Skyhooks
Skyhooks was an Australian rock band of the 1970s, sometimes classified as … Read Full Bio ↴Skyhooks was an Australian rock band of the 1970s, sometimes classified as a glam rock band, although this is mainly the result of the band's flamboyant costumes and makeup.
The band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, lyrics, and on-stage activities, leading to seven of the ten tracks on their first album being banned from commercial radio. Much of the group's success derived from its distinctive repertoire, most of which was penned by bassist Macainsh.
Although Skyhooks was not the first Australian rock band to write songs in Australia, about Australians, for Australians (rather than ditties about love or songs about New York or other foreign lands), they were the first band to do so and be commercially successful, and the songs were set apart from much of the pop fare of the time thanks to Macainish's mordant humour.
The 'Hooks were the Australian pop success story of their era. Their first album, Living in the Seventies, rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for so long that it became the best selling Australian album ever up to that time, with the follow-up, Ego is not a Dirty Word, coming a close second. The band's success was also widely credited with saving the struggling Mushroom record label and enabling it to develop into the most successful independent Australian label of its time.
Both these LPs were produced by Ross Wilson, former lead singer of Daddy Cool, which had been the most successful Australian rock group of the early 1970s. Wilson championed the group, signing them to a publishing contract and convincing Mushroom Records boss Michael Gudinski to give them a recording contract.
Remarkably, the success of Living in the Seventies was mainly due to the enormous support the band were given by the TV pop show Countdown, rather than support from radio β in fact, most of the tracks on the LP had been banned by commercial radio because of their sex and drug references. Despite the ban, and as a deliberate act of provocation to commercial radio, the ABC's newly established 24-hour rock music station Double Jay chose the album's first track, the provocatively titled "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed" as the first track played on air on its first day of broadcasting on January 19, 1975.
Over the next few years, Skyhooks gradually faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. The demands for the band to reform were successful in 1983, with a record sum of money being paid for each of the original members to play a series of concerts. Further reformations took place in 1984 and then in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, "Jukebox in Siberia", which shot to the top of the charts.
"Shirley" Strachan and Red Symons both went on to successful careers in Australian commercial television. Symons was for many years a villain-cum-guitarist on the long-running TV show 'Hey Hey It's Saturday.' He was especially known for wielding the gong on the 'Red Faces' talent segment. He now works on ABC radio and writes humorous columns for the press. After the demise of Skyhooks, Starkie still plays locally, Freddie became the drummer in the later lineup of noted Melbourne rock band The Sports, and other acts such as The Bushwackers and the "Old Skydaddys". Greg Macainsh played with John Farnham, and in recent years has been a board member of both APRA and PPCA, and is currently completing a Law Degree. Strachan hosted a popular children's TV show 'Shirl's Neighbourhood' in the early 80s and went on to use his carpentry trade skills on air in various home improvement TV shows. He was also a familiar face at Hawthorn Football Club functions, of which he was a passionate supporter. Sadly, Strachan was killed in an air crash on August 29th, 2001, when the helicopter he was learning to fly crashed into Mount Alexander near Kilcoy, northwest of Brisbane. Strachan died instantly.
A Memorial was held to pay Tribute to Strachan at the Palais Theatre shortly after. Tribute were paid and Guest Vocalist and Producer Ross Wilson assisted on the night.
A Night to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Living in the 70s album was held in 2004. It was a historic night with several different incarnations of the band performing. The only absences were Graham Strachan and Steve Hill.
The Skyhooks and Steve Hill then reformed in 2005 in Sydney for a One-Off gig. Hill had been diagnosed with Cancer and the Original Skyhooks, Peter Inglis, Peter Starkie, Fred Strauks and Greg Macainsh joined with Hill to show their support.
The name "Skyhooks" comes from an imaginary device created in the book Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator used to hold the elevator up in mid-air.
The band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, lyrics, and on-stage activities, leading to seven of the ten tracks on their first album being banned from commercial radio. Much of the group's success derived from its distinctive repertoire, most of which was penned by bassist Macainsh.
