Rogue Traders is an Australian
electronic rock
Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...
band formed in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
in 2002 by mainstay
James Ash
James Ash (born Jamie Graham Appleby; 10 June 1973), is an English-born Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and keyboardist of Australian electro-rock group Rogue Traders, where he plays the keyboard and gu ...
on keyboards. In 1989, Ash met fellow original member Steve Davis in London while both were working as DJs. Before forming Rogue Traders, the pair had worked together on many projects, including the dance music act Union State, which relocated to Melbourne in 1992. The group's name comes from the 1999 drama film, ''
Rogue Trader A rogue trader is person who makes financial trades in an unauthorised manner.
Rogue trader may also refer to:
* ''Rogue Trader'' (book), the autobiography of (and later a movie about) Nick Leeson, the man who caused the collapse of Barings Bank
* ...
''. They were joined in 2004 by soap opera actress,
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian recording artist, actress, and Celebrity, television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an ...
, on lead vocals,
Cameron McGlinchey
Cameron McGlinchey (born 19 September 1975) is an Australian drummer who serves as one of the members of the alternative rock band Rogue Traders. Originally, McGlinchey only played as a touring member, but by 2005, he joined as an official mem ...
on drums and
Tim Henwood on guitar. Davis continued as a behind-the-scenes member, contributing to the songwriting process but not making any public appearances with the group.
Rogue Traders have achieved chart success in Australia, with seven top 20 hits on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, "
One of My Kind", "
Voodoo Child", "
Way to Go!
"Way to Go!" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders from their second album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). It was released as the album's second single on 10 October 2005 and is the first release under the famous "Rogue Tr ...
", "
Watching You", "
We're Coming Home
"We're Coming Home" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders, released in June 2006 as the fourth and final commercial single from their second studio album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). Unlike previous singles from the album ...
", "
Don't You Wanna Feel
"Don't You Wanna Feel" is a song written by James Ash and Natalie Bassingthwaighte for the Rogue Traders' third studio album ''Better in the Dark''. It was released on schedule as the album's first single on 29 September 2007. It was leaked onto ...
" and "
I Never Liked You". Their most successful single, "Voodoo Child", peaked at number three on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, number four in Australia, number seven on the
New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
and number fifteen on the
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
. The group's two Top 5 albums in Australia are ''
Here Come the Drums
''Here Come the Drums'' is the second studio album by Australian band Rogue Traders, released in Australia on 23 October 2005 by Columbia Records. The album features the Rogue Traders with the then-new vocalist Natalie Bassingthwaighte and so ...
'' (2005) and ''
Better in the Dark
''Better in the Dark'' is the third studio album by Rogue Traders. It was released in Australia by Columbia Records on 13 October 2007 (see 2007 in music). The album was produced by band member James Ash – who has also produced the band's pre ...
'' (2007). In 2007, ''Here Comes the Drums'' was certified 4× platinum by ARIA for shipment of 280,000 copies, while ''Better in the Dark'' was certified platinum in 2008. As of 2008, Rogue Traders have been nominated for ten
ARIA 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
The music of Australia has ...
, three
MTV AVMA Awards, one
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
, one Inside Film Award, and eight
APRA Awards.
In June 2008, Bassingthwaighte dumped the band to focus on her acting and solo music career. In July that year, her then-boyfriend and later husband, McGrinchey, also left the band. In November that year, Mindi Jackson was revealed as the new lead singer to replace Bassingthwaighte.
Peter Marin
Peter Stuart Robert Marin (born 1978, Perth) is an Australian drummer and percussionist. Marin joined Dan Sultan's backing band in 2006 and is recorded on Sultan's albums, '' Get Out While You Can'' (November 2009), '' Blackbird'' (April 2014) ...
joined on drums to replace McGrinchey. The band was unceremoniously dumped by Sony Records in 2010, and split due to infighting shortly afterwards. Their fourth studio album and greatest hits compilation, ''
The Sound of Drums
"The Sound of Drums" is the twelfth episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007. It is the second of three episodes that form a linked narrati ...
'', was released after their split in November 2011.
On 15 December 2015, it was announced that the group had reformed with former lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
The band were working on new music, expected to be released in late 2017, which had not yet materialised as of 2021, though a 2021 remix EP of "In Love Again" was released in June 2021.
