84-601: The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane , Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge . Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member Michael Hiron died in 2001. The Riptides were formed in 1977 as the Grudge, their members were students at the Architecture Department, University of Queensland . The original line-up
168-535: A clothing label, Wheels and Doll Baby , in Perth with his partner, Melanie Greensmith. In November 2005 Amphlett published her autobiography Pleasure and Pain: My Life co-written with Larry Writer; she detailed her achievements, drug and alcohol abuse, love affairs and triumphs while a member of Divinyls. On 16 August 2006, Divinyls were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and made their first performance for 10 years at
252-448: A club. This led to them providing the soundtrack for his 1982 film Monkey Grip and also gave Amphlett, Paul and McEntee supporting roles in the movie. The group released two singles from the soundtrack, Music from Monkey Grip EP , " Boys in Town ", which reached No. 8 on the national singles chart, and "Only Lonely". The band was the opening act at the 1983 US Festival . After
336-638: A compilation album for the Homebake Festival. Amphlett stated that the band would return to the studio to record a full album provided they "survived" their Homebake headline gig and national tour. They performed during the Australian Idol grand final at the Sydney Opera House, on 25 November 2007, although their performance of "Boys in Town" (also performed by Idol winner Natalie Gauci ) had to be repeated after Network Ten 's transmission feed
420-423: A compilation album, Riptides (a.k.a. The Last Wave ), with the track list selected by Callaghan. Callaghan and Leitch had recorded a new track, "The Wedding Song", for the album. McFarlane summarised the group's output "one of the classic Australian new wave groups. The band's blend of diamond-hard power pop, snappy surf melodies and whomping backbeat was irresistible and eminently danceable. After becoming one of
504-526: A couple of years too young to have been in bands the first time round." For many fans of power pop, according to Caferelli, the "bloated and sterile" aspect of 1970s rock was indicative of the void left by the Beatles' breakup in 1970 . During the early to middle part of the decade, only a few acts continued the tradition of Beatles-style pop. Some were younger glam / glitter bands, while others were " '60s holdovers" that refused to update their sound. One of
588-662: A cult status in Brisbane; they periodically reformed briefly for gigs at universities during Orientation Week. Early in 1987 Callaghan revived the Riptides for a reunion tour to celebrate ten years since formation. The line-up comprised Callaghan, Leitch, Hiron and Bidstrup on drums. The tour provided a double live album, Riptides Resurface , which came out in December. They toured again in February 1988 with Callaghan, Leitch and Hiron; while Bidstrup
672-570: A frequent object of derision among some critics and musicians. The 1990s saw a new wave of alternative bands that were drawn to 1960s artists because of the 1980s music they had influenced. Although not as successful as their predecessors, Jellyfish , the Posies , Redd Kross , Teenage Fanclub , and Material Issue were critical and cult favorites. In the mid-1990s, an offshoot genre that combined power pop-style harmonies with uptempo punk rock, dubbed " pop-punk ", reached mainstream popularity. Power pop
756-593: A limited edition (500 copies) three-track extended play, Sunset Strip , on the Go-Betweens ' Able Label . Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane , described it as "punchy and energetic and featured a brilliant, English-flavoured 1960s-inspired pop sound." Early in 1979 Vickers left the Numbers, travelling to New York City, where he joined the Colors. In 1983 he joined the Go-Betweens. In 1979 Callaghan switched to bass guitar and
840-599: A major component of the Elephant 6 music collective's identity often mixing with psychedelic and Slacker rock . Power pop has had varying levels of success since the 1990s. In 1994, Green Day and Weezer popularized pop-punk , an alternative rock variant genre that fuses power pop harmonies with uptempo punk moods. According to Louder Than War 's Sam Lambeth, power pop has "ebbed and flowed" while remaining an object of critical derision. Despite this, he cites Fountains of Wayne with inspiring "yet another new era for
924-571: A new single, "Hearts and Flowers" in September, and supported Scottish group, Simple Minds , on their Australian tour in October. By January 1983 the Riptides decided to disband: they had enough of performing. Callaghan recalled in December 2014, "There were other things that were going on in the band, you know, drugs, and I just thought nah, I've got to stop this, it's crazy. It had gone away from its original kind of vibe, anyway." In July 1983 Regular issued
