Dropbears
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Rock music, singles, albums |
Dropbears were an Australian rock group active during the early 1980s, recognized for achieving national chart presence and radio rotation, highlighted by their modest hit "Shall We Go" in 1985.
History
Initially formed in 1980 under the name The Socket Set, the band featured Johnny Batchelor, Phil Hall (previously of Sardine v and Lime Spiders), alongside various drummers. They notably served as the opening act for The Saints during their 1980 Australian reunion tour.
In 1981, the group rebranded as Dropbears in Darlinghurst, Sydney, with a lineup including Batchelor, Simon Rudlin, and Chris "Chris Cross" Toms. Early recording attempts with bassist Rod Brunel did not produce results until Cross joined from the Sydney punk outfit The Bedhogs.
Dropbears released the singles "Fun Loving" and "Lay Him Down" in 1982, both securing the top position on Sydney’s Indie charts. The band signed with WEA Records in 1983 and subsequently released several successful singles.
In 2011, Warner Music Australia issued a compilation titled The Essential Dropbears, featuring ten tracks including their charting singles from 1985, "Shall We Go" and "In Your Eyes."
Band members
- Johnny Batchelor – guitar, vocals (1980–86, 1987)
- Chris Cross (Chris Toms) – bass (1981–82)
- Phil Hall – bass, vocals (1980, 1982–86, 1987)
- Simon Rudlin – drums (1981–82)
- James Elliot – drums (1982)
- Mike Knapp – drums, backing vocals (1982–86, 1987)
- Bob Cooper – saxophones, lyricon (1983)
- Robert Hearn – guitar, guitar synth (1983–84)
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| 1984 | Untitled
|
66 |
Compilations
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2011 | The Essential Dropbears
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| 1981 | "Fun Loving" | – | Non-album single |
| 1983 | "Lay Him Down" | – | |
| 1984 | "Shall We Go" | 61 | |
| "Proud" | – | Untitled | |
| 1985 | "In Your Eyes" | 90 | Non-album single |
| 1986 | "Fun Loving" (re-release) | – |