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Tamam Shud is an Australian
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
, progressive and
surf rock Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a Music genre, genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is in ...
band, which formed in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
in 1964. The initial line-up were known as The Four Strangers with Eric Connell on bass guitar, Dannie Davidson on drums, Gary Johns on rhythm guitar and Alex "Zac" Zytnik on lead guitar. At the end of that year Johns was replaced by Lindsay Bjerre on guitar and vocals as they trimmed their name to the Strangers. By late 1965 they had become the Sunsets. They took the name Tamam Shud in late 1967 after replacing Connell with Peter Barron on bass guitar. The group released two albums, ''Evolution'' (1969) – after which
Tim Gaze Tim Gaze (born 8 August 1953) is an Australian rock and blues guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. He was a member of several Australian groups from the 1960s to 1990s including Tamam Shud (1969–70, 1970–72 1993–95), Kahvas Jute (19 ...
replaced Zytnik on lead guitar – and ''Goolutionites and the Real People'' (1970) before disbanding in 1972. After a lengthy hiatus they reformed in 1993 to release a third album, ''Permanent Culture'' in 1994, but disbanded again in 1995. Beginning in 2008 the group worked together periodically on new material: it took eight years to complete their fourth album, ''Eight Years of Moonlight'' (January 2016).


History


1964-1973

Tamam Shud evolved from an instrumental surf band, The Four Strangers, which formed in 1964 in Newcastle with Eric Connell on bass guitar, Dannie Davidson on drums, Gary Johns on rhythm guitar and Alex "Zac" Zytnik on lead guitar. They released a sole single, "The Rip", in that year for
Astor Records Astor Records was an Australian recorded music manufacturer and distributor that operated from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. Astor was the trade name of the consumer electronics manufacturer Radio Corporation Pty. Ltd, a division of Electron ...
before Lindsay Bjerre replaced Johns on guitar and lead vocals. In 1965, as the Strangers, they issued a single, "Sad and Lonely", on
Festival Records Festival Records (later known as Festival Mushroom Records) was an Australian recording and publishing company founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1952 and operated until 2005. Festival was a wholly owned subsidiary of News Limited from 1961 to ...
– it was an R&B offering influenced by the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
. Late that year they changed their name to the Sunsets. The Sunsets travelled to Sydney to perform regular gigs at various venues: Surf City, the Star Club and the Sunset Discothèque.McFarlane
'Tamam Shud'
entry. Archived fro
the original
on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 4 March 2016
In October 1965 they released a single, "Bye Bye Goodbye", on the Leedon label and followed with "When I Found You" in March of the following year.Spencer et al, (2007), Tamam Shud entry. They issued three singles on Festival, "A Life in the Sun Theme" (January 1967), "Love's Face" (June) and "The Hot Generation" (August); as well as an EP, ''A Life in the Sun''. Their tracks were used for two surf films, ''A Life in the Sun'' (1966) and ''The Hot Generation'' (1967), both directed by Paul Witzig. Late that year Peter Barron replaced Connell on bass guitar and the group, now based in Sydney, changed their name to Tamam Shud. Bjerre found the Persian phrase ''tamám shud'' (translated as "ended", "finished" or "the very end") in the closing words of ''
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám ''Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám'' is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his 1859 translation from Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (') attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dubbed "the Astronomer-Poet of Persia". Alth ...
'', an 11th-century poetry collection. The line-up of Barron, Bjerre, Davidson and Zytnik played "acid-surf progressive rock" influenced by "psychedelic sounds of
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
,
The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
,
Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powe ...
and The (New) Animals, plus the San Francisco stylings of
The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...
" according to Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
. They became a popular attraction at local discothèques and "head" venues, and, like their contemporaries Tully, they often performed in association with a Sydney film and light show collective, Ubu. Tamam Shud recorded the group's debut album ''Evolution'' in late 1968. It was financed by Witzig, who had commissioned the music: he used four tracks on the soundtrack of his surfing film of the same name. Because of Witzig's limited budget it was recorded live-in-the-studio, over a single -hour session, and mixed in hours, with most of the tracks being first takes. The independent recording was leased by the CBS label and they were signed to
Warner Brothers records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
due to its popularity. It was favourably reviewed by teen pop magazine, ''
Go-Set ''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...
''. McFarlane felt it was "one of the first wholly original rock albums" in Australia. Jordie Kilby and David Kilby described it as "one of the most loved soundtracks of the period" and described how "Screenings of the film with the band in attendance were popular events up and down the coast." In 1969
