Autumn (Australian band)
| Company type | Pop ensemble / band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 in Sydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Autumn was a pop ensemble originating from Australia, established in 1969, featuring Glenn Beatson on drums, Rick Graham handling bass, Greg Jacques on organ, Steve McMurray playing guitar, and Tony Romeril as the lead vocalist. Their rendition of "Yellow River" released in August 1970, climbed to the top position on the Go-Set National Top 60, contending with versions by the UK group Christie, Australian act Jigsaw, and English performer Leapy Lee. Autumn also secured top 40 placements with tracks like "Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl" (January 1971), "She Works in a Woman's Way" (February), and "Falling" (May). The band produced two albums, Song to Raymondo and Comes Autumn, both issued in 1971 before dissolving in the United Kingdom early in 1972.
History
Formed in Sydney in 1969, Autumn launched their first single, "Mr Henry's Lollipop Shoppe," early the following year through EMI/Columbia. During the 1970 radio ban—a conflict between major record companies and commercial radio broadcasters—they signed with Chart Records and managed to gain public attention despite restricted airplay.
Their follow-up single, "Yellow River" (August 1970), was a cover of the April release by UK band Christie. The radio ban limited Christie’s version on commercial stations, enabling Autumn’s interpretation to gain popularity alongside those by Leapy Lee and Melbourne’s Jigsaw. The lineup for this release comprised Beatson, Graham, Jacques, McMurray, and Romeril. After spending ten weeks on the Go-Set National Top 60 chart, it reached number one on 31 October 1970, credited jointly to all four artists. The radio ban had concluded shortly before.
The band’s subsequent chart success came with "Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl" (January 1971), which peaked at No. 24. They also supported cabaret singer Dave Allenby on his cover of UK group Edison Lighthouse’s "She Works in a Woman's Way," which entered the top 40 in February. In that same year, Autumn released their debut album titled Song to Raymondo. By March 1971, Alan Marshall (formerly of Hot Cottage) replaced Jacques on guitar. The group established their own label, Collage, partnering with manager Graham Farrell to oversee production and promotion.
With this refreshed lineup, they released "Falling," an original composition by Beatson that reached the top 40. Their sophomore album, Comes Autumn, followed later in 1971 under Warner. Pianist and organist Charlie Wright joined towards the end of that year. Their last single, "Just Couldn't Believe It" (1971), featured Marshall as lead vocalist. The band traveled to the UK but disbanded there early in 1972.
Afterwards
Following the breakup, Beatson, Marshall, and McMurray formed Mecca in the UK before moving to Canada. In 1976, they established Canadian rock group Wireless, which released three albums. Romeril spent several years residing in Italy where he recorded under the name Andy Foxx. Graham and Romeril revived Autumn in Sydney in 1976 with James Caulfield on keyboards, Dave Hallard on guitar, and Con Westaberg on drums; however, this lineup dissolved shortly thereafter. Autumn reunited for the 2001 tribute event Gimme Ted, honoring singer-songwriter Ted Mulry; Tony Buggy (keyboards) and Malcolm Wakeford (drums) joined this formation. Their performance was included on the double DVD set Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts released in May 2003. Romeril later oversaw the reissue of Autumn’s second album as Come Autumn on CD through Aztec Music in July 2010.
In 2015, Romeril produced and performed on the tribute album Will You Remember Me: a Tribute to Ted Mulry... Songwriter, lending vocals to five out of thirteen songs written by Mulry.
Albums
- Song to Raymondo (1971) – Released by Chart Records (SCHL-934254)
- Comes Autumn (1971) – Issued under Warner Bros Records (20003)
Extended plays
- The Best of Whisky A-Go-Go (split EP, 1970) – Distributed by Chart Records (CHX-11744)
- Day Tripper (1970) – Published through Chart Records
- A Patch of Autumn (1971) – Released via Warner Bros Records
Singles
- "Mr Henry's Lollypop Shoppe" (1970) – EMI/Columbia (DO 8907)
- "Yellow River" (1970) – Chart Records (PR 200), reached No. 1 in Australia
- "Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl" (1971) – Chart Records (PR 212), peaked at No. 24 in Australia
- "She Works in a Woman's Way" (credited to Dave Allenby with Autumn) (1971) – Chart Records (PR 211), attained No. 40 in Australia
- "Miracles" (1971) – Released by Chart Records
- "Falling" (1971) – Issued by Warner Bros Records (4001), reached No. 36 in Australia
- "Goblin's Gamble" (1971) – Warner Bros Records release
- "Lady Anne" (1971) – Released through Warner Bros Records
- "Just Couldn't Believe It" (1971) – Distributed by Warner Bros Records