Python Lee Jackson: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:11, 6 June 2023

Latest revision as of 18:23, 6 July 2025

(6 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Australian rock band}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}}

Line 12 ⟶ 13:

| alias =

| origin = Sydney, Australia

| genre = {{flatlist|<!-- Only genres reliably sourced in article, please! -->

* [[Rock music|Rock]]

* [[Soul music|soul]]

* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]

* [[hard rock]]

}}

| years_active = {{flatlist|

* {{start date|1965}}–{{end date|1968}}

Line 34 ⟶ 30:

}}

'''Python Lee Jackson''' were an Australiana rock band that started in Australia and active from 1965 to 1968, before a brief sojourn in the United Kingdom from late 1968 to mid-1969. The group had recorded a single, "[[In a Broken Dream]]" (October 1970), featuring [[Rod Stewart]] as guest vocalist in April 1969. The group reformed in 1972 and the single was re-released in August: it peaked at No.&nbsp;3 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and No.&nbsp;56 on the United States [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The group disbanded again later that year. Their early vocalist, Mal McGee (1966–68) died on 17 May 2012.

==Career==

Line 40 ⟶ 36:

Python Lee Jackson were formed in December 1965 in Sydney by two men from the United Kingdom – Frank Kennington and Mick Lieber (born 1 March 1944, [[Peebles, Scotland|Peebles]], Scotland) – and David Montgomery (born September 1945, Melbourne) on drums (ex-[[Jeff St John]] & the Id). Both Lieber, on guitar, and Kennington, on vocals, were former members of the Denvermen, a surf instrumental group in Sydney, from mid-1965 and contributed to that group's single, "I Can Tell" (November).<ref name="Kimball">{{cite web | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20100314214800/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20100315-0848/www.milesago.com/artists/denvermen-2.html | url = http://www.milesago.com/Artists/friends.html | title = The Denvermen | last1 = Kimball | first1 = Duncan | publisher = Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions | year = 2002 | archive-date = 14 March 2010 | access-date = 23 May 2017 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

With Roy James on bass guitar, Python Lee Jackson played the underground circuit. In early 1966, Kennington was deported to the UK, and former [[the Missing Links (band)|the Missing Links]] singer, Bob Brady, filled in for several months before Lieber and Montgomery put a new line-up together. In March 1966 keyboard player and singer [[David Bentley (journalist)|Dave Bentley]] (born 1943, Brisbane) left Jeff St John & the Id to join his old bandmate, Montgomery, alongside Lieber, together with former Unit 4 bass player, Lloyd Hardy (a.k.a. "Cadillac" Lloyd Hudson).<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |author-link=Ian McFarlane |title=[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] |chapter=Encyclopedia entry for 'Python Lee Jackson' |chapter-url=http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=660 |url-status=dead |year=1999 |publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |___location=St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040806231537/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=660 |archive-date=6 August 2004 |isbn= 1-86508-072-1 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Lewes"/>

In June, the quartet added former [[Wild Cherries]]' Melbourne-born singer, Malcolm McGee (1 November 1945{{spaced ndash}}17 May 2012), and opened Rhubarb's club in Sydney's [[Liverpool Street, Sydney|Liverpool Street]]. McGee described how Python Lee Jackson is "the ultimate name. Group names are becoming more and more ridiculous – PLJ is the name to end all names."<ref name="Lewes">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44025118 | title = Clothes Help on the (L)Adder to success | last = Lewes | first = Jackie Lee | newspaper = [[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | volume = 34 | issue = 25 | date = 16 November 1966 | access-date = 22 May 2017 | page = 61 | via = [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref>

Line 48 ⟶ 44:

