Travis Wellington Hedge
Encyclopedia
Travis Wellington Hedge was an award-winning Australia
n pop rock
band, based in Adelaide
, that existed from 1968 to 1969. It was an early band of noted musician and composer Graeham Goble
, who subsequently achieved success with Mississippi
, Little River Band
and Birtles Shorrock Goble
.
's Teen Scene Club on 16 November 1968.
In a short lifespan of ten months, the band completed 83 performances. This included nine television appearances, on programs such as Adelaide Tonight
, Today-Tonight (ABC Television
) and In Time.
was a prestigious Australian national band contest held annually from 1966 to 1972. The winning band received a cash prize and international travel. Winners included The Twilights
, The Groop
, Doug Parkinson In Focus, The Flying Circus
and Sherbet
.
1969 was the peak year of the contest, with over 1000 bands competing. For the only time, there were two categories: bands and vocal groups. The prize for each category was identical.
Travis Wellington Hedge entered the vocal groups category and, on 11 July 1969 at the South Australian Final, won the right to represent the state at the national final. One month later, on 10 August 1969, the band finished third at the National Final, losing to Sydney band The Affair featuring Kerrie Biddell.
' Yellow Submarine
track "Hey Bulldog
", while the B-side covered Screamin' Jay Hawkins
' song "I Put a Spell on You
".
"Hey Bulldog" subsequently reappeared as track 16 on the "psychotropic" compilation Datura Dreamtime. (Coincidentally, Datura Dreamtime is an interesting precursor to the internationally-famous Little River Band
(LRB). Other album tracks feature Goble's future LRB bandmates: Glenn Shorrock
with The Twilights
and Beeb Birtles
with Zoot
, as well as Goble's next band Allison Gros.)
Graeham Goble, Shane Simon and Rob Leedham went on to form a new band, Allison Gros.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band, based in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, that existed from 1968 to 1969. It was an early band of noted musician and composer Graeham Goble
Graeham Goble
Graeham George Goble is a musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as a founding member of rock performers Little River Band ....
, who subsequently achieved success with Mississippi
Mississippi (band)
Mississippi was an Australian band , which featured some big names in Australian rock music, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Kerryn Tolhurst...
, Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
and Birtles Shorrock Goble
Birtles Shorrock Goble
Birtles Shorrock Goble are an Australian pop/rock group composed of the three original singers and songwriters of Little River Band, namely Beeb Birtles, Glenn Shorrock, and Graeham Goble. The members are known for their extensive writing and performance of hit songs and distinctive vocal harmonies...
.
Performances
Travis Wellington Hedge was formed in late 1968 following the breakup of Goble's first band The Silence. Their first public performance took place at Port NoarlungaPort Noarlunga, South Australia
Port Noarlunga is a suburb in the City of Onkaparinga, South Australia. It is a small sea-side suburb, population 2,549, about 30 km to the south of Adelaide and was originally created as a sea port. This area is now popular as a holiday destination or for permanent residents wishing to...
's Teen Scene Club on 16 November 1968.
In a short lifespan of ten months, the band completed 83 performances. This included nine television appearances, on programs such as Adelaide Tonight
Adelaide Tonight
Adelaide Tonight was a nightly variety show, running four days a week at 9.30pm on NWS-9 Adelaide. The show was broadcast live from Studio 1 between 1959 and 1973...
, Today-Tonight (ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
) and In Time.
Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds
Hoadley's Battle of the SoundsHoadley's Battle of the Sounds
Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds was an annual national rock/pop band competition held in Australia from 1966 to 1972.-History:Australia's Battle of the Sounds was originally established by Australian tabloid magazine Everybody’s in 1965 as a talent quest for new unsigned bands in Sydney, Melbourne...
was a prestigious Australian national band contest held annually from 1966 to 1972. The winning band received a cash prize and international travel. Winners included The Twilights
The Twilights (band)
The Twilights were an Australian rock music group of the mid to late 1960s. Alongside their own career successes, The Twilights are also notable for the inclusion of vocalist Glenn Shorrock, who later fronted Axiom, Esperanto and Little River Band, and guitarist Terry Britten who went on to become...
, The Groop
The Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian Cadd on keyboards and vocals, and Ronnie Charles on...
, Doug Parkinson In Focus, The Flying Circus
The Flying Circus (band)
The Flying Circus was a pioneering Australian country rock band who had a number of pop hits in Australia from 1968 to 1971 and then re-located to Canada from 1971 to 1974 where they also achieved a degree of success.-Beginnings:...
and Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
.
1969 was the peak year of the contest, with over 1000 bands competing. For the only time, there were two categories: bands and vocal groups. The prize for each category was identical.
Travis Wellington Hedge entered the vocal groups category and, on 11 July 1969 at the South Australian Final, won the right to represent the state at the national final. One month later, on 10 August 1969, the band finished third at the National Final, losing to Sydney band The Affair featuring Kerrie Biddell.
Recording
In 1969, Travis Wellington Hedge recorded a single for the RCA Australia label. The A-side was a cover of The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (album)
Yellow Submarine is the tenth studio album by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, released on Apple Records. It was issued as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which premiered in the United Kingdom seven months prior to the album's release....
track "Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
"Hey Bulldog" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album in 1969. Primarily by John Lennon , and finished in the studio by Lennon and McCartney, the song was recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional video, and like "Lady Madonna" is...
", while the B-side covered Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Jalacy Hawkins , best known as Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an American musician, singer, and actor...
' song "I Put a Spell on You
I Put a Spell on You
"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #320 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Although Hawkins'...
".
"Hey Bulldog" subsequently reappeared as track 16 on the "psychotropic" compilation Datura Dreamtime. (Coincidentally, Datura Dreamtime is an interesting precursor to the internationally-famous Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
(LRB). Other album tracks feature Goble's future LRB bandmates: Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
with The Twilights
The Twilights (band)
The Twilights were an Australian rock music group of the mid to late 1960s. Alongside their own career successes, The Twilights are also notable for the inclusion of vocalist Glenn Shorrock, who later fronted Axiom, Esperanto and Little River Band, and guitarist Terry Britten who went on to become...
and Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles , is a Dutch / Australian musician, one of the founding members of the Little River Band....
with Zoot
Zoot (band)
Zoot are a pop/rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1965 as Down the Line. They changed their name to Zoot in 1967 and by 1968 had relocated to Melbourne...
, as well as Goble's next band Allison Gros.)
Breakup
Travis Wellington Hedge broke up towards the end of 1969. Their last performance was held at Adelaide's Princeton Club on 25 October 1969.Graeham Goble, Shane Simon and Rob Leedham went on to form a new band, Allison Gros.