The Pink Finks
Encyclopedia
The Pink Finks was an Australian pop/R&B band of the mid-1960s. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the group is most notable for being the first in the series of bands that featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford
, which culminated in the hugely successful Daddy Cool
.
fanatic Ross Wilson joined forces with Rick Dalton & Ross Hannaford's schoolboy outfit The Fauves, which played mainly covers of The Shadows
and The Ventures
. They were a part-time band, since the members were all still at school at the time. Hannaford, who was only 14 when the band formed, was often driven to concerts by his mother, and had to be sneaked in and out of the licensed venues they played at because he was underage. Money was short and Hannaford played his magical guitar work on a low cost acoustic guitar fitted with a Moody sound hole pickup (without controls) through a Burns Tri-Sonic amplifier provided by Wilson. Inspired by the onslaught of English groups like The Rolling Stones
, The Pretty Things
and The Yardbirds
, the young band's repertoire was chiefly R&B and blues covers.
David Cameron replaced original rhythm guitarist Rick Dalton in early 1965, with Dalton later joining Running Jumping Standing Still, which included Andy Anderson
and Doug Ford
, both formerly of The Missing Links and Ian Robinson On Drums.
The Pink Finks released four singles during their brief career; their first, released on their own Mojo label, was a raunchy version of The Kingsmen
's "Louie Louie
" and it gave them an early taste of success when it became a local hit (#16) in Melbourne in June 1965. These were followed by covers of The Shirelles
' "Untie Me", Howlin' Wolf
's "Back Door Man
" and Spencer Davis Group
's "It Hurts Me So".
Franklin, Cameron and Ratz left to go to university in early 1966. It appears from the information in Who's Who of Australian Rock & Roll that they were replaced, by Kinman (Bass), Lansdown (Drums) and Niven (Keyboards). Michael Edwards was added on trumpet and sax in August 1966. (Jimmy Niven was later a member of the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band (1973–76) and The Sports
(1976–80).
Richard Franklin
later became a successful feature film director; his Australian credits include The True Story of Eskimo Nell
, Fantasm, Roadgames
and Patrick. After moving to Hollywood he directed Psycho II, Cloak & Dagger, Link
and FX2: The Deadly Art Of Illusion
. In the 1990s, he returned to Australia where he directed Hotel Sorrento, Brilliant Lies
and Visitors
, before he died on cancer in 2007.
David Cameron graduated from NIDA and became an actor, beginning with a role in the ABC's Bellbird
, in 1969 and since appeared in string of Australian TV series, miniseries and feature film appearances, including Against the Wind
, Dawn!, Water under the Bridge (for which he received a Logie
nomination), My First Wife and Mad Max
. In 1995, he turned to directing television, commercials and corporate documentaries, including Stingers
, SeaChange
, Good Guys Bad Guys
, State Coroner
, Fergus McPhail
, The Wayne Manifesto
(for which he won an AFI award
), Life and Dogwoman. Cameron is currently a teacher at The Australian Film & Television Academy (TAFTA).
Wilson and Hannaford moved on to notable bands such as The Party Machine, Sons of the Vegetal Mother
, Daddy Cool
, and Mighty Kong
.
Chris Kinman returned to Brisbane in the late 1960s and turned to making guitar
s and in 1996 invented and patent
ed a new kind of noiseless guitar pickup. With that event he founded a business called Kinman Guitar Electrix to commercialize his invention. Currently Kinman pickups are sold all over the world via www.kinman.com Interestingly Hannaford acquired a set of Kinman pickups circa 1998.
Leigh Lansdown & UK arriviste Duncan Fry formed local band "The Harris Tweed Band" in 1965 which is still performing mainly in Melbourne's southern suburbs.
Ross Hannaford
Ross Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
, which culminated in the hugely successful Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
.
History
The Pink Finks formed in early 1965 when 16 year-old R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
fanatic Ross Wilson joined forces with Rick Dalton & Ross Hannaford's schoolboy outfit The Fauves, which played mainly covers of The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
and The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
. They were a part-time band, since the members were all still at school at the time. Hannaford, who was only 14 when the band formed, was often driven to concerts by his mother, and had to be sneaked in and out of the licensed venues they played at because he was underage. Money was short and Hannaford played his magical guitar work on a low cost acoustic guitar fitted with a Moody sound hole pickup (without controls) through a Burns Tri-Sonic amplifier provided by Wilson. Inspired by the onslaught of English groups like The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful...
and The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, the young band's repertoire was chiefly R&B and blues covers.
