Hunters & Collectors

All Music Guide:

Ending up with the intensity and passion of a U2, Hunters & Collectors carved a unique path and place for themselves in Australian rock culture. The group was originally formed in post-punk 1981 in Melbourne as a collective rather than a band, an excursion into funk-rock rhythms and industrial Krautrock. They named themselves after a song by Can.

The group's early performances are remembered as chaotic, with audience members encouraged to join in with rubbish bin lids or fire extinguishers. The extended lineup included a massed horn section known as the Horns of Contempt. Inside all this was singer Mark Seymour, with an ear for a melody and a taste for lyrical poetry. Illustrating the dichotomy at work, "Talking to a Stranger," the band's first single in July 1982, featured a concise edited version of the song on one side and a full-length seven-minute version on the other side. The single's theme of alienation and anguish is one the band would return to, but for the moment, the group's emphasis was the free-form side of its work. The Hunters' reputation spread to Europe, where a stripped-back band spent six months in 1983, recording a second album, The Fireman's Curse in Germany, with producer Conny Plank (Can, Kraftwerk). Pruned back to its essentials, the band recorded another album with Plank, The Jaws of Life, and a single-only song, "Throw Your Arms Around Me," in the ""Talking to a Stranger" mold. Hunters & Collectors were at a crossroads.

After a live album came Human Frailty, where Seymour's deep songs about alienation and sexual politics came to the fore. The bandmembers had discovered how to tap the unique vein they had unearthed in the audience, where in a sweat-dripping venue packed to the rafters with a beer-swilling macho rock audience, that audience would at the top of their voices sing the song chorus "You don't make me feel like a woman anymore." A newly recorded "Throw Your Arms Around Me" became one of the undisputed classic songs of Australian rock, and from now until their end Hunters & Collectors would remain one of Australian rock's favorite live attractions. While successive studio albums did their best to explore new themes and new sounds to varying degrees of success, it was the live performances fans were waiting for, and with each new album it was the older material radio wanted to play. In the end, Hunters & Collectors were strangled by their own legend.

In 1998, the bandmembers announced they were recording their final album, Juggernaut, and supported it with a farewell tour. Mark Seymour released a solo album, King Without a Clue, continuing his relentless search for meaning through song. When soundman John Archer auctioned off the personally designed PA that had been carried by the band for almost 20 years, it signaled not just the end of Hunters & Collectors, but also the end of Australian music's post-punk era.

Wikipedia:

Hunters & Collectors were an Australian rock music band formed in Melbourne in 1981, fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, they developed a blend of pub rock and art-funk. Other mainstays were John Archer on electric bass, Doug Falconer on drums and percussion, Jack Howard on trumpet and keyboards, Jeremy Smith on French horn, guitars and keyboards, and Michael Waters on trombone and keyboards. Also acknowledged as a mainstay member was engineer and art designer Robert Miles. Joining in 1988, Barry Palmer, on lead guitar, remained until they disbanded in 1998. Their hit singles were "Throw Your Arms Around Me", "Talking to a Stranger", "Imaginary Girl", "Holy Grail", "True Tears of Joy" and "Say Goodbye", and they became one of the best live acts in Australia.

Originally Hunters and Collectors were influenced by the Krautrock genre and the productions of Conny Plank, featuring strong percussive influences, noisy guitar, and driving bass lines. The sound was in the vein of Remain in Light, the Talking Heads album of 1980. The band's name is from "Hunters and Collectors", a track by German group Can, on the 1975 album Landed. Hunters & Collectors utilised Plank to produce two of their early albums, The Fireman's Curse and The Jaws of Life, but neither charted into the Top 50 of the Australian albums chart on the Kent Music Report. Their Top 10 albums started with Human Frailty in 1986, which first featured their distinctive logo, a H & C symbol, where the "&" was twin snakes entwined around a hunting knife, a variation of the Caduceus. Other Top 10 studio albums were Ghost Nation in 1989, Cut in 1992 and Demon Flower in 1994.

History

1978–1980: Formation

John Archer (electric bass), Doug Falconer (drums) and Mark Seymour (guitar & vocals) met as residential students of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne in the late 1970s. With Robert Miles (sound engineer), in 1978, they formed a casual band called The Schnorts, named for a Belgian tennis racket, and played cover versions of 1960s songs including "To Sir, with Love". A more ambitious band The Jetsonnes, followed in September 1979, with the addition of vocalist Margot O'Neil (later a journalist on radio 3RRR program Talking Headlines and then an ABC reporter), and Ray Tosti-Guerra on guitars and backing vocals. The Jetsonnes had a clever post-punk style which was lighter and more infectious than similar bands Models and International Exiles. Their only recorded track is "Newspaper" which was one side of a gig giveaway single in June 1980 with "Miniskirts in Moscow" by International Exiles as the other. By September, The Jetsonnes had disbanded but Archer, Falconer, Miles, Seymour and Tosti-Guerra decided to continue on with new members, Geoff Crosby on keyboards and Greg Perano on percussion to form a new band.

