Southend (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Stuart McCarthy, Steve Younan, Sameer Sengupta, Melinda Page |
| Defunct | 1997 (initial split) |
| Fate | Reformed in 2003 as a trio |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | House and techno music |
Southend (occasionally referred to as South End) is an Australian band specializing in house and techno genres, established in 1992. The ensemble originally featured synthesiser and keyboard artists Stuart McCarthy, Steve Younan, and Sameer Sengupta, alongside vocalist Melinda Page. Their 1994 single "The Winner Is..." achieved a Top 10 position on the ARIA Singles Chart. In 1995, Sameer Sengupta was succeeded by guitarist Justin Frew. The band dissolved in 1997 but reassembled in 2003 as a trio consisting of McCarthy, Page, and Younan.
History
Originating in Sydney in 1992, Southend was formed by Stuart McCarthy (synthesiser, keyboards), Melinda Page (vocals), Sameer Sengupta, and Steve Younan (both on synthesiser and keyboards). Their initial release was a four-track 12-inch single titled "600 Miles from Nowhere" (1992), issued through Volition Records. This was followed by the six-track EP Fanatical in 1993 via Volition Records/Second Nature, which included the track "Get Down". Recording took place at Sony Music Studios (Sydney) and D.T.U., with the band handling production duties. McCarthy contributed guitar and programming; Sengupta managed machine effects and programming; while Page and Younan provided vocals and keyboard parts.
In June 1994, they released "The Winner Is...", a collaboration with trance DJ Nik Fish (Nik Vatoff). The track, co-written by McCarthy, Sengupta, and Vatoff, incorporates a sample of International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch declaring Sydney as the host city for the 2000 Summer Olympics. This single reached number 9 on the ARIA Charts.
The band issued the remix album Fanatically Remixed in 1994, which contained eleven remixed tracks. Southend appeared annually at the Big Day Out festival between 1993 and 1996. After Sengupta departed in 1995 to embark on a solo career, Justin Frew joined the lineup as guitarist.
Southend also produced releases both domestically and internationally for artists such as Hoodoo Gurus, Paul Holden, Acid Babies, the Whitlams, Kim Salmon, and Michal Nicholas. They worked alongside Sasha Vatoff on remixes for Vagen's "Buggin" and recorded a cover of Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" for Groovescooter Records' compilation Re:fashioned 2.
Following their split in 1997, Frew and McCarthy collaborated with Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus) and Kim Salmon to form Antenna. The group released one album, Installation (1998), which was Mushroom International's inaugural release before disbanding in 1999.
Southend reunited in 2004 to perform at Sydney's Utopia on New Year's Eve. They were the first act to perform live on Channel V’s program "Room 208". In 2009, after licensing three tracks to Ministry of Sound (Australia), Undercover Music's Yep! Records issued Southend’s complete back catalogue—including previously unreleased recordings—via MGM Distribution and iTunes.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Fanatical |
|
138 |
| Fanatically Remixed |
|
124 |
| Compilation |
|
— |
Singles
| Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| "600 Miles from Nowhere" | 1992 | — |
| "Get Down" (12-inch) | 1993 | — |
| "Take Me Up" | 175 | |
| "The Winner Is..." (collaboration with Nik Fish) | 1994 | 9 |
| "If You Believe" | 108 | |
| "Confession" / "The Dream" | 1995 | 199 |
| "Skylark" (12-inch version) | 1996 | — |
| "The Winner Is..." (2000 remix featuring Nik Fish) | 2000 | 69 |
| "Buggin'" (in collaboration with Vagen) | 2003 | — |
| "To Deserve You" (featuring Michal Nicolas) | 2004 | — |
| "Der Grun Apfel" (with Eddie Bech) | 2009 | — |