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Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian
rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
formed in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and
Brad Shepherd Bradley Mark Shepherd (born 1 February 1961) is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially Hoodoo Gurus. Biography Early life Shepherd was bor ...
(guitar, vocals, harmonica). Their popularity peaked in the mid- to late 1980s with albums ''
Mars Needs Guitars! ''Mars Needs Guitars!'' is Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' second album, released in March 1985. The title is a reference to the 1967 science fiction film, '' Mars Needs Women''. Singles from the album were " Bittersweet", "Like Wow – W ...
'', ''
Blow Your Cool! ''Blow Your Cool!'' is the third studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in April 1987 and peaked at number 2 on the Australian chart. In 2009, Dave Faulkner said "When the ''Blow Your Cool!'' touring was over Clyde ...
'' and ''
Magnum Cum Louder ''Magnum Cum Louder'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. The album was produced by the group, and released in Australia in May 1989 and peaked at number 13. Faulkner later said, "We produced the record ourselve ...
''. Hoodoo Gurus had a string of pop-rock singles including " Leilani" (1982), " Tojo" (1983), " My Girl" (1983), "
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
" (1984), " Bittersweet", "
Like Wow – Wipeout "Like Wow – Wipeout" is a song written by Dave Faulkner (musician), Dave Faulkner and recorded by Australian Rock music, rock group Hoodoo Gurus for their album ''Mars Needs Guitars!''. It was released in October 1985 as the second single from t ...
", and " What's My Scene?". After touring the United States from 1984 onward they gained popularity on the U.S.
college rock College rock was the alternative rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream ...
circuit with the singles "
Come Anytime "Come Anytime" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in May 1989 as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album, ''Magnum Cum Louder''. "Come Anytime" peaked at number 27 on The Australian charts and at number ...
" (1989) reaching no. 1 and "
Miss Freelove '69 "Miss Freelove '69" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus, released in February 1991 as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, '' Kinky''. The song peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Charts and number 3 on the '' Billboard'' ...
" (1991) reaching No. 3 on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart. The Hoodoo Gurus' biggest Australian single was their 1987 top-3 song "What's My Scene?". The song was parodied for the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
2000s theme "That's My Team". The Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the Australia's 2007
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
. The band's induction announcement stated that the Gurus were one of the most "inventive, lyrically smart and exciting" bands from Australia. From 1960s power pop and garage punk to hard rock and funky psychedelic kitsch, the group's music stood out from Sydney's
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
-inspired bands.


History


First Beginnings

Originally formed under the Hoodoo Gurus name in Perth late 1970's. Original lineup was Dave Faulkner (vocals and guitar), Mark Hayward (drums), Brad Clarke (guitar), Paul Blacbie (bass). They had about 14 songs ready to go, then a fall-out between Faulkner and Clarke split the band. Faulkner moved on to join the Manikins for a short while before moving to Sydney and re-forming a new Hoodoo Gurus lineup there.