Although Skyhooks was not the first Australian rock band to write songs in Australia, about Australians, for Australians (rather than ditties about love or songs about New York or other foreign lands), they were the first band to do so and be commercially successful, and the songs were set apart from much of the pop fare of the time thanks to Macainish's mordant humour.
The 'Hooks were the Australian pop success story of their era. Their first album, Living in the Seventies, rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for so long that it became the best selling Australian album ever up to that time, with the follow-up, Ego is not a Dirty Word, coming a close second. The band's success was also widely credited with saving the struggling Mushroom record label and enabling it to develop into the most successful independent Australian label of its time.
Both these LPs were produced by Ross Wilson, former lead singer of Daddy Cool, which had been the most successful Australian rock group of the early 1970s. Wilson championed the group, signing them to a publishing contract and convincing Mushroom Records boss Michael Gudinski to give them a recording contract.
Remarkably, the success of Living in the Seventies was mainly due to the enormous support the band were given by the TV pop show Countdown, rather than support from radio β in fact, most of the tracks on the LP had been banned by commercial radio because of their sex and drug references. Despite the ban, and as a deliberate act of provocation to commercial radio, the ABC's newly established 24-hour rock music station Double Jay chose the album's first track, the provocatively titled "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed" as the first track played on air on its first day of broadcasting on January 19, 1975.
Over the next few years, Skyhooks gradually faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. The demands for the band to reform were successful in 1983, with a record sum of money being paid for each of the original members to play a series of concerts. Further reformations took place in 1984 and then in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, "Jukebox in Siberia", which shot to the top of the charts.
"Shirley" Strachan and Red Symons both went on to successful careers in Australian commercial television. Symons was for many years a villain-cum-guitarist on the long-running TV show 'Hey Hey It's Saturday.' He was especially known for wielding the gong on the 'Red Faces' talent segment. He now works on ABC radio and writes humorous columns for the press. After the demise of Skyhooks, Starkie still plays locally, Freddie became the drummer in the later lineup of noted Melbourne rock band The Sports, and other acts such as The Bushwackers and the "Old Skydaddys". Greg Macainsh played with John Farnham, and in recent years has been a board member of both APRA and PPCA, and is currently completing a Law Degree. Strachan hosted a popular children's TV show 'Shirl's Neighbourhood' in the early 80s and went on to use his carpentry trade skills on air in various home improvement TV shows. He was also a familiar face at Hawthorn Football Club functions, of which he was a passionate supporter. Sadly, Strachan was killed in an air crash on August 29th, 2001, when the helicopter he was learning to fly crashed into Mount Alexander near Kilcoy, northwest of Brisbane. Strachan died instantly.
A Memorial was held to pay Tribute to Strachan at the Palais Theatre shortly after. Tribute were paid and Guest Vocalist and Producer Ross Wilson assisted on the night.
A Night to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Living in the 70s album was held in 2004. It was a historic night with several different incarnations of the band performing. The only absences were Graham Strachan and Steve Hill.
The Skyhooks and Steve Hill then reformed in 2005 in Sydney for a One-Off gig. Hill had been diagnosed with Cancer and the Original Skyhooks, Peter Inglis, Peter Starkie, Fred Strauks and Greg Macainsh joined with Hill to show their support.
The name "Skyhooks" comes from an imaginary device created in the book Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator used to hold the elevator up in mid-air.