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#17328763862051008-682: A not-so-crooked line from garage rock to power pop." Townshend himself was heavily influenced by the guitar work of Beach Boy Carl Wilson , while the Who's debut single "I Can't Explain" was indebted to the Kinks' " You Really Got Me " (1964). Roy Shuker identified the leading American power pop acts of the time as the Byrds, Tommy James and the Shondells , and Paul Revere and the Raiders . Also significant to power pop in
1092-489: A part of "the latest musical trend, power pop." Lester called the studio recording of the song a "masterclass in compression " and said that Rundgren "staked his claim to powerpop immortality [and] set the whole ball rolling". Earles identified the Raspberries as the only American band that had hit singles. Murray recognized the Raspberries as the most representative power pop band and described their 1972 US top 10 " Go All
1176-634: A power pop band was the Knack's debut single, " My Sharona ", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks in August–September 1979. However, the song's ubiquitous radio presence that summer spawned a popular and critical backlash against the band, which in turn led to a backlash against the power pop genre in general. Once the Knack failed to maintain their commercial momentum, record companies generally stopped signing power pop groups. Most bands of
1260-437: A prolific and commercially successful period from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. Throughout the two decades, the genre existed parallel to and occasionally drew from developments such as glam rock, pub rock , punk, new wave, college rock , and neo-psychedelia . AllMusic states that these new groups were "swept along with the new wave because their brief, catchy songs fit into the post-punk aesthetic." Most bands rejected
1344-527: A rapid decline due to the popularity of the AOR and progressive rock FM radio format. By 1977, there was a renewed interest in the music and culture of the 1960s, with examples such as the Beatlemania musical and the growing mod revival . AABA forms and double backbeats also made their return after many years of disuse in popular music. Spurred on by the emergence of punk rock and new wave, power pop enjoyed
1428-557: A school uniform and fishnet stockings, and she often used an illuminated neon tube as a prop for displaying aggression towards both band members and the audience. Originally a five-piece, the band underwent numerous line-up changes, with Amphlett and McEntee remaining as core members, before its dissolution in 1996. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) , as part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations, named " Science Fiction " as one of
1512-573: A six-track mini-album Swept Away , which was released in November. From the album, a track, "Only Time", was issued as a single, also in November, while Cantwell and Leitch both left. Callaghan and Hiron reformed the Riptides in early 1982 with new bandmates, Graeme "Hutch" Hutchinson on drums (ex-Leftovers, the Humans), Russell Parkhouse on keyboards and Howard Shawcross on bass guitar (ex-Last Chance Café, Elks); while Hiron moved to lead guitar. The group issued
1596-488: Is a more aggressive form of pop rock that is based on catchy, melodic hooks and energetic moods. AllMusic describes the style as "a cross between the crunching hard rock of the Who and the sweet melodicism of the Beatles and the Beach Boys , with the ringing guitars of the Byrds thrown in for good measure". Virtually every artist of the genre has been a rock band consisting of white male musicians who engaged with
1680-412: Is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who , the Beatles , the Beach Boys , and the Byrds . It typically incorporates melodic hooks , vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and cheerful-sounding music underpinned by a sense of yearning, longing, despair, or self-empowerment. The sound is primarily rooted in pop and rock traditions of
1764-490: Is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music . They commenced in 1987. Divinyls were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week . The TV Week / Countdown Awards were
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#17328763862051848-500: Is for pussies and should be stopped." Ken Stringfellow of the Posies concurred that "There’s a kind of aesthetic to power pop to be light on purpose. I wanted something with more gravitas." Power pop originated in the late 1960s as young music fans began to rebel against the emerging pretensions of rock music. During this period, a schism developed between "serious" artists who rejected pop and "crassly commercial" pop acts who embraced their teenybopper audience. Greg Shaw credited
1932-471: Is that these bands are 'retro,' or not post-modern enough because they're not grunge and because the Posies are from Seattle and don't sound like Mudhoney ." Velvet Crush 's Ric Menck credited Nirvana with ultimately making it "possible for people like Matthew [Sweet] and the Posies and Material Issue and, to some extent, us to get college radio play." As power pop "gained the attention of hip circles", many older bands reformed to record new material that
2016-615: The Cake Shop in New York City. Paul Collins and his group the Beat headlined the two-day events. Bibliography Divinyls Divinyls ( / d ɪ ˈ v aɪ n əl z / ) were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee . Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in
2100-569: The Homebake music festival where Amphlett displayed an emotional fragility when attempting to get the crowd to sing along with her. In August 2009, Amphlett announced that Divinyls were finished and she had a new band in New York. Aged 53 years, Amphlett died on 21 April 2013 at her home in New York City after a protracted battle with breast cancer since 2010. Amphlett stated that she had been unable to receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy as treatment for
2184-516: The Sydney Opera House where Amphlett and Paul were singing in a choral concert in 1980. They recruited keyboardist Bjarne Ohlin later in 1980 and drummer Richard Harvey in 1981, respectively, and for almost two years they performed in pubs and clubs in Sydney's Kings Cross . During this time, Paul negotiated publishing and recording agreements that led to the band signing with WEA. Australian film director Ken Cameron saw Divinyls performing in
2268-632: The Top 30 Australian songs of all time. The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006 and in late 2007 Amphlett and McEntee reconvened to record a new single and begin working on a new album. The band played a short series of live gigs in Australia in late 2007 and early 2008. Divinyls broke up in 2009, and Amphlett died in 2013. Divinyls released five studio albums—four placed in
2352-758: The Young Rascals ' " I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore " for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), the Wild Ones' " Wild Thing " for Reckless Kelly (1993), and Roxy Music 's " Love Is the Drug " for Super Mario Brothers (1993). The song "I Touch Myself" caused such a controversy it had trouble getting airplay in many US-area markets; so much to the point that while performing their song live in Texas at Austin Aqua Fest 1991
2436-534: The diVINYLS sessions was Charley Drayton , who became romantically involved with Amphlett: they married in July 1999, and from 2000, lived together in New York. A disagreement with Virgin Records stifled future development outside Australia where they released popular albums and achieved two more top twenty singles with " I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore " No. 19 in 1992 and " I'm Jealous " No. 14 in 1995. During
2520-668: The 1960s were the Dave Clark Five , the Creation , the Easybeats , the Move , and the Nazz . In the 1970s, the rock scene fragmented into many new styles. Artists drifted away from the influence of early Beatles songs, and those who cited the Beatles or the Who as influences were in the minority. In Paul Lester's description, "powerpop is really a 70s invention. It's about young musicians missing
2604-640: The 1970s milieu broke up in the early 1980s. In the 1980s and 1990s, power pop continued as a commercially modest genre with artists such as Redd Kross and the Spongetones . The later records of XTC also became a touchstone for bands such as Jellyfish and the Apples in Stereo , while Big Star developed an avid cult following among members of later bands like R.E.M. and the Replacements who expressed esteem for
The Riptides - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-399: The 1980s and 1990s Amphlett collaborated as a songwriter with other artists including Chrissie Hynde and Cyndi Lauper , and both Amphlett and McEntee worked on solo projects. A live album, Divinyls Live , was released in 1991 but Divinyls did not provide another studio album for five years. In the early 1990s, they recorded a series of cover songs for various movie soundtracks, including
2772-469: The 60s but taking its sound in new directions. [...] not just an alternative to prog and the hippy troubadours, but a cousin to glam." Novelist Michael Chabon believed that the genre did not truly come into its own until the emergence of "second generation" power pop acts in the early 1970s. Lester added that it was "essentially an American response to the British Invasion, made by Anglophiles
2856-598: The Australian stage production of the life story of entertainer Peter Allen , titled The Boy from Oz . The production was a success and Amphlett's interpretation of Garland, during her final troubled years, brought her critical acclaim: she was nominated for the Helpmann Award for 'Best Female Actor in a Musical'. Amphlett and McEntee concentrated on solo projects and collaborations with other artists. Amphlett and Drayton lived in New York City from 2000, while McEntee ran
2940-530: The Bay City Rollers and Def Leppard . Power pop has struggled with its critical reception and is sometimes viewed as a shallow style of music associated with teenage audiences. The perception was exacerbated by record labels in the early 1980s who used the term for marketing post-punk styles. Music critic Ken Sharp summarized that power pop is "the Rodney Dangerfield of rock 'n' roll. [...]