1981–1983: Formation

Three Hoodoo Gurus founders were from Perth
protopunk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated wi ...
and
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
bands: Dave Faulkner (guitars) was a former member of the legendary Manikins left after a fallout with frontman Robbie Porritt.
James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...
(drums) of The Victims; while Baker had been with
Roddy Radalj Rodney John "Roddy" Radalj is a Croatian-born Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He has provided guitar, bass guitar and vocals in several influential Australian bands starting with Perth punk bands in the late 1970s before relocating to ...
(aka Roddy Ray'Da) (guitars) in
The Scientists The Scientists is a post-punk band from Perth, Western Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as the Exterminators and then the Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/ ...
. The fourth founding member,
Kimble Rendall Kimble Rendall (born 1957) is an Australian Film director, director, musician and writer mostly known for his Second unit direction of ''The Matrix Reloaded'' (2003), ''The Matrix Revolutions'' (2003), ''I, Robot (film), I, Robot'' (2004), ''Cas ...
(guitars) was formerly in Sydney punk rockers
XL Capris XL or variants may stand for: Arts and entertainment * XL (band), a J-Pop band * XL Recordings, a British independent record label * XL, a character in the animated series ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' Businesses and organizations Transport ...
. The three guitarists Faulkner, Rendall and Radalj met at an end-of-1980 New Year's Eve party and were joined by Baker to form Le Hoodoo Gurus. Le Hoodoo Gurus unorthodox line-up of three guitars and no bass player, fused pop melodies, punk guitars and an American trash culture ethic. This was captured on their first single, " Leilani", released in October 1982, on
Phantom Records Phantom Records was an Australian record store and independent record label established in 1978 by Dare Jennings and Jules R.B. Normington. Phantom Records was one of Australia's first indie labels, and the store was known for its guerilla m ...
. This told the story of a maiden sacrificed to the gods and an erupting volcano while her true love looked on helplessly. They dropped the 'Le', to become Hoodoo Gurus, not long after the single's release. As the Hoodoo Gurus, they gave their first ever performance on a segment of the kids' TV program ''
Simon Townsend's Wonder World ''Simon Townsend's Wonder World!'' was an Australian children's television show that aired on Network Ten from 1979 until 1987. It was created and hosted by journalist Simon Townsend. In 1993, the show was relaunched on the Nine network as ''Wo ...
''; this was followed by a performance alongside a man and his singing dog, on ''
The Don Lane Show ''The Don Lane Show'' was an Australian television talk show which aired twice a week on the Nine Network from 1975 to 1983. The show was created by Don Lane who co-hosted it with Bert Newton. Channel Nine was reluctant to cast Bert Newton, ...
''. Rendall left in 1982 before the release of "Leilani", and went on to become a
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
and film director. Rendall was second unit director on the latter two
Matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...
films, ''
The Matrix Reloaded ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science-fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is a sequel to '' The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Lau ...
'' and ''
The Matrix Revolutions ''The Matrix Revolutions'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the third installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, released six months following ''The Matrix Reloaded''. The film stars ...
'', as well as ''
I, Robot ''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines ''Super Science Stories'' and '' Astounding Science Fiction'' be ...
''. Rendall also directed the
slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...
, ''
Cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...
'' in 2000. Rendall was effectively replaced by Clyde Bramley (bass guitar, backing vocals) from Sydney bands
The Hitmen The Hitmen are an Australian hard rock band formed in November 1977 by long-term members, Johnny Kannis on lead vocals and Chris Masuak on lead guitar as Johnny and the Hitmen. The group went through numerous line up changes in its first run ...
and Super K. Radalj was not happy with Rendall's leaving or Faulkner's greater influence and left the Gurus. He was replaced by ex-Fun Things guitarist
Brad Shepherd Bradley Mark Shepherd (born 1 February 1961) is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially Hoodoo Gurus. Biography Early life Shepherd was bor ...
, who had been Bramley's flatmate. Bramley and Shepherd had both been in The Hitmen and Super K. Faulkner wrote "
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
" in response to Radalj's public dissatisfaction with the Gurus. Radalj went on to perform with a number of other acts, including
The Johnnys The Johnnys are an Australian pub rock band from Sydney forming in 1982 and still active today that combines country and punk musical styles. Members are Graham Hood, Billy Pommer Jr and Slim Doherty and have included founder, Roddy Ray'da (ak ...
, Love Rodeo, The Dubrovniks and Roddy Ray'Da & the Surfin' Caesars. As Roddy Ray'Da, he released ''Lost, Lonely and Vicious'' in 1990, ''Orgazmatazz'' a year later and ''Mouthful of Chicken'' in 1993.


1983–1984: ''Stoneage Romeos''

Gurus new line-up (Baker, Bramley, Faulkner and Shepherd) recorded the band's first album in 1984, ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
''. The title came from a 1955
Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...
'' Stone Age Romeos''. The album was dedicated to characters from ''
Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...
'', ''
F-Troop ''F Troop'' is a satirical American television sitcom Western about U.S. soldiers and Native Americans in the Wild West during the 1860s that originally aired for two seasons on ABC. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965, and ...
'' and ''
Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and B ...
''. They were awarded 'Best Debut Album' of 1984 at the July 1985 ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' Music Awards. When ''Stoneage Romeos'' was released in America it stayed at number 1 in the Alternative/College charts for seven weeks, becoming one of the most played albums for the year on the college network. Initially a cult inner-city act, their popularity expanded due to regular airplay on radio station
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
and nationwide pop TV show ''Countdown'' from mid-1983. Their breakthrough single " My Girl" was accompanied by a video clip featuring a dog trainer with his once champion
greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
. Members of Spiderbait described seeing the video for the first time as "a beautiful, classic pop song". Some viewers insisted the song was "written about a dog". This was closely followed by "
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
", which featured
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
plastic model
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
s. Both videos were aired frequently raising the group's profile around the country. Original drummer James Baker was sacked from the band in August 1984 and was replaced by Mark Kingsmill (
The Hitmen The Hitmen are an Australian hard rock band formed in November 1977 by long-term members, Johnny Kannis on lead vocals and Chris Masuak on lead guitar as Johnny and the Hitmen. The group went through numerous line up changes in its first run ...
,
New Christs The New Christs are an Australian garage rock band formed in 1980 by founding mainstay, Rob Younger, on lead vocals. Younger was the lead singer for punk rockers, Radio Birdman, and in other hard rock groups, New Race, Bad Music, the Other S ...
, Screaming Tribesmen, Hellcats and Super K). Based on the success of ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
'' the Hoodoo Gurus, with their new drummer, then embarked on their first tour of the United States in late 1984.


