Models (band)
Models | |
---|---|
Victoria, Australia | |
Genres | Post-punk,[1] new wave[1] |
Years active | 1978–1988, 2000–2001, 2006, 2008, 2010–present |
Labels | |
Members | Andrew Duffield Mark Ferrie Ash Davies |
Past members | See members list below |
Website | https://modelsband.com |
Models (also sometimes known as The Models
Models early line-up included
History
1977–1979: Early years
In 1977 Melbourne school friends Sean Kelly and James Freud formed their first band, Spread, which was soon renamed Teenage Radio Stars. They recorded two tracks for Suicide records' Lethal Weapons compilation album (1978).
Singer and guitarist
1980–1982: Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf to Local and/or General
Models performed extensively both locally and interstate, supporting the
Models' early style was a spiky, distinctive blend of new wave, glam rock, dub and pop: which included Kelly's strangled singing voice, Duffield's virtuoso synthesiser performances (he used the EMS Synthi AKS), and the band's cryptic, slightly gruesome, lyrics (e.g., "Hans Stand: A War Record" from Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf), which were mostly written or co-written by Kelly.
Early in 1981, following a support slot for The Police, the group signed an international deal with A&M Records. Friedenfelds was replaced on drums by Mark Hough (a.k.a. Buster Stiggs) from New Zealand band The Swingers before recording commenced on their international label release.[5][11] Friedenfields went on to play with Sacred Cowboys, Beasts of Bourbon, The Slaughterman and Tombstone Hands. The band went to England to record with producer, Stephen Tayler producing.[4][5] at Farmyard Studios, these tracks becoming the album Local and/or General.
In June, demo sessions recorded earlier in Australia so impressed the band that they were released as a 10" mini album, Cut Lunch (July 1981), which was produced by Tony Cohen and Models except one by Split Enz keyboard player Eddie Rayner.[4][5] Cut Lunch peaked at No. 37 on the albums chart and at No. 38 on the singles chart.[10] It included the whimsical pop tune, "Two Cabs to the Toucan".[4]
In October, their second full-length album
Both albums helped widen their audience nationally, thanks to regular radio exposure on
During 1982, further line-up changes occurred with Ferrie and Hough leaving early in the year. Ferrie went on to form Sacred Cowboys with Garry Gray and Terry Doolan. He later (as of November 2010) became bass player in the RocKwiz house band on SBS TV.[12] Hough became a graphic artist, art director and designer.[13] James Freud (ex-Teenage Radio Stars, James Freud & Berlin) joined the band on bass and vocals, with John Rowell on guitar and Graham Scott on drums (both ex-Curse).[4][6] Kelly and Freud had been in high school bands which developed into Teenage Radio Stars.[4] Freud had a solo hit single, "Modern Girl", which peaked at No. 12 in 1980.[10] Rowell and Scott left Models in May 1982, with Duffield following.[4] New Zealand drummer, Barton Price (ex-Crocodiles, Sardine v) joined.[4] They recorded a single, "On", produced by veteran rocker, Lobby Loyde, and released in August.[4][5] It had no mainstream chart success, but peaked at No. 1 on the independent charts.[4][10] Gus Till (ex-Beargarden) briefly joined on keyboards until Duffield rejoined in December.[4] In 1982 they made a film, Pop Movie, which featured animation and live footage of the band, it was screened on TV rock show, Nightmoves, as well as at a few cinemas.[8][9]
1983–1985: The Pleasure of Your Company to Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Models' line-up of Duffield, Freud, Kelly and Price issued the highly regarded
Fellow Australian band INXS were fans of Models; their manager,
In early 1985, Models started recording material for their next album, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, produced by Launay, Lucas and Mark Opitz.[4][5] A single from the album, "Barbados", was released in March, which peaked at No. 2.[10] It was a reggae influenced song co-written by Freud and Duffield (prior to his departure).[4][16] The song related a tale of alcoholism and suicide, it later provided Freud with the titles of his two autobiographies, I Am the Voice Left from Drinking (2002) and I Am the Voice Left from Rehab (2007).[17][18] The video clip was influenced by the film, The Deer Hunter, it included a cameo by Garry Gary Beers of INXS and was directed by Richard Lowenstein.[8]
On 13 July, Models performed four songs for the
"Cold Fever" released in October was their next single, which peaked into the Top 40.