[https://www.9now.com.au/today/2017/clip-cj11irndm003c0hpmon62euln/b8ef28f6-aea3-48e4-992b-8358e95c8964 ]
History
Formation
![Jashbitd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Jashbitd.jpg)
Rogue Traders formed as an Australian
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
,
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
band in Melbourne in 2002 by former members of Union State,
James Ash
James Ash (born Jamie Graham Appleby; 10 June 1973), is an English-born Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and keyboardist of Australian electro-rock group Rogue Traders, where he plays the keyboard and gu ...
(aka Jamie Appleby) on keyboards and Steve Davis on guitar.
The duo had met in 1989 in London where both were working as DJs.
The pair first worked on a rap track, Ash recalled "It was a terrible song but Steve and I hit it off straight away and became fast friends".
Ash relocated to Melbourne in 1992, but the pair continued to work together and formed Union State to release singles including, "Out to Get You" and "Retrosexual".
In 1994 Ash signed with
Vicious Vinyl
Vicious Vinyl is a record label based in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Austra ...
as a solo artist under the name, Thunderchild, to issue a self-named single.
By 2002 the duo had formed Rogue Traders and signed with Vicious Vinyl's house music label, Vicious Grooves.
''We Know What You're Up To'': 2002–2004
On 11 April 2002, Rogue Traders released their debut single, "
Need You to Show Me", under the Vicious Grooves label, which failed to reach the top 100 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
.
However, it did reach No. 16 on the Top 50 Club Chart. It was originally intended to be the lead single for their debut album, ''
We Know What You're Up To
''We Know What You're Up To'' is the debut studio album by Rogue Traders. It was released by Vicious Grooves, Virgin in Australia on 5 May 2003 (see 2003 in music). After disappointing sales and poor publicity, Rogue Traders was dropped from th ...
'', however it was cut from the album's track listing before its release. The single was recorded with Jamaica Williams providing lead vocals.
Half a year later, their second single, "
Give in to Me
"Give In to Me" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson, released as the seventh single from his eight studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Released in February 1993, the song peaked at number one in New Zealand for four consecu ...
", was released on 14 October. The track had lead vocals by Melinda Richards, and was written by Ash, Davis, Josephine Armstead and Milton Middlebrook.
It performed better than their first release on the ARIA Singles Chart, peaking at No. 67.
At the
APRA Music Awards of 2003
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2003 (generally known as APRA Awards) are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards were presented by ...
it was nominated for 'Most Performed Dance Work'.
Ash and Richards later married and, as Melinda Appleby, she contributed songwriting credits to Rogue Traders later work.
The band's first top 20 success came in 2003 when "
One of My Kind", a remix/cover version of
INXS
INXS (a word play, phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian Rock music, rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboar ...
's "Need You Tonight", was released on 23 February, which peaked at No. 10,
and spent nine weeks inside the top 50.
The single brought greater recognition for the band and, at
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards) were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome. The ceremony aired on Network Ten.
Awards
''Winners highlighted in bold, with n ...
, they were nominated in two categories, "Breakthrough Artist – Single" and "Best Video" (by Sam Bennetts,
Rising Sun Pictures
Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) is an Australian visual effects company headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, co-founded and headed by Tony Clark. Since April 2021 it has been owned by FuseFX. Its film and television credits include '' Black Wid ...
), and won "Best Dance Release".
On 5 May 2003, their debut album, ''We Know What You're Up To'', was released, but it failed to reach the top 100 on the related Albums Chart.
The third and final single from the album, "
Stay?", was released on 2 June, which peaked at No. 60.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian recording artist, actress, and Celebrity, television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an ...
gained popular acclaim as an actress on the Australian soap opera, ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'', playing the role of
Izzy Hoyland
Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 2003. Izzy was introduced as Max ...
from 2003.
By 2004, she began working on a parallel music career creating her own demos: songs with an acoustic-rock sound when, late that year, she was recruited as the lead singer for Rogue Traders.
Upon being presented with the band's music, Bassingthwaighte auditioned for Ash and Davis. The pair had auditioned 15 to 20 candidates, and after she performed their song "
Voodoo Child", she became the band's front woman.
''Here Come the Drums'': 2005–2006
Rogue Traders first single with Bassingthwaighte's vocals, "Voodoo Child", was issued in May 2005. Its Australian release occurred without promotion of their new band member, Bassingthwaighte, as they wanted people to buy it because they liked the song instead of for its 'celebrity value'. The single reached number four in Australia,
number seven in
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 ...