1985–1993: ''From Mars'' to ''Kinky''

Following the US tour the Hoodoo Gurus went into the studio and recorded their second album, ''
Mars Needs Guitars! ''Mars Needs Guitars!'' is Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' second album, released in March 1985. The title is a reference to the 1967 science fiction film, '' Mars Needs Women''. Singles from the album were " Bittersweet", "Like Wow – W ...
'' (1985). The title was a twist on a
Sci Fi Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
titled '' Mars Needs Women''. The album's first single, " Bittersweet", had a more subdued regular-looking video. The Hoodoo Gurus played Europe and the United States including sell-out shows at
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's
Hammersmith Palais The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, in its last years simply named Hammersmith Palais, was a dance hall and entertainment venue in Hammersmith, London, England that operated from 1919 until 2007. It was the first ''palais de danse''  to b ...
and a two-month tour as special guests with
The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including "Manic Monday" (1986), "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), " Hazy Shade ...
. Baker's firing upset some fans and critics. Despite subsequent fan speculation about the single "
Poison Pen A poison pen letter is a letter or note containing unpleasant, abusive, or malicious statements or accusations about the recipient or a third party. It is usually sent anonymously. In the term "poison pen" (or poisoned pen), the word poison is u ...
”, songwriter Faulkner said it was not about band issues but rather about a relationship that had turned bitter. Baker had been involved with
The Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex- Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar ( The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Bo ...
as a side project from 1983 and now concentrated on their 1984 album ''The Axeman's Jazz'', subsequently he founded James Baker Experience and The Dubrovniks (latter two included Radalj), Novakill and eventually The Painkillers. Gurus' peak of popularity was in the mid-to-late 1980s with the albums ''
Mars Needs Guitars! ''Mars Needs Guitars!'' is Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' second album, released in March 1985. The title is a reference to the 1967 science fiction film, '' Mars Needs Women''. Singles from the album were " Bittersweet", "Like Wow – W ...
'', ''
Blow Your Cool! ''Blow Your Cool!'' is the third studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in April 1987 and peaked at number 2 on the Australian chart. In 2009, Dave Faulkner said "When the ''Blow Your Cool!'' touring was over Clyde ...
'' and ''
Magnum Cum Louder ''Magnum Cum Louder'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. The album was produced by the group, and released in Australia in May 1989 and peaked at number 13. Faulkner later said, "We produced the record ourselve ...
''. The albums reached no. 140 (1986), no. 120 (1987) and no. 101 (1989) on the American ''Billboard'' 200 album charts respectively. The band's 1987 'Blow Your Cool' concert tour took them to 19 countries playing 204 venues. A concert from the Ritz in New York City was broadcast by
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
America. The 'Magnum Cum Louder' tour in 1990, with dates in Europe, America and Australasia; included Japan for the first time. Based on their extensive touring of America, the band gained a solid following in the U.S. with regular exposure on US college radio (and later
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's 120 Minutes) and even developed a big fan base in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The third album ''Blow Your Cool!'' let go of some of the peripheral quirkiness and just concentrated on the band's pop power. Members of their international peer group
The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including "Manic Monday" (1986), "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), " Hazy Shade ...
and
Dream Syndicate A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...
contributed backing vocals to some songs. Then, Hoodoo Gurus decided to opt out of its record contract, tying up the group in legal wranglings for more than a year. In 1988 Richard Grossman (ex
Matt Finish Matt Finish are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in mid-1979 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Matt Moffitt (1956–2003) and drummer, composer and producer John Prior (musician), John Prior. The 1981 line-up of Moffitt, Prior, Rich ...
,
Divinyls Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school unifo ...
) replaced Clyde Bramley on bass. The most stable line-up of Faulkner, Grossman, Kingsmill, and Shepherd saw Hoodoo Gurus from 1988 to the break-up in January 1998. After two albums under their new contract, ''Magnum Cum Louder'' and 1991's '' Kinky'', which reached no. 101 and 172 on the American ''Billboard'' 200 album charts respectively the band then released in 1992 two compilations at once, '' Electric Soup'', which contained the band's hits and '' Gorilla Biscuit'', which was made up of B-sides and rarities. ''Kinky'' provided the single "
Miss Freelove '69 "Miss Freelove '69" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus, released in February 1991 as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, '' Kinky''. The song peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Charts and number 3 on the '' Billboard'' ...
" which reached no. 19 on the
ARIA In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
Singles Chart, and no. 3 on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart in 1991. Another single of the same year "
1000 Miles Away "1000 Miles Away" is a song by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in May 1991 as the second single from the group's fifth studio album, '' Kinky''. "1000 Miles Away" peaked at number 37 on the Australian singles chart. In June 2 ...
" reached no. 37 in Australia. It was adopted by the crew of
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
frigate HMAS ''Canberra'' as its unofficial anthem in 1993, playing it whenever its ships left port. Hoodoo Gurus played a concert, including "1000 Miles Away", on-board HMAS ''Canberra'' during its last voyage prior to decommissioning in 2005.