1986–1988: Models' Media to dissolution
In 1986, Models went to UK to record their next album,
During 1987, Ceberano and Matthews sang together on the soundtrack for ABC-TV series, Stringer, the resultant album, You've Always Got the Blues was released in 1988, and peaked at No. 4 on the albums chart.[4][10] Models members, including Mason as lead singer and Kelly on bass guitar, formed a side-project, The Clampetts, to record covers of nine country music tracks, which was released in 1987 as The Last Hoedown.[5][24] Valentine left Models to pursue a radio and television journalism career.[24]
In 1988, the Thank You Goodnight Tour was conducted but the pressures of ten years of touring, as well as financial troubles, hastened the break-up of Models, which was announced in June 1988,[4] however in 2008, Kelly disputed the break-up:[25]
I remember in the late '80s I noticed James' [Freud] Record Company put out a press release that we'd split up, which was completely inaccurate. Because we had so many individuals in the group, we've always been able to sustain it in one form or another - and fortunately for me they've always let me be involved. As long as I'm there, we get to claim that continuity.[26]
1988–current: post-dissolution and reunions
Models' extended live exposure ensured that they stayed in the public eye when other contemporaries had been forgotten: the band's later work remained popular on radio throughout the 1990s; this, coupled with critical acclaim and cult appeal of earlier work, re-stimulated interest in their work in the latter half of that decade. The band reformed for a few gigs in 2000; in 2001 their rarities album Melbourne was released.[26] Freud has written two memoirs, I Am The Voice Left From Drinking (2002) and I Am The Voice Left From Rehab (2007); the titles are both taken from "Barbados" and allude to his addiction with drugs and alcohol, and his subsequent recovery attempts.[17][18]
Kelly and Matthews formed Absent Friends in early 1989 which included ex-Models members Duffield, Mason and Valentine. With Matthews on lead vocals their 1990 hit single, "I Don’t Want to Be with Nobody but You" peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Charts.[27] The associated album, Here's Looking Up Your Address peaked at No. 7.[27] Absent Friends disbanded in 1991 and Kelly fronted The Dukes from 1991 to 1994. Matthews provided a No. 11 hit with her first solo album Émigré late in 1990.[28] She followed with Lily, which peaked at No. 2 in 1992,[28] and provided her best performed single, "The Day You Went Away", which also peaked at No. 2.[28] Matthews and Kelly separated as a couple in the mid-1990s.[15]
Duffield wrote music (including the theme) for the Australian children's TV series, Round the Twist; and in 2007 composed all music and sound effects for the TV comedy, Kick.[29] Duffield teamed up with Phil Kennihan to found a successful advertising music partnership.
Mason has composed soundtracks for many feature films and television series both locally and internationally. Valentine later worked in children's TV, is a popular radio host on
Various versions of Models have reformed on several occasions for short tours, including in 2006 and in September 2008.
In 2013, Models (consisting of Duffield, Ferrie, Kelly, and Price) issued a self-released four-song EP titled GTK. A follow-up EP was issued in 2015: titled Memo, it also consisted of four songs.
Members
- Current members
- (1978–1988, 2000–2001, 2006, 2008, 2010–present)
- Mark Ferrie – bass guitar (1979–1982, 2001, 2010–present)
- Andrew Duffield– keyboards (1979–1982, 1982–1984, 2010–present)
- Ash Davies – drums (2010–present)
- Janis Freidenfelds a.k.a. Johnny Crash – drums, percussion (1978–1981; died 2014)
- Peter Sutcliffe a.k.a. Pierre Voltaire – bass guitar (1978–1979)
- Ash Wednesday – keyboards (1978–1979, 2001)
- Mark Hough a.k.a. Buster Stiggs – drums (1981–1982; died 2018)
- James Freud – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals (1982–1988, 2000–2001, 2006, 2008; died 2010)
- John Rowell – guitar (1982)
- Graham Scott – drums (1982)
- Barton Price – drums (1982–1988, 2000)
- Gus Till – keyboards (1982)
- James Valentine – saxophone (1984–1987)
- Roger Mason – keyboards, backing vocals (1984–1988, 2000)
- backing vocals(1983–1985)
- Zan Abeyratne – backing vocals (1983–1985)
- Sherine Abeyratne – backing vocals (1983–1985)
- Wendy Matthews – backing vocals (1985–1988)
- Jackson Freud – guitar (2008)
- Tim Rosewarne – keyboards (2008)
- Cameron Goold – drums (2008)
Discography
Studio albums
Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | sales thresholds )
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [10] |
NZL
[37] |
US [22] | |||
1980 | Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf
|
43 | — | — | |
1981 | Local &/or General
|
30 | — | — | |
1983 | The Pleasure of Your Company
|
12 | — | — | |
1985 | Out of Mind, Out of Sight
|
3 | 8 | 84 | |
1986 | Models' Media
|
30 | 44 | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Compilation albums
Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
AUS
[10] |
US [22] | |||
1993 | Models' Collection
|
— | — | |
1995 | Models and Friends
|
— | — | |
2010 | The Essential Hits
|
— | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Live albums
Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
AUS
[10] |
US [22] | |||
2001 | Melbourne
|
— | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Extended plays
Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
AUS
[10] |
US [22] | |||
1980 | Two People Per Sq Km
|
— | — | |
1981 | Cut Lunch
|
37 | — | |
2013 | GTK (EP)
|
— | — | |
2015 | Memo (EP)
|
— | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Singles
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [10] |
NZL [37] |
US Hot [23] |
US Main [23] | |||||||||||
1979 | "Early Morning Brain (It's Not Quite the Same as Sobriety)"[A] | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||
1980 | "Owe You Nothing" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
1981 | "Cut Lunch"[B] | 38 | — | — | — | Cut Lunch (EP) | ||||||||
"Local &/or General" | — | — | — | — | Local &/or General | |||||||||
1982 | "Unhappy" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
"On" | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||
1983 | "I Hear Motion" | 12 | — | — | — | The Pleasure of Your Company | ||||||||
"No Shoulders No Head" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
1984 | "God Bless America" | 96 | — | — | — | |||||||||
"Tropic of Cancer" | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||
