Herbs

Bio:

Through 30 years, eight albums and 27 members, Pacific reggae band Herbs have remained vital, described in one edition of the Who’s Who of Australian Rock as “New Zealand’s most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice”. Pacific Islanders Toni Fonoti (vocals), Spencer Fusimalohi (guitar) and Fred Faleauto (drums) formed Back Yard in the mid-1970s to play gigs around their Ponsonby, Auckland, home. They briefly considered changing their name to Pacific Herbs before rechristening the band Herbs in 1980. The earliest Herbs line-up saw the trio joined by bass player John Berkeley, who replaced Dave Pou just as the name change occurred, and an initially part-time member in Maori guitarist Dilworth Karaka, the most experienced musician among them. By the end of 1980, bassist Phil Toms (a pakeha) had replaced Berkeley, the band had found a manager in Polynesian Panthers co-founder Will ’Ilolahia and caught the eyes of Mascot Recording Studio boss Hugh Lynn and WEA Records. On the eve of an unpopular rugby tour of New Zealand by apartheid South Africa, Herbs’ six-song EP Whats’ Be Happen? was released in July 1981. The cover featured a photo of the controversial eviction of Maori land rights protesters from the disputed Bastion Point in Auckland. The politically charged record led off with law student Ross France’s “Azania (Soon Come)” -- Azania being the name given to South Africa by black nationalists during the struggle to achieve majority rule -- with its verses referencing political activists Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela. That was followed by the social commentary of mainly Fonoti’s lyrics in “Dragons & Demons”, “Whats’ Be Happen?”, “One Brotherhood” (written solely by Toms), “Whistling In The Dark” and the tribute to Bob Marley “Reggae’s Doing Fine”. Herbs’ first single, released a year later, was “French Letter”, a protest of French nuclear testing in the Pacific Islands. The song spent 11 weeks on the New Zealand charts, peaking at number 15. Saxophonist Morrie Watene was added to the line-up, but Phil Toms left the band after “deterioration of relations” with main songwriter Fonoti and was replaced by Jack Allen. Ironically, Fonoti departed soon after. With the others more into the reggae music, the dreadlocked Fonoti was keen to explore the Rastafari philosophy and began studying the Bible and the Twelve Tribes of Israel branch of the Rasta movement. When a new record deal and a sponsorship from a fast food chain were put before the band, Fonoti asked for time to weigh up his options. He disappeared to the country, concerned whether Herbs was authentic enough for his new adherence to the Rastafari message. Unable to make a commitment to the band, Fonoti eventually gave them his blessing and bowed out. Percussionist Carl Perkins was chosen as his replacement. Herbs undertook what would become a regular excursion when they toured the Pacific Islands in 1982, and a year later released their second EP Light Of The Pacific. It opened with “French Letter”, but saw Fusimalohi take on more of the writing on cuts such as “Jah’s Son”. Midway through the tour to promote the release, Fusimalohi left after a disagreement with Karaka. As preparations began for their debut LP, the band was augmented by keyboardist Tama Lundon and later recruited guitarist Willie Hona. Powerhouse New Zealand music promoter Lynn took over the band’s management and they went into his Mascot studios with producer Billy Kristian to record their new album. Long Ago was released at the end of 1984 and featured future live staples in the title track, the beautiful ballad “On My Mind” and “Nuclear Waste” -- all written by consummate frontman Hona and Lundon, the latter with Rob Van De Lisdonk -- as well as songwriting contributions from the entire band. Herbs spent part of 1985 based in Australia, including supporting Rick Wakeman on a national tour, and were faced with more line-up changes when Perkins and Allen departed the following year to form Mana. Percussionist Thom Nepia came in to replace Perkins, while Allen’s spot was filled by Karaka’s cousin Charlie Tumahai. Tumahai had left New Zealand in 1966 and spent time with some of Australia’s best bands, eventually journeying to England with Mississippi, an early incarnation of the Little River Band. When Mississippi disbanded he joined Be Bop Deluxe, recording five albums and touring the United States eight times with them, and later formed the Dukes with former Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch. In 1985, Tumahai