Crank through to the Bullet (1994–1998)

They followed ''Kinky'' with '' Crank'' in 1994. The 'Crank' world tour took the Gurus through USA, Canada, Europe and included a one-month tour of
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. Faulkner also composed the soundtrack to Laurie McInnes' 1994 feature film ''Broken Highway''. In 1995, the Gurus collaborated with
The Masters Apprentices The Masters Apprentices (or The Masters to fans) were an Australian rock band fronted by Jim Keays on lead vocals, which originally formed as The Mustangs in 1964 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne, Victoria in February 1967 ...
frontman
Jim Keays James Keays (9 September 194613 June 2014) was a Scottish-born Australian musician who fronted the rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player from 1965 to 1972 and subsequently had a solo career. He ...
on an updated rendition of "Turn Up Your Radio". The song was included on a new Masters' Best of album, as well as being issued as a single. In 1996 they moved to
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival Mu ...
for the release of their next album, '' Blue Cave''. The band then undertook a national tour of Australian tour with US outfit
The Posies The Posies were an American power pop group. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are ...
and local band Drop City. Touring commitments were curtailed when Kingsmill severed tendons and nerves in his arm as a result of an onstage accident. Once Kingsmill recovered, the Gurus completed their 'Circus Maximus' Australian tour by end of 1996. In January 1997, Faulkner announced that the band would be breaking up in December. March saw the Gurus undertake another tour of
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, where they played a concert in front of 40,000 people. The Gurus commenced their final Australian tour, the three-month 'Spit the Dummy' tour, in October 1997. The tour coincided with the release of the double compilation album '' Armchair Gurus''/''
Electric Chair An electric chair is a device used to execute an individual by electrocution. When used, the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes fastened on the head and leg. This execution method, ...
'', which made no. 29 on the national chart. The band played its final show in Melbourne on 11 January 1998. The show made up for dates missed during December 1997, when Faulkner was ill. In November 1998
Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
issued the Hoodoo Gurus' live album, ''
Bite the Bullet To "bite the bullet" is to “accept the inevitable impending hardship and endure the resulting pain with fortitude”.
''. The songs had been recorded during the band's 'Spit the Dummy' farewell tour. The standard, single album version was joined by a
limited edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
, triple CD version subtitled ''Director’s Cut''. It included the additional CDs, ''Doppelgänger'' (a collection of live-to-air Broadcasts from between 1983 and 1996) and ''Bubble and Squeak'' (a collection of outtakes and oddities). Although Hoodoo Gurus officially split in 1998 they signed with Acadia Records, who released the band's career-spanning compilation '' Ampology'' in October 2000.


1998–2003: Hoodoo hiatus – side projects and solo work


Grossman

From 1990 onwards, Grossman has been involved in a side project,
Ghostwriters A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
, with
Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band t ...
from
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
.
Ghostwriters A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
have released four albums with 2007's ''Political Animal'' on
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
. Shepherd had played with Ghostwriters on their albums ''Ghostwriters'' in 1991 and ''Fibromoon'' in 1999. During 2001, Grossman performed 20 concerts with long-time friend Matt Moffitt (1956–2003) singer-songwriter and founder of
Matt Finish Matt Finish are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in mid-1979 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Matt Moffitt (1956–2003) and drummer, composer and producer John Prior (musician), John Prior. The 1981 line-up of Moffitt, Prior, Rich ...
. Grossman had been an early member of
Matt Finish Matt Finish are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in mid-1979 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Matt Moffitt (1956–2003) and drummer, composer and producer John Prior (musician), John Prior. The 1981 line-up of Moffitt, Prior, Rich ...
, he returned to perform and record ''Just a Short Note (Best of)'' released in December 2001. The Kelly Gang was a 2004 project Grossman formed with Jack Nolan, they brought in Hirst and Scott Aplin (Waikiki) to record ''Looking for the Sun''; Shepherd performed as a session musician.


Shepherd

Shepherd was briefly involved with
Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris ...
alongside fellow Guru, James Baker. He recorded their four-track CD, ''From the Belly of the Beasts'', a live 1984 performance at the Trade Union Club, Sydney. Shepherd's tenure with Beasts ended after Baker was sacked from the Gurus. He joined another ex-Guru, Roddy Radalj, in Roddy Ray'Da and the Surfin' Caesars during 1989. In 1999, following Gurus break-up, Shepherd recorded "
Alex Chilton William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s ...
" for The Replacements tribute album, ''I'm in Love... With That Song'' (Antfarm Records). He also produced
Shutterspeed Shutterspeed were an Australian Independent rock, independent rock band which formed in Brisbane in 1998. They were frontman, fronted by Andrew Petersen on lead vocals and guitar, and released two albums, ''Hill Street Views'' (September 2001) ...
's debut 1999 EP, ''Up Go The Shutters'' and co-produced their second EP, ''Well Ain't That Something A Good Thing's Comin' '' on Laughing Outlaw Records. Shepherd went on to form a new band, The Monarchs (initially known as The Honkies), together with Andy Kelly on bass (Glide), Greg Hitchcock on guitar (The Neptunes, The Kryptonics, New Christs, The Verys, Challenger 7,
You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
, The Dearhunters) and his brother Murray Shepherd (Harpoon, The Fun Things, Screaming Tribesmen) on drums. The Monarchs played with The Meanies,
Even Even may refer to: General * Even (given name), a Norwegian male personal name * Even (surname) * Even (people), an ethnic group from Siberia and Russian Far East ** Even language, a language spoken by the Evens * Odd and Even, a solitaire game w ...
,
You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
,
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...
and
The Hellacopters The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nick ...
. In August 1999 The Monarchs recorded a self-financed album with
Wayne Connolly Wayne Paul Connolly is an Australian musician, record producer and audio engineer. From 1991 to 1997 Connolly provided lead guitar and vocals in guitar pop group the Welcome Mat, with whom he released two studio albums. In 1994, he formed Knie ...
and in 2000 they released their first single, "2001" b/w "This Is All I Can Do" (
Ivy League Records Ivy League Records is a record label based in Sydney, Australia. History Ivy League Records is an Australian-based record label established in 1997 by three ex-musician friends: Pete Lusty (John Reed Club) (RIP), Andy Cassell (Youth Group) an ...
); this was followed by their debut album, ''Make Yer Own Fun'', in October 2001, on Shock Records.