Tim Gaze Tim Gaze (born 8 August 1953) is an Australian rock and blues guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. He was a member of several Australian groups from the 1960s to 1990s including Tamam Shud (1969–70, 1970–72 1993–95), Kahvas Jute (19 ...
(ex-Stonehenge), a "16-year-old guitar prodigy", replaced Zytnik on lead guitar and co-lead vocals. Zytnik had left to join Graham Lowndes' group, Bootleg. In January 1970 Tamam Shud performed at Australia's first outdoor rock festival, the Pilgrimage for Pop, held at
Ourimbah Ourimbah () is a small township in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of the Sydney CBD. Ourimbah is located approximately halfway between Sydney and Newcastle. The township today consists of small sc ...
, 78 km north of Sydney. During early 1970 they recorded their second LP, the environmentally-themed, ''Goolutionites and the Real People'' (October), but in June both Davidson and Gaze left to form another progressive rock group,
Kahvas Jute Kahvas Jute were an Australian rock band formed in July 1970. Mainstay of the line-up was Dennis Wilson on guitar and vocals. Other founder members include Bob Daisley on bass guitar and Tim Gaze on lead guitar and vocals. Their debut album, ' ...
. McFarlane described Tamam Shud's second album as their "masterpiece, an ambitious concept suite, a carefully crafted song cycle of cosmic enlightenment and cascading acid-rock." Bjerre replaced Davidson and Gaze with Kevin Sinott on drums and Kevin Stephenson on reeds – the group took on a jazzier musical direction. Gaze returned in late 1970 after Kahvas Jute recorded their only album, ''Wide Open''.McFarlane
'Kahvas Jute'
entry. Archived fro
the original
on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
Sinott and Stephenson left and they recruited a new drummer, Nigel Macara, who had worked with Gaze in Stonehenge. During 1971 Tamam Shud's line-up expanded by the addition of Larry Duryea (ex Heart'n'Soul) on percussion; they were regularly augmented on stage by multi-instrumentalist, Richard Lockwood (ex- Tully), and a jazz pianist, Bobby Gebert. The band toured solidly through 1971 and late that year, following the breakup of Tully, Lockwood became the permanent sixth member. Their next recording was the single "Got a Feeling" / "My Father Told Me", released on Warner Bros. in January 1972. The group was invited to contribute music for the soundtrack for the
Alby Falzon Albert "Alby" Falzon (born 1945) is an Australian filmmaker, photographer and publisher in the surfing sub-culture. Early life Falzon grew up in the beachside suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra in Sydney, Australia. He did not begin ...
surf movie ''
Morning of the Earth ''Morning of the Earth'' is a 1971 classic surf film by Alby Falzon and David Elfick. The film's soundtrack was produced by G. Wayne Thomas and included music and songs by noted Australian music acts Tamam Shud, John J. Francis, Brian Cadd, Mik ...
'' (1971) and Falzon initially wanted Tamam Shud to provide all the music, but after G. Wayne Thomas took over as producer, other artists were added, and Tamam Shud's involvement was eventually reduced to just three tracks - the instrumental track "Bali Waters" (featuring Lockwood on flute), and the songs "Sea The Swells" and "First Things First". On the day that "First Things First" was recorded, Bjerre had throat problems, so the vocal was recorded by Tim Gaze, however, when the film premiered mid-year, the group was surprised to discover that, without their knowledge, Thomas had erased Gaze's voice and added a new lead vocal by
Broderick Smith Broderick Smith (born 17 February 1948) is an English-born Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and sometime actor. He was a member of 1970s bands Sundown, Carson and the Dingoes, 1980s Broderick Smith's Big Combo and he has rec ...
(then the lead singer of Melbourne band
Carson Carson may refer to: People *Carson (surname), people with the surname *Carson (given name), people with the given name Places ;In the United States * Carson, California, a city * Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois *Carson, Iowa, a city * ...
). Gaze and Macara also provided instrumental backing for other musicians who performed songs on the soundtrack. Notwithstanding these problems, the soundtrack LP (released in May 1972) was a major commercial success, becoming the first Australian film soundtrack album to earn a gold record award, despite the fact that it received almost no airplay on Australian commercial radio. The three Tamam Shud tracks became the group's swan-song; these were compiled on the ''Bali Waters'' EP, which was issued later in 1972. Shud continued to tour through the first half of 1972, playing the Mulwala Festival in April, and making more trips to Melbourne in May and July, but in August 1972 Bjerre announced the imminent breakup of the group, which was attributed to management problems, "fear of musical stagnation" and the band's frustration at not being able to record another LP. They played their final shows in Melbourne on 1 September 1972 at Sebastians disco, with
MacKenzie Theory MacKenzie Theory was an Australian jazz rock group formed in September 1971 in Melbourne. Rob MacKenzie (lead guitar, ex-Leo & Friends, King Harvest, Great Men) and Cleis Pearce (electric viola) were the mainstays. They recorded two albums, ''Ou ...
and Toads, 2 September at Garrison, with
Madder Lake Alizarin (also known as 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone, Mordant Red 11, C.I. 58000, and Turkey Red) is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent red dye, principally for dyeing textile fabrics. Histori ...
, and 3 September at Sebastians, with
Blackfeather Blackfeather are an Australian rock group which formed in April 1970. The band has had numerous line-ups, mostly fronted by founding lead singer, Neale Johns. An early heavy rock version recorded their debut album, ''At the Mountains of Madness ...
and Carson.


