Sherbet (band)

Sherbet
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1969 in Sydney, Australia
Founder	Denis Loughlin, Doug Rea, Sammy See, Clive Shakespeare, Danny Taylor
Defunct	1984 (disbanded)
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Key people	Daryl Braithwaite (lead vocals), Tony Mitchell (bass guitar), Garth Porter (keyboards), Alan Sandow (drums), Clive Shakespeare (guitar), Harvey James (guitar)
Products	Music albums and singles
Number of employees	5 (typical band lineup)

Sherbet—also referred to as Highway or The Sherbs—ranked among the most prominent Australian rock groups of the 1970s. The band's well-known lineup consisted of Daryl Braithwaite (lead vocals), Tony Mitchell (bass guitar), Garth Porter (keyboards), Alan Sandow (drums), and Clive Shakespeare (guitar). In 1976, Shakespeare departed and was succeeded by Harvey James. Their top-charting singles "Summer Love" (1975) and "Howzat" (1976) both secured the number one spot in Australia. Additionally, "Howzat" climbed to the top five in the UK charts but reached only No. 61 in the United States. Under the name The Sherbs, they attained No. 61 in 1981 with "I Have the Skill." The group officially disbanded in 1984 but has reunited periodically since 1998.

According to rock historian Ian McFarlane, Sherbet, alongside Skyhooks, stands as one of the most commercially successful Australian pop bands of the 1970s, boasting a streak of 20 consecutive hit singles, releasing 17 albums, and earning ten platinum and 40 gold certifications. They were pioneers as the first Australian band to generate over one million dollars in record sales within their home country. In 1990, Sherbet was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, sharing the honor with composer Percy Grainger. Founding members Harvey James and Clive Shakespeare passed away in 2011 and 2012 respectively; original vocalist Denis Loughlin died in 2019.

History

Between 1970 and 1984, Sherbet secured twenty hit singles on Australian charts, including two that reached number one, alongside ten albums achieving platinum status. Their 1976 single "Howzat" not only topped charts domestically but also reached number four in the United Kingdom. They were trailblazers as the first Australian group to surpass $1 million in local record sales and were among the earliest to undertake extensive regional touring. The book Sherbet on Tour, released in December 1976, sold an impressive 30,000 copies within its initial week.

Formation and early years (1969–1972)

Sherbet originated in Sydney in April 1969, initially comprising Glasgow-born Denis Loughlin on vocals, Doug Rea on bass guitar, Sammy See handling organ and guitar duties, Clive Shakespeare on lead guitar, and Danny Taylor on drums. Starting out as a soul ensemble performing Motown covers alongside rock numbers, Alan Sandow replaced Taylor on drums by July that year. The band signed with Infinity Records, a subsidiary of Festival Records. Their first single was a rendition of Badfinger's "Crimson Ships," released in March 1970.

In 1970, Sherbet maintained a residency at Jonathon's Disco where they performed for seven hours each night across four nights weekly over eight months. This exposure led to interest from future manager Roger Davies. By March, Daryl Braithwaite joined as lead singer, replacing Loughlin later that year. Bruce Worrall succeeded Rea on bass guitar. Before year-end, the band embarked on their inaugural national tour. Sammy See departed in October to join The Flying Circus and was replaced by New Zealand-born Garth Porter on Hammond organ and electric piano.

In 1971, Sherbet won the New South Wales segment of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds but fell short at the national final against Fraternity. Returning in 1972, they claimed victory at the national finals, joining other past winners who went on to achieve significant commercial success. Early chart successes included cover versions such as Blue Mink’s "Can You Feel It Baby?" (September 1971), Delaney and Bonnie’s "Free the People" (February 1972), and Ted Mulry’s "You're All Woman" (September 1972). Most of their early tracks were produced by Festival’s Richard Batchens, who also collaborated with labelmate Richard Clapton. Sherbet elevated their profile by supporting major international artists like Gary Glitter and The Jackson 5 during tours.

Rise to prominence (1972–1975)

In January 1972, Sherbet's definitive lineup was finalized when Tony Mitchell took over bass duties from Worrall. This ensemble—featuring Braithwaite on vocals, Porter on keyboards, Sandow on drums, Mitchell on bass, and Shakespeare on guitar—transitioned from performing soul covers to crafting teen-focused pop rock with an emphasis on original compositions. The songwriting partnership of Porter and Shakespeare blended elements of British pop with American soul, occasionally incorporating covers such as "Hound Dog" and "Nowhere Man".

Their inaugural album, Time Change... A Natural Progression, was released in December 1972 under Infinity Records, coinciding with their recognition as 'Most Popular Australian Group' by readers of Go-Set. The single "You've Got the Gun" was their first self-written A-side and climbed to No. 29 in early 1973.

