Hough (aka Buster Stiggs) (drums). Formed in 1979, the band released the single "One Good Reason" which was a top 20 hit in New Zealand. They also appeared on the Ripper Records sampler AK79 and established a large live following after a residency at Auckland's Liberty Stage club.
In 1980 the band moved to Australia and signed for Mushroom Records for that country, although their New Zealand releases remained on Ripper.[1]
Success
After some band dissension, Ian Gilroy of The Crocodiles replaced Hough on drums. The band released the single "Counting the Beat" which became a No. 1 hit in Australia and New Zealand. A second single released in 1981, "It Ain't What You Dance, It's the Way That You Dance It" (which had the outro repeat line "oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah"), was also a Top 5 hit in New Zealand but only a minor hit in Australia (reaching #43). An album, Practical Jokers, produced by David Tickle, was released. The band also performed songs in the film Starstruck.
Breakup
The band underwent a couple more line-up changes, including the addition of Pop Mechanix and Coconut Rough vocalist Andrew Snoid, before it split up in March 1982.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Practical Jokers | NZ: Ripper, AUS: Mushroom | #2 (NZ)[2] #70 (AUS)[3] |
- |
| 1982 | Counting the Beat | USA: Backstreet | - | - |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "One Good Reason" | #19 (NZ) | - | |
| 1981 | "Counting the Beat" | #1 (NZ) #1 (AUS) |
- | |
| 1981 | "It Ain't What You Dance, It's The Way That You Dance It" | #4 (NZ) #43 (AUS) |
- | |
| 1981 | "One Track Mind" | #27 (NZ) | - | |
| 1982 | "Punch and Judy" | - | - |
References
- ↑ The Swingers Discography
- ↑ Practical Jokers Album
- ↑ Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W. (1993). ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ New Zealand Charts
External links
- Frenz.com Swingers biography
- Swingers discography at Australian Rock Database by Magnus Holmgren
- The Swingers at the Internet Movie Database
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