Biography

Australian musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

s Terry Dean and Rod De Clerk met in Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

 in 1965. They then met Laurie Arthur, a member of The Strangers

The Strangers (band)

The Strangers was a Melbourne based Australian band that existed from 1961 to 1975. The band started out playing instrumental songs in a style similar to The Shadows with influences from Cliff Richard. The original lineup included Peter Robinson , Graeme Thompson , Laurie Arthur and Fred Weiland...

, and the three decided to form a band together after a jam session

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

. They quickly signed to EMI

EMI

The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 that same year and released three singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

. They went through several line-up changes over the following few years, then signed to CBS Records

CBS Records

CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...

 in 1969. A few further singles followed before transferring to Fable Records in 1970.

As a result of the 1970 radio ban

1970 radio ban

The Australian 1970 Radio Ban or 1970 Record Ban was a "pay for play" dispute in the local music industry that lasted from May till October...

, during which many Australian radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

s refused to play Australian and British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 released by major labels, the Mixtures recorded a cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of Mungo Jerry

Mungo Jerry

Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...

's "In the Summertime" and received much more airplay than had initially been expected for a group on a small record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

. The single went to #1 in Australia for six weeks. They followed up with "The Pushbike Song

The Pushbike Song

"The Pushbike Song" is a popular Australian song originally recorded by The Mixtures, a Melbourne band that formed in 1965.- History and chart success :...

" (produced by David Mackay

David Mackay (producer)

David Mackay is an Australian record producer/arranger and musical director. He was born in Sydney, Australia and began his music career at the age of 15 in a production of Bye Bye Birdie for J.C. Williamson Theatre Company...

), which went to #1 in Australia for two weeks, hit #2 in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

, and went to #44 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 after being released on Sire Records

Sire Records

Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...

.

The next single, "Henry Ford", peaked at #43 in Australia. Further line-up changes ensued before "Captain Zero" went to #5 in Australia in 1971, their last big hit

Hit record

A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...

. The group released material together for several more years before breaking up in 1976.

Members

• Laurie Arthur (guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , vocals) 1965-67
• Greg Cook (guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , vocals) 1970 - March 1971
• John Creech (drums, vocals) 1965-70
• Rod De Clerk (bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , vocals) 1965-67
• Buddy England
  Buddy England
  Buddy England , was a former member of The Seekers, replacing Bruce Woodley and stayed with them from 1973–1977. He was also a member of the Mixtures from June 1969 – March 1970....
  
   (vocals) June 1969 - March 1970
• Mick Flinn (bass) 1967- May 1972
• Dennis Garcia (organ
  Electric organ
  In biology, the electric organ is an organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field. The electric organ is derived from modified nerve or muscle tissue...
  
  ) 1967
• Mick Holden (drums) early 1971
• Gary Howard (drums) 1970-71
• Alan "Edgell" James (bass) late 1966
• Idris Jones (vocals) late 1967- June 1969; 1970; 1971
• Don Lebler (drums) April 1971 - 1976
• Chris Spooner (bass) May 1972 - 1976
• Fred Wieland (guitar) 1967
• Peter Williams (vocals, guitar) 1971-76

Singles

• "In the Summertime" (Fable, 1971)
• "The Pushbike Song
  The Pushbike Song
  "The Pushbike Song" is a popular Australian song originally recorded by The Mixtures, a Melbourne band that formed in 1965.- History and chart success :...
  
  " (Fable/Summit, 1971)

Albums

• The Best of the Mixtures (Fable, 1972)
• The Mixtures (Harlequin, 1974)

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
• Long Way to the Top
  Long Way To The Top
  Long Way To The Top was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era.-Production:...
  
  

External links

• The Mixtures at milesago.com