By the end of 1973, Sherbet broke into the Go-Set Top 10 with "Cassandra," preceding the release of their sophomore album, On with the Show, which reached No. 6 on the Australian Albums Chart. Follow-up singles like "Slipstream" attained a peak position of No. 7. After 1974, Sherbet's chart success continued on the Kent Music Report, securing numerous Top 10 hits including "Silvery Moon" and their first chart-topping single "Summer Love" in 1975. In total, they amassed eleven Australian top 10 singles.

Dominating Australia's youth market, Sherbet earned the 'Most Popular Australian Group' title at the King of Pop Awards for six consecutive years from 1973 through 1978. From 1975 onward, they appeared more frequently on the national TV pop program Countdown than any other group, with Braithwaite often serving as a co-host. Their polished image stood in contrast to the heavier rock aesthetics prevalent among contemporaries. Albums such as Slipstream (No. 5), Life... Is for Living (No. 6), and their 1975 compilation Greatest Hits 1970-75 (No. 1) reinforced their commercial prominence.

Alongside his work with Sherbet, Braithwaite embarked on a solo career starting in 1974, frequently collaborating with fellow band members. He secured the 'King of Pop' award for three consecutive years between 1975 and 1977. Production responsibilities shifted to Richard Lush in 1975, noted for his previous engineering work at Abbey Road Studios with The Beatles. Occasionally, Porter assumed lead vocal duties on singles like "Hollywood Dreaming". Sherbet maintained a demanding touring schedule across Australia, including extensive regional engagements.

The band's signature satin bomber jackets were inspired by Garth Porter's discovery of an American baseball jacket in a secondhand store. Partnering with designer Richard Tyler, these jackets evolved into a distinctive visual trademark and effective promotional asset for Sherbet.

Global breakthrough (1976–1979)

Shakespeare departed from Sherbet in January 1976 citing 'personal reasons', later revealing dissatisfaction with the band's financial management and relentless scheduling as key factors. His final single contribution was "Child's Play," which peaked at No. 5 in February. Gunther Gorman briefly filled his role before Harvey James became the permanent guitarist. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Porter solidified Sherbet's main songwriting team, penning "Howzat" (1976), a cricket-inspired track that became their sole international hit and fueled an extensive tour throughout 1976–77.

"Howzat" dominated charts in Australia and New Zealand and secured Top 10 positions across Europe—reaching No. 4 in the UK, No. 6 in the Netherlands, and No. 8 in Norway. It also charted in South Africa, Southeast Asia, and Israel but only managed No. 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The accompanying album topped Australian charts at No. 1 and reached No. 12 in New Zealand yet failed to enter US charts.

In 1976, Sherbet heavily promoted their double A-sided single "Rock Me Gently/You've Got the Gun," including full-page advertisements in Billboard magazine that emphasized their sophisticated pop/rock sound comparable to bands like Chicago or Three Dog Night.

Pursuing greater success in the United States from 1977 onwards, Sherbet released Photoplay (renamed Magazine for the US market with elaborate packaging). Although both the album and lead single "Magazine Madonna" achieved No. 3 positions in Australia, they did not chart stateside. The band also produced the soundtrack for the film High Rolling. Despite these efforts, their self-titled album was issued in America under the new moniker Highway as Highway 1, but it failed commercially.

During this era, Sherbet's popularity within Australia waned. Their Sherbet album peaked at No. 3 domestically, but "Another Night on the Road" (1978) marked their last top 10 hit nationally. Later singles such as "Beg, Steal or Borrow" and "Angela" struggled to chart or failed entirely.

Unable to replicate the international success of "Howzat" and frustrated by declining sales figures, Sherbet disbanded by mid-1979 following their final single as Highway, "Heart Get Ready," which stalled at No. 89. Managed throughout the decade by Roger Davies, they briefly reunited for Sydney Opera House's Concert of the Decade on 4 November 1979—a performance later broadcast by Nine Network and issued as a double LP via Mushroom Records. During this event, Mitchell also performed alongside other artists including Stevie Wright.

The Sherbs period (1980–1984)

In 1980, Sherbet regrouped under the name The Sherbs, featuring the original members: Braithwaite, Harvey, Mitchell, Porter, and Sandow. They shifted towards a refined progressive new wave style. This phase brought modest success in the United States but failed to replicate their strong Australian chart performance from the 1970s.

The Sherbs’ debut album, The Skill (released October 1980), marked their first entry into the US Billboard 200 chart, reaching its upper half. Their single "I Have the Skill" climbed to No. 61 on the US pop chart and achieved a peak position of No. 14 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart—their highest ranking in the American market. Although "No Turning Back" received some album-oriented rock radio exposure, none of the singles from The Skill managed to enter Australia's top 100.

