The Stems
Encyclopedia
The Stems were an alternative rock
band formed in Perth, Western Australia
in 1983 and were heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock
and 1970s power pop
. They broke up in 1987, reformed in 2003 and released a new album in 2007.
ist Dom Mariani, formerly in the Go-Starts, was introduced to Richard Lane. Lane had seen Mariani in the final few gigs of the Go-Starts and asked him for guitar lessons which became jams, then writing songs, and finally the decision was made to form The Stems. A friend, Gary Chambers, was recruited to join on drums
and bass guitar
ist John Shuttleworth was poached from the Pink Armadillos. The bands debut gig in March 1984 was supporting The Saints
and The Triffids
at the Old Civic Theatre in Perth. Their sound was influenced by 1960s garage acts ranging from the Electric Prunes, The Standells
, The Chocolate Watch Band to The Easybeats
. A local Saturday night residency at the Wizbah venue saw throwback covers with a growing list of original songs which developed a cult following for the band. Shuttleworth decided to leave so a final gig for the band was arranged which drew a large crowd. The success of this gig and freshly written songs saw the band recruit a new bass player, school friend Julian Matthews.
The Stems played at local venues such as The Wizbah, The Old Melbourne and The Shenton Park
Hotel on a regular basis, the group built up a substantial following in Perth, at a time otherwise dominated by cover
bands.
at the Trade Union Club. The tour was perfectly timed with the Sydney inner city scene rediscovering 1960s music and fashion. The group met with an enthusiastic response which culminated in a full house at the legendary Trade Union Club for their final show. The single reached the top of the independent charts, and also sold 500 copies in England
. The single was the second highest selling independent single for Australia in 1985, behind Hoodoo Gurus
' "Like Wow - Wipeout!
". During this period they recorded the single "Tears Me in Two" and the Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1
EP
both produced by Rob Younger
of the Radio Birdman
. The EP reached #72 in the national charts and the band played triumphant shows on their return to Perth.
and the Hoodoo Gurus
, and also seeking a label deal. Mushroom Records
signed the band and the band booked into Platinum Studios with producer Alan Thorne at the end of 1986. The recording process didn’t go smoothly and stretched from the planned one month to three, with a new producer brought in to complete the record. At First Sight, Violets Are Blue
was released in 1987, their first recording for the White label. The album debuted at Number 1 on the Australian alternative charts and 34 on the mainstream charts. It also received national and international critical acclaim and would be one of the best selling Australian albums of that year despite the lack of commercial airplay in the corporate FM dominated 80’s. Leaning toward a stronger pop sensibility the album highlighed the talents of Dom Mariani and Richard Lane as skilled tunesmiths of the guitar pop genre. The album was nominated in the top 100 Australian albums of all time by Rolling Stone
magazine and the title track "At First Sight" remains a bona fide Australian classic. 1987 also saw the band embark on another national tour, appearances on national television – including playing the final episode of Countdown and the lead single "At First Sight" making the Young Einstein
soundtrack. The band seemed to have the world at their feet, an album which went on to become the third top Australian album of 1987. Following the success of the album there was an increase in interest in the band from overseas, particularly in Europe.
Unfortunately, by October 1987, on the eve of a six week European tour the band mysteriously disbanded. Dom's explanation was:
Mathews offered a similar explanation
The Stems had performed at their last live show on 31 August 1987, but it wasn't officially announced until November 1987. The Stems had released a total of five singles, one EP and one full length album, and set an impressive record with each release reaching No 1 on the Australian alternative charts. The Stems having completed several national tours were perhaps one of the first bands to gain national success while remaining in Perth, and despite never having toured internationally they are held in high esteem in Europe and the US amongst fans of classic 60s and garage inspired rock ‘n’ roll.
The Stems epitomised 1980s indie rock, giving it a wider currency. They are one of only a handful of bands among them the Hoodoo Gurus
(half of the original line-up of the Hoodoo Gurus also came from Perth) and The Sunnyboys
) that cracked the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the 1980s.
