Tony McCarthy Recordings was a New Zealand record label owned by record producer Tony McCarthy. Some of the artists on the label were

Deane Waretini Deane Waretini (born c. 1946) is a musician from New Zealand. He had a #1 chart hit in 1981 with the song "The Bridge (Deane Waretini song), The Bridge", a Māori language song set to Nini Rosso's tune "Il Silenzio (song), Il Silenzio". He is al ...

and

Mahia Blackmore Mahia Blackmore (2 January 1949 – 31 May 2021) was a New Zealand singer and bandleader who got her start as a singer in the 1960s. She was referred to as New Zealand's own queen of rhythm and blues. She was also part of the Billy TK band Power ...

. The label is also a representation of the only released recordings by singer Abe Phillips who was killed in an accident in 1971.

Tony McCarthy

Tony McCarthy was a songwriter and record producer. In 1972, McCarthy's composition "Tellabout" for singer

Toni Williams Henry Anthony Williams (28 May 1939 – 1 October 2016), known professionally as Toni Williams or Antoni Williams, was a Cook Island-born New Zealand pop singer, who began singing at the Gandhi Hall in Auckland City where he became a local s ...

was an APRA Silver Scroll nominated song. In 1973, he was involved in a recording session with teenage singer

David Curtis David Curtis may refer to: *David Curtis (rugby union) (born 1965), Irish rugby union international * David L. Curtis (born 1947), American politician in the North Carolina Senate *David Roderick Curtis (1927–2017), Australian scientist * David Wh ...

who had a top 20 hit in 1970 with "Wheel Of Fortune". With Sonny Keepa, he composed "E Te Iwi E".

Artists

Mahia Blackmore

The first release on the label was by Mahia Blackmore. The A side "The Long Road" was written by Lambert & Porter. The B side "Need You" was written By Tony McCarthy, and both sides were produced by him as well. Blackmore would later be part of powerhouse, a band put together in the early 70s by guitarist

Billy TK Wiremu Te Kahika, better known as Billy Te Kahika or Billy TK Senior (born 1949), is a New Zealand Māori musician, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Early work As a child, Billy TK lived in Bunnythorpe, a small town near Palmerston Nort ...

. In early 2012, she was fronting the Paradise band which was due to appear at the Flaxmere Family Festival.

Abe Phillips

The Shadracks were a band from Hastings that were formed by Tom Greening in 1964. Abe Phillips joined in 1968 and as a result, the band experienced a boost. The line up then was Abe Phillips on vocals, Tom Greening on drums and vocals, Haromi Greening on vocals, Bill Prentice on tenor sax and rhythm guitar, Kepa Toa on lead guitar, Ricky Witoko on keyboards and sax, and Lambeth Bennett on bass guitar. In 1971, Tony McCarthy recorded Abe Phillips and the Shadracks in Wellington. In July 1971, Phillips left the group to concentrate on his solo career. Some time after that, he recorded "Don't Think You Remember Me" / " The Impossible Dream". In November 1971, Phillips was the winner of the Schweppes talent contest. He was on the verge of becoming internationally known, and it appeared he was headed for stardom. On December 18, 1971, Phillips was coming back from a concert in Wellington and was killed in a head-on car collision. It was reported in the December 19 edition of the '' Sunday News'', that the single, "Don't Think You Remember Me" / "The Impossible Dream" was selling well.

Prince Tui Teka Tumanako "Tui" Teka (8 March 193723 January 1985), better known by his stage names Tui Latui or Prince Tui Teka was a Māori singer and actor. Teka was a member of the Maori Volcanics Showband before having a successful solo career. Career Te ...

, and The Shadracks performed at his funeral. Forty years after his death, Phillips and The Shadracks became the subject of a 30-minute tribute documentary by Dean Mardon. Phillips was also a cousin of jazz cabaret singer

Bridgette Allen Bridgette Allen is a New Zealand-born jazz singer who has a career going back to the 1960s. She has appeared on television in both New Zealand and Australia. She also starred in the film ''Hooks and Feelers'', which was an adaptation of a Keri Hu ...

Deane Waretini

had two singles released on the label, "Trouble In My Life" bw ""The Long Road" and "Melody Butterfly" bw "Trouble in My Life. He would go on to have a No.1 hit in 1981 with " The Bridge".

Kount 5 Plus 2

Kount 5 Plus 2 were a group consisting of five men and two women. They appeared on New Zealand's ''New Faces'' in the final heat of the variety competition. Their single "Anybody There" was followed by "Tomorrow's Child".

Tui Fox

Tui Fox aka Tui Hemana was a singer from Hato Paora who performed in both New Zealand and Fiji. He appeared on television during the 1970s. When Fox was a young singer, he competed against an equally young

Bunny Walters Bunny Te Kokiri Miha Waahi Walters (31 May 1953 – 14 December 2016) was a New Zealand singer who had a number of New Zealand hits during the 1970s. He is best known for the hits "Brandy" and "Take the Money and Run". Background Of Ngāi Te Ra ...

at Joe Brown's Search for Stars. The event was held at the Rotorua Soundshell in 1969. Fox won the final, and Walters came in second. His single "You Can't Stop Love" bw " Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart" was released on the Joe Brown label around 1970. "You Can't Stop Love" was one of nine songs listed among recordings by Bunny Walters, Stan White and

Nash Chase Nash Chase is a former pop singer from New Zealand who recorded for the Ode and HMV labels. He released a string of singles in the early 1970s. He is remembered for " What Greater Love", " Today I Killed a Man I Didn't Know" and " Anderson and W ...

as eligible for the Golden Disc Awards. His single "Bounce Baby Bounce" bw "

Les Bicyclettes de Belsize ''Les Bicyclettes de Belsize'' is a 1968 British musical short film (30 mins) starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox, and played on cinemas as a supporting feature to Roy Boulting's controversial horror film ' ...

" was released in 1974. "Bounce Baby Bounce" by Fox appears on the ''Māori Showbands, Balladeers & Pop Stars'' various artists compilation.WorldCa
Waiata : Māori showbands, balladeers & pop stars.
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Releases (selective)

References

{{Authority control New Zealand independent record labels