Their subsequent release, Defying Gravity (1981), did not yield any top 100 singles in either the US or Australia. Nevertheless, "We Ride Tonight" attained No. 26 on the Rock Tracks chart in 1982. The album itself reached only No. 202 in the US charts. In 1982, they issued a mini-album titled Shaping Up, which garnered critical acclaim and minor hits within Australia but did not chart stateside. Despite adopting a contemporary sound, The Sherbs found it difficult to recapture their earlier fanbase; Porter expressed dissatisfaction, feeling their songwriting had improved compared to their 1970s peak.

Guitarist Harvey James exited late in 1982 and was succeeded by Tony Leigh. By late 1983, the band announced plans to disband in 1984, briefly reverting to Sherbet for a successful farewell tour across Australia and releasing their final single, "Tonight Will Last Forever," co-written with and featuring Shakespeare. Both Shakespeare and James returned for this concluding tour.

Following the breakup, Braithwaite embarked on a solo career within Australia, while Porter and Shakespeare established themselves as successful producers. In recognition of their contributions, Sherbet was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1990 alongside classical composer Percy Grainger.

Reunion activities (1998–2011)

After their initial disbandment, Sherbet reunited intermittently. Their first reunion occurred during an ABC-TV special on New Year’s Eve 1998, delivering performances of "Howzat" and "Summer Love." Drummer Alan Sandow was absent for this event; John Watson (formerly of Kevin Borich Band and Australian Crawl) filled in on drums. On 10 March 2001, with Sandow back in the lineup, they reunited for Gimme Ted, a benefit concert honoring Ted Mulry—recording two tracks for the accompanying double DVD tribute released in May 2003. In June 2003, Sherbet appeared at another benefit event supporting former roadie Wane Jarvis.

At the May 2006 Logie Awards, Sherbet performed as a six-member ensemble—Braithwaite, James, Mitchell, Porter, Sandow, and Shakespeare—playing "Howzat." They also staged three shows under the billing Daryl Braithwaite and Highway in late August 2006 and participated in the Countdown Spectacular tour across Australia during September and October. That same year featured two new songs on the compilation Sherbet – Super Hits: "Red Dress" and "Hearts Are Insane," both produced by Ted Howard.

In 2007, Sherbet released a live CD/DVD collection titled Live – And the Crowd Went Wild, showcasing performances from Sydney, Melbourne, and UK concerts during the 1970s. They joined the Countdown Spectacular 2 tour in August and September of that year. On 15 January 2011, guitarist Harvey James passed away due to lung cancer; subsequently, remaining members—excluding Shakespeare who was ill—performed at a tribute concert for James on 17 February. This event remains their most recent public performance.

Original member Clive Shakespeare died from prostate cancer on 15 February 2012. Denis Loughlin, founding vocalist, passed away from cancer on 23 January 2019.

Discography

Time Change... A Natural Progression – 1972
On with the Show – 1973
Slipstream – 1974
Life... Is for Living – 1975
Howzat! – 1976
Photoplay – 1977
Sherbet – 1978 (issued internationally as Highway 1 by Highway)
The Skill – 1980 (as The Sherbs)
Defying Gravity – 1981 (as The Sherbs)
Shaping Up – 1982 (Mini-LP by The Sherbs)

Band personnel

Listed chronologically:^[1]

Denis Loughlin – lead vocals (1969–1970; deceased 2019)
Doug Rea – bass guitar (1969)
Sam See – keyboards, organ, guitar, backing vocals (1969–1970)
Clive Shakespeare – guitar, backing vocals (1969–1976; also participated in reunions: 1984, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006–2007; deceased 2012)
Danny Taylor – drums (1969)
Alan Sandow – drums, percussion instruments including bongos and chimes; occasional backing vocals (1969–1984; reunion appearances: 2001, 2003, 2006–2007, 2011)
Daryl Braithwaite – lead vocals; tambourine; tabla (1970–1984; reunited multiple times through to 2011)
Bruce Worrall – bass guitar (1970–1972)
Garth Porter – keyboards including clavinet and piano; backing and occasional lead vocals; Hammond organ; electric piano; synthesiser; saxophones (1970–1984; reunion periods through to 2011)
Tony Mitchell – bass guitar; backing and occasional lead vocals; ukulele (1972–1984; reunion appearances through to 2011)
Gunther Gorman – guitar (1976)
Harvey James – guitar; backing vocals; slide guitar (1976–1982; reunion appearances through to 2007; deceased 2011)
Tony Leigh – guitar (1982–1984)
John Watson – drums (1998)
Gabe James – guitar (2011)
Josh James – guitar (2011)
Johnny Sans – guitar (2011)