Faulkner

Antenna was Faulkner's side project (1998–1999) collaborating with long-time friend
Kim Salmon Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Dar ...
(The Cheap Nasties,
The Manikins The Manikins were an Australian punk rock and new wave band from Perth, Western Australia. History The band formed in August 1976 as the Cheap Nasties. Their debut gig was at The Rivervale Hotel in mid-1977. They lay claim to the title of ...
,
The Scientists The Scientists is a post-punk band from Perth, Western Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as the Exterminators and then the Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/ ...
,
Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris ...
), also in Antenna were Justin Frew and Stuart McCarthy (both of
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
). Antenna recorded an album mid-1998, and then made its live debut at the Telstra Concert of the Century/
Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
25th anniversary in November 1998. The concert coincided with the release of the band's debut single, "Come on Spring", and album, ''Installation''. Guest performers on the album included Matt Thomas (The Mavis's) on "All Rise", and
Christina Amphlett Christine Joy Amphlett (; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive hum ...
(
Divinyls Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school unifo ...
) on "Divine". "Come on Spring" reaching no. 64 on the 1998
Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the ...
list. Antenna appeared on the 1999
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
tour but disbanded soon after. Faulkner also wrote original music for the films ''Broken Highway'' (1993) and ''
The Sum of Us The Sum of Us can refer to: *'' The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together'', a 2021 best-selling political book by Heather McGhee. *''The Sum of Us (play)'', a 1990 play by Australian writer and director David Steve ...
'' (1994) starring
Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
and
Jack Thompson Jack Thompson may refer to: Sports * Jack Thompson (footballer, born 1892) (1892–1969), English footballer who played for Sheffield United and Bristol City * Jack Thompson (1920s footballer), English footballer who played for Aston Villa and Brig ...
. Faulkner was one of the new entries in the 2007 edition of ''
Who's Who in Australia ''Who's Who in Australia'' (''WWIA'') is an Australian biographical dictionary first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as ''Johns's Notable Australians''. It is used as a resource for summary information on prominent Australians. ''WWIA'' is part of ...
''.


Persian Rugs

In September 2001, the four ex-Gurus (Faulkner, Grossman, Kingsmill & Shepherd) performed as The Moops and were later called Persian Rugs. At Homebake 2001, (8 December) both Hoodoo Gurus and Persian Rugs performed separate sets. Persian Rugs recorded a five-track EP ''Mr. Tripper'' in June 2002, Grossman then left, and Shepherd recommended bassist Kendall James as his replacement (ex Thurston Howlers, Crusaders). With James, the Persian Rugs recorded their debut album ''Turkish Delight'', released in August 2003. Persian Rugs provided the track "Be My Guru" for the Hoodoo Gurus' tribute album ''Stoneage Cameos'' (2005) (see ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
'') and by that time Hoodoo Gurus, with Grossman on bass, had already reformed.