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Skyhooks Lyrics
1976 Guitar In 68 I bought an axe at the local music…
All My Friends Are Getting Married Well all my friends are getting married Yes they're all grow…
B B B Boogie Strauks Sometimes I get the feeling Everybody's putting…
Balwyn Calling You met her at a party on Saturday night She was…
Black Me despierto un nuevo dΓa Sigo sin tener paz Anoche me quede…
Black & White Bar Letβ²s go down to the black and white bar Sit at…
Blue Jeans Everybody's wearin' blue jeans Everybody's got their own sce…
Bondage On The Boulevarde She picked me up for her bodyguard While I was tying…
Carlton When the sun sets over Carlton And the moonlight floods the…
Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo) When the sun sets over Carlton And the moonlight floods the…
Crazy Heart Sue works in a bank on the other side of…
Do the hook There's a new dance that's going around It's easy to do…
Ego If I did not have an ego I would not…
Every Chase a Steeple Go to school act the fool Learn to get up…
Fathers And Daughters In a room with a view on the thirty-third floor The…
Forging Ahead I got no gun in my pocket Just got my suitcase…
Happy Hippy Hut Down a bush track off a dirt road No milkbar no…
Hey What's The Matter? Hey, whatβ²s the matter, what's the matter with you Hey, what…
Horror Movie [Chorus x2] Watched a horror movie, right there on my TV Hor…
Horror Movie - remastered Watch a horror movie right there on my TV Horror movie…
Hot Rod James Life is just a V8 with extractors plated in chrome It…
Hotel Hell Thursday is pay-day so I thought I'd have some fun Go…
I I'm normal yes I'm normal Normal as anybody can be I'm nor…
Is This America This is my city This is your city This is our city…
Jukebox In Siberia Way up on the Arctic coast There's a club that's just…
Keep The Junk In America I saw a light in the desert sky Space station comin'…
Kickback You cut the cake I'll take the cream I'll keep the…
Kooyong Dollar I rent a flat in Highett I eat at Hungry Jacks I…
Let It Rock In the heat of the day down in Mobil Alabama I…
Life In The Modern World Where the sky meets the earth, that's the skyline Where the…
Livin I feel a little crazy I feel a little strange Like I'm…
Living in the 70's I feel a little crazy I feel a little strange Like I'm…
Love on the Radio They talk about love on the radio They say that you…
Love's Not Good Enough I'd like to be in love but love's not good…
Mercedes Ladies Well you look so cute in your Levis suit Struttin' down…
Million Dollar Rif Million dollar riff Million dollar riff Million dollar riff …
Million Dollar Riff Million dollar riff Million dollar riff Million dollar riff …
Motorcycle Bitch I gotta motorcycle bitch with a fast machine Well she struck…
MUMBO JUMBO Think I'll do myself a favour Let my thoughts dribble down…
My Heart Gets Blown To Bits Like a hand grenade You pull out the pin Five seconds And th…
No Inspiration Why don't you take your Galliano Cartier watch Porsche 924 P…
Over The Border Well I've spent too long in the deep north, The land…
Party To End All Parties There was a rumour on the grapevine The word had got…
Point In The Distance Macainsh For some of us this life is too short When…
Powdertown Josie lives in a two room flat Just across from the…
Red Fingernails The hairs on my chest begin to rise My eyebrows start…
Saturday Night Saturday night and everybody's out boozin' I get in my car…
Sex is not a dirty word If I did not have an ego I would not…
Smartarse Songwriters Oh well there's a lot of smartarse songwriters Who think the…
Smut Slip into a cinema and give yourself a treat Better take…
Somewhere In Sydney Somewhere in Sydney there's a lady so pretty When she cross…
Straight In A Gay Gay World I'm just a straight in a gay, gay, gay world I'm…
Tall Timber They built this house from tall timber Cut it down in…
The Girl Says She My girlfriend's yawnin' on a Saturday night I think we're g…
The Other Side The kids on the street are lookin' at me They wanna…
This Is My City This is my city This is your city This is our city…
This Town Is Boring Well I jumped a plane for the Greek Isles Ouzo and…
Tigersnake Kiss Sheβ²s crawling in the gutter along the Edgecliff Road She's …
Toorak Cowboy He gets his hair cut at Marini's And he drives a…
Trouble With The Computer Went down to the bank to make a deposit yesterday The…
Twisted Innocence Ken and Julie are hitching to the coast They don't know…
Westgate Light Sometimes when I'm driving Driving all night long My mind ge…
Whatever Happened to the Revolution Whatever happened to the revolution We all got stoned and it…
Women In Uniform Hello there sailor Hi there Lili Marlene Good morning school…
You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good in Bed You just like me 'cos I'm good in bed (X…
You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good In Bed (Remastered) You just like me 'cos I'm good in bed You…
You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed You just like me 'cos I'm good in bed (X…
You Just Like Me Cos Im Good In Bed You just like me cos I'm good in bed You just…