1993-present

Tamam Shud reformed in 1993 with the line-up of Barron, Bjerre, Gaze and Macara to record an album ''Permanent Culture'' released in 1994 before disbanding in 1995; and reformed with the same line-up for the
Long Way to the Top ''Long Way to the Top'' was a six-part weekly Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) documentary film series on the history of Australian rock and roll, from 1956 to the modern era, it was initially broadcast from 8 August to 12 September 2 ...
package tour in 2002. Tamam Shud continues to record and perform occasionally to the present, with the core lineup of Bjerre, Gaze and Macara (Barron has now retired from playing), and they have released two albums of new original material. A Re-Mastered collection of Tamam Shud's essential music, ''Tamam Shud 1968-1972'' was released in 2002 to coincide with the 'Long Way to the Top' tour, including; "Evolution" (1968) - Lindsay Bjerre (vocals, rhythm guitar), Peter Baron (bass), Zak Zytnik (lead guitar), Dannie Davidson (drums). Recorded at United Sound Studios, Engineered by Spencer Lee. Produced by Tamam Shud. "Goolutionites and the Real People" (1970) - Lindsay Bjerre (vocals, rhythm guitar), Peter Baron (bass, fuzz bass), Tim Gaze (lead guitar, piano), Dannie Davidson (drums). Recorded at United Sound Studios, Engineered by Maurice Wilmore. Produced by John Bromell. "Got a Feeling" (1972) from the Bali Waters EP for the surf film ''Morning of the Earth'' - Lindsay Bjerre (vocals, rhythm guitar), Peter Baron (bass, fuzz bass), Tim Gaze (lead guitar, vocals, harpsichord), Nigel Macara (drums, vocals), Richard Lockwood (sax, clarinet, flute), Larry Duryea-Taylor (congas, percussion). Recorded at PACT Studio. Produced by G Wayne Thomas.


Members


Current members

* Lindsay Bjerre –
vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production i ...
s,
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 ...
(1965–1972, 1993–1995, 2002, 2006, 2008–present) *
Tim Gaze Tim Gaze (born 8 August 1953) is an Australian rock and blues guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. He was a member of several Australian groups from the 1960s to 1990s including Tamam Shud (1969–70, 1970–72 1993–95), Kahvas Jute (19 ...
– guitar, vocals (1969–6/1970, 12/1970–1972, 1993–1995, 2002, 2006, 2008–present) * John Cobbin – guitar (2016–present) * Paul 'DC' DiGiacomo – keyboards (2016–present) * Peter Barron –
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 ...
(1967–1972, 1993–1995, 2002, 2006, 2008–present) * Nigel Macara –
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 ...
(1971–1972, 1993–1995, 2002, 2006, 2008–present)


Former members

* Gary Johns – guitar (1964-1965) * Eric Connell – bass guitar (1964-1967) * Alex 'Zac' Zytnik – guitar (1964–1970) * Dannie Davidson – drums (1964–6/1970) * Kevin Stephenson – reeds (6/1970–1971) * Kevin Sinott – drums (6/1970–1971) * Richard Lockwood –
woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...
(1971–1972) * Larry Duryea-Taylor –
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
(1971–1972)


Discography


Studio albums


Live albums


Eps


Singles

* "Evolution" / "Lady Sunshine" (1969) CBS BA221706 * "Stand in the Sunlight" / "I Love You All" (1970) Warner Bros. * "Got a Feeling" / "My Father Told Me" (1972) Warner Bros. WBA4007 * "Stay" / "Election Day" / "The Fire" (1994) CDS Polydor 853221-2 * "Shakin' out the Stones" / "What's Your Problem" (1994) CDS Polydor 853902-2


References

;General * Note: Archived n-linecopy has limited functionality. * Note: n-lineversion of ''The Who's Who of Australian Rock'' was established a
White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd
in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. As from, September 2010 the n-lineversion showed an 'Internal Service Error' and was no longer available. ;Specific


External links


Official website

Tamam Shud biography, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Tamam Shud discography, album releases & credits
at
Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Tamam Shud biography
at MilesAgo.com
Tamam Shud biography, discography, album credits & user reviews
at ProgArchives.com
Tamam Shud albums to be listened
on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

Tamam Shud albums to be listened
on
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{{Authority control Australian progressive rock groups New South Wales musical groups Australian psychedelic rock music groups