2003–2012: Regroup and ARIA Hall of Fame

By early 2003 Hoodoo Gurus had re-formed to record "That's My Team" as the promotional theme for the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
between 2003 and 2007 (a CD was released September 2003 – see " What's My Scene?") with all profits donated to
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
charities. The original film clip of "What's My Scene?" included shots of band members in Wests and
Cronulla Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydne ...
jumpers. On 17 November 2003
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
Records announced Hoodoo Gurus' reformation to record a new album, '' Mach Schau''; they also released the track "White Night" as a radio-only single. In January 2004 the band co-headlined the annual
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
festival with
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
and
The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...
. ''Proudly Australian – celebrate Australia Day 2004'' which included "Nothing's Changing My Life" by Hoodoo Gurus was a four-track give-away CD. "Nothing's Changing My Life" (February 2004) was released as a single with ''Mach Schau'' following in March. The 'Mach Schau' tour started in Perth late in March and was joined by Spiderbait from April to June. EMI reissued expanded/remastered editions of all Hoodoo Gurus albums (from February 2005); also released was ''Tunnel Vision'' (2005), a two-DVD set compiling every Gurus' video, never-before-seen live material and a retrospective documentary, "Be My Guru". The band performed at the 2006 NRL Grand Final. In 2007, Hoodoo Gurus was inducted into the
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
. The band were inducted by HG Nelson of
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
's ''
This Sporting Life ''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award, it recounts the story of a rugby league footb ...
''. They performed " The Right Time" and "
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
" at the ceremony and subsequently toured with fellow inductees
Radio Birdman Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth. Hist ...
. The citation for the band's nomination includes: Hoodoo Gurus toured during 2007 including several US dates, kicking off at the
South By Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
(SXSW) Music Festival in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
(see SXSW photo above), performances in Europe, including the Azkena Festival (Spain). This was followed by a national tour of Australia called 'Clash of the Titans' with
The Stems The Stems are a garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983. They were founded by Dom Mariani in late 1983. The Stems are heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock and 1970s power pop. The band ini ...
and
Radio Birdman Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth. Hist ...
. Their tour poster depicts the three bands as 'Heavyweights' of the Australian music scene. Another solo tour started late in 2007 (including performances at the
Apollo Bay Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town had a population of 1,790 at ...
Music Festival,
Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
,
Meredith Music Festival The Meredith Music Festival (otherwise known simply as Meredith or MMF) is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the "Supernatural Amphitheatre", a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith i ...
, and the
St Kilda Festival The St Kilda Festival, held every February (except 2021), is a free celebration of Australian music, summer, and St Kilda. Programming includes music, dance, children's activities, comedy, poetry, visual art, theatre, outdoor cinema, beach sp ...
) and continued into 2008. There are tentative plans to release a new album in 2009, although little material has been written so far. In June 2008
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
newspaper commemorated 50 years of Australian rock 'n' roll (the anniversary of the release of
Johnny O'Keefe John Michael O'Keefe (19 January 1935 – 6 October 1978) was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include " Wild One" (1958), " Shout!" and "She's My Baby". In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe rel ...
's " Wild One") by selecting the Top 50 Australian Albums, with ''Stoneage Romeo'' coming in at no. 5 on the list. The Hoodoo Gurus performed at the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2008. Hoodoo Gurus performed on 14 March 2009 for
Sound Relief Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009. The event was organised by Michael Gudinski, Michael Chugg, Amanda Pelman, Joe Segreto & To ...
at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
. Sound Relief was a benefit concert for victims of the Victorian Bushfire Crisis and the
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
s. Appearing with Hoodoo Gurus at the Sydney concert were,
Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
,
Eskimo Joe Eskimo Joe are an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 1997 by Stuart MacLeod, on lead guitar, Joel Quartermain, on drums and guitar, and Kavyen Temperley, on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Austral ...
, Icehouse, Jet,
Josh Pyke Joshua Jon Pyke (born 18 December 1977) is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, musician and children's book author. Biography Josh Pyke is a prolific songwriter, with a successful and critically acclaimed career both domestically and ove ...
,
Little Birdy Little Birdy were an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue. They gaine ...
,
The Presets The Presets are an Australian electronic music duo of Julian Hamilton (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Moyes (drums, keyboards). Formed in 2003 and signed to Modular Records, The Presets released two EPs ('' Blow Up'', '' Girl and the Sea'') in a ...
,
Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since ...
,
You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
and additional artists. In March 2009 the Hoodoo Gurus also signed a new recording contract with
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony ...
, the deal includes the band's back catalogue as well as a new album, the band's ninth and the first since the release of ''Mach Schau'' in 2004. Brad Shepherd said it had the potential to be "a career defining record".
Rolling Stone magazine ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...
, issue 694, September 2009. "Hoodoo Gurus Diversify" by Luke Ansimoff, p. 16
During the process of writing the album Dave Faulkner said in reference to the eclectic mix of songs ready for the album that "rather than stopping myself writing something, I just didn't artificially force myself to write in any direction". The album was originally scheduled for release in September 2009 but they were not happy with the final mix. Hoodoo Gurus then sent their songs off to
Durango, Colorado Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Coll ...
, where
Ed Stasium Ed Stasium is an American record producer and audio engineer, who has worked on albums by the Ramones, Talking Heads, Motörhead, the Smithereens and Living Colour. History Stasium began his recording career in 1970 fronting the band Brandywine. ...
, who worked on the band's previous albums ''Kinky'' and ''Crank'' worked with Faulkner. Faulkner flew to the US after Hoodoo Gurus performed in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, their first performances there in over 20 years. In August 2009 it was revealed that Shepherd had been diagnosed with
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
and was recovering from recent surgery. It was his second cancer diagnosis, having had a
melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...
removed five years earlier. The first single from their new album, "Crackin' Up", was released in December 2009 and received some airplay on Australian radio stations. The album, '' Purity of Essence'', was released on 16 March 2010 in Australia and internationally on 11 May 2010. On 3 October 2010, Hoodoo Gurus toured to London, UK, performing at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. In 2011, they were inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. In April 2012 the band played a series of concerts titled Dig it Up! in Australian capital cities, to celebrate 30 years since the release of their debut single " Leilani". At the concerts, the band performed the whole of their debut album ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
'' and other hits. Also playing as part of the Dig It Up! tour were Australian bands
Died Pretty Died Pretty, sometimes The Died Pretty, is an Australian alternative rock band founded by mainstays Ron Peno (lead singer) and Brett Myers (lead guitarist and backing vocalist) in Sydney in 1983. The band was briefly called Final Solution. The ...
and The Hard Ons, as well as international bands such as
Redd Kross Redd Kross is an American rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while Steve was still in middle school. With the additi ...
,
The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspirations to the White Str ...
and
The Fleshtones The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York, United States, formed in 1976. History 1976–1979 The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York, by Keith Streng (born September 18, 1955, New York City) an ...
.


