Geisha (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Founder | Chris Doheny |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Geisha is an Australian pop rock group that originated in 1983 under the name Geisha Detail, founded by Chris Doheny (vocals, guitar, later bass). Their most successful single, "Part Time Love Affair" (1986), peaked at No. 24 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The band issued two studio albums, Geisha (August 1985) and Midnight to Dawn (October 1987), before disbanding in 1988. They briefly reunited in 1998 to release a compilation titled The Very Best of Geisha. Music historian Ian McFarlane characterized their sound as a fusion of 1970s glam rock with early 1980s English New Romantic influences, akin to bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Doheny reactivated Geisha once more in 2007.
Origin as Geisha Detail, renaming and debut single "Fool's Way" (1983–1985)
Formed in late 1983 in Melbourne, the band initially called themselves Geisha Detail, featuring Chris Doheny (born 16 June 1961) on lead vocals and guitar, Ken Sheppard handling lead guitar and backing vocals, and John Nyman on keyboards. In 1984, the lineup expanded with Chris’s brother Donoghue Doheny joining on bass guitar and Peter Robertson on drums. The group shortened their name to Geisha and secured a contract with EMI Records. Ian McFarlane observed that their musical style blended elements of 1970s glam rock with the early 1980s English New Romantic movement. Their first single, "Fool's Way," was released in March 1985 and achieved placement on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. Produced by Dave Marett (associated with The Exponents) and written by Chris Doheny, this track marked their commercial debut.
"Rainy Day", debut album Geisha, and single "Kabuki" (1985)
Between May and June of 1985, Geisha recorded their self-titled debut album Geisha, collaborating with producer Peter Dawkins, noted for his work with Dragon, Australian Crawl, and Air Supply, alongside engineer Richard Lush. In July, they launched the single "Rainy Day," co-written by Chris Doheny and Ken Sheppard. The full album was released in August, which included a rendition of The Beatles’ "Come Together". October saw the release of their third single, "Kabuki," which climbed to No. 20 on Melbourne charts and entered the national top 50. Their increasing fanbase within suburban pub venues contributed to these sales figures. Additionally, "Kabuki" earned them their inaugural appearance on the prominent TV show Countdown.
Re-issue of "Rainy Day", lineup changes, "Part Time Love Affair", and "Girl Like You" (1986)
In March 1986, Geisha reissued the single "Rainy Day". By mid-year, members John Nyman, Donoghue Doheny, and Peter Robertson had exited the band. The remaining trio consisted of Chris Doheny shifting to bass duties, Ken Sheppard continuing on guitar, and Bret Luton (formerly of Dance Park) joining as drummer. Their August release "Part Time Love Affair" became their highest-charting single nationally at No. 24 and reached No. 3 within Melbourne. In September, Geisha took part in Rockin' The Rails, performing alongside Painters and Dockers at various train stations. Towards late September or early October, they recorded tracks including "Normal People" (which was released in October 1987) and "Girl Like You," both written by Doheny and Sheppard. The latter was issued as an EP in November 1986 and charted across Australia.
Midnight To Dawn, lineup shifts and dissolution (1987–1988)
At the start of 1987, Geisha entered the studio to produce their sophomore album, Midnight To Dawn. Their sixth single, "Calling Your Name," released in July 1987, managed to enter the top 100 charts but did not break into the top 50. August witnessed the exit of founding guitarist Ken Sheppard and drummer Bret Luton. Subsequently, in September, former Japan guitarist Rob Dean and ex-James Freud drummer Tom Hosie joined the band, filling the vacancies left by Sheppard and Luton. That same month saw the release of the single "Normal People," followed by the album Midnight to Dawn in October. The production was overseen by David Courtney, with additional input from Kevin Beamish and members of the band. The November single "Never Tell You Why" failed to chart. By early 1988, the lineup comprised Chris Doheny (resuming bass duties), Rob Dean, Laurence Maddick, and Tom Hosie before the group disbanded mid-year.
Post-breakup activities, Chris Doheny's More Than A Game & short-lived reunion (1988–1998)
Following Geisha’s split, Chris Doheny contributed songwriting for notable Australian artists such as Daryl Braithwaite—penning "In My Life" for Braithwaite’s 1988 comeback album Edge—alongside James Blundell and Lee Kernaghan. Towards the end of 1989, Doheny toured Australia as bassist for Swedish pop duo Roxette during their period of chart prominence. In 1990, he established All the Young Dudes with Pierre Gigliotti (formerly of Pseudo Echo), releasing a mini-album in 1991. By 1993, Doheny had initiated Dragonfly, a hard rock venture with Craig Harnath (ex-Kids in the Kitchen), producing two EPs titled River of Love and Black Money. In 1994, he lent his lead vocals to "More Than a Game," which served as the theme for Nine Network's The Footy Show; this track reached the ARIA top 60, marking Doheny’s inaugural solo chart success. A solo single named "Can You Hear the Rain" followed in September 1997.
