Freshwater
NZ /
Sydney 1968-1971
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[BIOGRAPHY] [DISCOGRAPHY] [REFERENCES] [LINKS] [FEEDBACK]
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
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:
- Tony Bolton was a longtime member of
Country Radio and its
successor Greg Quill's Southern Cross, as well as working in the
Stevie Wright Band (1974)
- Rod Coe had a very successful post-Freshwater career:
he had a stint in an early lineup of Country Radio, before moving
on to the Doug Parkinson Band, Australia (1976), The Mangrove
Boogie Kings (1978-9) and the Dan Johnson Band (1988). Rod has
many notable production and session credits - he performed on the
Crystal Voyager soundtrack (1973), Peter Dawkins'
zodiac-inspired concept album Star Suite (1974), and
albums for Shona Laing, Jon English (Hollywood 7)
and Chris Duffy. From 1972, his numerous production credits
include albums and singles for Carson, The La De Das, Lizard, The
Four Kinsmen, The Foreday Riders, John English, Anne Kirpatrick,
Johnny Ashcroft, Gary Shearston and Slim Dusty, but he is probably
best known as the producer of The Saints' legendary 1977 debut LP
I'm Stranded.
- David Fookes worked in One Ton Gypsy (1971-72) and then
moved into production, working on albums for Buffalo Drive,
Headband, Doug Parkinson and Air.
- Allison McCallum had considerable success as solo
performer in the early 70s, including several national Top 20 hits
with Superman and Excuse Me
- Daryl Jacobs worked consistently in bands in both New
Zealand and Australia well into the 1990s, including Stoned
Ostrich, The Mark Williams Band (NZ), Free Kicks, The Champions,
Howard I Know, The Blues Doctors and Dave Warner From The
Suburbs.
- George Limbidis joined Tim Gaze's band Miss Universe
(1972). Leo De Castro and the Cahoots (1976) and the 1981 version
of Doug Parkinson In Focus
- Peter Roberts moved on to a string of notable bands
including Kahvas Jute,
The Las De Das (1970-72),
Band Of Light, Band
Of Tabalene, Flake, Chariot and Rockwell T. James.
Singles
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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)
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- Ian McFarlane - Encyclopedia of
Australian Rock & Pop (1999)
- Chris Spencer / Zbig Nowara - Who's Who
of Australian Rock (3rd ed., 1993)