Main singer songwriter Dom Mariani would eventually go on to achieve greater international recognition and become a linchpin of the international power pop scene with his bands The Someloves
(with Daryl Mather (Lime Spiders
)), DM3
and Dom Mariani and the Majestic Kelp. Richard Lane went on to record with Gary Chambers in The Chevelles
and later with The Rosebuds, Matthews first worked with drummer Dave Shaw in The Shivers and later with Mariani’s DM3.
and the release of the Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years
in 2003, The Stems found themselves playing to packed houses across the country, touring Europe, playing the prestigious "Little Stevens Underground Garage Festival
" in August 2005, and then at the "Come Together Festival" at Sydney’s Luna Park with the cream of Australia’s newest bands in September 2005.
2006 saw the release of another anthology titled Terminal Cool
in the United States by the prestigious garage rock
and punk label Get Hip Records
. The new anthology includes three previously unreleased tracks including the title track, "Think Cool" from their early live sets. Two of the band's tracks were included in the recent Rhino Nuggets Box set Children of Nuggets which compiles and documents the Paisley Underground
and garage rock of the 1980s.
In 2007 The Stems undertook a national tour alongside Hoodoo Gurus
and Radio Birdman
. The Stems also released their long overdue second album, Heads Up
on Shock Records
. The album contained ten original garage rock
tracks, it was recorded in Perth early in 2007 at the analogue and vintage recording compound KingDom Studios and later mixed at Ultrasuede in Cincinnati by producer John Curley (White Stripes, Afghan Wigs, Greenhornes and Ronnie Spector
). The Stems then toured nationally to promote the new album, playing their first shows outside Australia last year, including European dates and a successful U.S visit which included the South by Southwest
festival in Austin, Texas
.
In July 2009 The Stems announced that they would be disbanding later that year, with an eight date national farewell tour in October.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Perth, Western Australia
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 1983 and were heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and 1970s power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
. They broke up in 1987, reformed in 2003 and released a new album in 2007.
Formation
The Stems formed in late 1983 when vocalist/guitarGuitar
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...
ist Dom Mariani, formerly in the Go-Starts, was introduced to Richard Lane. Lane had seen Mariani in the final few gigs of the Go-Starts and asked him for guitar lessons which became jams, then writing songs, and finally the decision was made to form The Stems. A friend, Gary Chambers, was recruited to join on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist John Shuttleworth was poached from the Pink Armadillos. The bands debut gig in March 1984 was supporting 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 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...
at the Old Civic Theatre in Perth. Their sound was influenced by 1960s garage acts ranging from the Electric Prunes, The Standells
The Standells
The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
, The Chocolate Watch Band to The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
. A local Saturday night residency at the Wizbah venue saw throwback covers with a growing list of original songs which developed a cult following for the band. Shuttleworth decided to leave so a final gig for the band was arranged which drew a large crowd. The success of this gig and freshly written songs saw the band recruit a new bass player, school friend Julian Matthews.
The Stems played at local venues such as The Wizbah, The Old Melbourne and The Shenton Park
Shenton Park, Western Australia
Shenton Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Subiaco and 4 km west of the Central business district. Its postcode is 6008...
Hotel on a regular basis, the group built up a substantial following in Perth, at a time otherwise dominated by 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...
bands.
Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1
Late in 1984 they recorded three songs at Shelter Studios in Perth, "She's A Monster", "Make You Mine" and a version of "Tears Me in Two". The original plan was for this to be a self released single with one track as the A side and the other two as B-sides. A friend of the band who wanted to help manage them told them he would take the tapes to the east coast and shop them around to the independent labels there. There was quite a bit of interest expressed by a number of labels, but The Stems chose Citadel Records because of the high quality of their releases at the time. In mid 1985 the band went to Sydney to meet up with their new label Citadel and promote their first single "Make You Mine"/"She's A Monster". The Stems first Sydney show was a sold out show with the Painters and DockersPainters and Dockers
Painters and Dockers are a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1982. Their best performed album, Kiss My Art, peaked in the top 30 of the Australian Recording Industry Association albums charts in 1988. The album included two top 50 singles, "Nude School" and "Die Yuppie Die"...
at the Trade Union Club. The tour was perfectly timed with the Sydney inner city scene rediscovering 1960s music and fashion. The group met with an enthusiastic response which culminated in a full house at the legendary Trade Union Club for their final show. The single reached the top of the independent charts, and also sold 500 copies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The single was the second highest selling independent single for Australia in 1985, behind Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
' "Like Wow - Wipeout!
Like Wow - Wipeout!
"Like Wow - Wipeout" is a song written by Dave Faulkner and recorded by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus for their album Mars Needs Guitars!. As a single, it was released on Big Time Records in October 1985 and reached #28 on the Melbourne Record Charts....
