While fronted by singer John Farnham from 1982–1986, the band's original members were Glenn Shorrock (vocals), Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Ric Formosa (guitars and vocals), Roger McLachlan (bass) and Derek Pellicci (drums).
The group evolved from the harmony-rock group Mississippi in 1975. Prior to that, Birtles had been the bassist in 1960s pop band Zoot (which also included singer-guitarist Rick Springfield), and Shorrock had been the lead singer of leading Australian 60s pop band The Twilights and early 1970s country rock band Axiom.
They found immediate success in Australia, but individual members had greater ambitions. Like many other Australasian groups of the period, both Axiom and Mississippi had tried to break into the UK record market without success. Remembering the indifferent reaction they had received in the UK, they decided the new band would focus on establishing themselves in the United States.
A key factor in their eventual success was their manager Glenn Wheatley, who had been the bassist in the highly-regarded Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices. Wheatley's first-hand experiences of the rip-offs in the 1960s music scene, combined with his subsequent experience working in music management in Britain and the United States in the early 1970s, enabled him to help LRB become the first Australian group to enjoy sustained commercial and chart success in the United States.
Fuelled by a very successful Australian hit single "Curiosity Killed The Cat", the band began making promotional visits to the US in 1976. This resulted in a hit single, "It's A Long Way There", which broke into the Top 30 and galvanised the commitment of the band members. More concert performances in the US followed, and in 1977 "Help Is On Its Way" (an Australian number one single) and "Happy Anniversary"[4] both narrowly missed the US Top 10. During this period McLachlan left the group and was replaced by George McArdle while lead guitarist Formosa was replaced by David Briggs.
From 1978 until 1981, Little River Band achieved six consecutive US Top 10 singles with "Reminiscing", "Lady", "Lonesome Loser", "Cool Change", "The Night Owls" and "Take It Easy On Me". During their career the band have sold more than 25 million records and scored 13 American Top 40 hits.
Bassist/vocalist Wayne Nelson joined in 1980 and is currently the lead singer. In 1981 he sang lead vocals on their top ten US hit "Night Owls". Guitarist Stephen Housden joined the band in 1981 replacing David Briggs. Housden owns the rights to the name Little River Band. He co-wrote the band's last hit in Australia "Love is a Bridge".
In 1982 Shorrock was forced out of the band and went on to pursue a solo career. He failed to make an impression in the U.S., but he had a substantial hit in Australia with a cover version of Bobby Darin's "Dream Lover".
The pressures of success and constant touring gradually took their toll on LRB and members gradually left. John Farnham replaced Shorrock in 1982 and the first single with Farnham, "The Other Guy" reached #11 in the US. Subsequent singles were only minor hits. In Australia the band continued to be popular and songs such as "Down On The Border", "Playing To Win" and "Love is a Bridge" were major hits. Farnham's popularity in Australia was increasing at this time, and he left the band to return to his solo career, achieving huge success in Australia (he was also managed by Wheatley).
Birtles left in 1983 because he did not like the direction the band was taking and he was not a fan of Farnham's onstage performance. Farnham left in 1986 to be replaced by the returning Shorrock. Goble left the group in 1990. Shorrock left again in 1996; he was offered the option to buy out the remaining members but he decided instead to take a payment. Derek Pellicci left the band in 1999.
Little River Band are considered to be among Australia's most significant bands. The "classic lineup" of the band (Birtles, Shorrock, Goble, Pellicci, Briggs and McArdle) were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004. They performed "Help Is On Its Way" that night.
Three founding members, Birtles, Shorrock and Goble, continue to perform reunion concerts but due to the fact they lost the rights to the name Little River Band, they appear under the name Birtles Shorrock Goble: The Original Voices of Little River Band.
"Reminiscing", written by Goble, was recognised by BMI as one of the most frequently played songs in the history of American radio, with more than four million plays to its credit. "Lady" has also accumulated more than three million plays, and Goble is the first and only Australian songwriter ever to win a Four "Million Air" award from BMI. According to Albert Goldman's biography, John Lennon named "Reminiscing" as one of his favorite songs.
Little River Band continues to work in the US and performs around 100 shows every year.
Sleepless Nights
Little River Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind's outside chasin' the beat
Thinkin' of you and of what went wrong
I wonder how I can carry on
With these sleepless nights
Oh, sleepless nights
I'm havin' sleepless nights over you
The fire burns but there's nobody there
I need direction, need to find a way
I'm so tired of just sleeping my days away
Because of sleepless nights
Oh, sleepless nights
I'm having sleepless nights over you
Just can't get over you
I'm up all night watching my TV
I see the dawn with the late movie
I'm runnin' scared and I just can't find
A way to ease you off my mind
Can't stop these sleepless nights
Since you left me baby
Sleepless nights
I'm havin' sleepless nights over you
You know you got me cryin' baby
Sleepless nights, sleepless nights
Whoa, sleepless nights, sleepless nights
Sleepless nights, sleepless nights, sleepless nights
The lyrics of Sleepless Nights by Little River Band speak of someone who is going through a difficult time after a break-up. The person is lying in bed unable to sleep, as their mind is racing with thoughts of their former partner and what went wrong in their relationship. The person is struggling to find a way to move on and is tired of just sleeping their days away. The chorus of the song talks about the sleepless nights the person is having over their lost love, and how they can't seem to get over them.
As the song continues, the person expresses how they are constantly reminded of their former partner throughout the day, particularly at night. The person is watching TV to distract themselves, but they still can't seem to shake off their memories. They are running scared and can't find a way to ease the person off their mind, which is causing these sleepless nights.
Line by Line Meaning
I lie in bed and I just can't sleep
The persona reports their inability to sleep even though they are in bed.
My mind's outside chasin' the beat
The persona’s mind is agitated and distracted by thoughts.
Thinkin' of you and of what went wrong
The persona is fixated on the past, contemplating what went wrong with a past relationship.
I wonder how I can carry on
The persona is feeling lost or helpless, unsure of how to move forward.
With these sleepless nights
All this is causing them to experience several sleepless nights.
Oh, sleepless nights
The persona repeats the title of the song, emphasizing how uncomfortable sleep has become.
I'm havin' sleepless nights over you
The reason for the persona’s sleeplessness is the person they’re thinking of.
I toss and turn 'cause we're getting nowhere
The lack of resolution and progress in their thoughts causes tossing and turning while trying to sleep.
The fire burns but there's nobody there
The passion or desire for something is still burning, but the person isn’t there to satisfy it.
I need direction, need to find a way
The persona feels lost and needs guidance or a path to follow.
I'm so tired of just sleeping my days away
The persona is frustrated with feeling unproductive or unfulfilled due to lack of sleep.
Because of sleepless nights
The persona’s lack of sleep is causing other problems in their life.
I'm up all night watching my TV
The persona finds themselves turning to distractions like TV since they can’t sleep.
I see the dawn with the late movie
The persona is up long enough to see the sun rise while watching a late night movie.
I'm runnin' scared and I just can't find
The persona is feeling anxious and doesn’t know what to do.
A way to ease you off my mind
The persona is struggling to let go of thoughts about someone.
Can't stop these sleepless nights
The persona is feeling trapped and unable to stop the cycle of sleeplessness and overthinking.
Since you left me baby
The reason for the persona’s sleeplessness is a recent breakup or separation from someone.
You know you got me cryin' baby
The persona admits to still being emotional about the situation, possibly still grieving or processing their feelings.
Whoa, sleepless nights, sleepless nights
The persona repeats the title of the song again to emphasize how all-consuming the experience of sleeplessness can be.
Sleepless nights, sleepless nights, sleepless nights
The song ends with a final repetition of the title, highlighting the cyclical nature of the persona’s struggles with sleeplessness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GRAHAM GOBLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind