In the 1970s and ’80s, there was a sudden interest in the music of Australia and New Zealand in the U.S. Bands like AC/DC, the Split Enz, Midnight Oil, Little River Band, Men at Work, Air Supply and INXS to name but a small handful began making waves. With the Internet and the emergence of music streaming services, tapping into the Antipodean music scene has become increasingly easy – and also far more affordable. Starting this month, I’ll chronicle my journeys down the rabbit holes of Australian and New Zealand music that I’ve tumbled down:
New Zealand vocalists and guitarists Dave McArtney and Harry Lyon put together what would become Hello Sailor in 1975 after a series of personnel changes. With a lineup also anchored by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Graham Brazier (who also played sax, harmonica, and acoustic guitar), they finally morphed into the group that would release their self-titled debut. Rounding out Hello Sailor were Lisle Kinney on bass and Ricky Ball on drums.
Unlike Kiwi exports like Jenny Morris, Split Enz, and Dragon that were able to find success “across the ditch” in Australia, Hello Sailor unsuccessfully attempted to make a splash in not only in Australia but also the U.S. Their debut was the first album by a New Zealand band to be certified gold, but it failed to chart in America while stiffing at No. 72 in Australia. Hello Sailor subsequently decided to concentrate on their home turf.
Hello Sailor is pure fun ’70s rock through a Kiwi lens, with songs boasting elements of funk, R&B, psychedelic, and even a bit of a Polynesian influence at different times. Graham Brazier’s sax and harmonica were largely what set Hello Sailor apart and gave them their own distinct sound. The song “Big Bump,” for example, has a groove reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” but that’s where the similarities begin and end. Brazier’s sax work gives “Big Bump” a stamp of its own. In stark contrast is the album’s closing song, “Lyin’ In the Sand,” which sounds more like a Don Ho tribute than an homage to Pink Floyd.
Hello Sailor sounds a bit like someone put a mish-mash of several varying different musical styles together in a blender without the lid on. This music was the artwork that painted the walls when the blender was set to puree. Their debut did yield three Kiwi hit singles: “Gutter Black” peaked at No. 15, “Blue Lady” fared slightly better peaking at No. 13 and the aforementioned Don Ho-influenced “Lyin’ in the Sand” – this LP’s the final single – peaked at 29.
After their sophomore album failed to match the success of their debut, Hello Sailor disbanded in 1980 only to reform in 1985 with new bassist, Neil Hannan. The band would continue to perform and release albums intermittently into the mid-2010s. Sadly, Dave McArtney passed in 2013 and Hello Sailor decided to call it quits with the passing of Graham Brazier in 2015. The surviving members have since reunited only once, for a one-off tribute concert in 2023.
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