2013–present: Continued performances and ''Chariot of the Gods''

In April 2013, the band hosted invitational concerts across the Australian capital cities, performing Mars Needs Guitars, and will be joined by
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...
,
Flamin' Groovies Flamin' Groovies is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965, originally co-led by Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan. After the Groovies released three albums, on Epic ('' Supersnazz'') and Kama Sutra (''Flamingo'' and '' Teenage Head' ...
,
Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...
, and
Peter Case Peter Case (born April 5, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His career is wide-ranging, from rock n' roll and blues, to folk rock and solo acoustic performance. Biography Early career Case was born in Buffalo, New York, B ...
. 2014 saw the release of '' Gravy Train'', an EP featuring three new songs and a remake of their first single "Leilani". In January 2015, it was announced that Kingsmill would be retiring from the band. His last performances were on 22 and 23 May 2015, at the "Be My Guru – Evolution Revolution" concerts at Sydney's
Powerhouse Museum The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Park, Sydney, Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle ...
, performed as the opening to the city's annual Vivid Festival. The concerts reunited all eight past and present band members for a two-hour set covering their beginnings as Le Hoodoo Gurus in 1982 all the way through to 2010's ''Purity of Essence''. The band headlined the 'A Day on the Green' concert series in March 2016, with Sunnyboys,
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 200 ...
,
Died Pretty Died Pretty, sometimes The Died Pretty, is an Australian alternative rock band founded by mainstays Ron Peno (lead singer) and Brett Myers (lead guitarist and backing vocalist) in Sydney in 1983. The band was briefly called Final Solution. The ...
, and
Ratcat Ratcat are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney who formed in 1985. The band is fronted by mainstay vocalist and guitarist, Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop song writing and energetic punk-style guitar rock won them fans from bo ...
. In early 2018, the group announced a vinyl reissue campaign called the Hoodoo Gurus Record Club, entailing the reissue on coloured vinyl of their back catalogue up to ''Purity of Essence'', which also included the album the group recorded as the Persian Rugs in 2000. The first release through the campaign was ''Stoneage Romeos'' on 1 June 2018, with a general public release on 7 September. On 26 May 2018, the group held a benefit concert for the Tatra bushfire with artists
The Badloves The Badloves are an Australian R&B, soul band that formed as DC3 in 1990 by founding mainstay member Michael Spiby on guitar and lead vocals. They changed their name after a year. Their debut studio album, '' Get on Board'', was issued in Jul ...
, 1927 and local talents Daniel Champagne, Corey Legge, The Figmentz, Erin McMahon, and Melanie Horsnell. The 'Band Together' concert sold out and ticket sales helped raise over half of the $250,000 target towards helping residents affected by the bushfire in March 2018. On 13 January 2019, Hoodoo Gurus headlined the 'Under the Southern Stars' concert tour of five states starting off at Hastings, Victoria, with performances in Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia scheduled throughout January. Appearing with Hoodoo Gurus at the Hastings concert were
Eskimo Joe Eskimo Joe are an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 1997 by Stuart MacLeod, on lead guitar, Joel Quartermain, on drums and guitar, and Kavyen Temperley, on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Austral ...
,
You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
,
The Superjesus The Superjesus are an Australian rock band formed in Adelaide in late 1994. Their debut album, ''Sumo'' (February 1998), peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, their second album, ''Jet Age'' (October 2000) reached No. 5 and their ...
, British India, The Getaway Plan and Scott Darlow. In July 2020, the band released the single "Hung Out to Dry". The song features on the vinyl version of the Gurus' tenth studio album, '' Chariot of the Gods'', released in March 2022.