decided it was time to return home. Herbs toured throughout the Pacific in 1986 and performed at the Hiroshima Peace Festival in Japan while between times recording their new album, again with Billy Kristian at Mascot. Their distinctive vocals were an integral part of Dave Dobbyn’s transtasman number one “Slice Of Heaven” the same year. The follow-up album Sensitive To A Smile was released in June 1987 with a launch at the Mangahanea Marae in Ruatoria. It opened powerfully with an a cappella arrangement of the traditional Maori waiata “E Papa” and never let up until the last strains of closer “Jah Knows”. The title track was the first single and peaked at number nine on the New Zealand charts. “Rust In Dust” got as high as 11. The album was judged best album at the New Zealand music awards while Dilworth Karaka and Charlie Tumahai won songwriters of the year for “Sensitive To A Smile”. Big things seemed in store for Herbs in 1988 but that was when the wheels started to fall off. Costly touring expenses were not matched by returns. According to New Zealand rock music archivist John Dix, “Fred Faleauto had an epiphany midway through a soundcheck, suddenly reciting large chunks of the Bible, screaming like a preacher in full flight, freaking everyone out.” The last link to the band’s earliest Back Yard days, he left in June 1988. Herbs recruited long-time Auckland session drummer Gordon Joll, late of Satellite Spies, and when Sensitive To A Smile’s third single, “Listen”, another Hona/Lundon gem, rose to number seven in October 1988, things looked to be back on an even keel. However, Willie Hona departed during an Australian tour the next month, with Nepia and Watene taking over his vocal parts and Karaka taking on his guitar duties. In June 1989 they were back in the higher reaches of the New Zealand charts when they contributed to Tim Finn’s single “Parihaka” from his self-titled third solo album. The song peaked at number six. Earlier that year, the six-piece Herbs settled in to record a new album with none other than former Eagles and James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh as producer. Walsh immediately took the band and New Zealand to heart, announcing he would move to the country and become a permanent member of Herbs. Midway through the sessions Herbs toured town halls and theatres with Walsh as their “special friend”, but he had gone back to the States permanently by the time Homegrown was released in 1990. The album confused Herbs fans, opening with an a cappella verse of “Amazing Grace”, perhaps in an attempt to match “E Papa” from the previous album, followed by the first of two Joe Walsh vocals. In fact, the three Walsh songs on the LP would surface on his own recordings over the next two years. Homegrown also included covers of the Left Banke and Merle Haggard hits, and the only links to Herbs of old were “Anthem”, “Homegrown” and a new version of “Azania (Soon Come)” from Whats’ Be Happen?. Later versions of the album featured bonus track “Talkback Radio”, the theme song for The Billy T. James Show. With Lynn heading for bankruptcy and Homegrown a commercial let-down, band and manager parted ways. Lynn had poured a lot of money into Herbs’ career and they had benefited greatly from his industry connections, touring with or supporting the likes of Black Slate, UB40, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Jimmy Buffett throughout the 1980s. Members of Herbs featured on single collaborations in the early 1990s -- Annie Crummer’s joyous “See What Love Can Do” and the questionable “Till We Kissed” with ’60s icon Ray Columbus -- but there would be no new album. Neither the spirited vocals of Tumahai nor the searing guitar of new addition Tama Renata, who had earlier contributed to Light Of The Pacific, could save “Till We Kissed”, but it was included on 1993’s 13 Years Of Herbs: The Best Of, which spent 10 weeks on the charts, rising to number 14. After a period of live inactivity, the release of The Best Of sparked the band to life. Karaka and Tumahai ventured to Auckland’s premier live venue, the Gluepot, to offer the drummer’s spot to Grant Pukeroa but were so impressed by his fill-in Kristen Hapi that they successfully offered it to him instead. Pukeroa would, however, take the role two years later when Hapi moved on. Juanito Muzzio took over percussion for the absent Nepia. Karaka, Tumahai and Renata wrote the main love song “Here Is My Heart” for the 1994 New Zealand blockbuster movie Once Were Warriors, for which Renata also provided the memorable