Timeline

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id:voc value:red legend:Vocals
id:g value:green legend:Guitars
id:key value:purple legend:Keyboards
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id:dr value:orange legend:Drums
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at:15/12/1972
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at:15/08/1978
at:15/10/1980
at:15/07/1981
at:15/11/1982

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bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:15/03/1970 till:15/06/1979 color:voc
bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:15/07/1980 till:15/07/1984 color:voc
bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:15/12/1998 till:15/01/1999 color:voc
bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:01/03/2001 till:15/03/2001 color:voc
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bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:01/05/2006 till:01/06/2006 color:voc
bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:01/08/2006 till:15/11/2006 color:voc
bar:Daryl Braithwaite from:01/02/2011 till:end color:voc
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:start till:15/01/1976 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:15/05/1984 till:15/07/1984 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:15/12/1998 till:15/01/1999 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:01/03/2001 till:15/03/2001 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:01/06/2003 till:01/07/2003 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:01/05/2006 till:01/06/2006 color:g
bar:Clive Shakespeare from:01/08/2006 till:15/11/2006 color:g
bar:Gunther Gorman from:15/01/1976 till:05/02/1976 color:g
bar:Harvey James from:05/02/1976 till:15/06/1979 color:g
bar:Harvey James from:15/07/1980 till:15/09/1982 color:g
bar:Harvey James from:15/05/1984 till:15/07/1984 color:g
bar:Harvey James from:15/12/1998 till:15/01/1999 color:g
bar:Harvey James from:01/03/2001 till:15/03/2001 color:g
bar:dHarvey James from :01 /06 /2003 till :01 /07 /2003 color :g 
bar :Harvey James from :01 /05 /2006 till :01 /06 /2006 color :g 
bar :Harvey James from :01 /08 /2006 till :15 /11 /2006 color :g 
bar :Tony Leigh from :15 /09 /1982 till :15 /07 /1984 color :g 
bar:Gabe James from :01 /02 /2011 till:end color:g 
bar:josh James from :01 /02 /2011 till:end color:g 
bar :Johnny Sans from :01 /02 /2011 till:end color :g 
bar :Sammy See from:start till :15 /10 /1970 color:key 
bar :Sammy See from:start till :15 /10 /1970 color:g width :3 
bar:Garth Porter from :15 /10 /1970 till :15 /06 /1979 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :15 /07 /1980 till :15 /07 /1984 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :15 /12 /1998 till :15 /01 /1999 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :01 /03 /2001 till :15 /03 /2001 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :01 /06 /2003 till :01 /07 /2003 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :01 /05 /2006 till :01 /06 /2006 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :01 /08 /2006 till :15 /11 /2006 color:key 
bar:Garth Porter from :01 /02 /2011 till:end color:key 
bar :Doug Rea from:start till :15 /07 /1970 color:b 
bar :Bruce Worrall from :15 /07 /1970 till :15 /01 /1972 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :15 /01 /1972 till :15 /06 /1979 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :15 /07 /1980 till :15 /07 /1984 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :15 /12 /1998 till :15 /01 /1999 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :01 /06 /2003 till :01 /07 /2003 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :01 /03 /2001 till :15 /03 /2001 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :01 /05 /2006 till :01 /06 /2006 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :01 /08 /2006 till :15 /11 /2006 color:b 
bar:Tony Mitchell from :01 /02 /2011 till:end color:b 
bar:Danny Taylor from:start till :15 /07 /1969 color:d r </timeline>

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards, established in 1987 to honor outstanding achievements within Australian music annually, inducted Sherbet into their Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Go-Set Pop Poll

Conducted by teen music magazine Go-Set between 1966 and 1972, the Go-Set Pop Poll ranked popular Australian musicians based on reader votes.

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King of Pop Awards

Voted by readers of TV Week, these awards ran annually between 1967 and 1978 to celebrate prominent Australian artists. Sherbet earned several accolades during this period:

| Most Popular Australian Group  
| Template:Won  
|-
| Photoplay
| Most Popular Australian Album  
| Template:Won  
|-
| "Magazine Madonna"
| Most Popular Australian Single  
| Template:Won  
|-
|  	1978  
| themselves  
| Most Popular Australian Group  
| Template:Won

|}

TV Week & Countdown Awards

The pop music television program Countdown, broadcast by national network ABC-TV between 1974 and 1987, hosted annual music awards jointly with magazine TV Week during its run. These awards combined categories voted by fans as well as industry peers.

Template:Awards table |- | 1979

| themselves  
| Most Popular Group  
| Template:Nom

|-

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