MILESAGO - Groups & Solo Artists

MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975

DRUMMOND
Melbourne, 1970-77

Graeham Goble (vocals, guitar)
Russ Johnson (vocals, guitar)
John Mower (vocals, guitar)
plus unknown studio musicians

History

Drummond was one of the most prominent one-hit wonders of the 1970s in Australia. This fictitious studio band was created by Ron Tudor, owner of Melbourne-based indendent label Fable Records. The main musicians who recorded the first two Drummond singles were Graeham Goble, Russ Johnson and John Mower, the members of Alison Gros, the trio which was renamed Mississippi in 1972 (and which evolved into Little River Band in 1975).

Drummond's first single, released in June 1970, was "For You Blue" / "The Grasshopper". The A-side is a cover of the George Harrison track from the Let It Bealbum. This debut single evidently sank without trace, but their second single became one of the surprise hits of 1971. In a shameless cash-in on the massive success of Daddy Cool, Drummond recorded a novelty 'chipmunk' version of the Slay-Crewe standard "Daddy Cool" -- which DC themselves had recorded for their hugely successful debut album. Remarkably, the Drummond version of "Daddy Cool" became a massive national hit, rocketing up the charts and knocking Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock" off the top spot. It was at #1 for eight weeks on the Go-Set national chart and spent a staggering total of 34 weeks on the Top 40 in the second half of 1971 and into early 1972, becoming one of the biggest selling Australian singles of the year. It is now rated #87 in the list of the 100 longest-charting #1 singles on the Australian Top 40.

Fable subsequently released three more singles under the Drummond pseudonym, but none of these were successful and it is understood that the Goble, Johnson and Mower were not involved in these recordings.

Discography

Singles

Jun. 1970
"For You Blue" / "The Grasshopper" (Fable)

Jun. 1971
"Daddy Cool" / "Hot Mumma" (Fable FB-070)

Jan. 1972
"You Talk Too Much" / "Scotty" (Fable)

Nov. 1972
"Singin' The Blues" / "I Have Changed" (Fable)

Mar. 1975
"The Bump" / "Listen to the Song" (Fable)

Sep. 1977
"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" / "Shall We Dance" (Fable)

EPs

date
Drummond (Fable FBEP-163)

"Daddy Cool" / "For You Blue" // "You Talk Too Much" / "Singin' The Blues"

Album

Drummond did not release an LP, but "Daddy Cool" has been included on numerous "Various Artists" hit compilations and anthologies. It is included on the recent 2CD compilation The Fable Years, 1970-1984.

References / Links

Ian McFarlane
Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop (Allen & Unwin, 1999)

Noel McGrath
Encyclopedia of Australian Rock (Outback Press, 1978)

Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry
Who's Who of Australian Rock (Five Mile Press, 2002)

Vernon Joyson
Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares: Australia (Borderline Books, 1999)

poparchives.com.au
Drummond article
http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=26

Rate Your Music
"Most Weeks at #1 on the Australian charts"
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/froghead/most_weeks_at_no_1_on_the_australian_charts/