3024-591: The Beatles and its " jangly guitars, pleasant melodies, immaculate vocal harmonies, and a general air of teenage innocence", were a key influence on 1970s power-pop bands such as the Raspberries , Big Star , the Knack and XTC . I believe pop music should be like the TV—something you can turn on and off and shouldn't disturb the mind. [...] It's very hard to like " Strawberry Fields " for simply what it is. Some artists are becoming musically unapproachable. —Pete Townshend, 1967 When Pete Townshend coined
3108-575: The Beatles." Raspberries dissolved in 1975 as Carmen pursued a solo career. A recognizable movement of power pop bands following in the tradition of the Raspberries started emerging in the late 1970s, with groups such as Cheap Trick , the Jam , the Romantics , Shoes , and the Flamin' Groovies, who were seen as 1960s revivalist bands. Much of these newer bands were influenced by late 1960s AM radio, which fell into
3192-577: The Nerves , and 20/20 only drew cult followings. Writing for Time in 1978, Jay Cocks cited Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds as "the most accomplished purveyors of power pop", which he described as "the well-groomed stepbrother of punk rock". Edmunds was quoted: "Before the New Wave [...] There was no chance for the little guy who buys a guitar and starts a band. What we're doing is kids' music, really, just four-four time and good songs." Cheap Trick became
3276-555: The Numbers became the Riptides to avoid confusion with a Sydney band of that name. They remixed Sunset Strip ' s tracks and reissued it in July 1979 (2000 copies) via Able. Andrew Leitch then replaced Rielly on guitar and added keyboards. The band issued a new single, "Tomorrow's Tears", in February 1980 on the Flat label. McFarlane felt it was "a fabulous slice of 1960s-styled R&B; pop." The band appeared on Australian Broadcasting Corporation's pop music TV show, Countdown , to promote
3360-712: The Top 10 Australian chart, while one ( Divinyls ) reached No. 15 in the United States (US) and No. 33 for 3 weeks in Canada. Their biggest-selling single " I Touch Myself " (1990) achieved a No. 1 ranking in Australia, No. 4 in the United States, No. 10 in the United Kingdom (UK), and No. 13 in Canada. Amphlett was the cousin of 1960s Australian pop icon Patricia "Little Pattie" Amphlett . In her autobiography Pleasure and Pain (2005), Amphlett described breaking into
3444-529: The Way " as "practically a template for everything the genre could be, from the heavy arena-rock hook to the cooing, teenybopper-friendly verses and chorus." Caferelli described the follow-up " I Wanna Be with You " (1972) as "perhaps the definitive power pop single". However, like Badfinger, the Raspberries were derided as "Beatles clones". Singer Eric Carmen remembered that there "were a lot of people in 1972 who were not ready for any band that even remotely resembled
The Riptides - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-582: The Who as the starting point for power pop, whereas Carl Caferelli (writing in Borack's book) said that "the story really begins circa 1964, with the commercial ascension of the Beatles in America ." Caferelli also recognized the Beatles as the embodiment of the "pop band" ideal. According to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll , British Invasion bands, particularly the Merseybeat sound first popularised by
3612-520: The award ceremony. They reformed shortly afterwards and a compilation, Greatest Hits , was released by EMI Music Australia in August 2006. The band recorded four new songs via a satellite link: Amphlett and Drayton at Palm Studios in Las Vegas and McEntee in Perth . A single and B-side, " Don't Wanna Do This "/"Asphyxiated", was released in November 2007, with a third track, "All Pretty Things", released on
3696-500: The band performed a one-off show in Perth with The Preatures ' Isabella Manfredi and Jack Moffit joining as guests on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, respectively. McEntee, Grossman and Harvey completed the line-up. In December 2018, McEntee announced he would be reforming the group with new singer Lauren Ruth Ward, ex-Divinyls guitarist Frank Infante and a new rhythm section for an Australian tour, to begin in 2019. However, this announcement
3780-457: The band's initial success, original manager and bassist Jeremy Paul left. He was replaced on bass, briefly by Ken Firth (ex- The Ferrets ) and more permanently by Rick Grossman (ex- Matt Finish ). Grossman left in 1987 to replace Clyde Bramley in Hoodoo Gurus . By early 1988, Divinyls consisted of Amphlett and McEntee with augmentation by additional musicians when recording or touring. Over