David Cameron replaced original rhythm guitarist Rick Dalton in early 1965, with Dalton later joining Running Jumping Standing Still, which included Andy Anderson
Andy Anderson
Andy Anderson is a drummer, notably for the band The Cure. He was born in West Ham, East London, England on 30 January 1951.-Life and work:Anderson worked on Hawkwind's Nik Turner's Sphynx album in 1978...
and Doug Ford
Doug Ford (musician)
Doug Ford is an Australian rock guitarist and songwriter since the 1960s. During 1968–1972, Ford was the lead guitarist in the Australian pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices and established a successful writing partnership with the group's lead singer Jim Keays.-Biography:Ford was born in Casino,...
, both formerly of The Missing Links and Ian Robinson On Drums.
The Pink Finks released four singles during their brief career; their first, released on their own Mojo label, was a raunchy version of The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
's "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" and it gave them an early taste of success when it became a local hit (#16) in Melbourne in June 1965. These were followed by covers of The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
' "Untie Me", Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
's "Back Door Man
Back Door Man
"Back Door Man" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961. It was released by Chess Records as the B-side to Wolf's "Wang Dang Doodle"...
" and Spencer Davis Group
Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group was a mid-1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, formed by Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood and his brother Muff Winwood...
's "It Hurts Me So".
Franklin, Cameron and Ratz left to go to university in early 1966. It appears from the information in Who's Who of Australian Rock & Roll that they were replaced, by Kinman (Bass), Lansdown (Drums) and Niven (Keyboards). Michael Edwards was added on trumpet and sax in August 1966. (Jimmy Niven was later a member of the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band (1973–76) and The Sports
The Sports
The Sports were a popular Australian rock group that performed and recorded between 1976 and 1981.Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the group released a number of successful singles and albums. Their sound fitted well with both 1970s British pub rock bands and British New Wave...
(1976–80).
Richard Franklin
Richard Franklin (director)
Richard Franklin was an Australian-born film director.-Early life and career:Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford,...
later became a successful feature film director; his Australian credits include The True Story of Eskimo Nell
The True Story of Eskimo Nell
The True Story of Eskimo Nell is a 1975 Australian comedy film produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin, and starring Max Gillies as Deadeye Dick and Serge Lazareff as Mexico Pete...
, Fantasm, Roadgames
Roadgames
Roadgames is a 1981 Australian film directed by Richard Franklin. The film stars Stacy Keach as a truck driver, and Jamie Lee Curtis as a hitchhiker.-Synopsis:...
and Patrick. After moving to Hollywood he directed Psycho II, Cloak & Dagger, Link
Link (film)
Link is a 1986 British horror film starring Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp. The title character, "Link", is a super-intelligent orangutan who lashes out against his masters when they try to have him put to sleep...
and FX2: The Deadly Art Of Illusion
F/X2
F/X2 is a 1991 American action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. It is a sequel to the 1986 film F/X.-Plot:...
. In the 1990s, he returned to Australia where he directed Hotel Sorrento, Brilliant Lies
Brilliant Lies
Brilliant Lies is an Australian film released in 1996, produced by Bayside Pictures and Beyond Films.Directed by Richard Franklin.Produced by Sue Farrelly, Kim McKillop and Richard Franklin....
and Visitors
Visitors (2003 film)
Visitors is a 2003 thriller movie dealing with the experiences of a young woman sailing solo on a yacht around the world. The loneliness makes her start to lose her sanity. The movie was directed by Richard Franklin and was produced by Jennifer Hadden. This movie in some ways is close to the theme...
, before he died on cancer in 2007.
David Cameron graduated from NIDA and became an actor, beginning with a role in the ABC's Bellbird
Bellbird (TV series)
Bellbird was an Australian soap opera set in a small Victorian rural township. The series was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at its Ripponlea TV studios in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria. The series was produced between 28 August 1967 and December 1977...
, in 1969 and since appeared in string of Australian TV series, miniseries and feature film appearances, including Against the Wind
Against the Wind (TV series)
Against the Wind was a 1978 Australian television mini-series.It is a historical drama portraying both the British rule of Ireland, and the development of New South Wales and Australia...
