Do-Re-Mi (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Deborah Conway, Dorland Bray, Helen Carter, Stephen Philip |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Do-Ré-Mi—also presented as Do-Re-Mi or Do Re Mi—was an Australian pop rock ensemble established in Sydney in 1981. The founding members were Deborah Conway (lead vocals), Dorland Bray (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Helen Carter (bass, backing vocals), and Stephen Philip (guitar). They earned a reputation as one of Australia's most esteemed and accomplished post-punk acts. Initially, Do-Ré-Mi issued a self-titled EP along with The Waiting Room under the independent Green Records label before securing a contract with Virgin Records. Their debut full-length album, Domestic Harmony (1985), produced by Gavin MacKillop, attained gold status and included their most prominent single, "Man Overboard," which climbed into the Australian top 5. This track attracted attention due to its bold lyrics alluding to penis envy and pubic hair. Follow-up singles "Idiot Grin" and "Warnings Moving Clockwise" also entered the Top 100 charts.
The band's sophomore album, The Happiest Place in Town, produced by Martin Rushent, featured singles such as "Adultery," "King of Moomba," and "Haunt You," all achieving positions within the Australian top 100. After taking a prolonged hiatus beginning in 1988 during which Conway embarked on a solo path, the group ultimately dissolved later that decade.
Prior musical projects
Dorland Bray's initial band Shotgun Willie performed country music in Melbourne venues, sharing stages with artists like Delbert McClinton and Willie Nelson. Both Conway and Bray were members of Melbourne-based band The Benders alongside Neville Aresca, Les Barker, John Campbell, Daniel Solowiej, and Greg Thomas. Before joining The Benders, Bray played in punk outfit the News. Conway became part of The Benders in 1979 while attending Melbourne University. Their repertoire included original compositions primarily by Conway and Thomas, alongside covers from groups such as Blondie and Devo. Conway and Bray also collaborated on songwriting. In Sydney, Philip was guitarist for Thought Criminals and worked as a session musician. Carter had been involved with punk band Friction and maintained associations with Roger Grierson of Thought Criminals (who later became an executive at Festival Mushroom Records).
1981-1988: Do-Ré-Mi period
In 1981, Bray and Conway relocated from Melbourne to Sydney and formed Do-Ré-Mi with Carter. By July 1982 they recorded material for a self-titled 12" EP featuring Philip as a session player; he officially joined by its August release through the independent Green Records label. This debut showcased a sharp funk-influenced sound combined with politically charged lyrics, including the anti-cold war track "Standing on Wires."
Conway had previously lived with drummer Paul Hester (Deckchairs Overboard, later Split Enz and Crowded House), who contributed timbales on "(Just Like) Hercules" from their second EP, The Waiting Room released in January 1983.
Following recognition from management associated with Cold Chisel and The Angels, Do-Ré-Mi secured a deal with Virgin Records. They released two albums: Domestic Harmony (1985) and The Happiest Place in Town (1988), alongside seven singles. Both records were produced in London; Gavin McKillop helmed Domestic Harmony, which peaked at No. 16 on Australian charts, while Martin Rushent produced The Happiest Place in Town.
Their most successful track, "Man Overboard," originally appeared on the 1983 EP The Waiting Room before being re-recorded for Domestic Harmony. Released as a single in May 1985, it reached No. 5 nationally and was ranked the eighth highest Australian song that year.
In the 2001 ABC TV series Long Way to the Top, Carter reflected on their enthusiasm regarding this hit despite skepticism from their record label about its unconventional lyrical content:
In 1985 Do-Ré-Mi performed three songs—"Man Overboard," "Warnings Moving Clockwise," and "1000 Mouths"—at the Oz for Africa concert, which was part of the worldwide Live Aid event broadcast both domestically and on MTV in the United States.
Shortly after releasing their second album in February 1988, Do-Ré-Mi journeyed to the UK to work on a third album. However, before completing it, Virgin Records offered Conway a solo contract, prompting the band's eventual breakup.
Subsequent careers
Bray became a member of Ghostwriters for their first album, Ghostwriters (1991). Carter and Philip worked together in the brief project Lupi and later reunited around 2001 in Underfelt. Philip also created atmospheric compositions for theatrical renditions of Macbeth at Sydney's Performance Space and produced music for artists Peter Milton Walsh and Grant McLennan.
Conway embarked on a solo career marked by success, earning an ARIA award for her debut solo release String of Pearls (1991), co-writing three tracks alongside Bray. Her most notable solo single was 1991's "It's Only the Beginning", which peaked at No. 19 on the charts. Conway continued her musical pursuits, including participation in 2007 projects. Thought Criminals reunited in February 2006; further details are available on their official website.
Reunion
In 2018, Carter, Conway, and Philip reunited Do Re Mi to perform at the first-ever Australian Women in Music Awards held in Brisbane. After being invited to take part in the By The C concert series, Carter and Conway extended the reunion. The band, now joined by Bridie O’Brien (guitar), Julia Day (drums), and Clio Renner (keyboards), announced a set of headline performances scheduled for 2019.
Covers and others
The track "Man Overboard" appeared in the film He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (2001), performed by Conway alongside Wicked Beat Sound System. Additionally, it was covered by george featuring Conway as a guest vocalist on their 2004 EP Still Real.
"Standing on Wires" was featured in episode 2.03 of the Australian television drama series Love My Way (2004–2007).
Studio albums
| Album title | Release information | Highest chart position | Sales certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Domestic Harmony |
|
6 |
|
| The Happiest Place in Town |
|
24 |
Extended plays
| Title | Release specifics |
|---|---|
| Do-Ré-Mi |
|
| The Waiting Room |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| 1985 | "Man Overboard" | 5 | Domestic Harmony |
| "Idiot Grin" | 43 | ||
| "Warnings Moving Clockwise" | 72 | ||
| 1986 | "Guns and Butter" | 48 | non album single |
| 1987 | "Adultery" | 27 | The Happiest Place in Town |
| 1988 | "King of Moomba" | 52 | |
| "The Happiest Place in Town" | - | ||
| "Haunt You" | 91 |
Countdown Music Awards
Countdown was an Australian pop music television program broadcast on ABC-TV from 1974 through 1987, which hosted music awards ceremonies between 1979 and 1987. These awards combined votes from both the public and industry peers.
|-
| rowspan="3" |1985
| Domestic Harmony
| Best Debut Album
|
|-
| "Man Overboard"
| Best Debut Single
|
|-
| Themselves
| Most Promising Talent
|
|-
| 1986
| Deborah Conway for "Guns & Butter" by Do-Re-Mi
| Best Female Performance in a Video
|
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are held annually to honor outstanding achievement, creativity, and excellence across all categories of Australian music. The awards commenced in 1987.
|-
| 1987
| "Guns and Butter"
| Highest Selling Single
|