1981–1983: World of Stone to The Fireman's Curse

John Archer (electric bass; ex-Jetsonnes), Geoff Crosby (keyboards), Doug Falconer (drums; ex-Jetsonnes), Robert Miles (live sound, art director; ex-Jetsonnes), Greg Perano (percussion; ex-True Wheels), Mark Seymour (guitar, vocals; ex-Jetsonnes) and Ray Tosti-Guerra (guitar, vocals; ex-Jetsonnes) formed Hunters & Collectors in early 1981. Miles was credited as an equal part of the band's output and stayed throughout their career. Perano provided the band's name from "Hunters and Collectors", a track on 1975's Landed by German group Can. Originally Hunters & Collectors were influenced by the Krautrock genre and the productions of Conny Plank, featuring strong percussive influences, noisy guitar, and driving bass lines. The core of Hunters & Collectors was expanded by a horn section, later dubbed Horns of Contempt, consisting of Nigel Crocker (trombone), Jack Howard (trumpet), Andy Lynn (trumpet), Chris Malherbe (trumpet), Jeremy Smith (French horn) and Michael Waters (trombone).

As lead singer, guitarist and principal lyricist, Seymour, who is the older brother of Nick Seymour bassist for Crowded House, was the linchpin of the group. In the mid-1980s, he was romantically involved for a time with Do-Re-Mi lead singer Deborah Conway. Archer and Falconer are widely regarded as one of the best rhythm sections ever to emerge from the Australian rock scene.

Mushroom Records specifically formed a new 'alternative' label, White Label Records, when they signed Hunters & Collectors. Their first release was World of Stone, a three-track EP in January 1982. A self-titled debut LP, Hunters & Collectors, followed in July and was produced by Sydney-based engineer-producer Tony Cohen. The album peaked at #21 on the Kent Music Report for Australian albums charts. Their first single, "Talking to a Stranger" also released in July, was accompanied by an influential music video directed by film maker Richard Lowenstein, but it did not peak into the Top 50 singles chart. By this time, Tosti-Guerra was replaced by Martin Lubran on guitar and the Horns of Contempt were reduced to three, Howard, Smith and Waters. Another EP, Payload, produced by Mike Howlett (ex-Gong), was released in November. In 1983, the band toured the UK for six months and signed with Virgin Records which recompiled the Australian version of Hunters & Collectors and the Payload EP into the international version of Hunters & Collectors released in April. The band then decamped to Germany, where they recorded their second album The Fireman's Curse, produced by Conny Plank (Can, Cluster, Kraftwerk), which was released on Virgin Records in September. A three-record deal with Virgin was broken after some members of Hunters & Collectors insulted their executive, Simon Draper, by describing him as "a poncy little blueblood" with no faith in their band. After November's single, "Sway" failed to chart, they disbanded briefly.

1984–1991: The Jaws of Life to Collected Works

Late in 1983, Hunters & Collectors had briefly disbanded, but soon reformed without Lubran, (who left the band) and Perano (later formed The Deadly Hume). The 1984 line-up of Archer, Crosby, Falconer, Howard, Miles, Seymour, Smith and Waters now featured greater use of keyboards from Crosby and the reduced three-piece Horns of Contempt. The band began to pare back their art-rock pretensions of their earliest albums, although they retained a muscular, bass-driven sound, rounded off by the band's distinctive horn section. Mark Seymour's lyrics became less abstruse and more focused on the twin themes of the fraught personal relationships and the politics of the day.

The first album featuring the new line up was The Jaws of Life (July 1984). The title, cover art and opening track, "42 Wheels" all refer to the murder of five people by an intoxicated, outback trucker, Douglas Crabbe. Again produced by Plank, the album was recorded at the old Can studio by Rene Tinner. Although it spawned a classic underground single, "Betty's Worry or the Slab", The Jaws of Life didn't make much headway for the band on the commercial music scene. However relentless touring, limited but constant airplay on the (then Sydney-only) radio station Triple J plus some video play on Countdown and other music video shows, fostered Hunters & Collectors a devoted following on the Australian pub scene. November saw the first release of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" as a live recorded single-only release, it had no chart success. A live version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" appeared on their 1985 album The Way to Go Out, the album showcased their powerful and energetic performance style. Crosby left after the album's release and Waters took over on keyboards.

Breakthrough Australian commercial success came in 1986, with the April release of the album Human Frailty, which featured a second version of the single "Throw Your Arms Around Me", as well as other fan favourites such as "Say Goodbye" and "Everything's on Fire". Human Frailty became their first Top Ten chart hit. The band had signed a parallel deal with I.R.S. Records for North America, which released the album there in July 1987. "Throw Your Arms Around Me" peaked at #49 on the Australian singles charts in 1986, but it became one of their most popular songs, voted in the Top 5 on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1989, 1990, and 1991.