Members

;Current members * Dave Faulkner
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
,
keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
(1981–1998, 2003–present) *
Brad Shepherd Bradley Mark Shepherd (born 1 February 1961) is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially Hoodoo Gurus. Biography Early life Shepherd was bor ...
– guitar, vocals,
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
(1982–1998, 2003–present) * Richard Grossman
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
(1988–1998, 2003–present) *Nik Rieth –
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(2015–present) ;Former members *
James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...
– drums (1981–1984, 2014) *
Roddy Radalj Rodney John "Roddy" Radalj is a Croatian-born Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He has provided guitar, bass guitar and vocals in several influential Australian bands starting with Perth punk bands in the late 1970s before relocating to ...
– guitar, backing vocals (1981–1982, 2014) *
Kimble Rendall Kimble Rendall (born 1957) is an Australian Film director, director, musician and writer mostly known for his Second unit direction of ''The Matrix Reloaded'' (2003), ''The Matrix Revolutions'' (2003), ''I, Robot (film), I, Robot'' (2004), ''Cas ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals (1981–1982, 2014) *Clyde Bramley – bass guitar, backing vocals (1982–1988, 2014) * Mark Kingsmill – drums (1984–1998, 2003–2015)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:0 right:110 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1981 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1981 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_Album BarData = bar:Dave text:"Dave Faulkner" bar:Roddy text:"Roddy Radalj" bar:Brad text:"Brad Shepherd" bar:Kimble text:"Kimble Rendall" bar:Clyde text:"Clyde Bramley" bar:Rick text:"Richard Grossman" bar:James text:"James Baker" bar:Mark text:"Mark Kingsmill" bar:Nik text:"Nik Rieth" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Dave from:start till:01/01/1998 color:vocals bar:Dave from:start till:01/01/1998 color:guitar width:3 bar:Brad from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1998 color:guitar bar:Brad from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1998 color:vocals width:3 bar:Rick from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1998 color:bass bar:Dave from:01/01/2003 till:end color:vocals bar:Dave from:01/01/2003 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Brad from:01/01/2003 till:end color:guitar bar:Brad from:01/01/2003 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Rick from:01/01/2003 till:end color:bass bar:Nik from:01/01/2015 till:end color:drums bar:James from:start till:01/07/1984 color:drums bar:James from:01/01/2014 till:31/12/2014 color:drums bar:Roddy from:start till:01/01/1982 color:guitar bar:Roddy from:01/01/2014 till:31/12/2014 color:guitar bar:Kimble from:start till:01/01/1982 color:bass bar:Kimble from:01/01/2014 till:31/12/2014 color:bass bar:Clyde from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1988 color:bass bar:Clyde from:01/01/2014 till:31/12/2014 color:bass bar:Mark from:01/07/1984 till:01/01/1998 color:drums bar:Mark from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2015 color:drums LineData = at:01/03/1984 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1985 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1987 color:black layer:back at:28/06/1989 color:black layer:back at:09/04/1991 color:black layer:back at:13/09/1994 color:black layer:back at:15/03/2004 color:black layer:back at:12/03/2010 color:black layer:back at:11/03/2022 color:black layer:back


Discography


Studio albums

* 1984: ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
'' * 1985: ''
Mars Needs Guitars! ''Mars Needs Guitars!'' is Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' second album, released in March 1985. The title is a reference to the 1967 science fiction film, '' Mars Needs Women''. Singles from the album were " Bittersweet", "Like Wow – W ...
'' * 1987: ''
Blow Your Cool! ''Blow Your Cool!'' is the third studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released in April 1987 and peaked at number 2 on the Australian chart. In 2009, Dave Faulkner said "When the ''Blow Your Cool!'' touring was over Clyde ...
'' * 1989: ''
Magnum Cum Louder ''Magnum Cum Louder'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. The album was produced by the group, and released in Australia in May 1989 and peaked at number 13. Faulkner later said, "We produced the record ourselve ...
'' * 1991: '' Kinky'' * 1994: '' Crank'' * 1996: '' Blue Cave'' * 2004: '' Mach Schau'' * 2010: '' Purity of Essence'' * 2022: '' Chariot of the Gods''


Awards and nominations


ARIA Music Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987. Rowe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. , - , 1993 , '' Electric Soup'' / '' Gorilla Biscuit'' – Paul McNeil, Richard All , Best Cover Art , , - , rowspan="2" , 1996 , "Waking Up Tired" (dir. John Witteron) , Best Video , , - , '' Blue Cave'' , Best Pop Release , , - ,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, "Down on Me" – Charles Fisher ,
Producer of the Year The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non- classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...
, , - ,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, ''Tunnel Vision'' , Best Music DVD , , - , 2007 , Hoodoo Gurus ,
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
, , -


The Age EG Awards

The Age EG Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005. , - ,
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, , Hoodoo Gurus , , Hall of Fame , , , -


Countdown Australian Music Awards

''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. , - , 1983 , Charles Fisher for work with Hoodoo Gurus , Best Record Producer , , - , rowspan="2" , 1984 , ''
Stoneage Romeos ''Stoneage Romeos'' is the debut album by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. Released in March 1984 by Big Time Records in Australia, the album's release saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live perf ...
'' , Best Debut Album , , -


References


External links

* – official site * *
Hoodoo Gurus
at MySpace
Hoodoo Gurus
at AMO
Hoodoo Gurus'
Dave Faulkner interview, in Rocker magazine, 2012
Hoodoo Gurus
career-spanning article at One Week One Band, April 2012 {{Authority control ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Musical groups established in 1981 Australian rock music groups Australian alternative rock groups Australian new wave musical groups Jangle pop groups Musical groups from Sydney Pub rock musical groups College rock musical groups