,
number three in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
(in July 2006),
and number fifteen in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(also July 2006).
[ Note: user may have to enter song title as Voodoo Child, or artist as Rogue Traders.]
In October 2005, the group performed at the
NRL Grand Final
The NRL Grand Final determines the champions of the National Rugby League club competition. It is a major sport event in Australia. Since 1999, it has been contested at Stadium Australia in Sydney. The first year it was held at Stadium Australia ...
shortly before the release of their second album, ''
Here Come the Drums
''Here Come the Drums'' is the second studio album by Australian band Rogue Traders, released in Australia on 23 October 2005 by Columbia Records. The album features the Rogue Traders with the then-new vocalist Natalie Bassingthwaighte and so ...
'' on 23 October. By that time they had added
Cameron McGlinchey
Cameron McGlinchey (born 19 September 1975) is an Australian drummer who serves as one of the members of the alternative rock band Rogue Traders. Originally, McGlinchey only played as a touring member, but by 2005, he joined as an official mem ...
on drums. The album peaked at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and reached the top 50 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
The group had signed a new record contract with
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 ...
and now promoted their recent band members Bassingthwaighte and McGlinchey. The second single from the album, "
Way to Go!
"Way to Go!" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders from their second album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). It was released as the album's second single on 10 October 2005 and is the first release under the famous "Rogue Tr ...
" reached number seven in Australia, while "
Watching You" peaked at number five. Like many other modern mainstream music acts, Rogue Traders use elements of old songs in their music. However, rather than
sampling the original songs, they re-record the relevant parts. "Voodoo Child" contains a re-recorded riff from "
Pump It Up" by
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
(co-credited as Declan MacManus), "Watching You" contains re-recorded elements of "
My Sharona
"My Sharona" () is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, '' Get the Knack''. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, w ...
" by
The Knack
The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with its first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979.
History Founding (1977–1978)
Singer Doug Fieger was a native of Oak Park, Michigan, a no ...
(co-credited to Doug Fieger and Berton Averre) and "
In Love Again
"In Love Again" is a song by Australian electronic rock group Rogue Traders. It was sent to radio in August 2006 as the fifth and final single in August 2006 from their second album ''Here Come the Drums''. The coda of the song features a sampl ...
" contains re-recorded elements of "
Head over Heels" by
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
(co-credited to Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith).
Early in 2006, the Rogue Traders toured Australia in support of their second album and its singles. Bassingthwaighte left ''Neighbours'' to focus on her music career and filmed her final scenes on 2 June.
In March 2007, she reprised her role as Izzy Hoyland in scenes shot while on location in London in November 2006.
Rogue Traders won the 2006
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 ...
Australian Video Music Award for Best Dance Video for "Voodoo Child". In June at the
APRA Music Awards of 2006
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2006 (generally known as APRA Awards) are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards ceremony occurred o ...
, Rogue Traders won their first APRA Award, with "Way to Go!" taking out the "Most Performed Dance Work" category.
They had twice previously been nominated in the same category, in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
for their single "Give in to Me" and in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
for "One of My Kind", which also won an ARIA award. Also in June 2006, Rogue Traders announced they were re-releasing ''Here Come the Drums'', as a limited edition two-CD remix set. The second CD contained remixes of their hit singles and the album included new artwork. It was released on the same day as their fourth single, "
We're Coming Home
"We're Coming Home" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders, released in June 2006 as the fourth and final commercial single from their second studio album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). Unlike previous singles from the album ...
" from the album. The single reached number fourteen.
That same month, Bassingthwaighte and Ash announced on ''
Video Hits'' that the band were currently in the process of writing their third studio recorded album. By that time Davis had left the group but continued to contribute as part of the songwriting process. He was replaced on guitar by Tim Henwood.