3864-498: The biggest drawcards on the Australian pub circuit during the early 1980s, The Riptides called it a day in 1983." In 1984 Bidstrup on drums and Callaghan on guitar and lead vocals formed a pop rock group, GANGgajang in Sydney, with Chris Bailey on bass guitar (ex-the Angels). Leitch and Hiron formed a group, Catchcry, with Felix Davies on bass guitar, Ross Harley on guitar and vocals, and Tim Seckold on drums. The Riptides had developed
3948-570: The cancer due to her multiple sclerosis. Amphlett's cousin Patricia Thompson announced the news in an official public statement: "Our beloved Chrissy peacefully made her transition this morning. Christine Joy Amphlett succumbed to the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, diseases she vigorously fought with exceptional bravery and dignity." In 2014, some of Australia's leading female artists came together to cover "I Touch Myself" to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. In 2017,
4032-436: The days when moptops were geniuses, songs were around three minutes long and a great hook--a catchy melodic phrase that "hooks" the listener—was godhead." Members of Jellyfish and Posies said that they were drawn to 1960s artists because of the 1980s music they influenced. At the time, it was uncertain whether the movement could have mainstream success. Karen Glauber, editor of Hits magazine, said that "The popular conception
4116-417: The decade Divinyls released four albums, Music from Monkey Grip EP on WEA in 1982, Desperate on Chrysalis Records in 1983, What a Life! in 1985 and Temperamental in 1988. The latter two albums were also released by Chrysalis in the United States. They had hit singles in Australia with, " Science Fiction " No. 13 in 1983, "Good Die Young" No. 32 in 1984 and " Pleasure and Pain " which
4200-581: The direct updating of the most revered artists—the Who, the Beach Boys, the Beatles—yet it gets no respect." In 1996, singer-songwriter Tommy Keene commented that any association to the term since the 1980s is to be "compared to a lot of bands that didn't sell records, it's like a disease. If you're labeled that, you're history." Musician Steve Albini said: "I cannot bring myself to use the term 'power pop.' Catchy, mock-descriptive terms are for dilettantes and journalists. I guess you could say I think this music
4284-527: The early 1980s. Amphlett acknowledged Young's schoolboy outfit as the inspiration for her performing in a schoolgirl's uniform. The band's image gradually changed after the release of the album What a Life! when the band began wearing elaborate clothing and producing more songs in the pop music genre. By the time of the release of their album Temperamental , Divinyls' image had changed to a glamour fashion style where they produced modern pop music. In 1991, Divinyls released diVINYLS on Virgin Records and
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#17328763862054368-555: The early-to-mid 1960s, although some artists have occasionally drawn from later styles such as punk , new wave , glam rock , pub rock , college rock , and neo-psychedelia . Originating in the 1960s, power pop developed mainly among American musicians who came of age during the British Invasion . Many of these young musicians wished to retain the "teenage innocence" of pop and rebelled against newer forms of rock music that were thought to be pretentious and inaccessible. The term
4452-629: The festival expanded to several locations over the years, including Canada and Liverpool , England (the latter event included performances at the Cavern Club ). Paul Collins of the Beat and the Nerves hosted the Power Pop-A-Licious music festival in 2011 and 2013, featuring a mixture of classic and rising bands with an emphasis on power pop, punk rock, garage and roots rock. The concerts were held at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and
4536-518: The format" during the late 1990s, "one they'd perfect with the magnetic Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)." He writes that as of 2017, "you can still hear some of power pop's core traits in bands such as Best Coast , Sløtface , Diet Cig and Dude York ." In 1998, International Pop Overthrow (IPO)—named after the album of the same name by Material Issue—began holding a yearly festival for power pop bands. Originally taking place in Los Angeles ,
