Ray Brown & the Whispers
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 in Sydney, Australia |
| Defunct | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Rock music recordings, albums, singles |
Ray Brown & the Whispers was an Australian rock ensemble active between 1964 and 1967. The group was fronted by vocalist Ray Brown (1945–1996), accompanied by Lawrie Barclay on rhythm guitar, Al Jackson handling lead guitar duties, Pat Jeffery on drums, and John Manners playing bass guitar. Their discography includes four albums: Ray Brown & the Whispers (1965), Hits & Brass (1965), Heading for the Top (1966), and Dance Dance Dance (1966). Among their most successful singles were several covers achieving top-5 chart positions, such as "Pride", "Fool, Fool, Fool" (both from 1965), along with "In the Midnight Hour" and "Tennessee Waltz Song" (both released in 1966). Notably, their 1966 track "Too Late to Come Home" featured vocal harmonies by the Bee Gees. Ray Brown departed from the band towards the end of 1966 to embark on a solo path and other musical ventures; the Whispers dissolved in 1967. Brown passed away from a heart attack in 1996 at age 51, while Manners died in 2018 at age 77.
History
Originating in Sydney in 1964, Ray Brown & the Whispers consisted of Lawrie Barclay (rhythm guitar), Ray Brown (lead vocals), Pat Jeffrey (drums), John Manners (bass guitar), and Bobbie Richardson on lead guitar. Prior to this formation, Barclay, Jeffrey, Manners, and Richardson performed together in The Nocturnes, an instrumental group influenced by The Shadows. The Nocturnes released two instrumental singles before transitioning into The Whispers. Before joining the band, Ray Brown was employed as a clerk within the Customs Department.
By late 1964, the band had secured a regular engagement at Sydney's Surf City discotheque, performing popular cover songs such as "Shakin All Over". Their first single, "20 Miles" (released January 1965), originally penned by Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann for Chubby Checker, achieved significant regional success: it topped charts in Sydney and Perth, reached No. 2 in Brisbane, No. 3 in Adelaide, and peaked at No. 25 in Melbourne—equivalent to a national ranking of No. 11. At this stage, Al Jackson had replaced Richardson as lead guitarist. The band was managed by John Harrigan.
The follow-up single "Pride" (April 1965), a rendition of Brent Edwards' composition, climbed to No. 3 on national charts. In July, their cover of Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier's "Fool, Fool, Fool" also attained a No. 3 national position. Their debut album bearing the band's name reached No. 4 nationally. October saw the release of "In the Midnight Hour", a Wilson Pickett cover that peaked at No. 4. Their second album, Hits and Brass, combined previously released hits with fresh brass arrangements.
In February 1966, they released "Tennessee Waltz Song", which secured a No. 4 spot nationally. September's "(Ain't It) Strange" was adapted from The Uniques' original track titled "Strange". That year they issued two additional albums: Heading for the Top, which achieved No. 4 nationally, and Dance Dance Dance. The October single "Too Late to Come Home" featured backing vocals from the Bee Gees. In Go-Set magazine’s Male Vocal popularity poll for that year, Brown was ranked tenth.
Due to dissatisfaction with managerial control over his career direction, Brown exited the group by late 1966; The Whispers briefly continued with Bobby Thomas as lead singer before disbanding in 1967. Music writer Stuart Coupe remarked on their substantial fan following during their period of prominence.
Early in 1967, Brown established Ray Brown & the New Whispers with Steve Hardy on drums, Ronnie Peel on bass guitar, and Dave Russell on guitar. They released an album titled Same Old Song ... Brand New Beat, featuring the single "The Same Old Song", which reached No. 12 nationally. Following Russell's mid-year departure, the ensemble was rebranded as Ray Brown Three with Brown taking up guitar duties.
Towards the end of 1967, Brown relocated to the United States for two years where he signed with Capital Records and released his solo album Just Ray Brown in 1969. Upon returning to Australia, he formed Moonstone alongside Mal Clarke and Jimmy Doyle; their album Mad House incorporated elements of country, folk, psychedelic rock, and Eastern musical influences.
Ray Brown was born on 15 February 1945 and died from a heart attack in Sydney on 16 August 1996 at age 51.
Members
- Ray Brown – lead vocals (1964–1966)
- Lawrie Barclay – rhythm guitar (1964–1967)
- Pat Jeffery – drums (1964–1967)
- John Manners – bass guitar (1964–1967)
- Bobbie Richardson – lead guitar (1964)
- Al Jackson – lead guitar (1965–1967)
Studio Albums
- Ray Brown & the Whispers (1965) – Leedon Records (LL-31646), Australia: No. 4
- Hits & Brass (1965)
- Heading for the Top (1966), Australia: No. 4
- Dance Dance Dance (1966)
Compilation Albums
- Miles of Hits (1988)
- Ray Brown & the Whispers: The Ultimate Collection (2002)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "20 Miles" / "Devoted to You"A | 11 |
| "Pride" / "Say It Again"A | 3 | |
| "Fool Fool Fool" / "Go to Him" | 3 | |
| 1966 | "In the Midnight Hour" / "Now Is the Time" | 4 |
| "Tennessee Waltz Song" / "I Am What I Am"A | 4 | |
| "Ain't It Strange" / "I Can't Get Enough"A | 38 | |
| "Too Late to Come Home" / "Respect"A | 55 | |
| 1967 | "The Same Old Song"A,B / "New Kind of Love"B | 12 |
- A Indicates a double A-side release.
- B Released under Ray Brown & the New Whispers.
References
- General Sources
- McGrath, Noel (1978), Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock – Outback Press, ISBN 978-0-86888-216-1
- Spencer, Chris (1990), An Australian Discography 1960-1989 – Moonlight Publishers, ISBN 0-7316-8343-9
- Spencer, Chris (1993), The Who's Who of Australian Rock – Moonlight Publishing, ISBN 0-86788-668-4
- Specific Sources
External links
- "Ray Brown & the Whispers" at Nostalgia Central