Freshwater

NZ / Sydney 1968-1971

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Personnel

Tony Bolton [drums] Sept 1971-1972
Rod Coe [bass]
Sept 1971-1972
David Fookes [piano]
Sept 1971-1972
Daryl Jacobs [drums]
1969
Phil Jacobs [flute, vocals]
1969
Ian Johnston [vocals]
Sept 1971-1972
George Limbidis [bass]
1969
Allison McCallum [vocals]
1970-71
Dallas McDermott [bass]
1970-71
Milton Parker [guitar, vocals]
1969
Murray Partridge [guitar, vocals]
1968-71
Paul Reid [bass]
1969
Peter Roberts [bass]
1969
Billy Rylands [guitar]
1969
Peter Sheehan [keyboards, vocals]
1969-71
Joe Vella [drums]
1970-71


Biography

Freshwater was formed in New Zealand by guitarist Murray Partridge, who was the only constant member of the band during its lifetime. Originally formed as a blues group, there were several lineup changes in New Zealand during 1968-69, after which they came to Australia in May 1969. They signed with the W&G label, for whom they cut two pop singles, issued later in the year - Together, Till the End of Time (August) and Son of A Lovin' Man (October).

They took on more progressive direction in 1970, influenced by the likes of Cream, Traffic and Hendrix, and in May that year they released the highly-regarded single Satan / Satan's Woman on the Caesar's International label (part of the organisation which included the Caesar's discotheque and Caesar's management.)

The single was a double-sided "concept" suite, inspired by the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders, carried out by the so-called "Manson Family". The A-side was written by organist Peter Sheehan and the B-side by Murray Partridge. (Satan's Woman is anthologised on Raven's essential Aussie progressive rock compilation Golden Miles, and Box The Jesuit covered Satan on the 1990 various artists compilation Waste Sausage.)

The title and subject matter were sufficient to send the conservative Sydney radio stations into a spin and there were calls for the single to be banned, but it still managed to reach #28 on the Sydney charts.

Singer Allison McCallum (ex Dr Kandy's Third Eye) joined in late 1970 or early 1971, and later in the year the lineup changed again; by September the group comprised Partridge, Coe, Bolton, Fookes and McCallum. They moved into a soul/pop style, evident on their last single I Ain't Got Time, which was issued on RCA in November 1971, after which McCallum left. She did a brief stint in Ray Brown's One Ton Gypsy before going solo.

Although Freshwater didn't achieve national success, they were always a highly-regarded group, and many members went on to further success in subsequent years:


Discography

Singles

8/69 Together, Till the End of Time / It's In Your Power W&G

10/69 Son of A Lovin' Man / People Gotta Live Together W&G

5/70 Satan / Satan's Woman Caesar's International (#28, Sydney)

11/71 I Ain't Got Time / Hello Sunshine RCA (#19, Sydney)

    

References

 


Links