4620-485: The gender switched) which reached No. 25 in 1988. Amphlett became a controversial and highly visible celebrity for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive humour in lyrics, performances and media interviews. At the start of their popularity, Divinyls were considered to be a hard rock band. At some point, many fans referred to Amphlett as the female Angus Young (of AC/DC), as both had similar mannerisms on stage and wore school uniforms while performing in
4704-473: The group's first studio album, Wave Rock (August 1991). It provided two singles, "Stop (Don't Start)" (May 1991) and "Here Comes the Sun" (August). Neil Chadwick joined as a permanent drummer and the Riptides toured once again before disbanding at the end of that year. In March 2001 Michael Hiron died suddenly. In July 2001 Callaghan played in a tribute gig for Hiron, in Brisbane, with other artists who had worked with
4788-480: The group's work. Many bands who were primarily influenced by Big Star blended power pop with the ethos and sounds of alternative rock . AllMusic cited Teenage Fanclub , Material Issue , and the Posies as "critical and cult favorites". In 1991, the Los Angeles Times 's Chris Willman identified Jellyfish, the Posies, and Redd Kross as the leaders of a "new wave of rambunctious Power Pop bands that recall
4872-460: The groups that established the genre's sound, the Raspberries were the only power pop band of the era to have hit singles. Noel Murray wrote that Badfinger had "some key songs" that were power pop "before the genre really existed". According to Magnet 's Andrew Earles, 1972 was "year zero" for power pop. Developments from that year included the emergence of Big Star and the Raspberries,
4956-409: The irreverence, cynicism, and irony that characterized new wave, believing that pop music was an art that reached its apex in the mid-1960s, sometimes referred to as the "poptopia". This in turn led many critics to dismiss power pop as derivative work. Ultimately, the groups with the best-selling records were Cheap Trick, the Knack , the Romantics, and Dwight Twilley , whereas Shoes, the Records ,
5040-436: The kind of pop the Beach Boys played in the days of ' Fun, Fun, Fun ' which I preferred." Despite other bands following in the power pop continuum since then, the term was not popularized until the rise of new wave music in the late 1970s. Greg Shaw , editor of Bomp! magazine, was the most prominent in the slew of music critics that wrote about power pop (then written as "powerpop"). This mirrored similar developments with
5124-475: The most prominent groups in the latter category was Badfinger , the first artists signed to the Beatles' Apple Records . Although they had international top 10 chart success with " Come and Get It " (1969), " No Matter What " (1970), and " Day After Day " (1971), they were criticized in the music press as Beatles imitators. Caferelli describes them as "one of the earliest—and finest purveyors" of power pop. Conversely, AllMusic states that while Badfinger were among
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#17328763862055208-537: The most successful act in the genre's history thanks to the band's constant touring schedule and stage theatrics. According to Andrew Earles, the group's "astonishing acceptance in Japan (documented on 1979's At Budokan ) and hits ' Surrender ' and ' I Want You To Want Me ,' the Trick took power pop to an arena level and attained a degree of success that the genre had never seen, nor would ever see again." The biggest chart hit by
5292-422: The music scene from the age of fourteen, being arrested for busking when seventeen and travelling in Spain, and how her performances drew upon childhood pain. Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee were introduced by Jeremy Paul (ex- Air Supply ) in the car park of a small music venue in Collaroy , Sydney, after Amphlett and Paul had finished a gig with their then band, Batonrouge. Amphlett and McEntee met again at
5376-414: The musician. Bidstrup and Callaghan put together a new line-up of the Riptides for the Pig City Festival on 14 July 2007: adding Chris Bailey on bass guitar and Mark O'Connor on keyboards. They performed a classic set that showed why they still remain one of Brisbane's great bands. Rave Magazine ' s Sebastian Hayes, Simon Topper and James Stafford described how "Callaghan run, high-kick and grin around