Rogue Traders announced in early 2006 that they had signed with the European division of Sony BMG and were to be releasing their second album ''Here Come the Drums'' and singles from the album into that market. On 10 July "Voodoo Child" became their first UK single and the album followed on 24 July. A gig was announced in the UK at
Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
in London for 11 July—to promoted "Voodoo Child" and ''Here Come the Drums''. Many radio stations across the UK had started to play "Voodoo Child" six weeks before its release. The "Voodoo Child" video clip began to receive airplay on programs across UK: ''The Box'', ''The Hits'' and ''MTV Dance''. The clip was the same as the Australian version. It reached top 5 positions on programs and number-one on some radio stations as well. The song received numerous positive reviews from radio stations, TV programs and music critics. Some called it a 'summer anthem for 2006' and some named it either 'Record of the Week/Month'. The video and single was then put onto iTunes UK for purchase. The video reached number two on the iTunes Video Chart and stayed in the top five for several days, while the single made its way into the top ten and days later into the top five.
"Voodoo Child" was physically released on 10 July in the UK but debuted in the chart the week before at number eighteen due to download sales. After its official release, "Voodoo Child" reached number three with sales of over 21,000. Due to its UK chart success, "Voodoo Child" was issued in several European countries including
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. On 16 October "Watching You" was released in the UK as the band's second single and peaked at number thirty-three on the singles chart.
A new video clip was filmed, along with a new remix track, and the third UK single from ''Here Come the Drums'' was "Way to Go!" – it was issued as a
digital download. In November they released "In Love Again" as a promotional single exclusively though radio, which peaked at number twenty on the ARIA Digital Tracks.
In June 2007, "Voodoo Child" was featured in the ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' episode, "
The Sound of Drums
"The Sound of Drums" is the twelfth episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007. It is the second of three episodes that form a linked narrati ...
" (Season 3, Episode 12). The song was preceded by the episode's villain,
The Master, proclaiming "Here come the drums!" The song's lyrics echo the title of the episode, which refers to the drumming the Master hears in his head. Rogue Traders were also a surprise inclusion to the 2006 season of ''
Big Brother Australia
''Big Brother Australia'' (also known simply as ''Big Brother'') is an Australian reality show based on the international '' Big Brother'' format created by John de Mol.
Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show feature ...
'', entering the house and playing a "concert" for house mates. The event was also streamed to ''Big Brother'' audiences from the program's website. The Rogue Traders' song, "Fashion" was also used as the theme tune to
Gok Wan
Kowkhyn Wan (; born 9 September 1974), known as Gok Wan, is a British Wardrobe stylist, fashion consultant, author, television presenter, actor, DJ, chef and event manager.
Initially training in the performing arts at the Central School of Sp ...
's
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
television programme called ''
Gok's Fashion Fix''.
In 2006, Rogue Traders went on the We're Coming Home Tour around Australia. They performed songs from ''Here Come the Drums'', kicking off each show with "Believer" and ending with an encore of "Voodoo Child". The band also previewed songs which were subsequently included on their third album, ''
Better in the Dark
''Better in the Dark'' is the third studio album by Rogue Traders. It was released in Australia by Columbia Records on 13 October 2007 (see 2007 in music). The album was produced by band member James Ash – who has also produced the band's pre ...
'' (2007), including the title track, "What You're On" and "Shout Out". By the end of 2007, ''Here Comes the Drums'' was certified 4× platinum by
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for shipments in excess of 280,000 copies in Australia.
''Better in the Dark'': 2007–2008
![Cmcgbbf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Cmcgbbf.jpg)
In January 2007, Rogue Traders performed at the opening of the
Australian Jamboree at
Elmore, Victoria
Elmore is a small town in Victoria north-east of Bendigo on the Campaspe River. Elmore is close to the Whipstick State Park.
At the , Elmore had a population of 776.
History
In the 1840s a small settlement developed on the Campaspe River servi ...
in front of a crowd of over 10,000. In April the group performed at the Melbourne Crown Casino, previewing some of their new songs. In May they supported British girl group
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...
on
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour. ''The Sunday Telegraph'' reported that "
e group's management confirmed the band had been in discussions with a major US label." Rogue Traders flew to the US in July where they launched their first single into the North American market. The group then signed
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. Unfortunately, the song failed to gain much attention in the US.
In May 2007, Old Navy, a division of Gap, Inc. in North America, featured "Believer", "Watching You", and later, "
World Go 'Round" in their Summerland commercials. In June Rogue Traders completed a tour of the UK and returned to Australia to finalise their third album. In September, the lead single, "
Don't You Wanna Feel
"Don't You Wanna Feel" is a song written by James Ash and Natalie Bassingthwaighte for the Rogue Traders' third studio album ''Better in the Dark''. It was released on schedule as the album's first single on 29 September 2007. It was leaked onto ...
