Martha's Vineyard (band)
Encyclopedia
Martha's Vineyard were an Australian rock
band, formed in Perth
in 1986 by lead singer Peggy Van Zalm. Martha's Vineyard shared a similar sound and outlook to that of fellow Perth bands like The Triffids
, The Honeys and Chad's Tree
. Van Zalm's strong vocals drew comparison with the likes of Patti Smith
, Chrissie Hynde
and Joni Mitchell
.
, in the New England
area of the USA.
Peggy Van Zalm grew up in Cowaramup, Western Australia
(a small farming and vineyard town) before studying Fine Arts at Curtin University. Van Zalm co-founded the group with Anthony Best, Norman Parkhill and Aidan D'Adhemar in May 1986. Not long afterwards the band issued a self-titled cassette and shared a single "Our Day"' with Errol H. Tout's "Sounds of Swimming". The mini-album For a Small World followed in October 1987. Stuart Fenner replaced Lisa Jooste on violin
, and Phil Kakulas (ex-Triffids
) took over on bass. The line-up of Best, Van Zalm, Kakulas and D'Adhemar re-located to Sydney in 1988. In 1989, the fledgling rooArt
label signed up Martha's Vineyard alongside The Trilobites
, Crash Politics, Tall Tales and True
, Hipslingers and The Hummingbirds
. Martha's Vineyard contributed the track "Unravelling" to the first of rooArt's Young Blood compilations (September 1988). The band being one of the first of four bands selected off the compilation to go on to be signed for a three album deal.
The band attracted much critical acclaim and enjoyed sharing stages on tours with Simply Red
, INXS
, Eurythmics
, The Go-Betweens
, Paul Kelly
, The Triffids
, Mental as Anything
, The Saints
and Weddings, Parties, Anything.
The band recorded what was to be their only album at Planet Studios in Perth, produced by Nick Mainsbridge. RooArt issued the self titled album, Martha's Vineyard, and single "Old Beach Road"/"Trying Too Hard" in June, 1989. The album received favourable reviews nationally and abroad, with "Old Beach Road" receiving airplay on both commercial and community radios stations, including 2JJJ
, 3RRR
and Triple M
, reaching #86 on the Australian singles charts.
There was a second single released on rooArt, "More of the Same", before pressures from both within and outside the band led to its split in 1990. RooArt nevertheless released the album in the UK, Europe, Japan and the United States, under the title Old Beach Road taking advantage of the success of the single.
.
Van Zalm launched her solo career, at the end of 1994, with the release of the album, Shine. In June 1999, Van Zalm issued her second album, Revival, on her own Red Dirt Records label, the album was produced by Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup
(ex-Angels
, GANGgajang
), and featured Van Zalm's trademark folksy, jazzy pop vocals. Van Zalm also released two albums with co-producer Geoff Nant, Different World in 2001 and Light Diamond in 2006.
Best, after spending a number of years around the alternative music scene, became disillusioned and went to Thailand
in 1992, where he became a buddhist monk, (Bhante Sujato). He returned to Australia in 2003 and set up his own monastery outside Sydney
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, formed in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1986 by lead singer Peggy Van Zalm. Martha's Vineyard shared a similar sound and outlook to that of fellow Perth bands like The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
, The Honeys and Chad's Tree
Chad's Tree
Chad's Tree are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1983. The band's brittle, off-kilter sound evoked the sense of distance, desolation, harshness and loneliness of the Nullarbor Plain , much in the same fashion as fellow Perth outfit The Triffids.-Biography:The Snarskis were born in...
. Van Zalm's strong vocals drew comparison with the likes of Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
.
Biography
The band took its name from the famous holiday resort off the coast of MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area of the USA.
Peggy Van Zalm grew up in Cowaramup, Western Australia
Cowaramup, Western Australia
Cowaramup is a town in the South West of Western Australia, 12 kilometres north of Margaret River in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.-Name:...
(a small farming and vineyard town) before studying Fine Arts at Curtin University. Van Zalm co-founded the group with Anthony Best, Norman Parkhill and Aidan D'Adhemar in May 1986. Not long afterwards the band issued a self-titled cassette and shared a single "Our Day"' with Errol H. Tout's "Sounds of Swimming". The mini-album For a Small World followed in October 1987. Stuart Fenner replaced Lisa Jooste on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and Phil Kakulas (ex-Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
) took over on bass. The line-up of Best, Van Zalm, Kakulas and D'Adhemar re-located to Sydney in 1988. In 1989, the fledgling rooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
label signed up Martha's Vineyard alongside The Trilobites
The Trilobites
The Trilobites were an Australian power pop/rock band formed in Sydney in June, 1984. Original Trilobites were: Mike Dalton on vocals, Scott Leighton on bass guitar, Martin Martini & Paul Skates on guitars and Paul Styman on drums. Their first two singles, "Venus in Leather"' and "American TV"...
, Crash Politics, Tall Tales and True
Tall Tales and True
Tall Tales and True were a three piece band from Sydney formed in the early 1980s by Perth born musician, Matthew de la Hunty.-Biography:Matthew de la Hunty travelled to Sydney in 1983 and formed a group with Paul Miskin and Willie Mc Cracken . This unnamed outfit played only one gig at French's...
, Hipslingers and The Hummingbirds
The Hummingbirds
The Hummingbirds were an indie pop or jangle pop band from Sydney, Australia formed in 1986 from Bug Eyed Monsters. They were one of the most highly touted outfits to emerge from Sydney's inner-city scene during the late 1980s and were an early signing to the rooArt label. The Hummingbirds' single...
. Martha's Vineyard contributed the track "Unravelling" to the first of rooArt's Young Blood compilations (September 1988). The band being one of the first of four bands selected off the compilation to go on to be signed for a three album deal.
The band attracted much critical acclaim and enjoyed sharing stages on tours with Simply Red
Simply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
, INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
, Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
, The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
, Mental as Anything
Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything are an Australian New Wave–rock music band formed at an art school in Sydney in 1976. Their most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne "Bird"...
, The Saints
The Saints (band)
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane in 1974 as punk rockers. Founders were Chris Bailey , Ivor Hay , and Ed Kuepper . Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups...
and Weddings, Parties, Anything.
The band recorded what was to be their only album at Planet Studios in Perth, produced by Nick Mainsbridge. RooArt issued the self titled album, Martha's Vineyard, and single "Old Beach Road"/"Trying Too Hard" in June, 1989. The album received favourable reviews nationally and abroad, with "Old Beach Road" receiving airplay on both commercial and community radios stations, including 2JJJ
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, 3RRR
3RRR
3RRR is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. It is the largest per capita subscribed radio station in the world....
and Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
, reaching #86 on the Australian singles charts.
There was a second single released on rooArt, "More of the Same", before pressures from both within and outside the band led to its split in 1990. RooArt nevertheless released the album in the UK, Europe, Japan and the United States, under the title Old Beach Road taking advantage of the success of the single.
Post Martha's Vineyard
Kakulas joined The Blackeyed SusansThe Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
.
Van Zalm launched her solo career, at the end of 1994, with the release of the album, Shine. In June 1999, Van Zalm issued her second album, Revival, on her own Red Dirt Records label, the album was produced by Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup
Graham Bidstrup
Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and artist manager. He has been a member of The Angels, The Party Boys and Gang Gajang. He has managed Jimmy Little, Nathan Cavaleri and Diana Ah Naid. He is part of the management team for the Jimmy Little Foundation.-The...
(ex-Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
, GANGgajang
GANGgajang
Gang Gajang are an Australian rock band who formed in 1984. The three principal figures in the original lineup were former Riptides frontman Mark "Cal" Callaghan and two former members of popular Australian hard rock band The Angels, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Graham "Buzz"...
), and featured Van Zalm's trademark folksy, jazzy pop vocals. Van Zalm also released two albums with co-producer Geoff Nant, Different World in 2001 and Light Diamond in 2006.
Best, after spending a number of years around the alternative music scene, became disillusioned and went to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in 1992, where he became a buddhist monk, (Bhante Sujato). He returned to Australia in 2003 and set up his own monastery outside Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Members
- Anthony Best — guitar, harmonica (1986–1990)
- Aidan D'Adhemar — drums, percussion (1986–1987, 1988–1989)
- James Elliot — drums (1990)
- Stuart Fenner — violin (1987)
- Lisa Jooste — violin (1986–1987)
- Phil Kakulas — bass (1989–1990)
- Catherine McAuliffe — bass (1986–1987)
- Norman Parkhill — guitar (1987–1989)
- Peggy Van Zalm — vocals, guitar (1986–1990)
Albums/EPs
- Martha's Vineyard (cassette) – Independent (1986)
- For A Small World (mini-album) – Monkey Music (October 1987)
- Martha's Vineyard – rooArt/PolyGram (June 1989) AUS #77
Singles
- "Our Day"/"Sounds of Swimming" (Double A single with Errol H Tout) – Lizard (1986)
- "Old Beach Road" – rooArtRooArtrooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
/Polygram (June 1989) AUS #86 - "More of the Same"/"Suntanned Faces" – RooArt/Polygram (1990)
Compilations
- Youngblood – RooArt (1988) ("Unravelling")
- The ARIA Awards Album - Winners And Nominees – CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(1989) ("Old Beach Road") - Life without Post Modern ("Old Beach Road")
- RockArt: The History of rooArt Records – BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
(2001) ("Old Beach Road")
External links
- Martha's Vineyard @ allmusic
- Martha's Vineyard @ musicbrainzMusicBrainzMusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB...
- Martha's Vineyard @ discogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...