GANGgajang
was formed in 1984 after several songwriting sessions for the
ABC TV program Sweet & Sour. Some of the songs were used
in the show but Mark "Cal" Callaghan from The Riptides,
former members of The Angels drummer Graham "Buzz"
Bidstrup and bassist Chris Bailey, together with Kayellen Bee
and Marilyn Delaney, decided a brand new band would best showcase
their songs.
After
adding former Aliens guitarist and keyboard player Geoffrey
Stapleton and Adelaide born guitarist Robert James, "GANGgajang"
became their self titled debut album. With sales in excess of
120,000, it spawned the hit singles Gimme Some Lovin, House
of Cards, Giver of Life, The Bigger They Are and the now unofficial
Australian national anthem, Sounds of Then (This is Australia).
In
1987, GANGgajang's music was featured exclusively in the Quiksilver
surf movie Mad Wax. The film became a cult surf classic and
introduced the band to a worldwide audience. GANGgajang was
named "World's Best Band" two years in a row by the
World Pro Surfers' Association.
A second album, gangAGAIN in 1987, completed the first phase
of the band as everyone took some time to pursue individual
projects.
Over the next few years Cal released a solo album, Buzz played
sessions, produced albums and movie soundtracks, Chris worked
with artists as diverse as Jimmy Barnes, Alannah Miles and Nathan
Cavaleri, Geoff formed The Dukes with Sean Kelly and Rob wrote
a book, "The Second Best Book of Disunderstandabilism"
and recorded his songs with Wendy Matthews.
In
1991, the band reformed (without Kayellen and Marilyn, who had
gone on to successful careers in the film industry), and took
to the road for one brief tour.
The audience response was so overwhelming it encouraged the
band to record the 3rd album, Lingo which was released in 1994
on Rooart and chalked up another three hit singles, Hundreds
of Languages, Talk To Me, and Ordinary World. Lingo is now available
on BMG records.
In
1995, the first two albums were repackaged into The Essential
GANGgajang, which has now sold over 30,000 on the Shock label.
The GANG also toured Brazil for the first time, playing to over
60,000 rapturous fans in ten concerts through nine cities and
in 1996 the Nine TV Network adopted Sounds of Then (This is
Australia) for its 1996 year promotion, sparking a revived interest
in the band's live dates around Australia.
The
GANG continue to perform across Australia and beyond and in
February 2001 they completed their third tour of Brazil, performing
to enormous crowds . When not performing or recording together
as GANGgajang each member is otherwise occupied.
Singer
Mark Callaghan is General Manager of Shock Music Publishing,
drummer Buzz Bidstrup has managed Australian music legend Jimmy
Little since the release of his 1999 ARIA award winning CD "The
Messenger", while guitarist Robert James released his first
solo album Suzannah Suite and is now recording a second in between
touring Australia in solo mode and with Australian icons Yothu
Yindi.
Keyboard player and resident artist Geoffrey Stapleton is now
living in Adelaide and preparing his next exhibition of paintings
to be called "Oceans and Deserts" while maintaining
and developing www.GANGgajang.com. Chris Bailey is working in
a wide variety of music cultures in Sydney and has produced
an album for singer/songwriter Dave Debs. Chris also plays in
Jimmy Little's live band.
The
steady requests for GANGgajang live appearances at events across
Australia gives them the valued opportunity to continue doing
what they do so well. The band has played together for over
twenty years and every live performance is as special as their
last. They love what they do and so does the audience. The GANG
played the Sydney Opera House and Darling Harbour as part of
the Corroboree 2000 celebrations and during the Olympics the
band was in demand for concert appearances around Sydney as
part of the Olympic Arts Festival
October
2002 saw the release of the long awaited fourth album, "Oceans
and Deserts" to critical acclaim and extensive airplay
across Australia on ABC radio. A live concert featuring a selection
of new songs and some of the classics was filmed for the ABC's
"Live At The Basement" series for screening on 25th
May 2004.