", was released: it debuted on the ARIA singles chart at number ten,
and on the ARIA dance chart at number one. It premiered on Nova radio station in early September and two weeks later reached number one on the ''
Hot30 Countdown
The ''Hot30 Countdown'' was an Australian radio show hosted by Mike Christian (MC) and Mel Greig. It was broadcast on the Hit Network, Today Network from the studios of 2Day FM in Sydney, New South Wales to every States and territories of Aus ...
''. ''Better in the Dark'' was issued on 13 October.
["The New Rogue Traders Album Is Called..."](_blank)
. ''Rogue Traders.com''. Retrieved 7 August 2007. It was released in two forms; the standard form and a limited CD/DVD edition with international imports available later the following week. ''Better in the Dark'' made it to number four in the ARIA Albums Chart,
and number one in the Australian Artists Chart. With the release of ''Better in the Dark'', ''Here Come the Drums'' re-entered the charts at number forty-five, two years after its initial release, ultimately it appeared in the top 50 for 74 weeks.
"Don't You Wanna Feel" was certified Gold (35,000+ copies sold) by
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 ...
. It was the group's third single to go Gold. ''Better in the Dark'' was also certified Platinum. Their second single, "Voodoo Child", went Platinum (70,000+ copies sold).
In January 2008, the second single, "
I Never Liked You", from ''Better in the Dark'', was issued, which peaked at number nine.
On 1 February, Rogue Traders performed "Don't You Wanna Feel" and "I Never Liked You" at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...
Twenty/20 Cricket match as part of the half-time entertainment in front of a crowd of over 84,000. In April the third single, "
What You're On" was issued, which peaked in the top 30.
That same week it reached number eighteen on the Physical Singles Chart, number nine in the Australian Artists Singles Chart and number three on the Dance Chart.
Rogue Traders undertook the Better in the Dark Tour from 29 April to the beginning of June, playing venues around the country.
[New Direction for Rogue Traders](_blank)
. Rogue Traders official forum. Retrieved on 27 March 2008 The tour kicked off at the Regent Theatre in
Yarram
The township of Yarram (formerly Yarram Yarram) is in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Wellington, located in the southeast of Gippsland. At the , the population of the town was . The town is the regional centre of a prosperous farming distri ...
. The group played songs from all three albums: ''We Know What You're Up To'', ''Here Come the Drums'' and ''Better in the Dark''. They surprised some fans by playing their first top 10 single, "One of My Kind", a re-working of the INXS classic "Need You Tonight", but this time sung live by Bassingthwaighte. They also performed a cover of "
Nothing Compares 2 U
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written and composed by Prince for his side project, The Family; the song featured on their eponymous 1985 debut album. The song features lyrics exploring feelings of longing from the point of view of an abando ...
", the
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
song also covered by
Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
.
In June 2008, after the toured ended, Bassingthwaighte quit the band to focus on her acting and solo music career.
A fourth single from the album had been planned, linked with a competition involving Ford. The competition was to answer in 25 words or less why they should feature in the new Rogue Traders video. The single was confirmed to be "On Your Way to the Disco", but it was never officially released as Bassingthwaighte had left. In July that year her then-boyfriend (they later married), McGlinchey, also left the band.
Ash dismissed the idea that Bassingthwaighte's departure signalled the end of the band, stating that he had already started working on the next album, the fourth for the band.
''The Sound of Drums'' and breakup: 2009–2011
On 13 August 2009, Rogue Traders revealed that Henwood had returned on guitar and Spencer had left. On 14 November, Ash revealed via Twitter the names of their new singer, Melinda "Mindi" Jackson, and new drummer,
Peter Marin
Peter Stuart Robert Marin (born 1978, Perth) is an Australian drummer and percussionist. Marin joined Dan Sultan's backing band in 2006 and is recorded on Sultan's albums, '' Get Out While You Can'' (November 2009), '' Blackbird'' (April 2014) ...
. On 25 December 2009 (Christmas Day), "
Love Is a War" was issued as a digital download single and then, on 8 January 2010, as a physical single.
It peaked at number ninety.
On 12 March "
Would You Raise Your Hands?" was released as the follow-up single, which reached number ninety-five.