In September 1966, Bentley left and was replaced by Bob Welsh on piano.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Two months later the band released its first single, "Emergency Ward", backed by a cover version of Bo Diddley's "[[Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley song)|Who Do You Love?]]" as its [[B-side]].<ref name="McFarlane"/> Some sources cite "Emergency Ward" as a single by local DJ [[Ward "Pally" Austin|Ward Austin]] featuring Python Lee Jackson as his backing group.<ref name="Aus DJs">{{cite web |last1=Kilby |first1=David |last2=Kilby |first2=Jordie |title=Ward Austin |url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rarecollections/rare-collections/4660646.html |work=DJs on Disc |publisher=[[Radio National]] ([[Australian Broadcasting Commission]] (ABC)) |date=5 May 2013 |access-date=26 May 2017 |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140702140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/146775/20140703-0000/www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rarecollections/rare-collections/4660646.html |archive-date=2 July 2014}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The group's second single was a cover of [[Major Lance]]'s "[[Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um]]", backed by "Big City Lights", in December 1966.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Nuttall">{{cite web |last=Nuttall |first=Lyn |title='Um Um Um Um Um Um' – Python Lee Jackson (1966) |url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature0608.html?id=1699 |work=Pop Archives – Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s |access-date=22 May 2017 |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170503140100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20170504-0001/www.poparchives.com.au/feature0608.html?id=1699 |archive-date=3 May 2017}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Late in 1966 Hardy was replaced by [[Duncan McGuire (musician)|Duncan McGuire]], from [[Doug Parkinson]]'s group the Questions, for three weeks. McGuire appeared on the band's version of [[Sam and Dave]]’s "[[Hold On, I'm Comin' (song)|Hold On, I’m Coming]]", backed by "Your Mother Should Have Warned You", before Hardy (now using the name, Virgil East) returned for the band's first trip to Melbourne in March 1967. Like its predecessor, the new single was a minor hit. While in Melbourne the group performed at the Catcher night club, from 17 to 19 March, with various local bands each night. The group returned for an extended stay from 30 March to 16 April.

In April 1967 Dave MacTaggart from Adelaide band the Black Pearls replaced Virgil East. On 11 June, the group appeared on Opus TV with [[The Loved Ones (Australian band)|the Loved Ones]] and [[Ray Hoff]] and the Off Beats. The new line-up released the band's final Australian single, "It's a Wonder", backed by "I Keep Forgetting", in August before Welsh left to be replaced by saxophone player. [[Bernie McGann]].

Line 165 ⟶ 161:

*Tony Cahill – bass (1972)

*Chris Belshaw – bass (1972)

===Timeline===

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = width:750 height:auto barincrement:22

PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 right:20

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/12/1965 till:01/01/1973

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical columns:4 position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1966

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1966

Colors =

id:voc value:red legend:Vocals

id:sx value:gray(0.5) legend:Saxophone

id:g value:green legend:Guitar

id:key value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:b value:blue legend:Bass

id:dr value:orange legend:Drums

id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album

id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left

bar:Frank&nbsp;Kennington from:start till:15/01/1966 color:voc

bar:Bob&nbsp;Brady from:15/01/1966 till:15/03/1966 color:voc

bar:Malcolm&nbsp;McGee from:15/06/1966 till:15/01/1968 color:voc

bar:Bernie&nbsp;McGann from:15/09/1967 till:15/01/1968 color:sx

bar:Mick&nbsp;Lieber from:start till:15/10/1967 color:g

bar:Mick&nbsp;Lieber from:15/10/1968 till:01/09/1969 color:g

bar:Mick&nbsp;Lieber from:01/01/1972 till:end color:g

bar:Laurie&nbsp;Arthur from:15/10/1967 till:15/01/1968 color:g

bar:Gary&nbsp;Boyle from:01/01/1972 till:end color:g

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:15/03/1966 till:15/09/1966 color:key

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:15/03/1966 till:15/09/1966 color:voc width:3

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:15/10/1968 till:01/09/1969 color:key

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:15/10/1968 till:01/09/1969 color:voc width:3

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:01/01/1972 till:end color:key

bar:David&nbsp;Bentley from:01/01/1972 till:end color:voc width:3

bar:Bob&nbsp;Welsh from:15/09/1966 till:15/09/1967 color:key

bar:Roy&nbsp;James from:start till:15/03/1966 color:b

bar:Lloyd&nbsp;Hardy from:15/03/1966 till:15/11/1966 color:b

bar:Lloyd&nbsp;Hardy from:15/03/1967 till:15/04/1967 color:b

bar:Duncan&nbsp;McGuire from:15/11/1966 till:15/03/1967 color:b

bar:Dave&nbsp;McTaggart from:15/04/1967 till:15/01/1968 color:b

bar:John&nbsp;Helman from:15/10/1968 till:15/04/1969 color:b

bar:John&nbsp;Helman from:15/10/1968 till:15/04/1969 color:b

bar:Jamie&nbsp;Byrne from:15/04/1969 till:01/09/1969 color:b

bar:Tony&nbsp;Cahill from:01/01/1972 till:end color:b

bar:David&nbsp;Montgomery from:01/01/1972 till:end color:dr

bar:David&nbsp;Montgomery from:start till:15/01/1968 color:dr

bar:David&nbsp;Montgomery from:15/10/1968 till:01/09/1969 color:dr

LineData =

at:01/07/1972 color:black layer:back

}}

==References==