, Dawn!, Water under the Bridge (for which he received a Logie
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
nomination), My First Wife and Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
. In 1995, he turned to directing television, commercials and corporate documentaries, including Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...
, SeaChange
SeaChange
SeaChange was a popular Australian television show that ran for 39 episodes from 1998 to 2001 on the ABC. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howard, Tom Long and Kerry Armstrong...
, Good Guys Bad Guys
Good Guys Bad Guys
Good Guys, Bad Guys was an Australian crime TV series that screened on the Nine Network between 1997 and 1998, with a telemovie and twenty-six episodes produced. A comedy/drama set in Melbourne....
, State Coroner
State Coroner (TV series)
State Coroner was an Australian television series screened on Network Ten in 1997 and 1998. There were two series produced with a total of 29 episodes. The series was set in the State Coroner's office complex and featured investigations into deaths, murders, suicides, accidents and natural causes...
, Fergus McPhail
Fergus McPhail
Fergus McPhail is an Australian children's comedy series that was released on Network Ten in 2004.-Plot summary:Fergus McPhail stumbles from crisis to crisis mostly of his own making. His irrationally optimistic alter-ego acts as his conscience...
, The Wayne Manifesto
The Wayne Manifesto
The Wayne Manifesto is an Australian children's television series that aired on the ABC in 1996. Based on the children's books by David McRobbie, it is centred around the life 12-year-old Wayne Wilson, showing the world both as the way he would like it and the way it really is...
(for which he won an AFI award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
), Life and Dogwoman. Cameron is currently a teacher at The Australian Film & Television Academy (TAFTA).
Wilson and Hannaford moved on to notable bands such as The Party Machine, Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother were an Australian "esoteric special-occasion progressive band", formed in late 1969, with a floating lineup based around the nucleus of Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford. A side-project of the band, formed in 1970 was Daddy Cool, which played 1950s doo-wop music plus some...
, Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
, and Mighty Kong
Mighty Kong (band)
Mighty Kong were an Australian 'supergroup' successor to Daddy Cool, which broke up in August 1972. It was also the fifth in the line of groups that featured singer-songwriter Ross Wilson and guitarist Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink Finks in 1965...
.
Chris Kinman returned to Brisbane in the late 1960s and turned to making 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...
s and in 1996 invented and patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed a new kind of noiseless guitar pickup. With that event he founded a business called Kinman Guitar Electrix to commercialize his invention. Currently Kinman pickups are sold all over the world via www.kinman.com Interestingly Hannaford acquired a set of Kinman pickups circa 1998.
Leigh Lansdown & UK arriviste Duncan Fry formed local band "The Harris Tweed Band" in 1965 which is still performing mainly in Melbourne's southern suburbs.
Personnel
- David CameronDavid CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
- guitar - Rick Dalton - guitar/vocals
- Michael Edwards - sax/trumpet (1966)
- Richard FranklinRichard Franklin (director)Richard Franklin was an Australian-born film director.-Early life and career:Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford,...
- drums - Ross HannafordRoss HannafordRoss Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
- vocals/guitar - Chris Kinman - bass (1966)
- Leigh Lansdown - drums (1966)
- Jimmy Niven - keyboards (1966)
- Geoff Ratz - bass
- Ross Wilson - vocals/guitar
Singles
- "Untie Me" / "Nowhere To Run" (1965) [In INS2451]
- "Back Door ManBack Door Man"Back Door Man" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961. It was released by Chess Records as the B-side to Wolf's "Wang Dang Doodle"...
" / "Something Else In" (1965) [In INS2505] - "Louie LouieLouie Louie"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" / "Got Love If You Want It" (1965) [Mojo 001] - "You're Good For Me" / "Comin' Home Baby" (1966) [W&G S2625]
- "It Hurts Me So" / "Down Mama" (1987) [From The Vault FTV2]
EP's
- In Group (1965) [In E2558]
- Louie Louie (December, 1980) [Raven RV06] - Louie, Louie / Back Door ManBack Door Man"Back Door Man" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961. It was released by Chess Records as the B-side to Wolf's "Wang Dang Doodle"...
, Comin' Home / You're Good / Rub My Root / Something Else / Untie Me