| MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975 | Groups & Solo Artists |
HOT COTTAGE
Sydney 1969-73, 1984
Rick Suey (vocals) 1969-71
Barry Dominey (vocals) 1971-73
Jim Willebrandt (vocals) 1973
Steve Hart (bass)
Kim Humphreys (guitar)
Dick Huxley (organ, guitar, vocals) 1970-71
Alan Marshall (organ, guitar) June 1969 - April 1971
Kevin "Loppy" Morris (drums) 1970-71
History
The core of the original lineup of Hot Cottage had been the rhythm section of the late '60s Sydney band Paper Grape, plus singer and harmonica player , Greg Grace, who had been the lead singer of the first lineup of country rock pioneers The Flying Circus. Grace left Flying Circus in June 1969 (so we can assume that Hot Cottage formed soon after that), reportedly because he was unhappy with the pop direction the gorup was taking and also because he was suffering from persistent throat problems (although he would return to Flying Circus in 1971 later).
According to Chris Spencer, Hot Cottage began as a "multilayered harmony band".
Hot Cottage had numerous connections with other bands of the period. Dominey, Hart, Humphreys and Morris had all previously been in Paper Grape; . There were also connections to their contemporaries Sherbet -- Jim Willebrandt had previously sung with both Daisy Roots (whose drummer was Alan Sandow) and he had played in Clapham Junction with Dennis Laughlin, who was Sherbet's original lead singer
Guitarist / organist Alan Marshall joined the band in 1970 but left in April 1971 to join noted Sydney group Autumn. He joined Autumn just before they group recorded "Falling" (their first single for their new label Warner Bros) which was a Top 10 hit in Sydney; he also played on Autumn's excellent Comes Autumn LP which came out later in the year.
Vocalist Barry Dominey (ex-Wright of Waye) joined in 1971and the group's sound "changed to a harder bluesier one, with influences from Spooky Tooth and Free, becoming more obvious Dominey joined as vocalist"
Hot Cottage recorded two singles for EMI. Their first, "Mr Soul / Bluebird" was released in 1970 on the Columbia label.
Discography
1970
"Mr Soul" / "Bluebird" (Columbia DO-9038)
1971
"Made To Love You" / "Sour Lovin' " (HMV EA-9639)
References / Links
Ian McFarlane
Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (Allen & Unwin, 1999)
Spencer, Chris, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry
Who's Who of Australian Rock (Five Mile Press, 2002)
Joyson, Vernon
Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares: Australia (Borderline Books, 1999)