". During this period they recorded the single "Tears Me in Two" and the Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1
Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1
Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1 is the first recording by The Stems. The EP was released in February, 1986 through Citadel Records, the EP has never been released on a CD format.-Track listing:# "Love Will Grow"# "Under Your Mushroom"...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
both produced by Rob Younger
Rob Younger
Rob Younger is an Australian rock musician, vocalist and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the influential Sydney-based punk rock group Radio Birdman, which formed in 1974. After the Radio Birdman break-up, Younger joined the super-group, New Race, who were active in 1981...
of the Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
. The EP reached #72 in the national charts and the band played triumphant shows on their return to Perth.
At First Sight, Violets Are Blue
The Stems, with a new drummer, David Shaw, on board spent most of 1986 touring to promote their EP, including national tours supporting The Flamin GrooviesThe Flamin Groovies
Flamin' Groovies were an American rock music band of the 1960s and 1970s. They began in San Francisco in 1965, founded by Ron Greco, Cyril Jordan and Roy Loney. They are perhaps best known for their song "Shake Some Action", which was later featured in the 1995 movie Clueless...
and the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, and also seeking a label deal. Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
signed the band and the band booked into Platinum Studios with producer Alan Thorne at the end of 1986. The recording process didn’t go smoothly and stretched from the planned one month to three, with a new producer brought in to complete the record. At First Sight, Violets Are Blue
At First Sight, Violets Are Blue
At First Sight, Violets Are Blue is the debut album from The Stems, released in August 1987 through Mushroom Records' White Label on vinyl, the album only saw limited CD release at that time. The title track "At First Sight" gained mainstream airplay and a position on the Young Einstein sound track...
was released in 1987, their first recording for the White label. The album debuted at Number 1 on the Australian alternative charts and 34 on the mainstream charts. It also received national and international critical acclaim and would be one of the best selling Australian albums of that year despite the lack of commercial airplay in the corporate FM dominated 80’s. Leaning toward a stronger pop sensibility the album highlighed the talents of Dom Mariani and Richard Lane as skilled tunesmiths of the guitar pop genre. The album was nominated in the top 100 Australian albums of all time by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine and the title track "At First Sight" remains a bona fide Australian classic. 1987 also saw the band embark on another national tour, appearances on national television – including playing the final episode of Countdown and the lead single "At First Sight" making the Young Einstein
Young Einstein
Young Einstein is an Australian comedy film directed by and starring Yahoo Serious, released in 1988.-Plot:Albert Einstein, the son of an apple farmer in Tasmania in the early 1900s, splits a beer atom with a chisel in order to add bubbles to beer, discovers the theory of relativity and travels to...
soundtrack. The band seemed to have the world at their feet, an album which went on to become the third top Australian album of 1987. Following the success of the album there was an increase in interest in the band from overseas, particularly in Europe.
Unfortunately, by October 1987, on the eve of a six week European tour the band mysteriously disbanded. Dom's explanation was:
"I was not very happy with the way things were going towards the end of the Stems. We got quite big, and there are the usual problems that happen with that. People tend to drift apart, there are internal conflicts, egos going wild, and bad management was probably the major factor that contributed to the Stems breakup."
Mathews offered a similar explanation
"In the end it was total burn-out. By the time the band broke up, all of us had had enough. Any of us could have quit at any time. There was also this pull to do other stuff away from the band."
The Stems had performed at their last live show on 31 August 1987, but it wasn't officially announced until November 1987. The Stems had released a total of five singles, one EP and one full length album, and set an impressive record with each release reaching No 1 on the Australian alternative charts. The Stems having completed several national tours were perhaps one of the first bands to gain national success while remaining in Perth, and despite never having toured internationally they are held in high esteem in Europe and the US amongst fans of classic 60s and garage inspired rock ‘n’ roll.
The Stems epitomised 1980s indie rock, giving it a wider currency. They are one of only a handful of bands among them the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
(half of the original line-up of the Hoodoo Gurus also came from Perth) and The Sunnyboys
The Sunnyboys
Sunnyboys was an Australian post-punk, power pop band formed in Sydney in 1980. Fronted by singer-songwriter, guitarist Jeremy Oxley, the band "breathed some freshness and vitality into the divergent Sydney scene"...
) that cracked the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the 1980s.
