Netherworld Dancing Toys was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

band from

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

formed in 1982. In 1985, their single "For Today" reached number 3 in the New Zealand singles chart.

History

The group formed at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

. The band members included Malcolm Black, Nick Sampson, Graham Cockroft, Brent Alexander and later Annie Crummer and Kim Willoughby. The original brass section was composed of Otago students including Alistair Perry, Matthew Trbuhovic and former chief information officer for NSW health Michael Rillstone (Mick Rillstone). The band's name is from a

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...

song "Spin Me Round" from their '' Manifesto'' album: "A nether world dancing toy/I'm wired for sound..." . The band drew full houses frequently at Dunedin venues, notably the Captain Cook and Oriental Taverns, and were a popular student dance band. Musical influences were varied ranging from Dexy's Midnight Runners-styled brassy new soul, to classic Motown and ska. The band quickly developed a suite of original music which was distinctive in sound despite several brass section lineup changes. In 1983, they played at Sweetwaters Music Festival and in 1984 they supported

Blam Blam Blam Blam Blam Blam were a New Zealand pop/rock/alternative band. Tim Mahon (bass) and Mark Bell (guitar, vocals) had been members of The Plague and The Whizz Kids. After losing their drummer Ian Gilroy to The Swingers in 1980, Tim and Mark joine ...

on tour and a double sided LP of the concert at Mainstreet, Auckland was released.

Don McGlashan Donald McGlashan (born 18 July 1959) is a New Zealand composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist who Is best known for membership in the bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and The Mutton Birds, before going solo. He has also composed for ci ...

produced "The Real You"/"Standing in the Rain"/"New Zealand Love Song" which was released in November 1984. In 1985 "For Today" reached No. 3 in the singles chart and the Netherworld Dancing Toys won five categories at the 1985 New Zealand Music Awards. Malcolm Black and Nick Sampson won the 1985 APRA Silver Scroll for "For Today". In the early 2000s their song, "

For Today For Today was an American Christian metalcore band from Sioux City, Iowa, formed in 2005. They released two EPs, ''Your Moment, Your Life, Your Time'' and ''Prevailer'', and six full-length albums: '' Ekklesia'' in, 2008, ''Portraits'' in 2009, ...

" received renewed prominence when it was used as an advertisement for

New Zealand Post NZ Post ( mi, Tukurau Aotearoa), shortened from New Zealand Post, is a state-owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand. The New Zealand Post Office, a government agency, provided postal, banking, and telecommuni ...

and at one stage for a driving safety campaign, and is also included on the soundtrack of the film ''

Sione's Wedding ''Sione's Wedding'' (also marketed outside New Zealand as ''Samoan Wedding'') is a 2006 New Zealand comedic film directed by Chris Graham and written by James Griffin and Oscar Kightley, and produced by South Pacific Pictures. Plot Set in Au ...

''. In 2015 the song was used in a Pak n Save advertisement celebrating 30 years in business. For Today was released the same year as the Pak 'n Save brand was founded. Malcolm Black became a music industry lawyer. In ''The Mechanics of Popular Music, A New Zealand Perspective'' he says of the band's demise, "We were university graduates who had a number of different options and wanted security and a regular pay packet..." Graham Cockroft is CFO of Contact Energy. Black died in Auckland on 10 May 2019.

Discography

Albums and EPs

Featured appearances

The group have appeared on a few compilations and soundtracks since the 1980s. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by Netherworld Dancing Toys. * ( 2002) – ''

Nature's Best 2 ''Nature's Best 2'' is a two-disc compilation album of 35 New Zealand popular music songs, numbers 31-65 on the APRA 75th Anniversary Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time. See '' Nature's Best'' for more information on the selection process of thi ...

'' ( ''label unknown'' ) – "

" * ( 2004) – ''

Nature's Best DVD The Nature's Best DVD is a DVD release of 60 music videos to songs from the three ''Nature's Best'' compilation albums. Track listing #Dave Dobbyn - " Loyal" (Dave Dobbyn, 1988) #The Swingers - " Counting the Beat" (Phil Judd/ Mark Hough/ Wayne ...

'' ( ''label unknown'' ) – "

" * ( 2006) – '' Sione's Wedding OST'' ( ''

Dawn Raid Entertainment Dawn Raid Entertainment is a record label based in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, in New Zealand. It has signed many New Zealand Hip-hop and R&B artists such as Savage, Adeaze, Aaradhna, The Deceptikonz, Devolo and Ill Semantics. The founders ...

'' ) – "

Singles

References

Bibliography

* Chunn, Mike and Chunn, Jeremy, ''The Mechanics of Popular Music, A New Zealand Perspective'', GP Publications, 1995. * Dix, John, ''Stranded in Paradise'', Penguin, 2005. * Eggleton, David, ''Ready To Fly'', Craig Potton, 2003.

External links

Songs From Sampson And The 'Toys'
{{Authority control APRA Award winners New Zealand musical groups Flying Nun Records artists Musical groups established in 1982 Musical groups disestablished in 1985 1982 establishments in New Zealand