Jump to content

Little Heroes (band)

From Alfawiki
Little Heroes
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic
Founded1980 in Melbourne, Australia
FounderRoger Hart
DefunctJune 1984 (1984-06)
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
ProductsStudio albums, singles

Little Heroes was an Australian musical group established in 1980 by Roger Hart (also known as Roger Wells or Roger Hart-Wells, formerly of Secret Police) who took on lead vocals and guitar duties. They produced three studio albums: Little Heroes released in August 1981, Play by Numbers in August 1982, and Watch the World which came out in September 1983. Their most successful single, "One Perfect Day" (1982), climbed to No. 12 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. Additional singles that charted were "Young Hearts" (1982), along with "Watch the World" and "Bon Voyage" both released in 1983. The band ceased activities in June 1984.

History

Originating in 1980 in Melbourne, Little Heroes emerged from former members of the pub rock ensemble Secret Police. The initial lineup featured Roger Hart on vocals and guitar, Bruce Pumpa playing drums, John Taylor on bass guitar, and David Crosbie handling keyboards.[1][2] After securing second place in the Victorian round of the 1980 Battle of the Sounds and winning the national final, they signed a contract with Giant Records/CBS.[1] Their debut single, "She Says," was issued in November that year. Shortly thereafter, Huk Treloar replaced Pumpa as drummer.[1][2]

Their eponymous first album, produced by Peter Dawkins, was released in August 1981. It reached No. 81 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart and included singles such as "For a Bleeding Heart," "Last Number One," and "India Was Calling Me." Later that year, Alan 'Clutch' Robertson took over drumming duties from Treloar.[1][2]

By early 1982, after signing with EMI Records, the band recorded their sophomore album Play by Numbers under the production of Dave Marrett. The lead single "One Perfect Day" achieved a peak position of No. 12, followed by "Young Hearts" which reached No. 42. Changes to the lineup included Martin Fisher replacing Crosbie on keyboards and Peter Leslie succeeding Taylor on bass.[1][2][3][4] Upon its release in August, the album peaked at No. 37. A third single titled "Saturday (Afternoon) Inside" did not enter the charts.

Towards the end of 1982, Fisher and Leslie left to join indie pop group Dear Enemy. They were replaced by Paul Brickhill on keyboards and Rick Loriot on bass guitar. Loriot soon departed and was succeeded by Anthony Tavasz. Additionally, Paul Bell joined as a guitarist, enabling Hart to concentrate primarily on vocal performance.[1][2]

In June 1983, Little Heroes traveled to the United Kingdom to record their third album Watch the World with producer Rupert Hine. Released in September, it attained a peak position of No. 50.[1][2][5][4] The singles "Watch the World" and "Bon Voyage", both penned by Hart, charted at No. 73 and No. 51 respectively. A third single from the album, "Modern Times," co-written with Bell, did not chart.[6][7][8][4] Hart declared his intention to leave the band in March 1984; by June, Little Heroes had disbanded.[1]

Post Heroes Careers

Following the breakup of The Little Heroes, Roger Hart, who also went by Roger Wells, pursued a career as an author and meditation instructor. His publications include Happy to Burn: Meditation to Energise Your Spirit (1997) and Love & Imagination. His debut novel, Levin's God (2004), was released by Fremantle Arts Centre Press. A critic from The Sydney Morning Herald praised the book as "prolific and specific," noting its ability to hold readers’ attention consistently. John Taylor moved into film production and graphic design, earning an AFI award in 1986 for Best Short Animation with his work The Huge Adventures of Trevor, a Cat.

By September 2013, Paul Brickhill had taken on the role of Head of Music and Audio Visual Coordinator at the Australian Ballet School. David Crosbie held the position of Chief Executive at Melbourne’s Odyssey House, a center specializing in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, before advancing to lead the Mental Health Council of Australia and participating in the Australian National Council on Drugs.

Alan 'Clutch' Robertson devoted sixteen years to Warner Music across Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore prior to establishing Alan Robertson Management, where he represented acts including Magic Dirt, Taxiride, and Juke Kartel. Subsequently, he transitioned into the mobile advertising and publishing sectors.

Martin Fisher served as a Crown Prosecutor in the Northern Territory and was appointed Acting Director of Legal Policy for the Department of Justice by 2010. Additionally, he played keyboards with Darwin’s band The Fabulous Baker Brothers. Peter McCaughley (formerly of Ready Rubbed) performed as drummer for The Secret Police from 1979 to 1980 before joining Danger Dancer; he died in 1986 at age 32.

In December 2015, a live album recorded at RMIT Storey Hall and originally broadcast on Melbourne’s 3RRR was officially released digitally under the title Live Bootleg 1980.

Band Members

  • David Crosbie – keyboards (1980–1982)
  • Roger Hart (also known as Roger Wells or Roger Hart-Wells) – lead vocals, guitar (1980–1984)
  • Bruce Pumpa – drums (1980)
  • John C. J. Taylor – bass guitar, backing vocals (1980–1982)
  • Huk Treloar – drums (1980–1981)
  • Alan 'Clutch' Robertson – drums, percussion (1981–1984)
  • Martin Fisher – keyboards (1982)
  • Peter Leslie – bass guitar (1982)
  • Paul Bell – lead guitar, vocals (1983–1984)
  • Paul Brickhill – keyboards, vocals (1983–1984)
  • Ric Loriot – bass guitar (1983)
  • Anthony Tavasz – bass guitar, synthesiser (1983–1984)

Studio Albums

Studio albums with selected chart rankings
Album Title Release Information Highest Chart Position
AUS
KMR
Little Heroes
  • Released: August 1981
  • Label: Giant Recording Company(GIANT 02)
  • Format: LP
 81
Play by Numbers
  • Released: August 1982
  • Label: EMI Records (EMX-114)
  • Format: LP
 37
Watch the World
  • Released: September 1983
  • Label: EMI Records (EMX-126)
  • Format: LP
 50

Live albums

Details of live album releases
Album Title Release Information
Live Bootleg 1980
  • Release date: 8 December 2015
  • Record label: Laneway Music
  • Available format: Digital Download

Singles

Singles listing with chart rankings, release year, and related album
Single Title Release Year AUS
KMR 		Associated Album
"She Says" 1980 — Non-album single
"For a Bleeding Heart" 1981 — The Little Heroes
"Last Number One" —
"India Was Calling Me" —
"One Perfect Day" 1982 12 Play by Numbers
"Young Hearts" 42
"Saturday (Afternoon Inside)" -
"Watch the World" 1983 73 Watch the World
"Bon Voyage" 51
"Modern Times" 1984 —
Note: "—" indicates the track did not chart or was not issued in that market.


References

General
  • Note: Archived online version may have limited features.
Specific


External links

  • Profile on AllMusic
  • Artist page on MusicBrainz
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named McFarlane
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Holmgren
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NLA 1
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Kent
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WatchWorld
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named APRA Watch
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named APRA Bon
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named APRA Modern
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Little_Heroes_(band)&oldid=80322"