5460-531: The plug was pulled on the band mid-set by organisers. It wasn't until 1996 that their fifth studio album, Underworld , was released in Australia by BMG . Despite the success of diVINYLS , Virgin had not kept them under contract and BMG did not release Underworld in the United States. As with What a Life! , they worked with three producers, beginning with Peter Collins recording " I'm Jealous " in Nashville, followed by Keith Forsey for "Sex Will Keep Us Together" and "Heart of Steel". Although "Heart of Steel"
5544-455: The release of Todd Rundgren 's Something/Anything? , and the recording of the Flamin' Groovies ' " Shake Some Action "; additionally, many garage bands had stopped emulating the Rolling Stones . Chabon additionally credited the Raspberries, Badfinger, Big Star, and Rundgren's " Couldn't I Just Tell You " and " I Saw the Light " with "inventing" the genre. On a television performance from 1978, Rundgren introduced "Couldn't I Just Tell You" as
5628-504: The rise of punk and new wave in the late 1970s, with Cheap Trick , the Knack , the Romantics , Nick Lowe , Dave Edmunds , and Dwight Twilley among those enjoying the most success. After a popular and critical backlash to the genre's biggest hit, " My Sharona " (the Knack, 1979), record companies generally stopped signing power pop groups, and most of the 1970s bands broke up in the early 1980s. Over subsequent decades, power pop continued with modest commercial success while also remaining
5712-427: The single " I Touch Myself " which became their only Australian No.1 single. The song reached No. 4 in the United States and No. 10 in the United Kingdom. The majority of Divinyls' hits were co-written by Amphlett and McEntee, but in this case they wrote with Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg . diVINYLS reached No. 5 on the Australian album charts and No. 15 on Billboard Top 200. The drummer for
5796-411: The single. The Riptides moved to Sydney in mid-1980. In October they were signed to Regular Records . Michael Hiron (ex- Leftovers , Flaming Hands, the Pineapples from the Dawn of Time ) joined in March 1981 on bass guitar and Callaghan switched to rhythm guitar; Matheson also left. The four-piece line-up entered the studio with producer, Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup , (ex- the Angels ) in mid-1981 to record
5880-591: The song forms, vocal arrangements, chord progressions , rhythm patterns, instrumentation, or overall sound associated with groups of the mid-1960s British Invasion era. An essential feature of power pop is that its cheerful sounding arrangements are supported by a sense of "yearning", "longing", or "despair" similar to formative works such as " Wouldn't It Be Nice " (the Beach Boys, 1966) and " Pictures of Lily " (the Who, 1967). This might be achieved with an unexpected harmonic change or lyrics that refer to "tonight", "tomorrow night", "Saturday night", and so on. Power pop
5964-468: The sound became more viable and widely imitated, it was easier to trace the roots of the genre back to rockabilly , doo-wop , girl groups, and the early records of the Beatles, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, the Kinks , and the Who." Robert Hilburn traced the genre "chiefly from the way the Beatles and the Beach Boys mixed rock character and pure Top 40 instincts in such records as the latter's ' California Girls '." Borack noted, "It's also quite easy to draw
6048-512: The stage is a bit like watching an over-enthusiastic Dad meeting your pals at a 21st – embarrassingly uncool, but completely endearing. Thankfully, the dancing and clapping crowd adore the five-piece's surf-rock." During 2014 Callaghan supervised another compilation album, Tombs of Gold , which included unreleased material from the Swept Away sessions and four tracks from a later line-up. Power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop )
6132-446: The term " punk rock " from earlier in the decade. In light of this, Theo Cateforis, author of Are We Not New Wave? (2011), wrote that "the recognition and formulation" of power pop as a genre "was by no means organic." There is significant debate among fans over what should be classed as power pop. Shaw took credit for codifying the genre in 1978, describing it as a hybrid style of pop and punk. He later wrote that "much to my chagrin,
6216-400: The term was snapped up by legions of limp, second-rate bands hoping the majors would see them as a safe alternative to punk." Music journalist John M. Borack also stated in his 2007 book Shake Some Action – The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop that the label is often applied to varied groups and artists with "blissful indifference", noting its use in connection with Britney Spears , Green Day ,