In April 1998, Geisha briefly reunited with their 1984–86 lineup for a live appearance at Crown Casino's Mercury Lounge. EMI Records subsequently issued a compilation album titled The Very Best of Geisha in August.
Later developments, unreleased third album No Second Prize and revamped lineup (2005–2009)
In 2005, Chris Doheny performed acoustic renditions of Geisha songs on Melbourne’s Channel 31. Beginning February 2006, he commenced work on Acoustic Memoirs of Geisha at his Dragon Lair Studio. This album was produced and mixed by Bill Kio at Lincoln Road Studios and released that September via Doheny’s independent label Diamond Dog Records, with distribution in the US through Almacantar Records. The following month featured performances by Chris Doheny and Friends showcasing Geisha material.
Also in 2006, Doheny supervised the release of No Second Prize, an album recorded in 1988 that had remained unreleased and was intended to be Geisha’s third studio project. In 2007, he assembled a new iteration of Geisha which included guitarist Joe Matera.
Peter Hodgson from I Heart Guitar reviewed a March 2010 performance, highlighting Matera’s guitar style as reminiscent of ’70s icons while noting that Doheny’s vocal tone evoked ’60s London rock; Hodgson additionally lauded Doheny’s vocal strength.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Matera's exit, Dysphasia, subsequent projects, and Chris Doheny’s passing (2010–2025)
January 2010 saw the release of Geisha’s compilation album Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, which featured singles such as "Birthday" (previously available on iTunes) along with a double-A side comprising "Mystery Writer" and "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band". The collection also included covers of Small Faces’ "Tin Soldier" and The Beatles’ "Come Together". Later that year, Joe Matera departed to focus on his solo career.
In 2011, the group—consisting of Chris Doheny (vocals, guitar, bass), Tom Hosie (drums), and Alby Stefani (bass, guitar, keyboards)—recorded tracks intended for an album titled Dysphasia. Its lead single "Sailing" was released in July 2011 with plans for a late-year album launch. Early in 2012, Doheny issued a solo cover of Foo Fighters’ "Times Like These". Geisha also reunited to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut from 1985.
Chris Doheny, one of Geisha’s founding members, tragically died at age 64 in a traffic accident near Kapunda, South Australia on 19 September 2025.
Members
- Chris Doheny – lead vocals, acoustic and bass guitars (1983–1988, 1998, 2007–2012, 2015; deceased 2025)
- Donoghue Doheny – bass guitar, keyboards (1984–1986, 1998)
- John Nyman – keyboards (1983–1986, 1998)
- Peter Robertson – drums (1984–1986, 1998)
- Ken Sheppard – guitar, backing vocals (1983–1987, 1998)
- Bret Luton – drums (1986–1987)
- Laurence Maddick – keyboards, backing vocals (1987–1988)
- Rob Dean – guitar, backing vocals (1987–1988)
- Joe Matera – guitar, backing vocals (2007–2010)
- Alby Stefani – keyboards, bass guitar (2007–2012, 2015)
- Tom Hosie – drums (1987–1988, 2007–2012)
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ||
| Geisha |
|
77 |
| Midnight to Dawn |
|
71 |
| No Second Prize |
|
— |
Compilation albums
| Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| The Very Best of Geisha |
|
| Demo Sessions 84-85 |
|
| Acoustic Memoirs of Geisha |
|
| Demo Sessions 86-87 |
|
| Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Year Released | Highest Chart Position | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Fool's Way"/"Heartfall" | 1985 | 53 | Geisha |
| "Rainy Day"/"Not the Same" | 95 | ||
| "Kabuki"/"Moving to the Rhythm" | 42 | ||
| "Rainy Day (Remix)"/"Night Games" | 1986 | 59 | Template:Non-album single |
| "Part Time Love Affair"/"Twilight Love" | 24 | Template:Non-album single subsequently re-recorded for Midnight to Dawn | |
| "Girl Like You"/"Part Time Love Affair" | 62 | Template:Non-album single | |
| "Calling Your Name"/"Don't Come Knocking After Midnight" | 1987 | 57 | Midnight to Dawn |
| "Normal People"/"Paranoid Street" | 92 | ||
| "Never Tell You Why"/"Shining Star" | — | ||
| "Nobody's Angel" (Recorded in 1988) | 2006 | — | No Second Prize |
| "No Second Prize" (Recorded in 1988) | 2007 | — | |
| "Birthday" | 2009 | — | Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow |
| "Mystery Writer"/"Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" | 2010 | — | |
| "Tin Soldier" | — | ||
| "Sailing" | 2011 | — | Dysphasia |
Chris Doheny singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| "More Than a Game" | 1994 | 54 |
| "Can You Hear the Rain" | 1997 | — |
| "Times Like These" | 2012 | — |