Main singer songwriter Dom Mariani would eventually go on to achieve greater international recognition and become a linchpin of the international power pop scene with his bands The Someloves
The Someloves
The Someloves, were a alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. They were noted for their 1980s power-pop underground style.-Biography:...
(with Daryl Mather (Lime Spiders
Lime Spiders
Lime Spiders are an Australian punk rock band, currently consisting of Mick Blood, Tom Corben, Gerard Corben, David Sparks and Tony Bambach.-Early Days :...
)), DM3
Dm3
Dm3 may stand for:*Cubic decimetre , a volume unit equivalent to a litre*SJ Dm3 locomotives pulling iron ore trains in Sweden and Norway*File type for a map in Quake, a first-person shooter computer game...
and Dom Mariani and the Majestic Kelp. Richard Lane went on to record with Gary Chambers in The Chevelles
The Chevelles
The Chevelles are a power pop outfit from Perth, Western Australia. The Chevelles were formed in 1989 and over the last eighteen years have successfully toured Australia, Europe, the United States and South America.-Pre-Chevelles:...
and later with The Rosebuds, Matthews first worked with drummer Dave Shaw in The Shivers and later with Mariani’s DM3.
Reunited - Heads Up
In March 2003, The Stems reunited for a national tour of the local and international music scene. Following the re-release of their album At First Sight, Violets Are BlueAt First Sight, Violets Are Blue
At First Sight, Violets Are Blue is the debut album from The Stems, released in August 1987 through Mushroom Records' White Label on vinyl, the album only saw limited CD release at that time. The title track "At First Sight" gained mainstream airplay and a position on the Young Einstein sound track...
and the release of the Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years
Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years
Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years is an anthology album from The Stems, released in 2003 through Citadel Records. It is a collection of all the band's singles, songs from their debut EP, Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1, previously unreleased demos and alternative song versions and a video for...
in 2003, The Stems found themselves playing to packed houses across the country, touring Europe, playing the prestigious "Little Stevens Underground Garage Festival
Underground Garage
Underground Garage is the name shared by two related but different radio outlets, a syndicated show and a satellite radio station, both created and supervised by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt to present rock 'n' roll and garage rock on radio...
" in August 2005, and then at the "Come Together Festival" at Sydney’s Luna Park with the cream of Australia’s newest bands in September 2005.
2006 saw the release of another anthology titled Terminal Cool
Terminal Cool
Terminal Cool is an anthology album from The Stems, released in Australia on 26 June 200 and in the United States on 6 December 2005. It is a collection of the bands recordings between 1983 and 1985....
in the United States by the prestigious garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and punk label Get Hip Records
Get Hip Records
Get Hip Records is an independent Pittsburgh based music label and distributor formed by Gregg Kostelich in 1986. Kostelich used the label to release music by his own band, The Cynics, as well as other local, indie and retro garage rock bands.-Releases:...
. The new anthology includes three previously unreleased tracks including the title track, "Think Cool" from their early live sets. Two of the band's tracks were included in the recent Rhino Nuggets Box set Children of Nuggets which compiles and documents the Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
and garage rock of the 1980s.
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
and Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
. The Stems also released their long overdue second album, Heads Up
Heads Up (Stems album)
Heads Up is the long awaited follow up album from The Stems, released on October 6, 2007 through Shock Records. The album was recorded at Kingdom Studios, Perth, mixed at Ultrasuede Studio Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio by producer John Curley and mastered at Oceanway, Los Angeles, California by Alan...
on Shock Records
Shock Records
Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
. The album contained ten original garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
tracks, it was recorded in Perth early in 2007 at the analogue and vintage recording compound KingDom Studios and later mixed at Ultrasuede in Cincinnati by producer John Curley (White Stripes, Afghan Wigs, Greenhornes and Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Spector
Veronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal...
). The Stems then toured nationally to promote the new album, playing their first shows outside Australia last year, including European dates and a successful U.S visit which included the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
In July 2009 The Stems announced that they would be disbanding later that year, with an eight date national farewell tour in October.
Members
- Dom Mariani — vocals, guitarGuitarThe 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...
