Headband played progressive blues rock with symphonic, country and pop influences. They had a strong work ethic, rehearsing and performing constantly, including three shows a week in high schools across Adelaide.

“We did modern jazz at nightclubs, rock’n’roll for discos, J.S. Bach for pleasure, barbershop quartet stuff for laughs, electronic music at jam sessions, blues when feelin’ low, and country and folk for interest. A combination of these influences comes out in our original material.” explains Peter Head.

The band practised “group indoctrination” in all types of music, even attending chamber music concerts together. On 22 October 1971, they supported Elton John’s Adelaide show at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. Their debut single, “Scratch My Back” was released locally by RCA and did not reach the charts. It was straight forward pop and was followed by their second single, “Land of Supercars”, which was issued nationally in 1972. “Country Lady” was also released that year. In July, the band finished third in the 1972 Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, a national performance competition between the best groups representing each state, having been a finalist in the previous year.

Headband supported The Rolling Stones on their Sydney performances in February 1973 and issued “A Song for Tooley” as their next single. Their debut album, A Song for Tooley, is one of the most expensive albums Australia has ever produced. The band took just under a year to record, produce and master the work of art. The album was released in September on Polydor. Its “sound was more adventurous, with the material ranging from Uriah Heep-styled heavy rock to psychedelic pop and progressive jazz”. The album featured Sydney Symphony players and an 110-piece children’s choir.

The album spent five weeks in the charts, making the Top 50. The album featured stunning hand drawn cover art by internationally renowned Adelaide artist Vytas Šerelis, and a fold-out poster with photos and biographical details of band members. Šerelis created promotional posters and photos for Headband, Fraternity, The Mount Lofty Rangers and Chequers. Headband relocated to Sydney in 1973, they played the pub circuit with residencies including at Whisky a Go Go. They had toured Australia supporting international acts The Rolling Stones, Elton John and John Mayall.[

Now the album has been repackaged and re-issued on Blue Pie Records and Head Office Records for the world to re-discover. The album has found its way to the Planet Blue Pictures production team who are now deep into the filming of the new document on Bon Scott and his pre-ACDC days from 1970 to 1971. The album will feature key tracks throughout the documentary due for release later this year.

You can check out the new official website for the band here www.headbandmusic.com

This album is set for a whole new generation to discover what it was like to record on analogue technology when you had to be able to play with no drop ins or edits. This was live recording with an orchestra and you either cut the mustard as they say or you were shown the doorway out. Fortunately for Australia that never happened with the talented musicians of Headband. As one of Australia’s greatest TV presenters would say “ Do yourself a favour and download this album from iTunes and go and check out the live concert they did on QELLO”.

Official Links:

·        www.headbandmusic.com

·        www.qello.com/concert/Headband-Live-5538

·        https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/a-song-for-tooley/id448552820