Spectrum (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | April 1969 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Founder | Mark Kennedy, Lee Neale, Bill Putt, Mike Rudd |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock ensemble that originated in Melbourne in April 1969. The founding members were Mark Kennedy on drums, Lee Neale handling the organ, Bill Putt playing bass guitar, and Mike Rudd providing guitar and lead vocals. In August 1970, Ray Arnott succeeded Kennedy as the drummer. Between 1971 and 1973, the group also performed under the name Indelible Murtceps. Spectrum reached the top position on the Go-Set National Top 60 singles chart in January 1971 with their hit "I'll Be Gone". Following their split, Putt and Rudd went on to form Ariel. The band reunited in 1999 as Spectrum Plays the Blues, later returning to the Spectrum name. Bill Putt passed away on 7 August 2013 due to a heart attack.
1969–1971: Formation and Early Development
Spectrum came together in April 1969 as a progressive rock band featuring Mark Kennedy on drums, Lee Neale on organ, Bill Putt on bass guitar, and Mike Rudd on guitar, harmonica, and vocals. Drawing inspiration from groups such as Traffic, Soft Machine, and Pink Floyd, they crafted original compositions primarily written by Rudd. A hallmark of their sound was Rudd’s finger-picking technique on a vintage Fender Stratocaster, supported by Kennedy’s drumming, Putt’s bass lines, and Neale’s keyboard arrangements.
The band regularly performed on Melbourne’s dance and discothèque scene, honing their style at venues like T.F. Much Ballroom and Sebastian's alongside fellow progressive rock artists. Their live presentations were notable for extensive PA setups, multimedia lighting effects, and involvement of a performance troupe called Tribe. Early in 1970, they produced a demo acetate containing an early folk rendition of "I'll Be Gone" along with "You Just Can't Win," recordings now considered extremely scarce.
Although critically acclaimed with a devoted following, financial struggles emerged by mid-1970. Upon signing with EMI under its progressive label Harvest Records, they entered the studio in August 1970 for their initial official recordings with producer Howard Gable (The Masters Apprentices). Initially intending to record "Launching Place Parts I & II" to promote the Launching Place Festival, they later added "I'll Be Gone," which unexpectedly became their breakthrough single after Rudd contributed harmonica.
The Launching Place Festival occurred in December 1970. Released the following January, "I'll Be Gone" climbed to No. 1 on the Go-Set National Top 60 singles chart by May and established itself as one of Australia's most iconic rock tracks from that period. This achievement significantly boosted demand for Spectrum’s live appearances.
1971–1973: Albums and Side Project Indelible Murtceps
In March 1971, Spectrum unveiled their debut album Spectrum Part One, deliberately excluding their hit single since Rudd felt it did not align with the album’s innovative direction. The record attained No. 10 on the charts by April. Drummer Mark Kennedy departed in August 1970 due to dissatisfaction over limited performance opportunities; he was succeeded by Ray Arnott (formerly of Chelsea Set, Cam-Pact, and Company Caine). While Rudd acknowledged Kennedy’s skillful playing, he welcomed refocusing attention on the collective band effort. Kennedy later collaborated with artists like Leo de Castro, Ayers Rock, and Marcia Hines.
Subsequent singles "Trust Me" (June 1971) and "But That's Alright" (November) did not enter the top 60 charts. In October 1971, Spectrum initiated a side project named Indelible Murtceps, retaining the same members—Arnott on drums, Neale on electric piano, Putt on bass, and Rudd on vocals and guitar—concentrating on dance-oriented pop music tailored for pubs and local dance halls.
Their sophomore album Milesago, released in December 1971, holds distinction as Australia’s first rock double album and was recorded using a pioneering 16-track recorder at Armstrong Studios. It peaked at No. 9 on the Go-Set Top 20 Albums chart and is regarded as a seminal work within progressive rock circles. By September 1972, Neale left both Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps; John Mills took over keyboard duties while Neale retired from the music industry.
The third album titled Testimonial, credited jointly to Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps, appeared in July 1973 reaching No. 12 nationally. Prior to this release, Arnott announced his exit to join Mighty Kong. Following this development, Putt and Rudd decided to dissolve both bands, culminating in farewell concerts at Melbourne's Dallas Brooks Hall on 15 April 1973. These final shows were captured live and issued as the double album Terminal Buzz in December 1973. Both albums were produced by Peter Dawkins.
Throughout their career, Spectrum participated in major Australian rock festivals including Wallacia (January 1971), Myponga (February), Sunbury (January 1972 and January 1973), Mulwala (April 1972), and Rosebud. However, their national prominence was somewhat hindered by limited radio airplay outside Victoria and infrequent touring beyond that state’s borders. Music historian Ian McFarlane described Spectrum as "one of the earliest underground bands of the early ’70s to achieve mainstream recognition," noted for merging intricate progressive rock elements with occasional commercial sensibilities.
