Geordie (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1972 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne , United Kingdom |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
| Website | www |
Geordie () is a British rock group originating from Newcastle upon Tyne. They first gained recognition in the 1970s with tracks such as "Don't Do That," "All Because of You," "Can You Do It," "Electric Lady," and "Goodbye Love."
Formation (1971–1980)
The initial lineup of Geordie, established in February 1972, consisted of Vic Malcolm on lead guitar, Tom Hill handling bass, Brian Gibson on drums, and Brian Johnson as the lead vocalist. Their first single, "Don't Do That," entered the UK Top 40 charts in December 1972. The band’s debut album, Hope You Like It, was released in March 1973 under the EMI label. Competing alongside British glam rock contemporaries such as Slade and Sweet, Geordie secured a UK Top 10 position with "All Because of You" in April 1973 and achieved a Top 20 hit with "Can You Do It" by July the same year. They appeared frequently on BBC Television, including fifteen performances on Top of the Pops.
Throughout the early 1970s, Geordie toured extensively in Australia, establishing a loyal fan base particularly in Newcastle, New South Wales, bolstered by the popularity of the track "Geordie's Lost his Liggie." Their sophomore album, Don't Be Fooled by the Name (1974), which featured a rendition of "House of the Rising Sun," did not yield significant chart success.
After releasing Save the World in 1976, lead singer Johnson embarked on a solo venture. The 1978 album No Good Woman combined previously unreleased songs featuring Johnson with fresh recordings by Malcolm and musicians including future Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark, vocalist Dave Ditchburn, bassist Frank Gibbon, and drummer George Defty. Johnson also led a revamped version of Geordie—sometimes referred to as Geordie II—where he was the only original member remaining. Although this formation secured a recording deal in 1980, it dissolved when Johnson accepted the role of lead vocalist for AC/DC, succeeding Bon Scott.
Post break-up and reunion tour of Geordie II (1980–2018)
Following the passing of AC/DC’s frontman Bon Scott in February 1980, Brian Johnson—who had been highly regarded by Scott—assumed vocal responsibilities for AC/DC. Together with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Johnson recorded at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas to produce the follow-up to 1979’s Highway To Hell. This collaboration culminated in the May 1980 release of Back in Black, which became one of the highest-selling albums worldwide.
In 1982, original members of Geordie (excluding Johnson) reassembled as a five-piece band with new vocalist Rob Turnbull and guitarist David Stephenson. They released No Sweat (1983) through independent label Neat Records; while critically praised, it achieved only modest commercial success. By 1985/86, Malcolm, Gibson, and Stephenson had left the group; the remaining members rebranded themselves as Powerhouse and issued an eponymous album in 1986 before ultimately disbanding.
During an AC/DC break in late 2001, Johnson briefly reunited with Geordie's lineup from 1977–80 for a UK tour as Geordie II, focusing primarily on hard rock cover songs.
By 2013, Rob Turnbull had joined the band Gadji. In 2014, Vic Malcolm established Dynamite alongside Rick Mort and released Rock 'Til You Drop via indie label Tabitha Records.
Revival (2018–present)
Founding members Tom Hill (bass) and Brian Gibson (drums) revived Geordie by bringing in Mark Wright as lead vocalist and Steve Dawson (formerly of Animals II) on guitar. In January 2022, Terry Slesser, who previously sang for Back Street Crawler, took over vocal duties from Wright. Vic Malcolm, the original guitarist, continues to contribute to the band's songwriting efforts. The group announced their comeback through a dedicated YouTube channel and has since released new tracks featuring Slesser across prominent streaming services. An official website was established in early 2023.
Band members
1972–1977:
- Brian Johnson (vocals)
- Vic Malcolm (guitar, vocals) (1972–1975, 1976–1977)
- Tom Hill (bass)
- Brian Gibson (drums)
- Micky Bennison (guitar) (1975–1976)
1978:
- Dave Ditchburn (vocals)
- Vic Malcolm (guitar)
- Alan Clark (keyboards)
- Frank Gibbon (bass)
- George Defty (drums)
Geordie II – 1977–1980, 2001:
- Brian Johnson (vocals)
- Derek Rootham (guitar)
- Dave Robson (bass)
- Davy Whittaker (drums)
- Terry Slesser (vocals; succeeded Johnson in 1980)
1982–1985:
- Rob Turnbull (vocals)
- Vic Malcolm (guitar)
- David Stephenson (guitar)
- Tom Hill (bass)
- Brian Gibson (drums)
1986:
- Rob Turnbull (vocals)
- Martin Metcalf (guitar)
- Tom Hill (bass)
- Brian Gibson (drums)
2018–2022:
- Mark Wright (vocals)
- Steve Dawson (guitar)
- Tom Hill (bass)
- Brian Gibson (drums)
2022–present:
- Terry Slesser (vocals)
- Steve Dawson (guitar)
- Tom Hill (bass)
- Brian Gibson (drums)
Studio albums released as Geordie
- Hope You Like It (1973) under Red Bus
- Don't Be Fooled by the Name (1974) via Red Bus
- Save the World (1976) on Red Bus
- No Good Woman (1978) through Red Bus – Landmark
- No Sweat (1983) with Neat Records
Studio album under Powerhouse
- Powerhouse (1986), released by Ambush/EMI
Compilation albums
- Masters of Rock (1974), EMI
- Geordie featuring Brian Johnson (1980), Red Bus
- Strange Man (1982), Red Bus
- Keep on Rocking remixed and remastered digitally in 1989, Anchor/DCC
- Rocking with the Boys Australian compilation from 1992, Raven
- A Band from Geordieland containing 24 tracks, Repertoire, 1996
- The Very Best of Geordie released in 1997 by CMC/Play records
- The Best of Geordie from 1998, Platinum
- Can You Do It? issued in 1999 by Delta
- The Singles Collection, a 2001 release on 7T's records
- No Sweat, reissued in 2002 including four live BBC sessions, Castle Records
- Can You Do It, Pickwick – Holland release of 2003
- Unreleased Tapes, a collection of twelve rare tracks from 2005 by OVC Media – Russia **Not Geordie**
- The Very Best of Geordie – The original versions, Spectre/Universal records, 2009
- Keep on Rockin' – The Very Best Of, also Spectre/Universal records, 2009
- Greatest Hits, Zebra Studio records release from 2012
- The Albums, a comprehensive five-CD set with all five Geordie albums totaling 66 tracks, issued in 2016
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BE (FLA) | DEN | GER | IRE | NL | ||
| 1972 | "Don't Do That" | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973 | "All Because of You" | 6 | — | 18 | 6 | 30 | 11 | 19 |
| "Can You Do It" | 13 | 69 | 30 | 14 | 22 | — | 25 | |
| "Electric Lady" | 32 | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | |
| "Black Cat Woman" | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | |
| 1974 | "Got to Know" (Australia-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "House of the Rising Sun" (Japan-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Goin' Down" (France-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "She's a Teaser" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Ride on Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | "Goodbye Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | "Treat Her Like a Lady" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981 | "Don't Do That" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Rockin' with the Boys" (Canada-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1982 | "Nutbush City Limits" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | "Red, White and Blue" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | "She's My Sugar" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | "See You Now" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|- style="font-size:8pt;" | colspan=9 | "—" indicates that the single did not chart or was not issued in that market.
See also
- List of glam rock musicians
- List of musical groups originating from Newcastle, United Kingdom
- List of artists featured on Top of the Pops