Healing Force

Australian band Healing Force formed in October 1970. Comprising Australians Lindsay Wells (guitar) and Laurie Pryor (drums) and New Zealanders Charlie Tumahai (vocals and bass) and Mal Logan (keyboards), the band quickly became a major drawcard on the Melbourne ‘head’ scene.

Following the release of the single, Golden Miles (1971), Tumahai, Wells and Pryor all quit to join Chain. Faced with a Top 30 single, Logan recruited John Pugh (guitar), Ray Findlay (bass) and Eric Cairns (drums) but by the end of 1971, the band had collapsed.

Logan, Pugh and Pryor re-formed the group in November 1972 with Gus Fenwick on bass.

By the beginning of 1973, Tumahai (pictured at left) had re-joined and the band quickly regained its old following, appearing at the Sunbury Festival.

By April the band had broken up again, although their live track Erection appeared on a triple LP from Mushroom Records, The Great Australian Rock Festival Sunbury 1973.

Logan played with Renee Geyer and became a sought-after session player, while Tumahai toured the UK with Mississippi in 1974. Deciding to stay in England, he joined art-rock outfit, Be Bop Deluxe, remaining with them for several years.

During the late 70s, he formed a band called The Dukes with guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, before returning to New Zealand in the mid-80s and playing in NZ reggae band, The Herbs, until his death (from a heart attack) in December 1995.

Charlie Tumahai
Vocals, bass
Lindsay Wells 
Guitar
Mal Logan 
Keyboards
Laurie Pryor 
Drums
John Pugh 
Guitar
Ray Findlay 
Bass
Eric Cairns 
Drums
Gus Fenwick 
Bass

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