Ya Ya Choral

Beginning life in 1982 in Sydney (Australia) as an experimental electronic outfit, Ya Ya Choral became a popular – though commercially unsuccessful – hard rock outfit over the course of a decade.

Their first release was the three-track EP Such a Dutchman (1982) on M Squared (which band members Michael Tee and Patrick Gibson helped to run) followed by the What’s a Quaver? mini-album (July 1983).

Guitarist Michael Filewood replaced Patrick Gibson for their next single, Two Lines, on the Red Eye label in August 1985. The next year they were featured on ABC-TV’s BeatBox programme and videos for Who’s the King? and Lonesome No More received national airplay.

Although the group broke up in 1986, Fiona Graham, Michael Tee, and Michael Filewood revived proceedings in 1987 with a new lineup that included Joanna Urbanik on bass and Dave Kelly on drums.

With a new sound that mixed hard rock and pop, they toured with bands such as The Lime Spiders, The Radiators, and The Sunnyboys. Their next release – the five-track 12-inch EP Grunts – was released on their own Maelstromm label in October 1988, later released on cassette (with bonus live tracks) as Extra Grunt.

Their debut album, One Small Step for Mankind, – recorded live in the studio – was released in March 1989. Buoyed by a positive reaction from the heavy metal press in the UK, Ya Ya Choral toured Britain later that year but found the going tough.

A momentary name change to Fear of Angels occurred in 1990, but they reverted to Ya Ya Choral soon after.

Fiona Graham
Vocals, keyboards
Patrick Gibson
Keyboards, rhythm box, vocals
Michael Tee
Keyboards, guitar, vocals
Michael Filewood
Guitar
Joanna Urbanik
Bass
Dave Kelly
Drums

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