6300-437: The term, he suggested that songs like " I Can't Explain " (1965) and " Substitute " (1966) were more accessible than the changing, more experimental directions other groups such as the Beatles were taking. However, the term did not become widely identified with the Who, and it would take a few years before the genre's stylistic elements coalesced into a more recognizable form. The A.V. Club 's Noel Murray said that "once
6384-467: Was Mark "Cal" Callaghan on lead vocals, Dennis Cantwell on drums, Scott Matheson on rhythm guitar, Allan Rielly on lead guitar and Tony Wheeler on bass guitar. Robert Vickers became the bass guitarist after Wheeler left the band in 1978 to pursue a career as a clarinettist and composer. During 1978 the Grudge changed their name to the Neon Steal and then to the Numbers. In September 1978 the Numbers issued
6468-463: Was also noted for its lack of irony and its reverence to classic pop craft. Its reconfiguration of 1960s tropes, music journalist Paul Lester argued, could make it one of the first postmodern music genres. The Who's Pete Townshend coined the term in a May 1967 interview promoting their latest single "Pictures of Lily". He said: "Power pop is what we play—what the Small Faces used to play, and
6552-410: Was chosen as a single, Divinyls discontinued working with Forsey because according to Amphlett "he was a bit too 'pop' for us" and remaining tracks were produced by their drummer Drayton. By the end of 1996, Amphlett and McEntee had a falling out and separated without formally disbanding Divinyls. Following Underworld , Amphlett pursued a stage career. In 1998, she played the role of Judy Garland in
6636-440: Was coined in 1967 by the Who guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend to describe his band's style of music. However, power pop became more widely identified with later acts of the 1970s who sought to revive Beatles-style pop . Early 1970s releases by Badfinger , the Raspberries , and Todd Rundgren are sometimes credited with solidifying the power pop sound into a recognizable genre. Power pop reached its commercial peak during
6720-624: Was criticised by Drayton and several fans as an "ultimate disrespect", with Drayton stating that anyone other than Amphlett who fronted the Divinyls should "seek some trustworthy advice". On 6 February 2019, the Australian tour was cancelled. In early January 2021, former band drummer Warren McLean died. Original drummer Richard Harvey died on 19 July 2022, his passing announced on social media by his bandmate from The Party Boys Paul Christie. Final line-up Former members Touring/substitute musicians Studio albums: The ARIA Music Awards
6804-463: Was interrupted. A national tour of Australia followed in December 2007 with a touring band featuring Drayton on drums, Jerome Smith on bass, Charlie Owen on guitar and newest member Clayton Doley on keyboards. Amphlett revealed on 7 December 2007 that she had multiple sclerosis in an interview with Richard Wilkins on Network Nine 's A Current Affair —nevertheless, she was looking forward to touring with Divinyls. The next day, Divinyls headlined
6888-470: Was released on independent labels . Chicago label The Numero Group issued a compilation album called Yellow Pills: Prefill , featuring overlooked pop tracks from 1979–1982. For the rest of decade, AllMusic writes, "this group of independent, grass-roots power-pop bands gained a small but dedicated cult following in the United States." With the rise of bands like the Apples In Stereo, power pop became
6972-486: Was replaced by J.J. Harris on drums (ex- Divinyls ). Callaghan, Harris and Hiron reformed the Riptides for tours during 1989 and 1990, with Brisbane's John Willsteed on guitar (ex-the Go Betweens). In early 1991 Callaghan, Harris and Hiron entered the studio with a new guitarist, Tony Adams and a session drummer, J. J. Hackett (ex- Mondo Rock ). South African-born producer, Ricky Fataar (ex- Beach Boys drummer), recorded
7056-461: Was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman and went No. 11 in 1985. Their later manager Vince Lovegrove organised Divinyls' transfer from WEA to Chrysalis and their first tours of the United States. They established a fan base there, without achieving major commercial success. Divinyls also had Australian hits with cover versions of The Easybeats ' "I'll Make You Happy", and Syndicate of Sound 's " Hey Little Boy " ("Hey Little Girl" with
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