Peter Williams: Lead Vocals and Guitar,
Tweed Harris: Keyboards and Vocals,
Rod Stone: Guitar and Vocals,
Jamie Byrne: Bass,
Geoff Bridgford: Drums.
Influences
"The Groove" My Space, is a dedication to five musicians who made something happen, something worth putting out there into cyberspace for posterity. In Australia during the late sixties The Groove were pioneers of some of the most influential and essential music of the time. That music is still as influential and as essential today as it was then.The first six songs were recorded in Melbourne, Australia at Bill Armstrongs recording studio and included on "The Grooves" self titled LP, released in Australia in 1968. "YOU ARE THE ONE I LOVE" was a single release recorded in Australia. " THE WIND" (written by Peter Williams and Tweed Harris) was the last single released by The Groove and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London in 1969. "I AIN'T COMIN' BACK"(written by Rod Stone)was recorded at Shaftesbury musics recording studios,London,UK,1970."I'VE GOT MY MOJO WORKING" In memory of Tweed Harris 1941-2004 (lead vocal by Tweed) The picture of Tweed was taken at Abbey Road studios 1969.
The Groove (who formed in Melbourne in early 1967) based their musical style around a robust R&B/soul ethic that cherry-picked the best elements of music from the Stax/Volt and Atlantic labels, as purveyed by Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding et al. Their sound proved sensational for Aussie audiences at the time. They melded these influences with a solid, swinging Australian sensibility that still sounds captivatingly funky today. Launching themselves on Melbourne's vibrant dance and club scene, the band immediately garnered a loyal following - many of the fans were staunch "mods"; keen on soul and R&B, which was bolstered by enthusiastic support in Go-Set magazine. The usual round of TV shows, including Uptight! also provided regular appearances for the band. Recording-wise The Groove chose a soul cover, "Simon Says" for its debut single in September 1967; the song had previously been recorded by both The Isley Brothers and The Platters. It highlighted Williams' gritty, soulful voice atop one of the tightest and most potent attempts at this musical genre yet heard from an Aussie outfit. It was an immediate smash.
It was followed by a series of increasingly polished hit records. The second single was "Soothe Me", an infectious and swinging number which went Top Ten in most major cities. The song was written by soul legend Sam Cooke.
Their third single was perhaps The Groove's most sublime recorded moment, a pumping, brassy version of Ben E. King's, What Is Soul? that also sported the funkiest of rhythm underpinnings! and was another strong seller.
1968 took The Groove to the peak of their popularity. April saw the release of their first (and only) LP, which contained a mix of originals variously penned by Peter Williams, Rod Stone, Tweed Harris and Jamie Byrne, interspersed with American soul classics. This excellent album has, sadly, never been reissued on CD and remains one of the lost classics of Australian 60s pop. In February 1968 The Groove undertook a national tour, and in July they proved that all the early "super-group" hype was justified when they won the coveted first prize (a trip to England) in the Hoadley's National Battle Of The Sounds competition. The Groove released their last single of 1968 "You Are the One I Love" / "Merry Go Round" in October and then in March 1969 availed themselves of their Hoadley's prize and took the boat to England. Their departure coincided with the release of their fourth single, "Relax Me".
Although they continuously played the London Club scene, toured through the UK and France. Sadly, like previous Battle-winners who journeyed to the UK as part of their prize, The Groove went, saw, but could not conquer.
It's fair to say that the soul-inflected wares they were offering were out of step with prevailing musical trends in the UK at the time. In June 1969 they released their last single as The Groove, "The Wind" b/w "Play The Song", which was recorded at the now famous Abbey Road Studios and was released on the Parlophone label in the UK, but it was not successful. Responding to the new trends, the band took stock, changed direction and renamed themselves “Eureka Stockade” the new incarnation was short lived and the various members went their separate ways in early 1970.
HI GUYS :) It's so good to catch up with you after all these years and I still have fond memories of us sharing the stage on many occasions. You *Rocked* and you're still sounding great :)