(1983–1987, 2003–present) - Richard Lane — vocals, guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
(1983–1987, 2003–present) - Gary Chambers — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1983–1986) - Julian Mathews — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1984–1987, 2003–present) - David Shaw — drums, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1986–1987, 2003–present) - John Shuttleworth — bass guitar (1984)
Albums/EPs
- Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1 is the first recording by The Stems. The EP was released in February, 1986 through Citadel Records, the EP has never been released on a CD format.-Track listing:# "Love Will Grow"# "Under Your Mushroom"...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - Citadel Records (February 1986) - At First Sight, Violets Are BlueAt First Sight, Violets Are BlueAt First Sight, Violets Are Blue is the debut album from The Stems, released in August 1987 through Mushroom Records' White Label on vinyl, the album only saw limited CD release at that time. The title track "At First Sight" gained mainstream airplay and a position on the Young Einstein sound track...
- White Label/Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
(1987/2003) #34 (Aus) - Heads UpHeads Up (Stems album)Heads Up is the long awaited follow up album from The Stems, released on October 6, 2007 through Shock Records. The album was recorded at Kingdom Studios, Perth, mixed at Ultrasuede Studio Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio by producer John Curley and mastered at Oceanway, Los Angeles, California by Alan...
- Shock RecordsShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
(2007)
Anthologies
- The Great Rosebud HoaxThe Great Rosebud Hoax-Track listing:# "She's A Monster"# "Make You Mine"# "Can't Resist"# "Tears Me In Two"# "Love Will Grow"# "Just Ain't Enough"# "Jumping To Conclusions"# "Under Your Mushroom"...
- Citadel Records (1987) - BudsBuds (album)-Track listing:# "Make You Mine" – 4:45# "She's A Monster" – 3:47# "Tears Me In Two" – 3:22# "Can't Resist" – 2:36# "Love Will Grow" – 3:16# "Just Ain't Enough" – 2:45...
- Citadel Records (1991) - Weed Out!Weed Out!Weed Out! is a 1997 album released by House of Wax of live recordings by The Stems. This live 2-track recording features 10 live cuts from a performance at The Old Melbourne Hotel in Perth, Western Australia on 18 April 1986...
- House of Wax (1997) - Mushroom Soup: The Citadel YearsMushroom Soup: The Citadel YearsMushroom Soup: The Citadel Years is an anthology album from The Stems, released in 2003 through Citadel Records. It is a collection of all the band's singles, songs from their debut EP, Love Will Grow - Rosebud Volume 1, previously unreleased demos and alternative song versions and a video for...
- Citadel Records (March 2003) - Terminal CoolTerminal CoolTerminal Cool is an anthology album from The Stems, released in Australia on 26 June 200 and in the United States on 6 December 2005. It is a collection of the bands recordings between 1983 and 1985....
(Anthology 1983-1986) - Get Hip Records (26 June 2006)
Singles
- "Make You Mine"/"She's A Monster" - Citadel Records (1985)
- "Tears Me In Two"/"Can't Resist" - Citadel Records (1985) #99 (Aus)
- "At First Sight"/"Grooviest Girl In Town" (1987) #90 (Aus)
- "Sad Girl"/"My Beach" (1987) #89 (Aus)
- "For Always"/"Mr Misery" (1987)
- "Let Your Head Rest"/"Don't Let Me"/"Tears Me In Two" - Zero Hour Records (1993)
Compilations
- Do The Pop! The Australian Garage Rock Sound 1976–87 (2002)
- Born Out Of Time: The Australian Indie Sound 1979–88 (2002)
- Shake Some Action Shock Records
- Cool World: 41 Essential Australian Rock Singles 1976–1986 Raven Records
- Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The Second Psychedelic Era, 1976-1995Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The Second Psychedelic Era, 1976-1995Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995 is a four compact disc compilation album of alternative pop music recorded between 1976 and 1995, although most of the recordings are from the 1980s. It was released on Rhino Records in 2005...
Rhino Records (30 August 2005)
External links
- Official website
- The Stems MySpace website
- Mushroom Records - artist profile
- The Stems at Australian Rock DatabaseAustralian Rock DatabaseAustralian Rock Database is a website with a searchable online database that lists details of Australian rock music artists, albums, bands, producers and record labels. It was established in 2000 by Swedish national, Magnus Holmgren, who had developed an interest in Australian music when visiting...
- The Stems entry in Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and PopEncyclopedia of Australian Rock and PopThe Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop or Rock and Pop by Australian music journalist Ian McFarlane is a guide to Australian popular music from the 1950s to the late 1990s...
(1999) by Ian McFarlane