"
Hearts Beat as One
"Hearts Beat as One" is a pop rock song written by Jamie Appleby, Melinda Appleby, Melinda Jackson & Tim Henwood, and produced by Ash. It was released in Australia as a digital download on 24 May 2010 and as a CD single on 11 June 2010. The so ...
" was issued as the third single on 11 June 2011 – it had been written for the
Socceroos
The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer. Officially nicknamed the Socceroos, the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is affiliated with ...
as the official anthem for their
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
campaign. However, despite this, the song failed to chart, the Rogue Traders' first single to do so since 2002's "Need You to Show Me".
''
Night of the Living Drums'', the band's fourth studio album, was initially set for release in June 2010, according to the band's official website. However it was pushed back for undisclosed reasons, then in December it was revealed the band had left
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, after the label had refused to release the album. On 11 November 2011 Rogue Traders finally released ''Night of the Living Drums'', after they had re-signed to Sony.
It was released as part of ''The Sound of Drums'' which is a double album that includes a compilation disc, ''The Greatest Hits'', and the studio recording, ''Night of the Living Drums''.
Ash described ''The Sound of Drums'' conception, "
e catalyst was when we realised we were coming up to the band's 10-year anniversary. We'd always talked about how much fun it would be to do a greatest hits one day, and we struck on the idea of doing a record that combined the two. I have to give credit to Sony, because they changed their minds about us – we brought this idea back to them and they went for it".
A radio edit of ''Night of the Living Drums'' cut ''America'' was serviced to Australian radio to promote the release, but failed to make an impact.
After a two-year media silence, Ash confirmed in a 2014 interview that the band had split shortly after being dropped by Sony Music.
Reunion: 2015-present
On 15 December 2015, it was announced that Rogue Traders had reunited with former lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte for a New Year's Eve reunion gig, after initially reforming earlier in September for a corporate show in
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
. The band confirmed that Mindi Jackson, Bassingthwaighte's successor, had given the band's reunion her blessing.
They have since performed at multiple events including the ''Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix'', and co-headlining the ''Coates Hire Sydney 500'' with
Killing Heidi
Killing Heidi are an Australian rock band, formed in Violet Town, Victoria in 1996, initially as a folk-pop duo by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper. The band has released three studio albums: '' Reflector'' (March 2000), which reached No. 1 ...
.
In 2017, after a stint on ''
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'', Bassingthwaighte revealed the band are working on new music and had their first recording session on April 4, 2017. She also hinted of a new single out before the end of 2017.
Personnel
Timeline
Discography
*''
We Know What You're Up To
''We Know What You're Up To'' is the debut studio album by Rogue Traders. It was released by Vicious Grooves, Virgin in Australia on 5 May 2003 (see 2003 in music). After disappointing sales and poor publicity, Rogue Traders was dropped from th ...
'' (2003)
*''
Here Come the Drums
''Here Come the Drums'' is the second studio album by Australian band Rogue Traders, released in Australia on 23 October 2005 by Columbia Records. The album features the Rogue Traders with the then-new vocalist Natalie Bassingthwaighte and so ...
'' (2005)
*''
Better in the Dark
''Better in the Dark'' is the third studio album by Rogue Traders. It was released in Australia by Columbia Records on 13 October 2007 (see 2007 in music). The album was produced by band member James Ash – who has also produced the band's pre ...
'' (2007)
*''
Night of the Living Drums'' (2011)
Awards and nominations
As of 2008, Rogue Traders have been nominated for ten
ARIA 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
The music of Australia has ...
, three
MTV AVMA Awards, one
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
, one Inside Film Award, and eight
APRA Awards.
[Nomination Count](_blank)
. Retrieved on 17 June 2008
APRA Awards
The
APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the
Australasian Performing Right Association
APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...
(APRA) to "honour those composers and songwriters who have achieved the highest performances of their work and excellence in their craft over the previous year".
They have won two awards in the category of "Most Performed Dance Work" (later renamed as "Dance Work of the Year") from eight nominations.
, -
,
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, , "
Give in to Me
"Give In to Me" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson, released as the seventh single from his eight studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Released in February 1993, the song peaked at number one in New Zealand for four consecu ...
