Ozzie Music Man: Post 730 - Scandal

Saturday, 11 July 2020

Post 730 - Scandal - The Singles

Scandal formed in Adelaide in February 1976 and by the end of the year had signed a deal with the Mushroom label.Comprising four English migrants and a token Australian Aldo Civitico, the band’s stylish UK-centric sound drew on influences such as Supertramp, Bryan Ferry and David Bowie for inspiration.Mushroom issued Scandal’s debut single "Best Deal in Town" in March 1977, followed by "Harry" in August. The band enjoyed its only national chart success with a cover of the smooth soul/pop track "How Long "(originally by U.K. band Ace). Scandal’s version reached #23 in Australia in May 1978.Their self-titled debut album was also released in May and produced the band’s fourth single "She’s a Lady". It was to be the band’s final release and they broke up in December. Kerrison, Harriot and Watson formed a group called The Extractors but by August 1979 had revived the Scandal name for a new band with Adrian Dessent on guitar, Greg Trennery on bass and Nat de Palma on drums.The new line-up was not successful and Kerrison left the music industry while Dessent went on to work with Wendy and the Rocketts. By 1983, Watson had joined Sydney band, The Venetians. Here to download are all four singles released on Mushroom Records. Flac

5 comments:

AussieRock said...: Hi Tom. Thanks so much for providing these wonderful singles - in particular the rare B-Side "Read All About It" which didn't appear on their album. Great to see you back in the seat again mate. Cheers Guy; 12 July 2020 at 10:24
Michael Smith said...: Hi Tom,
The band Peter Watson joined was The Venetians, who cut three albums - Step Of The Edge in June 1985, Calling In The Lions in 1986 and Amazing World in August 1988 - and released ten singles. Peter and Chris Harriott were also involved in a frivolous one-off single by Men of Harlech titled Charlie's Getting Married, released by Mushroom in 1981. Stuart Kerrison moved to the other side of the desk and produced a single for Vixen before becoming sound engineer for Wendy & The Rocketts, with whom he went to London and stayed on their return, working with Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark. These days he runs a recording studio in Norway. Chris went into music for television, working with Elle McFeast and Andrew Denton before settling down to write the music for the very successful Hi-Five. Aldo Civitico returned to Adelaide, joined a band called Fat Lip, which, slimmed down to a four-piece, returned to Sydney after their singer Allan Fryer had the opportunity of replacing the late Bon Scott fronting AC/DC dangled before him briefly. Aldo dropped out on reading the contract offered by Deluxe Records but the rest of the band signed, changed their name to Heaven and cut two albums before Fryer dumped the Australian lineup for a US lineup. Aldo joined me briefly in Pat Drummond's Skooldaze in 1985, thereby featuring on the band's sole release, a self-titled mini-LP. On my dismissal from Scandal I moved to Sydney and took up an opportunity offered while touring, to be a music writer. Playing with a plethora of bands over the years, I've written for pretty much every magazine going, from RAM and Juke to The Drum Media, with whom I worked as founding and contributing editor until September 2015, still freelancing throughout. I currently contribute to Rhythms magazine. The last significant band I was in was the reconvened Atlantics, 2006 through 2012, featuring on their contribution to the CD anthology Delightful Rain. I've published two volumes of a probably six-volume history of Australian rock and pop titled What's Been Did (And What's Been Hid), those volumes covering artists and acts who first emerged between 1955 and 1963, and 1964 and 1969 respectively, currently available through Amazon (check out under Michael George Smith!). You should be able to order copies from your local bookshop by month's end.
Cheers, Michael Smith, bass guitarist and singer, Scandal 1976-78.; 16 July 2020 at 17:26
Ozzie Music Man said...: Hi Michael,

it's Garry not Tom LOL, thanks for the updated info on the band and I have corrected the error. I will be looking out for those books for sure. I will also be on the look out for the bands other musical projects as well. Thanks again,

Garry; 16 July 2020 at 22:22
Secret Squirrel said...: Thanks mate for "The Best Deal In Town" which I originally owned but gave away when their album came out (only to discover it had a different version on it).

regards,

Paul; 18 October 2020 at 10:34
Paul said...: I second Secret Squirrel's story and say thanks.

Also Paul; 13 December 2020 at 13:24