Do-Re-Mi (band)
Do-Ré-Mi (often typeset as Do-Re-Mi or Do Re Mi) was an Australian pop rock band formed in Sydney in 1981 by Deborah Conway (lead vocals), Dorland Bray (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Helen Carter (bass, backing vocals) and Stephen Philip (guitar).[1][2][3] They were one of Australia's most respected and successful post-punk groups. Do-Ré-Mi recorded self-titled EP and[1][2] The Waiting Room for independent label Green Records[1] before signing to Virgin Records and recording their first LP, Domestic Harmony in 1985 with Gavin MacKillop producing.[1][2] Domestic Harmony achieved gold sales and contained their most played song, "Man Overboard", which was a top 5 hit single in 1985.[4][5] This song was notable for its lyrical references to penis envy and pubic hair.[6] Do-Ré-Mi's follow-up singles Idiot Grin and Warnings Moving Clockwise reached the Top 100.
Do-Ré-Mi
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1981–1988, 2018–present
Green Records, Larrikan Records, Virgin, Laneway Music
Helen Carter
Deborah Conway
Dorland Bray
Stephen Philip
Their second album, The Happiest Place in Town, produced by Martin Rushent, included the singles "Adultery", "King of Moomba" and "Haunt You", all of which reached the Australian top 100.[1][4] The band chose to take an extended break in 1988, with Conway pursuing a solo career, and ended up permanently disbanding later in the decade.[1][2]
Career[edit]
Previous bands[edit]
One of Dorland Bray's first groups was Shotgun Willie. They played several gigs in the Melbourne pub scene, mainly performing country material gathered from artists such as the relatively unknown Delbert McClinton and Willie Nelson.
Conway and Bray were both in Melbourne-based band The Benders with Neville Aresca, Les Barker, John Campbell, Daniel Solowiej and Greg Thomas.[3] Before joining The Benders, Bray had been in punk rock group the News.[2] Vocalist Conway joined The Benders in 1979 whilst still at Melbourne University. The Benders performed mostly in Melbourne and gigged around pubs playing original material (mostly written by Conway and Thomas) and Blondie and Devo covers.[7] Conway and Bray also wrote songs together.[8] In Sydney, Philip had been a guitarist for Thought Criminals[3] and was also a session musician.[1][2] Carter was a member of punk band Friction. Carter had been living with punk rocker Roger Grierson of Thought Criminals[9] (later an executive of Festival Mushroom Records).
Subsequent careers[edit]
Bray became a member of Ghostwriters for their first album Ghostwriters (1991). Carter and Philip wrote and performed together first with short lived Lupi and later (c. 2001) in Underfelt.[6] Philip wrote soundscapes for a number of theatre productions of Macbeth, featuring David Field at the Performance Space in Sydney, and produced for Peter Milton Walsh and Grant McLennan.
Conway has a successful solo career, winning an ARIA award for her first solo album String of Pearls in 1991 (co-writing three songs with Bray).[7] Her best known solo hit was 1991's "It's Only the Beginning" reaching No. 19.[8] Conway is still involved in musical activities with a 2007 version of Broad. Thought Criminals reformed in February 2006: see Official website.
Reunion[edit]
In 2018, Carter, Conway and Philip reformed Do Re Mi to perform at the inaugural Australian Women in Music Awards ceremony in Brisbane. Carter and Conway decided to continue with the reunion after being approached to be a part of the By The C concert series. The group, alongside new members Bridie O’Brien (guitar), Julia Day (drums) and Clio Renner (keyboards), would go on to announce a run of headlining shows for 2019.[13]
Covers and others[edit]
"Man Overboard" was used for He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (2001) performed by Conway and Wicked Beat Sound System.[14] It was also recorded by the band george (with Conway guesting) for their 2004 EP Still Real.[15]
"Standing on Wires" was used for Australian TV series Love My Way (2004–2007) episode 2.03.[16]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Countdown Music Awards[edit]
Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974–1987, it presented music awards from 1979–1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.[17][18]