"Big on Love" | 24 | — | — | — | Out of Mind, Out of Sight | |||||||||
1985 | "Barbados" | 2 | 32 | — | — | |||||||||
"Out of Mind, Out of Sight" | 1 | 3 | 37 | 22 | ||||||||||
"Cold Fever" | 36 | 22 | — | 29 | ||||||||||
"King of Kings" | 96 | — | — | — | ||||||||||
1986 | "Evolution" | 21 | — | — | — | Models' Media | ||||||||
"Let's Kiss" | 27 | 31 | — | — | ||||||||||
1987 | "Hold On" | 21 | — | — | — | |||||||||
"Oh! Darling" | 48 | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Notes
- A.^ "Early Morning Brain (It's Not Quite the Same as Sobriety)" was originally released by Models as a shared single with The Boys Next Door's "Scatterbrain" on the flip-side.[4]
- B.^ Cut Lunch (EP) charted on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart, with "Cut Lunch" and "Two Cabs to the Toucan" as the most played radio tunes. "Cut Lunch" also peaked on the related Singles Chart.[4]
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
ARIA Music Awards of 1987 | Mark Opitz for Models Media by Models | ARIA Award for Producer of the Year | Won |
Richard Alan forModels Media by Models | ARIA Award for Best Cover Art | Nominated | |
ARIA Music Awards of 2010 | Models | ARIA Hall of Fame | inductee |
Countdown Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | The Pleasure of Your Company | Best Australian Album | Nominated |
"I Hear Motion" | Best Single | Nominated | |
1984 | "Big On Love"" | Best Group Performance in a Video | Nominated |
1985 | "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" | Best Single | Won |
References
- General
- ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2010.) Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
{{cite encyclopedia}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link - Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[40] Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltdin 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. As from September 2010, [on-line] version appears to have an Internal Service Error.
- Specific
- ^ All Media Network. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "Mark Ferrie Biography : Music CV" (PDF). Mercurials.com. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (5 May 2014). "$500,000 prize won on Million Dollar Minute". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag McFarlane, 'Models' entry. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Holmgren, Magnus; Baird, Paul; Aubrey, Ross; Acosta, Lisa. "The Models". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nimmervoll, Ed. "Models". Howlspace. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ^ Nimmervoll, Ed. "Models More". Howlspace. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Australian Rock by Memorable TV L to M". Memorable TV. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "Local Songwriters – The Models". Mushroom Music Publishing. Archived from the original on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian singles and albums charting until ARIA created their own chartsin mid-1988.
- ^ Kimball, Duncan (2002). "Split Enz". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Beck, Chris (13 September 2005). "Mecurials on the rise". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Resume: Mark Hough". ArtsHub Holdings Australia Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- Internet Movie Database(IMDb). Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Talking Heads - Wendy Matthews". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 30 May 2005. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- Australasian Performing Right Association(APRA). Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7322-7440-5. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ OCLC 225095344.
- ^ Jean-Manuel Esnault, Daniel Agudo Rodríguez (ed.). "Review of the "Oz for Africa" benefit concert broadcast by MTV". liveaid.free.fr. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ISBN 0-330-39019-8. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 572 – 24 June 1985 > Singles: New Releases". Imgur.com (original document published by Kent Music Report). Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b c "Models > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Models band members (archive copy)". Angelfire.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 1999. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Eliezer, Christie (29 July 2008). "The models hear motion". The Music Network.
- ^ a b c Ford, Kelly (August 2008). "Sean Kelly is a Model Man". Citysearch Australia Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Discography Absent Friends". Australian charts portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ a b c "Discography Wendy Matthews". Australian charts portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Andrew Duffield". Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Cashmere, Tim (28 July 2006). "Models reform for Homebake Festival". Undercover News. Undercover Network Pty Ltd. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Cashmere, Tim (18 September 2008). "Models to Reunite Next Week". Undercover News. Undercover Network Pty Ltd. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Watt, Andrew (15 July 2010). "Models' Sean Kelly Interview". Hey Hey My My. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Australian Association Press (AAP) (28 October 2010). "Old talent time: ARIA honours music legends". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ Treuen, Jason (28 October 2010). "ARIA Hall of Fame celebrates music's loved ones". The Music Network (Peer Group Media). Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ Street, Andrew P (25 October 2010). "Models inducted into ARIA Hall of Fame". Time Out. Time Out Group. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ a b Pepper, Daile; Murfett, Andrew (4 November 2010). "Models' frontman tragedy: James Freud takes own life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Discography Models (AU)". Australian charts portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Winners by Award: Hall of Fame". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- Portable document format (PDF)). Countdown Magazine. Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC). March 1987. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- ^ "Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry". catalogue. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
External links
- Models at IMDb
- Models discography at Billboard
- Models discography at MusicBrainz
- Models discography at Discogs