1973–1999: Post-breakup and Reunions
After Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps dissolved, Rudd, Putt, and Mills established Ariel in mid-1973, joined by Tim Gaze and Nigel Macara. Following Ariel’s breakup in 1977, Rudd and Putt engaged in multiple projects such as Instant Replay and The Burwood Blues Band. Ray Arnott was a member of The Dingoes (1974–76), Ray Arnott Band (1978–80), Cold Chisel (1983–84), and Jimmy Barnes Band (1984–85).
In early 1984, EMI issued the compilation Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet. That March, Spectrum reunited featuring Arnott, Putt, Rudd, and Tony Fossey on keyboards. Additional reformations took place in 1989 and 1991 with different line-ups performing under the name Spectrum Plays the Blues. Throughout the early 1990s, Putt and Rudd performed as an acoustic duo accompanied by guest artists. Beginning in 1995, they continued to play under various monikers but mainly reverted to Spectrum.
1999–Present: Spectrum Plays the Blues & Breathing Space
By 1999, Putt and Rudd had launched Spectrum Plays the Blues, incorporating material from Spectrum’s catalog. They released two albums: Spill (1999) and No Thinking (2004), before returning to the original Spectrum name. In May 2008, they independently released the EP Breathing Space on Volcano Records, featuring guest appearances including Tim Gaze.
In 2004, TISM sampled "Launching Place, Part II" on their album The White Albun. Aztec Music reissued Milesago on CD with bonus tracks, followed by a re-release of Spectrum Part One in 2007 with added material as Spectrum Part Two. Later EPs included Breathing Space Too (2009) and Breathing Space As Well (2011). Spectrum performed in configurations ranging from three to four members.
Bass player Bill Putt passed away from a heart attack on 7 August 2013. Rudd briefly continued Spectrum with Dirk Dubois before settling on a lineup with Broc O'Connor (bass), Daryl Roberts (keyboards), and Peter 'Robbo' Robertson (drums). Keyboardist Lee Neale died on 31 March 2019.
Personnel
Current
- Mike Rudd – lead vocals, guitars, harmonica (4/1969–4/1973, 1999–present)
- Broc O'Connor – bass guitar (2013–present)
- Peter 'Robbo' Robertson – drums, percussion (1999–present)
- Daryl Roberts – keyboards (1999–present)
Former
- Bill Putt – bass guitar (4/1969–4/1973, 1999–2013; deceased 2013)
- Lee Neale – keyboards, backing vocals (4/1969–9/1972; deceased 2019)
- Mark Kennedy – drums (4/1969–8/1970)
- Ray Arnott – drums, backing vocals (8/1970–4/1973)
- John Mills – keyboards (9/1972–4/1973)
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Spectrum Part One |
|
10 |
| Milesago |
|
9 |
| Warts Up Your Nose split release credited to Indelible Murtceps |
|
12 |
| Testimonial credited to Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps |
|
— |
| Spill split credited as Spectrum Plays the Blues |
|
— |
| No Thinking split credited as Spectrum Plays the Blues |
|
— |
Live albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Terminal Buzz (attributed to Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps) |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Red.Orange.Yellow.Green.Blue.Indigo.Violet (credited to Spectrum and Indelible Murtceps) |
|
| Ghosts: Post-Terminal Reflections' (credited to Spectrum and Murtceps) |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP information |
|---|---|
| Breathing Space |
|
| Breathing Space Too |
|
| Breathing Space As Well |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| "I'll Be Gone" / "Launching Place Part II" | 1971 | 1 |
| "Trust Me" (alternate version) / "Going Home" | — | |
| "But That's Alright" / "Play a Song That I Know" | — | |
| "Esmeralda" / "We Are Indelible" (as Indelible Murtceps) | 1972 | — |
| "Indelible Shuffle" / "Ray's Boogie" (as Indelible Murtceps) | 1973 | — |
See also
Awards and nominations
Go-Set Pop Poll
The Go-Set Pop Poll was a yearly reader survey organized by the teen pop music publication Go-Set from 1966 through 1972, designed to highlight favored music artists.
Template:Awards table |- | rowspan="3"| 1971 | themselves | Best Group | 5th place |- | Spectrum Part One | Best Australian Album | 5th place |- | "I'll Be Gone" | Best Australian Single | 5th place |- | rowspan="2"| 1972 | themselves | Best Group | 4th place |- | Milesago | Best Australian Album | 4th place
External links
- MikeRuddBillPutt.com
- "Spectrum – Mike Rudd and Bill Putt's story and music" at www.abc.net.au
- Spectrum / Indelible Murtceps at MilesAgo.com (Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975)
- Spectrum biography, discography & reviews at AllMusic
- Spectrum discography & credits at Discogs
- Spectrum / Indelible Murtceps albums on YouTube