Flake (band)
| Company type | Pop-rock ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 in Sydney, Australia |
| Defunct | 1974; 1991 (final dissolution) |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Flake was an Australian pop-rock ensemble established in Sydney in 1968. Their album How's Your Mother! was launched in December 1971 under Violet's Holiday, a Du Monde subsidiary distributed by Festival. The group achieved chart success on the Go-Set National Top 60 with renditions of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire" (July 1970), Marmalade's "Reflections of My Life" (January 1971), Vanda and Young's "Life is Getting Better" (June 1971), and Honeybus' "Under the Silent Tree" (November 1971). After disbanding in 1974, Flake reunited in 1989 to promote the compilation Reflections: The Festival File Volume Thirteen before dissolving once more in 1991.
History
Formed in late 1968 in Sydney, Flake comprised Lindsay Askew (guitar), Mick Gaul (bass), Geoff Gray (lead vocals, ex-Eli), Sharon Sims (lead vocals), Wayne Thomas (drums, ex-Plastic Tears), and Rob Toth (keyboards). Their name was inspired by the Small Faces' album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Their first live performance took place on 14 November at Shrublands Hall, Marrickville. In 1969, Dave Allen joined playing flute and saxophone; the band's lineup frequently changed thereafter.
According to Australian music historian Ian McFarlane, Flake exhibited a broad musical range, transitioning from 1960s pop and soul styles to early 1970s progressive rock. They were pioneers among Sydney club bands in delivering faithful interpretations of songs by Traffic, Spooky Tooth, Deep Purple, and Vanilla Fudge. Despite their diverse abilities, their commercial achievements were mainly tied to well-crafted pop singles.
In 1970, Flake secured a deal with Du Monde’s Violet's Holiday label, distributed through Festival Records. Their initial single to chart was a cover of Bob Dylan’s "Wheels on Fire" released in July 1970, which reached No.20 on the Go-Set National Top 60 and remained there for 22 weeks. This success occurred during the 1970 radio ban on British and major-label Australian records, which favored domestic artists. The track was ranked No.44 on Go-Set’s year-end singles list.
Following singles included Marmalade’s "Reflections of My Life" (peaking at No.31 in January 1971), Vanda & Young’s "Life Is Getting Better" (No.48 in June), and Honeybus’ "Under the Silent Tree" released in November.
Their debut album How's Your Mother! appeared in December 1971 featuring Gray, Sims, Thomas, Greg Higgs (bass/vocals), John Russell (guitar), and Billy Taylor (guitar, formerly of Purple Vision). Additional contributions came from Dave Allen, Denise Caines, and Denis Moore on pre-recorded segments. McFarlane characterized the album as "schizophrenic," blending light pop tunes with harder rock elements enriched by psychedelia. Du Monde reissued this album on CD in November 2006.
By late 1972, Thomas departed to establish Mr Madness alongside former Flake members Askew, Gaul, and Toth. Flake persisted with various lineup changes; by July 1973 it included Russell, Taylor, Neale Johns (lead vocals, ex-Blackfeather), Jim Penson (drums, ex-Blackfeather), and Warren Ward (bass, ex-The Flying Circus/Blackfeather). The group released "Scotch on the Rocks" through Festival’s Infinity Records in February 1974 before breaking up later that year.
In 1989, Flake reunited with Thomas and Lindsay Askew joined by Rob Askew (bass), Gordon Sheard (guitar), and Anna Medley (lead vocals). This reformation followed Festival’s issuance of the compilation Reflections: The Festival File Volume Thirteen. They performed across Sydney pubs and clubs until disbanding again in 1991.
Personnel
- Lindsay Askew – guitar (1968–69, 1989–91)
- Mick Gaul – bass guitar (1968–69)
- Geoff Gray – lead vocals, percussion (1968–73)
- Sharon Sims – lead vocals, percussion (1968–72)
- Rob Toth – keyboards (1968–70)
- Wayne Thomas – drums, piano, vocals (1968–72, 1989–91)
- Denise Caines – vocals (1969–70, 1973)
- Shauna Jensen – vocals (1970)
- Dave Allen – flute, saxophone (1969–70)
- Ross Jeffries – guitar (1969)
- John Russell – guitar, autoharp (1969–74)
- Dennis Moore – bass guitar (1969–70)
- Greg Higgs – bass guitar, vocals (1971–73)
- Billy Taylor – guitar (1971–74)
- Ted Atkinson – bass guitar (1973–74)
- Mick Meehan – guitar (1973)
- Jim Penson – drums (1973–74)
- Royston Johnson – vocals (1973–74)
- Neale Johns – vocals (1973–74)
- Warren Ward – bass guitar (1973–74)
- Rob Askew – bass guitar (1989–91)
- Gordon Sheard – guitar (1989–91)
- Anna Medley – vocals (1989–91)
- David Clouston – keyboards (1991)
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| How's Your Mother |
|
| Reflections: The Festival File, Volume 13 |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position (AUS) |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "This Wheel's on Fire" | 21 |
| 1971 | "Reflections of My Life" | 25 |
| "Life is Getting Better" | 40 | |
| "Under the Silent Tree" | 60 | |
| 1972 | "Where Are You?" | – |
| 1974 | "Scotch on the Rocks" | – |