The Australian
Rev Black and The Rocking Vicars
| Line-up included |
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Dave Rossall |
Vocals |
Dieter Glaser |
Drums |
Sid Brassington |
Guitar |
Tony Kappen |
Guitar |
John Bellamy
|
bass 1967-1968 |
| Neil Williamson |
organ 1967-1969 |
| Stuart Bedford |
guitar 1969 |
| Greg Hill |
bass 1968-1969 |
| Laurie Hellyer |
bass 1967, bass 1969 |
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Dave Rossall, previously a guitarist in Blackpool with Bruce and The Spiders, left England and emigrated to Australia.
There he joined a Wollongong (New South Wales) band called The Finks as vocalist and re-styled the band as Rev Black and The Rocking Vicars, taking the role as Rev Black himself.
Unsurprisingly, they adopted the clerical outfits of the UK band.
Picture on right and lower pictures and information provided by Ged Fitzsimmons, who is currently nearing completion of his book Moonshine On Steeltown, a detailed look at the 1960s pop music scene in Wollongong, Australia."
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The Vicars (part 3), l to r Tony Kappen, Greg Hill, Dieter Glaser, Neil Williamson, David Rossall.
Picture above provided by Terry Stacey, whose excellent story of the Aussie band can be found on http://www.freewebs.com/rockinvicars/
Well worth a read!
First line-up, 1967. L to R, rear, Laurie Hellyer (bass), Dave Rossall (vocals), Syd Brassington (rhythm guitar). Front, Tony Kappen (lead guitar), Dieter Glaser (drums).
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The Vicars, Part 2 early in 1968. Neil Williamson (keyboards), Dieter Glaser (drums), Tony Kappen (lead guitar), John Bellamy (bass), and David Rossall (vocals)
The Vicars, Part Three: The classic, longest-running version, with Neil Williamson on keyboards, Dieter Glaser on drums, David Rossall singing, Tony Kappen on lead guitar, and Greg Hill on bass.
Photographed during a TV performance in 1968 on Brisbane TV.
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The final Vicars line-up, which lasted about three weeks in 1969.
After this, the boys were joined by Wayne and Phil Cooper as extra vocalists (yes, they had three singers) and they became Tin Pan Alley.
They recorded a single for Columbia, and the Cooper brothers walked out a week before it was released.
Then they added a 15-year-old girl singer named Angela Jones and promoted the record on stage with her voice replacing the three male harmonies.
The Vicars, Part Four: Clockwise, starting lower left, Stuart Bedford (guitar), Laurie Hellyer (bass), David Rossall (vocals), Dieter Glaser (drums), Neil Williamson (keyboards). |
Additional info
Wayne and Phil Cooper were not backup singers for Dave Rossel in Tin Pan Alley They were Equal lead singers with the ability to sing great harmonies.
Stuart Bedford was never in Rev Black and the Rocking Vickers but was in The Cast with Wayne and Phil Cooper. All three of us were pestered to amalgamate with the Rev Black And the Rocking Vickers to rejuvinate their band and improve their standing, as The Cast had all the gigs in Wollongong with a massive following.
As the Rev would say Amen.
Phil Cooper
Discography-
| Australian 45s |
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| Tears And Kisses/Whatcha Gonna Do |
(ZOT S 20-31) |
1967 |
| What'cha Gonna Do About It/Tears And Kisses |
(Leedon LK 1871) |
1967 |
| Down To The Last 500/Sugar Train |
(Sunshine QK 2225) |
1968 |
| Such A Lovely Day/Sorrowful Stoney |
(Sunshine QK 2752) |
1969 |
| Walking And Talking/How Does It Feel? |
(Sunshine QK 2752) |
1969 |
Back to the UK Rev Black and The Rocking Vicars |