After Human Frailty the band toured USA twice and released their third EP, Living Daylight produced by Greg Edward and released in Australia in April 1987. It was followed by their next album, What's a Few Men?, also produced by Edward and released in November, it peaked at #16. It featured the singles for "Do You See What I See" and "Still Hangin' Round". The latter was deemed to be too "Australian" and cut from the American configuration, it was retitled Fate and released in September 1988, three other songs were recorded for this version, including "Back on the Breadline", which charted at #6 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. The August 2003 re-issue of What's a Few Men featured all 15 songs from the two versions.

Guitarist Barry Palmer (ex-Harem Scarem) joined the band in 1988. Ghost Nation, produced by Clive Martin and released in November 1989, was their second Australian Top Ten album. It featured the single "When the River Runs Dry", which peaked at #23 in Australia and #5 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1990. Hunters & Collectors were support to Midnight Oil's North American tour of 1990 and, although the band struggled to find further success in the US and elsewhere, they maintained their status in Australia as local favourites. The compilation Collected Works was released in 1990, and was another Top Ten album. It contained a third version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" to be released as a single, which peaked at #34. Another single, "Where Do You Go", which was produced by Nick Sansano and released in late 1991 also reached the Top 40.

1992–1998: Cut to Under One Roof

In October 1992, Hunters & Collectors released Cut with producers Don Gehman and Nick Sansano, and although the relationship was apparently strained at times, due to Gehman's combative working methods, Cut peaked at #6. It retained a balance between the band's artistic core and its commercial ambitions and provided the anthemic single "Holy Grail", inspired by Napoleon's march to Russia in 1812 but also reflecting the band's own flagging attempts to "crack" the American market. The song is often put in context with the Australian Football League (AFL), and was Channel 10's theme song for their AFL coverage from 2002–2006, it was sung by Seymour at the 2002 AFL Grand Final, although he doesn't follow the game. Another single from the album, "True Tears of Joy" peaked at #14 to become their highest charting single.

Demon Flower followed in May 1994, produced by Nick Mainsbridge, it peaked at #2 and provided "Easy" and three other singles. Demon Flower was dominated by themes relating to the politics in the state of Victoria, particularly the economic rationalist policies of Premier Jeff Kennett. A double live album, Living ... In Large Rooms and Lounges, was released in November 1995, with one disc consisting of an acoustic set at the defunct Continental Cafe in Prahran, Melbourne, and the other being a more typical pub performance. Juggernaut, their last studio album was produced by Kalju Tonuma and Mark Opitz. The album was recorded in 1997 and released in January 1998, it featured the single "True Believers". With its release, Hunters & Collectors announced they would disband after the Juggernaut tour.

Hunters & Collectors embarked on their final tour of Australia in 1998, with a concert performed at Selina's, Coogee Bay Hotel, Sydney being recorded and released on CD and DVD as Under One Roof. The group's last public show was on 22 March in Melbourne. According to rock historian, Ian McFarlane, their "great achievement was to lay bare human emotions in the intensely ritualistic milieu of the pub-rock gig".

1999–current: Post-breakup

Subsequent to the group's disbandment in 1998, Mark Seymour and Jack Howard have both pursued solo musical careers. Barry Palmer is now a producer/songwriter and was the subject of the 2005 reality TV series The Hit Game. In the mid-nineties he was a member of the band Deadstar.

"Throw Your Arms Around Me" has been performed by many bands and individuals, including Crowded House, Pearl Jam, Luka Bloom, and Australian musical comedy trio the Doug Anthony All Stars (and subsequently by member Paul McDermott.) In May 2001 it was recognised by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.

On 14 July 2005, Hunters & Collectors were recognised as icons by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) when inducted into their Hall of Fame at the Plaza Ballroom alongside Split Enz, Renée Geyer, Normie Rowe, Smoky Dawson and The Easybeats. They were inducted into the Hall of Fame by Peter Garrett former lead singer of tour mates Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors provided a one-off performance of "Say Goodbye" and "Throw Your Arms Around Me".

Hunters & Collectors played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief, which was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis. The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. Appearing with Hunters & Collectors in Melbourne were, Augie March, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley, Jack Johnson, Jet, Kings Of Leon, Liam Finn (joined on stage with Crowded House), Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and Wolfmother. The Band performed a selection of their most popular songs over a 40 minute set, including an encore performance of The Slab. The Sound Relief concert, including the Hunters & Collectors set, was broadcast on Australian cable TV and FM radio, and available on DVD.

In 2009 Hunters & Collectors - "Throw Your Arms Around Me" was voted number # 23 in Triple J's hottest 100 of all time.

Australian discography

Studio albums

Studio EPs

Live albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Personnel

Listed chronologically: