1927 (band)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | James Barton, Bill Frost, Garry Frost, Erik Weideman |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
| Website | www |
1927 is a pop rock group originating from Australia, established in 1987. The founding members were James Barton on drums, Bill Frost handling bass guitar, his sibling Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, alongside Erik Weideman who contributed vocals, guitar, and keyboards. The band achieved widespread recognition during the late 1980s and early 1990s through a series of popular tracks.
Their initial album, ...ish (1988), enjoyed significant commercial acclaim, attaining multi-platinum certification and securing the No. 1 position on the Australian ARIA albums ranking. It included the successful single "That's When I Think of You", which reached No. 6 on Australia's singles chart. At the 1989 ARIA Music Awards, they earned accolades for Breakthrough Artist – Album with ...ish and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "That's When I Think of You."
The follow-up album, The Other Side (1990), maintained their momentum. At the 1990 ARIA Music Awards, the band secured Best Video for "Compulsory Hero", directed by Geoffrey Barter.
Their third studio effort, 1927 (1992), reached the top 40 chart positions. The group disbanded in 1993 but was later revived by Weideman with a refreshed lineup in 2009.
1984–1987: Formation
In 1984, Garry Frost, guitarist and keyboardist, departed from the Sydney-based pop rock ensemble Moving Pictures following their second album, Matinée. Frost had co-authored their 1981 chart-topping single "What About Me?". Toward the end of 1986, he started composing music for a new venture. After witnessing Erik Weideman perform a rendition of The Police's "Roxanne" on Nine Network's Hey Hey It's Saturday talent segment "Red Faces" in 1987, Garry traveled from Sydney to Melbourne (~) to recruit Weideman as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist. Prior to joining 1927, Weideman had experience playing in multiple cover bands and had briefly attempted a solo career.
Joining them were Bill Frost on bass guitar—Garry’s brother—and drummer James Barton, officially forming the band 1927. The name was selected from various suggestions placed into a hat and was inspired by Garry’s favorite phrase: "I haven't done that since 1927."
1988–1989: ...ish
After spending a year searching for a recording deal, 1927 signed with Charles Fisher's Trafalgar Productions in 1988. Fisher produced their debut single, "That's When I Think of You", released in July 1988, which peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Their follow-up single "If I Could", released in October, climbed to No. 4. The first album, ...ish, launched in November 1988, was praised by rock historian Ian McFarlane as being "filled with stirring, stately pop rock anthems." It held the top spot on the ARIA Albums Chart for four weeks and remained within the Top 50 for 46 weeks, ultimately earning five times platinum certification with shipments exceeding 350,000 units. By 2002, it was regarded as one of Australia's most triumphant debut albums.
In 1989, two more singles from the album—"You'll Never Know" and "Compulsory Hero"—achieved top 20 status. The single "That's When I Think of You" also saw international distribution, entering the Top 50 UK Singles Chart and briefly appearing on the US Billboard Hot 100. During the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, 1927 received awards for 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' with "That's When I Think of You" and 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' for ...ish. The subsequent year brought them 'Best Video' recognition for "Compulsory Hero," directed by Geoff Barter. Keyboardist Charlie Cole (formerly of Moving Pictures) joined the group as they toured Australia promoting the album. By late 1989, work commenced on their sophomore album; however, Garry Frost announced his departure early in the following year.
1990–1993: The Other Side and 1927
During the recording of The Other Side, Dave Dwyer took over guitar and keyboard duties from founding member Garry Frost, with Erik Weideman serving as the principal songwriter and both Fisher and Garry Frost handling production. Released in July 1990, the album climbed to No. 3 on the charts and included the Top 20 single "Tell Me a Story". According to McFarlane, the record showcased "lush, ambitious arrangements and well-crafted pop," though it did not quite capture the appeal of their debut ...Ish. Drummer James Barton departed in 1992, succeeded by Phillip Campbell. Later that year, in November, the band released their third studio effort, 1927, produced by Mark Opitz. This album reached the Top 40, with its lead single "Scars" entering the Top 50, while the follow-up track "It Ain't Love" failed to gain significant traction. Due to financial difficulties and internal challenges, 1927 disbanded in 1993.
1994–2008: The Very Best of 1927
October 1996 saw the release of The Very Best of 1927, a compilation album that featured Erik Weideman’s first solo single "Nothing I Can’t Do," which attained a peak position of No. 73 on Australian charts in 1997. While Weideman focused on his solo endeavors, 1927 occasionally reunited for special performances, including participation in the early 2000s Here and Now ’80s revival tour.
2009–2018: Generation-i
In September 2009, a digitally remastered version of ...ish was issued, enhanced with bonus live tracks. The reassembled band was led by Weideman and included Damien Cooper on drums, Craig Laird handling lead guitar and backing vocals, and Simon Shapiro on bass and backing vocals. They toured extensively across Australia from late 2009 into early 2010, supporting acts such as Simple Minds during their 20...ish Anniversary Tour.
By mid-2012, 1927 supported Roxette on their Australian leg of the Charm School tour while simultaneously opening pre-orders for their forthcoming studio album. The Generation-i Tour commenced along Australia’s eastern seaboard in June. In July 2013, the compilation The Essential 1927 was released, reaching number 96 on the charts. Their new studio album Generation-i, distributed through Sony, arrived in August 2013 accompanied by a limited edition DVD featuring live performances from the Roxette tour.
2019: Paper Aeroplane
In October 2019, the group issued a three-track EP, titled Paper Aeroplane, which they promoted with an Australian tour.
After twelve years with the band, Craig Laird departed in 2022, becoming the second longest-serving member after Erik Weideman.
2023: New Generation Tour Cancellation
The band was forced to cancel their nationwide New Generation Tour in 2023 after only two shows due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Current members
- Erik Weideman (born 1964) – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums (1987–present)
Former members
- James Barton – drums, backing vocals (1987–1992)
- Bill Frost – bass guitar, backing vocals (1987–1993)
- Garry Frost – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1987–1990)
- Charlie Cole – keyboards, backing vocals (1989–1992)
- David Dwyer – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1990–1993)
- Phillip Campbell – drums (1992–1993)
- Adam Warnock – guitar, backing vocals (1999–2001)
- Simon Shapiro – bass guitar, backing vocals (2009–2019)
- Damien Cooper – drums (2009–2019)
- Craig Laird – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–2022)
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | Certifications (sales levels) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
NZ | ||||
| ...ish |
|
1 | 35 |
| |
| The Other Side |
|
3 | — |
| |
| 1927 |
|
40 | — | ||
| Generation-i |
|
100 | — | ||
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts or were not issued in that territory. | |||||
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Details | Peak Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| The Very Best of 1927 |
|
— |
| The Essential 1927 |
|
94 |
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Paper Aeroplane |
|
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards celebrate outstanding accomplishments within the Australian music industry. Since their establishment in 1987, the band 1927 has secured three ARIA awards.
! |- | rowspan="9"| 1989 | rowspan="3"| ...ish | Album of the Year | | rowspan="9"| |- | Breakthrough Artist – Album | |- | Highest Selling Album | |- | "If I Could" | Highest Selling Single | |- | rowspan="2"| "That's When I Think of You" | Single of the Year | |- | Breakthrough Artist – Single | |- | Charles Fisher for "That's When I Think of You" | Producer of the Year | |- | Jim Bonnefond for ...ish | Engineer of the Year | |- | Erik Weideman for ...ish | Best Cover Art | |- | rowspan="3"| 1990 | "Compulsory Hero" | Best Group | | |- | Geoff Barter for "Compulsory Hero" | Best Video | | |- | Charles Fisher for "Compulsory Hero" |"Producer of the Year" | | |- | rowspan="1"| 1993
| Doug Brady for "Scars" | Engineer of the Year | |}
References
- General
- Note: The archived online version offers limited features.
- Specific
External links
- Official site
- 1927 profile on MusicBrainz
- 1927 discography on Billboard