Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - R
    Artists - R Music - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Reels, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The Reels were the first Australian band of any note to emerge from a New South Wales country town.

    Dave Mason (son of the then-leader of the NSW Liberal Party), Craig Hooper and John Bliss all came from Dubbo, Ansell was from Melbourne, Newham from Orange and Abrahams was the only Sydney member.

    They began life as an outfit called Native Son before moving to Sydney as The Brucelanders. 1978 saw another name change and a recording contract with PolyGram.

    Soon after, the band returned to Dubbo with a mobile recording studio and set up for nine days on a farm to record their self-titled debut album.

    reels_002

    From this album came two singles which enjoyed minor success – Love Will Find A Way and Prefab Heart, both highlighting The Reels quirky music, reminiscent of early XTC. The accompanying film clips showed a frenzied Mason doing the pogo.

    In July 1980, The Reels undertook their ‘Reels By Rail’ national tour, going everywhere by train – including catching suburban trains to their city shows.

    The following year they had an unlikely hit with a cover of a 1961 Jim Reeves song called According To My Heart.

    The Reels’ 1982 album, Beautiful, was a collection of well known, non-original love songs performed in an easy-listening muzak style.

    The album was released on the K-Tel label and received extensive K-Tel style television advertising.

    One of their biggest hits came from the album – a faithful rendition of the Burt Bacharach composition, This Guy’s In Love With You.

    In October 1987 The Reels undertook the ‘Reels By Request’ tour. At the door of each venue, the patrons were handed a list of songs from the band’s extensive repertoire, and they had to call out the songs they wanted the band to play. The song that got the loudest calls was then played.

    Dave Mason
    Vocals
    Craig Hooper 

    Guitar
    John Bliss 

    Drums
    Paul Abrahams 

    Bass
    Colin ‘Polly’ Newham
    Keyboards
    Karen Ansell
    Keyboards

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Mother Goose
      Mother Goose
      Mother Goose hailed from Dunedin, New Zealand, and were unique for their performances which combined mime, satire, costumes and novelty…
    • M.P.D. Limited
      M.P.D. Limited
      M.P.D. Limited had one of the most meteoric rises in the history of Australian rock and pop. Formed from the…
    • Sunstruck (1972)
      Sunstruck (1972)
      Young Welsh schoolteacher and choral director Stanley Evans (Harry Secombe) decides to emigrate to Australia where the New South Wales…
    • Cockroaches, The
      Cockroaches, The
      Six-piece Australian band The Cockroaches formed in 1979 while four members of the band were attending the same Sydney school (St Joseph's…
    • Digby 'Dig' Richards
      Digby 'Dig' Richards
      Australian singer Digby George Richards was born the son of a policeman in Dunedoo in New South Wales on 12…
    • Moodists, The
      Moodists, The
      Emerging from the provincial South Australian town of Mount Gambier in the late seventies, The Moodists were at odds with…
    • Ups And Downs
      Ups And Downs
      Brisbane band Ups and Downs played a brand of ethereal, well-crafted, jangly guitar pop that called to mind Australian post-punk…
    • Evonne Goolagong
      Evonne Goolagong
      Young newcomer Evonne Goolagong was one month away from her 20th birthday when she scored straight-set victories over Billie Jean…

    Australia
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleLittle Heroes, The
    Next Article Icehouse

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Chameleons, The
      This melodic, multi-layered guitar-pop quartet formed in […]
    • West 57th
      1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 9 (USA) West 57th premiered as a summer […]
    • One, Two, Three (1961)
      Billy Wilder’s madcap comedy takes place in a corporate, Cold […]
    • Where Do I Sit?
      1 9 7 1 (UK) 3 x 30 minute episodes One of the great clanging […]
    • Sean’s Show
      1 9 9 2 – 1 9 9 3 (UK) 14 x 30 minute episodes Comedian […]
    • Airbase, The
      1 9 6 5 (UK) 6 x 25 minute episodes A service sitcom written by […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.