MIGHTY KONG
Melbourne 1973
Ross Wilson (vocals, guitar)
Ross Hannaford (guitar, vocals)
Tim Partridge (bass)
Russell Smith (guitar, vocals)
Ray Arnott (drums, vocals)
History
Mighty Kong was the 'supergroup' successor to the legendary Daddy
Cool, which broke up in in August 1972. It was also the fifth
(and
technically the last) in the line of groups that featured Ross "The
Boss" Wilson and Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink
Finks in 1965. Despite its all-star lineup, culled from three
of the
top groups of the time, the band was shortlived and never really
achieved
its considerable potential, effectively relegated to being a footnote
in
the larger story of Daddy Cool. The main relic of this period was
their excellent (and greatly underrated) LP All I Wanna Do Is
Rock.
The formative stages of the new group (late '72 - early '73)
promised
much, and involved several notable players of the day. After Company
Caine broke up in October '72, not long after Daddy Cool,
singer/lyricist
Gulliver Smith linked with the two Rosses. They worked for several
months on getting a new band together, but Gulliver moved on to launch
his solo career at the end '72, although the Smith/Smith writing
partnegsubip
left its mark with two fine songs which eventually wound up on the LP.
At the start of 1973 there was another promising connection
when Hannaford
& Wilson got together with guitarist Tim Gaze (Tamam
Shud, Kahvas Jute)
and drummer Nigel Macara
(Tamam Shud), but after about a month of rehearsals Gaze and Macara
left.
Gaze's place was taken by Company Caine guitarist Russell Smith,
who had been off playing in the touring version of G.Wayne Thomas'
studio
"supergroup" Duck. For a new drummer, Hannaford & Wilson turned
to the multi-talented Ray Arnott, who announced in March that he
was leaving his current gig with Spectrum
to
join the new band (which also reunited him with Russell Smith, his
former
bandmate from the last days of Cam-Pact
and
the early Company Caine).
Unfortunately, Arnott's departure triggered the
break up of Spectrum -- founder Mike Rudd felt that it wouldn't be
possible
recruit a new member and maintain Spectrum's special chemistry.
Spectrum
played their farewell concert in mid-April and Arnott was then freed to
join the new group; in a neat piece of symmetry, Gaze and Macara
hitched
up with the remaining members of Spectrum to form Ariel.
With the final addition of bassist Tim Partridge (also ex-Company
Caine) the new band was complete and was launched in May 1973 under the
name Mighty Kong.
After the breakup of Daddy Cool, Wilson and Hannaford were
keen to get
away from DC's stylistic restrictions -- the 50s repertoire, the 'zany'
stage outfits -- and the media's concentration of the obvious elements
of
Daddy Cool, which tended to obscure the more serious side of their
work.
The material that they put together was in a heavier, contemporary rock
style, bringing in some of the progressive elements which had featured
in their earlier band Sons Of The Vegetal Mother, and which had
resurfaced on the second Daddy Cool LP Sex Dope, Rock'n'Roll:
Teenage
Heaven.
Their only album, All I Wanna Do Is Rock,
was recorded
at Melbourne's Armstrong's Studios, produced and engineered by John
Fischbach. It's a fine record, with strong hints of Wilson's future
direction in Mondo Rock, but there is still plenty of humour, as
shown by the jokey cover art -- an old novelty photo showing a woman
and
a gorilla (well, a man in a gorilla suit actually) sitting side by
side,
with the gorilla's arm around the woman's shoulder . Picking up the
cover
motif, the pulsating opening track "Jungle In My Blood" features a
prowling guitar riff from Hannaford & Smith; it's followed by
Wilson's
declaration of spritual independence "Got My Beliefs" (which actually
dates back to his days in Party Machine, and is not too far removed
from
songs like the Vegetal's "Love Is The Law)". The highlight of the
album is undoubtedly the beautiful "With A Smile Like That (How Could
We Refuse?)", a dark, soulful ballad co-written by Gulliver Smith and
Russell Smith. Along with Mondo Rock's "State Of The Heart" it is
one of Ross Wilson's best vocal performances, with its soaring vocal
line
showing off his upper range to fine effect. The next three tracks --
"Homesick
& Horny" and the ebullient rockers "All Throught The Day" and
"Calling All Cats" -- are perhaps the more typical of the Daddy Cool
style (with Hannaford & Wilson still seemingly unable to resist
a bit
of Zappa-style doo-wop parody).
"Some Other New Address" is the other excellent Smith/Smith
song,
and the only track not sung by Wilson, with vocal credits going to
guitarist
Russell Smith. "Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)" is Wilson's cautionary
tale of the dangers of heroin. The drug was by then becoming a serious
problem in Australia's major cities, largely due to the huge influx of
heroin brought in by and for American servicemen visiting Australia on
R&R (rest and recreation) leave. By 1973 heroin was cutting a
swathe
through the Australian music scene with many leading performers
becoming
addicts. The title track closes the album another goodtime rocker from
Wilson.
Regrettably the group never really gelled, and Wilson has
commented
in recent times
that it lacked the chemistry that made Daddy Cool such a successful
group. Mighty Kong had already split up by the time the album and
its accompanying single, "Callin' All Cats" / "Hard Drugs (Are Bad For
You)"
were released in December 1973, but without a band to promote them, the
records made no impression on the charts.
In early 1973 Wilson and Hannaford bowed to financial
pressures -- the
split of Daddy Cool had left them with large debts so they reformed DC
for what was meant to be a one-off performance at the 1974 Sunbury
Festival.
It was rapturously received, and prompted a full reformation, with more
touring and recording; this incarnation of the band lasted until
September
1975.
The latest news is that Aztec Music plans ot re-release the Mighty
Kong LP in 2007, but a posting on Ross Wilson's website in
early 2007 indicated that the project has was delayed due to
problems with locating some master tapes.
After Mighty Kong...
Ray Arnott moved on to a short stint in The
Dingoes, replacing original drummer John Lee for several
months; then followed his own bands One Nite Stand and the Ray
Arnott Band, as well as a stint in Cold Chisel in the 80s, during the
period when
Steve Prestwich had left the group.
Ross Hannaford played with a success of
fine bands through the 70s and
80s, including Billy T, Heavy Division (with Russell Smith)
and a stint in Goanna. In the 1990s he was a fixture at the "Espy"
-- the famous Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda -- where he had a long-running
residency
with his band Diana'a Kiss.
Tim Partidge moved on to other important
bands, and became a sought-after
session player. After Mighty Kong, he played with Cool Bananas and
Aunty Jack & The Gong, the touring bands put together to back Aunty
Jack Show members Graeme Bond & Rory O'Donoghue. From
there he worked with many
well know groups including the Barry Leef Band (1976), two spells
with Kevin Borich Express (1976-77, 1979-80), the Foreday Riders,
Heavy Division (where he reunited him with Smith and Hannaford)
and The Renee Geye Band (1978). These days Tim teaches at the Tasmanian
Conservatorium of Music in Hobart.
Russell Smith went on to Metropolis, followed by the
re-formation
of Co. Caine in 1975, then Billy T, Heavy Division
and Goanna (1983). These days he resides in Perth and is a member of
Jeffrey St John & The Embers.
Ross Wilson endured a hiatus in his
recording career due to a dispute with
the Wizard label that resulted from tDaddy Cool's abortive attempt to
record a new album in
1974. Late that year 1974 he launched his highly successful career as a
producer.
overseeing three LPs for Skyhooks, including their legendary debut
Living In The 70s, which broke the previous sales
record
for an Australian album, set by Daddy Cool. In 1976 he was briefly
reunited with Hanna for the soundtrack to the Chris Lofven film Oz.
In 1978 he formed Mondo Rock which became one of the most successful
Australian bands of the 1980s. Ross is still going strong after more
than 40 years in the business and he is currently taking part in a
reformation of Daddy Cool.
Discography
Singles
Dec. 1973
"Calling All Cats" / "Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)" (Wizard ZS-108)
Albums
Dec. 1973
All I Wanna Do Is Rock (Wizard ZL-204)
"Jungle In My Blood (Wilson)"
""Got My Beliefs (Wilson)"
"With A Smile Like That (How Could We Refuse?) (Smith-Smith)"
"Homesick & Horny (Wilson)"
"All Through The Day (Into The Night We Play) (Hannaford-Wilson)"
"Callin' All Cats (The Cats Are Callin') (Wilson)"
"Some Other New Address (Smith-Smith)"
"Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You) (Wilson)"
"All I Wanna Do Is Rock (Wilson)"
Ross Wilson - chief vocals, pignose guitar on "Homesick
& Horny"
Ross Hannaford - guitar, deep throat
Russell Smith - guitar, lead vocals on "Some Other New Address"
Tim Partiridge - bass
Ray Arnott - drums
Produced & engineered by John Fishbach
Recorded at Armstrong's Studios, Melbourne
Scheduled for re-release by Aztec Music in 2007
References / Links
Noel McGrath
Australian Encyclopedia of Rock (Outback Press,
1978)
Ian McFarlane
From The Vault, Vol.2, No.3, pp.23 (1990)
Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (Allen
& Unwin, 1999)