Not to be confused with the Rory Gallagher-fronted blues band of the early 70s, this Melbourne (Australia) band was an archetypal glam rock outfit that hedged its bets by catering to pop fans and hard rock fans alike.
On the one hand, they scored hit singles with commercial glam-pop singles, appeared on Countdown and played suburban dances to crowds of adoring teenage fans. On the other hand, the band filled out its albums with screaming hard rock songs (in the vein of Queen) and enjoyed a strong following on the Aussie pub rock circuit.
Taste began life as Cloud 9, which Ken Murdoch and Michael Tortoni formed in 1970 while still at high school. Cloud 9 issued a debut single on Warner Brothers, called Say Goodbye in 1973. Virgil Donati and Tony Faramond (vocals) joined in 1974 and the band signed to RCA.
Cloud 9 issued the album We’re Good Friends, So Rock On and the singles Take My Hand and Summertime Blues (a version of the Eddie Cochran song). In 1975, Amenta replaced Faramond and the band became known as Taste. At the end of the year, the band signed to the Bootleg label.
Taste’s debut album, Tickle Your Fancy (July 1976), produced the singles Tickle Your Fancy and Degenerate Fool, with the former reaching #22 in Melbourne. Their biggest hit came with the superb Boys Will Be Boys, which peaked at #14 in Melbourne in January 1977.
The band’s final single for Bootleg was A Little Romance which reached #24. At that point, the band signed a new record deal with Philips, who re-issued A Little Romance and then released the Knights Of Love album.
The album also included Boys Will Be Boys and another single, Rebecca.
Musical stagnation eventually caused the band to break up in late 1977, with Taste playing their last gigs as a three-piece (Ken Murdoch had already left to join Melbourne boogie band, Texas).
Joey Amenta went on to play with Redhouse, Dear Enemy and The Uncanny X-Men (amongst others).
Ken Murdoch
Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Joey Amenta
Guitar, vocals
Michael Tortoni
Bass
Virgil Donati
Drums
