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.
Take It Easy On Me
Little River Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We wandered through the days like they had no end.
But now that you are gone I'm under cover.
I just can't think about you as a friend.
[Chorus:]
Take it easy on me.
It should be easy to see.
Hear me crying out loud.
Just want you to know.
I know that you have to go.
It's all up to you but whatever you do, take it easy on me.
So now I'll go the minstrel road without.
I know there will be times when I need you there.
And each night as I sing those songs about you.
I'll think back to the time when you used to care.
[Chorus]
Take it easy on me.
Oh baby don't leave me crying.
It should be easy to see.
I've needed you for so long.
Just one more chance with you.
One more chance will you, take chance?
Come on and take a chance.
[Chorus]
It's still up to you but whatever you do
Take it easy on me.
The lyrics of Little River Band's song, Take It Easy On Me, tell the story of a person who is struggling with the end of a romantic relationship. The first verse suggests that being with this person was easy, and that the singer misses the simplicity they once had. However, since the break-up, the singer is struggling to maintain a friendship, likely because their feelings for the other person are still strong.
In the chorus, the singer begs the former partner to be kind to them as they adjust to life without them. They feel lost in a crowd, and their pain is evident in their cries for help. The verse is straightforward and could be interpreted as a plea for mercy and understanding.
The second verse is a continuation of the first, with the singer acknowledging that they will have to go through life without their partner, but will miss having them around. They sing about how the songs they perform will remind them of their lost love, and how they once cared for them.
Overall, the lyrics of Take It Easy On Me are a heartfelt plea from someone who is struggling to move on after a difficult break-up. It tells of a person who misses their partner, misses the simple pleasure of being loved, and is struggling to move on without them.
Line by Line Meaning
It used to be so easy to be your lover.
Being your lover used to be effortless and fulfilling during the time we spent together.
We wandered through the days like they had no end.
We enjoyed spending time together and never wanted those moments to end.
But now that you are gone I'm under cover.
In your absence, I'm trying to hide my feelings for you and trying to deal with the pain of losing you.
I just can't think about you as a friend.
I have romantic feelings for you and thinking of you as just a friend is not possible for me.
Take it easy on me.
Please treat me kindly and understand my feelings.
It should be easy to see.
My feelings for you are clear and should be easy for you to recognize.
I'm getting lost in a crowd.
I feel lost and alone without you and don't know how to cope.
Hear me crying out loud.
My pain is evident and I'm expressing it openly.
Just want you to know.
I want you to be aware and understand how I feel.
I know that you have to go.
I understand that you have to move on and leave me behind.
It's all up to you but whatever you do, take it easy on me.
I understand that you have a choice and decision to make, but please keep my feelings in mind and treat me gently.
So now I'll go the minstrel road without.
Now that you're gone, I'll continue pursuing my passion for music and performing, but without you by my side.
I know there will be times when I need you there.
Although I'm trying to move on, I know there will be moments where I'll miss you and wish you were there for me.
And each night as I sing those songs about you.
My music has become a way for me to express my emotions and thoughts about you.
I'll think back to the time when you used to care.
I'll reminisce about the times when you loved and cared for me deeply.
Oh baby don't leave me crying.
I'm begging you not to leave me heartbroken and in tears.
I've needed you for so long.
I've had strong feelings for you for a long time and can't imagine life without you.
Just one more chance with you.
I'm pleading for another opportunity to be with you.
One more chance will you, take chance?
Will you consider giving me another chance and taking a risk on us?
Come on and take a chance.
I'm encouraging you to take a chance on our love and to not give up on us.
It's still up to you but whatever you do, take it easy on me.
The decision is yours to make, but I hope that you'll consider my feelings and treat me kindly no matter what you decide.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GRAHAM GOBLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@melmiller6074
Little River Band - Take It Easy On Me Lyrics:
It used to be so easy to be your lover
We wandered through the days like they had no end
But now that you are gone, I'm undercover
I just can't think about you as a friend
Take it easy on me
It should be easy to see
I'm getting lost in the crowd
Hear me cryin' out loud
Just want you to know
I know that you have to go
It's all up to you but whatever you do
Take it easy on me
So now I'll go the Minstrel road without you
I know there will be times when I need you there
Each night as I sing those songs about you, baby
I'll think back to the time when you used to care
Take it easy on me
It should be easy to see
I'm getting lost in a crowd
Hear me cryin' out loud
Just want you to know
I know that you have to go
It's all up to you but whatever you do
Take it easy on me
Take it easy on me
Oh, baby, don't leave me cryin'
It should be easy to see
I've needed you for so long
Just one more chance with you
One more chance, will you take a chance?
Come on and take a chance
Take it easy on me
It should be easy to see
I'm getting lost in the crowd
Hear me cryin' out loud
Just want you to know
I know that you have to go
It's all up to you but whatever you do
Take it easy on me
It's still up to you, but whatever you do
Take it easy on me
Mr. Wayne Nelson
Written by: Graham Goble
Album: The Big Box
Released: 2017
Lyrics provided by Musixmatch
@Bradygoodz
One of the greatest bands of all time. Period.
@samsngdevice5103
Yep. Them and air supply. 56 now and grew up with 5hem.
@Bass_Playa_Two_Point.O
It's shameful that the men who wrote, recorded, and originally performed this great music are unable to tour under their band's name and that the current crop of musicians touring as the Little River Band are all impostors. A sad fact.
@AndreaGodehardt-oj5tj
⁰
@AndreaGodehardt-oj5tj
6
@someguyinphoenix1876
Wow. Is this true? That’s terrible
@jonathanmoon86
Agreed
@AllynDoyle-up3jt
What kinda sleazy mgnt did they happen to siv9n❤❤😂😂😂p
@SSaaNNddYY77
I miss this type of music... such talent!!!
@HenryAlonso-pg7kn
hello how are you doing today?