The Australian Band -1966 to 1969

TIN PAN ALLEY

In mid 1968, Laurie Hellyer, who had been in the original Vicars lineup, moved back to Wollongong and joined The Cast (see photo below), replacing their original bassist, Harry Mitchell.

This band was made up of the two Cooper brothers, Wayne & Phil on lead vocals, Stuart Bedford (guitar, vocals), Laurie (bass), Peter Sheehan (organ) and Kevin Sheehan (drums).  The Cast concentrated on harmony covers, - Bee Gees, 5th Dimension, Beach Boys, Hollies, etc. Following the break up of the Vicar's in early 1969, most of their members returned to Wollongong. Some of the former Vicar's (including Dave) wanted a change of material, so basically the two bands combined members (losing Kevin & Peter in the process) and became a new band (Peter Sheehan went on to join NZ expat band, Freshwater, and penned their controversial, Sharon Tate murder inspired single, Satan).  With three vocalists fronting the band it is to be presumed that they each took a turn doing the lead vocals, somewhat in the manner of US band Three Dog Night, who were popular then. Much of The Cast repertoire was retained plus some of the covers the Vicar's had been doing and the new band became a showband and called itself .....Tin Pan Alley.

After rehearsing in Wollongong they set off north where they took up a residency at a large popular hotel, the Cabbage Patch at Coolangatta on Queensland's Gold Coast.  They played songs such as "Aquarius" and "Hair", the 5th Dimension's, "Up Up and Away" and The Beach Boys "I Can Hear Music". The line-up then was Dave Rossall (vocals), Wayne Cooper (vocals), Phil Cooper (vocals) Stuart Bedford (lead guitar/vocals), Laurie Hellyer (bass), Neil Williamson (keyboards) and Dieter Glaser (drums). They also inherited Dave's ever present father George as manager who, sometime in this period, opened and managed a disco in Gladstone, Queensland.

This seven piece lineup cut a single " Just for Tonight". This, and its flipside "Every Now and Then", were recorded at EMI studios in Castlereagh St Sydney and produced by Mike Perjanik. "Just For Tonight", with lead vocal in the verses by Dave and four part harmonies on the chorus, was a big ballad with lush strings, quite a contrast to their Rockin' Vicars tracks.  "Every Now and Then" was all sung in four part harmony in the style of The Tremeloes or The Bachelors.  Just For Tonight was written by that great UK songwriting team, Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason, who gave the world gems such as Edison Lighthouse's, Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes, Melanie Makes Me Smile  andShe Works in a Womans Way (the latter a local hit for Dave Allenby & Autumn).  Unfortunately that success never translated for their version of Just For Tonight, which went nowhere when released later in the year, just as the original version by David Essex did in 1968. Maybe some other night !!

Mid year saw them compete in the 1969 Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds... going through three heats at Wollongong, Canberra & then the Capitol Theatre, Sydney and then going on to represent Country NSW as one of the twelve finalists in the National finals held in Melbourne. This was the third year in a row that a Wollongong band went through to the chosen eight bands in the Grand finals.

This was the year too, they competed in Martin Erdmans "Sounds of '69" band recording contest, and were one of the winning 26 bands in this contest, who played live before an 8000 strong crowd in July 1969 at the Sydney Showground where they wowed the crowd with a great version of the song "Hair".

In November 1969 came a major lineup change. Just as the single was about to be released, both the Cooper Brothers left to go back to Wollongong from Queensland, where the band had spent much of it's time. The band had a number of gigs in Wollongong coming up including two really big ones, one supporting Russell Morris at The Wollongong Showground on 28 December 1969, the other supporting The Executives and Ronnie Burns at Capitol Hall on 25 Jan 1970 (formerly Wonderland). To this end they quickly acquired a new, rather attractive, member to replace the Coopers, a very young female vocalist, Angela Jones.

The new six piece line-up then was Dave Rossall (vocals), Angela Jones (vocals), Stuart Bedford (lead guitar), Laurie Hellyer (bass), Neil Williamson (keyboards) and Dieter Glaser(drums).

This line-up lasted until May 1970 after a residency in Adelaide, when they returned to Wollongong. Firstly Stuart left to be replaced by Ian Davidson, and then Dieter, who was replaced by Terry Gascoigne. It seems that Stuart did not agree with the musical direction the band was taking or the suggestion by their manager George that they dance on stage like a vaudeville show! The new members were a brief attempt at a resurrection but it was short lived. Angela Jones (sister of jazz musician Vince Jones) ended up with the Bootleg Family Band. Some later members of the short lived version, which included Paul Wyld (organ) (ex-The 69'ers), went on to form a band called Kerri Koon. Terry Gascoigne & Paul Wyld later joined Blackfeather's everchanging line-up and Paul will always be heard for his famous piano solo on that bands classic hit, "Boppin' The Blues".

As a footnote however, a revived line-up under the name Tin Pan Alley, made up of Phil & Wayne Cooper (vocals), Nick Kouts (vocals/guitar), Nerida McKean (keyboards), John McKean (bass) and Dieter Glaser (drums) played an 18 month residency at a Wollongong licensed club, Berkeley Sports & Social Club, around 1971. They may have been bashing out standards and covering latest hits, and it may have been smoke filled and crowded, but they probably made more money out of it than on the road!  During this time it seems Dave Rossall had returned to live in the UK briefly, on the Isle of Man although not remaining long before he returned to Australia.
Dieter Glaser continued to play drums, joining up with The Marksmen's, Bobby Kerr, in the 1980's.

Click on the Links below to go to:
Rev Black and The Rockin' Vicars
Discography
 Time Line & Band Family Tree
Vicars Picture Gallery