instrumental theme, and the band came on all Motown for their next single “Good For Life”, featuring backing vocals by another Kiwi ’60s star Suzanne Lynch of Chicks fame. Although Grant Pukeroa had taken over the drummer’s stool, Gordon Joll was again involved with Herbs in 1995, programming drum parts for a new version of an old song. When the French Government resumed nuclear testing in the Pacific that year, Herbs re-recorded “French Letter”, which peaked at number nine. The song also marked Nepia’s return. On their tour of France that November, members of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team passed copies of the cassingle to the Paris crowd after their final test match. Tragedy struck the Herbs whanau on December 21 1995 with the sudden death of Charlie Tumahai from a massive heart attack while working for a volunteer organisation helping young Maori at the Auckland District Court. He was just 46. When the band regrouped in the new year, with replacement bass player Max Hohepa, it was for an Easter Sunday tribute concert to their fallen comrade, the proceeds going to Tumahai’s family. Other artists announced to take part included Dave Dobbyn, Annie Crummer and Hello Sailor. In the 10 years following Tumahai’s passing, various Herbs line-ups would come together for occasional performances, including a rendering of Dave Dobbyn’s “Slice Of Heaven” at the Australasian Performing Right Association’s celebration of the top 100 New Zealand songs of all time in 2001. With the decision of Morrie Watene to stand down, the event was the debut of new saxophonist Walter Bianco, a veteran of the Auckland live music scene, and also the first for drummer Leyton Greening, who replaced Grant Pukeroa. The band was joined by Kiwi hip-hop star Che-Fu and Auckland singer Lionel Nelson, a member of Nepia’s sideline project TnT Music Factory. Besides featuring on Dobbyn’s song, which was voted in at number seven, Herbs made it into the top 100 three times in their own right. “French Letter” was number 42, “Long Ago” was 68 and “Sensitive To A Smile” was 80. Herbs’ original drummer Fred Faleauto passed away in 2001. Warner Music New Zealand released a revamped hits compilation called Listen: The Very Best Of Herbs, which debuted at number one on the New Zealand album chart in January 2002. At the time, Karaka told the New Zealand Press Association that the band had to thank their New Zealand fans for the achievement. “It shows that they’re still out there and want another album,” he said. “We never stopped writing. The stuff that we did write, we just stuck it in the bank.” Case in point being the wonderful “Fishnet Tights”, a protest of driftnet fishing, which was a stand-out on the Homegrown tour of 1990, harking back to the spirit of the Whats’ Be Happen? era. “When we did our last album there were some publishing and contractual arrangements that weren’t settled, and that ended up in court,” Karaka continued. “Rather than carry on we just put stuff away and didn’t bother to continue on with that company. “The response from people now (2002) has been really encouraging. I’ve always believed there was another album there, maybe two, and hopefully this one we’ve just put out will kick-start us towards the next one.” Alas it never did, but around 2003, Karaka and Lundon, later joined by Nepia and sometimes Renata, began appearing at low-key gigs, folk and blues festivals as Herbs Unplugged. Two years later, an expanded Herbs were on the road in Australia with countrymen Katchafire. The trip saw vocalist Lionel Nelson and Queenstown drummer Ned Webster recruited for their only tour with Herbs. Nelson had appeared with the band at APRA’s top New Zealand songs event in 2001 and had been an original member of Nepia’s Auckland covers and corporate band TnT Music Factory in 2000, as had Karaka. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Member Since:

June 22, 2006

Members:

Tony Fonoti (Whats Be Happen, Light of The Pacific)

Spencer Fusimalohi (Whats Be Happen, Light of The Pacific)

Fred Faleuoto (Whats Be Happen, L.O.T.P, Long Ago, Sensitive to a Smile, Homegrown)

Dilworth Karaka (Whats Be Happen, L.O.T.P, Long Ago, Sensitive to a Smile, Homegrown)

Carl Perkins (Light of The Pacifc, Long Ago, Sensitive to a smile)

Tama Lundon (Long Ago, Sensitive to a smile, Homegrown)

Jack allen (Light of the pacific, Long Ago)

Mori Watene (Long Ago, Sensitive to a smile, Homegrown)

Willie Hona (Long Ago, Sensitive to a smile, Homegrown)

Thom Nepia (Sensitive to a smile, Homegrown)

Record Label:

WEA