" – Rogue Traders –
Jamie Appleby, Steve Davis, Josephine Armstead, Milton Middlebrook , , Most Performed Dance Work
, ,
, -
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, , "
One of My Kind" – Rogue Traders – James Appleby, Steve Davis,
Andrew Farriss
Andrew Charles Farriss (born 27 March 1959) is an Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist, backing vocalist, and main composer for rock band INXS. Farriss released his debut studio album in 2021.
Care ...
,
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Hutchence co-founded the rock band INXS, which sold over 75 million records worldwide and was inducted into th ...
, , Most Performed Dance Work
, ,
, -
,
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, , "
Way to Go!
"Way to Go!" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders from their second album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). It was released as the album's second single on 10 October 2005 and is the first release under the famous "Rogue Tr ...
" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby, Isaac Moran , , Most Performed Dance Work
, ,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, , "Way to Go!" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby, Isaac Moran , , Most Performed Dance Work
, ,
, -
, "
We're Coming Home
"We're Coming Home" is a song by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders, released in June 2006 as the fourth and final commercial single from their second studio album, ''Here Come the Drums'' (2005). Unlike previous singles from the album ...
" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby, Melinda Appleby , , Most Performed Dance Work
, ,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, , "
Don't You Wanna Feel
"Don't You Wanna Feel" is a song written by James Ash and Natalie Bassingthwaighte for the Rogue Traders' third studio album ''Better in the Dark''. It was released on schedule as the album's first single on 29 September 2007. It was leaked onto ...
" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby,
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian recording artist, actress, and Celebrity, television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an ...
, Steven Davis, Dougal Drummond , , Dance Work of the Year
, ,
, -
, "
In Love Again
"In Love Again" is a song by Australian electronic rock group Rogue Traders. It was sent to radio in August 2006 as the fifth and final single in August 2006 from their second album ''Here Come the Drums''. The coda of the song features a sampl ...
" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby, Melinda Appleby,
Roland Orzabal
Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...
,
Curt Smith
Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written several ...
, , Dance Work of the Year
, ,
, -
,
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, , "Don't You Wanna Feel" – Rogue Traders – Jamie Appleby, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Steven Davis, Dougal Drummond , , Dance Work of the Year
, ,
ARIA Awards
The annual
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 ...
are presented by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
since 1987. Rogue Traders have won one award from eleven nominations.
/ref>
, -
, rowspan="3", ARIA Music Awards of 2003, 2003 , , rowspan="2", " One of My Kind" , , Best Dance Release , ,
, -
, Breakthrough Artist – Single , ,
, -
, "One of My Kind" – Sam Bennetts, Rising Sun Pictures
Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) is an Australian visual effects company headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, co-founded and headed by Tony Clark. Since April 2021 it has been owned by FuseFX. Its film and television credits include '' Black Wid ...
, , Best Video , ,
, -
, rowspan="3", 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 ...
, , " Voodoo Child" , , Best Dance Release , ,
, -
, "Voodoo Child" – Sam Bennetts, Mad Angel , , Best Video , ,
, -
, "Voodoo Child" – James Ash
James Ash (born Jamie Graham Appleby; 10 June 1973), is an English-born Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and keyboardist of Australian electro-rock group Rogue Traders, where he plays the keyboard and gu ...
, , Engineer of the Year , ,
, -
, rowspan="4", 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, , rowspan="4", ''Here Come the Drums
''Here Come the Drums'' is the second studio album by Australian band Rogue Traders, released in Australia on 23 October 2005 by Columbia Records. The album features the Rogue Traders with the then-new vocalist Natalie Bassingthwaighte and so ...
'', , Best Pop Release , ,
, -
, Best Group , ,
, -
, Best Breakthrough Artist – Album , ,
, -
, Highest Selling Album , ,
, -
, 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, , ''Better In The Dark'' - James Ash , , Engineer of the Year , ,
MTV Australia Awards
MTV Australia Awards
The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition happened in 2009.
History
The M ...
(previously MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA) were presented annually by MTV Australia
MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel specialising in music and youth culture programming which serves Australia and New Zealand. It is operated by parent company Paramount Networks UK & Australia headquartered in London with a local of ...
from 2005 to 2009. Rogue Traders won one award from three nominations.
Other awards
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Alternative dance musical groups
APRA Award winners
ARIA Award winners
Australian electronic dance music groups
Australian pop music groups
Female-fronted musical groups
Australian house music groups
Australian electronic rock musical groups
Musical groups from Melbourne
Natalie Bassingthwaighte