Sweet and Sour (1984 TV series)

Sweet and Sour
Company type	Television series
Industry	Television broadcasting
Founded	1984
Founder	Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Television series
Parent	Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Sweet and Sour was a television series from Australia broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1984. The show was conceived by Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott and produced in-house at ABC by Jan Chapman.

Synopsis

The narrative centers around the fictional group The Takeaways, who are determined to establish themselves within the Sydney music industry. Although commercial success remains elusive, efforts are underway to pitch their story to a prominent television network.

Established in mid-1983, The Takeaways initially consist of Carol Howard, Martin Kabel, and George Poulopoulos. Carol Howard (Tracy Mann) is an appealing vocalist and beginner guitarist originally from Melbourne, who transitioned from an unsuccessful acting pursuit to music, composing her first song while traveling to Sydney. Martin Kabel (David Reyne) is a seasoned yet commercially unrecognized guitarist eager to perform his own compositions. George Poulopoulos (Arky Michael) reluctantly joins as bassist, learning the instrument during their initial rehearsal and gradually gaining confidence.

Darrell Winters (Ric Herbert) assumes the role of their manager, coordinating early performances that begin with a backyard barbecue and progress to gigs at various Sydney pubs. Their initial rehearsals take place in an old boot factory.

Christine Yates (Sandra Lillingston) becomes part of the group after breaking into their warehouse; her musical style is influenced by her father, Shrug Yates (Martin Vaughan), a saxophonist from the 1960s. Christine provides lead vocals on multiple tracks. Initially reliant on a drum machine, the band later incorporates drummer Johnny Black (Robin Copp).

Half a year later, The Takeaways independently release the single Sweet and Sour and prepare their debut album while engaging with recording industry professionals and media personalities such as Ian "Molly" Meldrum and musician Jon English. They embark on a promotional tour in Melbourne.

The plot explores romantic dynamics between Carol and Martin, as well as George and Christine. Martin’s self-assured demeanor contrasts with his naivety regarding industry negotiations. Manager Darrell shifts his attention towards a career in music videos, reducing his dedication to the band. Industry pressures entice Martin and Carol with solo opportunities, ultimately leading to the band's dissolution.

The initial soundtrack album features neon-outlined artwork of The Takeaways, which was also animated for their promotional video; the second soundtrack album presents a reversed version of this design.

Additional cast members include Megan Williams, Martin Vaughan as Shrug Yates, Jane Clifton, Daniel Abineri, George Spartels portraying George's brother Nick, Carmen Tanti, and Michelle Stayner.

Logie Awards

This television series served as a launching pad for David Reyne’s career (earning him the TV Week Logie Award for Best New Talent in Australia in 1985), portraying the confident band member Martin in contrast to the reserved George (Arky Michael).

Episodes

Martin leaves Lone Sharks (led by Mark Edwards of The Runners) and moves into a warehouse with Darrell, an amateur music photographer. Carol moves from Melbourne to Sydney and joins them. George faces difficulties collecting rent for his brother Nick’s Travel Agency. Martin performs Down The Road. Renee Geyer guest stars as a train hostess.
Darrell films a video for the Sweet And Sour theme, encouraging Carol and Martin to form a band while postponing rent payments. Carol sells her designs; Martin avoids employment. George is invited to join as bassist.
The band attends a record executive’s party. Christine breaks into the warehouse, stalks Martin, then wins favor by repairing the keyboard. Darrell continues to steal scenes. Carol composes Sweet & Sour.
Darrell’s 21st birthday marks the band’s first public performance. Christine resumes playing saxophone with assistance from her father Shrug (Martin Vaughan) and officially joins the group. Dave Mason (The Reels) makes a cameo appearance.
Following their debut gig, they celebrate at the beach dancing to Singing In The Shower. George and Nick’s father purchases 4,000 dolls; Martin and Ric raise money through an escapologist act at a mall. Nick’s wife Nina supports George’s musical ambitions.
Martin’s mysterious woman is revealed as his mother seeking reconnection. Ric and George brainstorm ways to sell dolls. George struggles to express feelings toward Christine; they perform Image Of An Angel together.
Darrell secures the band’s first pub gig. George inadvertently invites the entire band plus a Telecom employee to his father’s 65th birthday when asking Christine out. Guest appearances include Robert Hughes and Kirk Pengilly.
Martin begins night cleaning work; the band prepares for their inaugural performance at Garry Owen Hotel featuring Too Hot To Move.
Johnny joins as drummer; Martin quits cleaning duties. Darrell conducts an interview with Ignatius Jones at night in a cemetery. George falls in love; Carol performs No Focus.
Darrell attempts promoting No Focus, discovering its resemblance to Dead Lions’ Psychosis. Carol confronts Leo about alleged song theft but is mistaken. Shrug begins selling supermarket records; Christine performs Glam To Wham while working as a checkout clerk. Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys) guest stars purchasing soap powder. The band is invited to support Dead Lions.
Carol reconnects with Leo. Darrell competes against Dead Lions’ manager Pat Mason (Amanda Muggleton) but fails to prevail. George’s father buys a bus for Sydney night tours; the band struggles supporting Dead Lions on tour. Marc Hunter appears as Pat Mason’s secretary; co-creator Tim Gooding makes an appearance as a postman.
The band desires to end their support role for Dead Lions but is contractually obligated. Leo encourages Carol to join him in the US. George drives the tour bus; Darrell enlists a German rugby team as crowd support during their performance of Good Advice. Carol remains loyal to the band.
Martin grows disillusioned under Charlie's influence (Megan Williams) and her Fairlight synthesizer. Darrell books a $500 demo studio financed by a gig at Pleasant Grove Bowling Club.
Darrell produces documentaries about himself and discovers the Hoons band. Carol feels pressured; Christine feels left out; George encounters computer problems; Martin diverges musically alongside Charlie. They unite for a successful fashion parade performance raising demo funds. Promoter Brian Kawolsky (Robin Stewart) introduces himself.
Plans fall through; Darrell abandons the Hoons to concentrate on videos, leaving the band behind. Martin distances himself from Charlie's music; Shrug quits his record-selling job established by girlfriend Kerry (Michelle Stayner). Martin performs It's A Game.
The band records Sweet And Sour, with Martin finally fully committed. George stops performing and takes over management duties; their gig featuring Moon & Stars succeeds, gaining radio airplay.
Sweet And Sour is pressed and distributed into stores; magazine interviews falter but live performances improve under George's management.
The group navigates challenges related to media exposure and management while producing a video clip and making their late-night television debut.
A trip to Melbourne exposes internal conflicts as reliance on booking agencies results in financial setbacks.
The band's final concert includes performances of Heart Plays Tricks, Singing In The Shower, Hip Romeo, Glam To Wham, and Party On Wheels. Co-creator Johanna Pigott appears dancing along with the music.

Musicians and songwriters

A wide array of artists from Australia and New Zealand played a role in the creation of this television series.

The theme track, "Sweet and Sour", was composed by Sharon O'Neill, who also recorded a version titled "In Control" in 1987 for her album Danced in the Fire. Deborah Conway (Do-Ré-Mi) provided the singing voice for actor Tracy Mann and performed the single "Sweet & Sour," which climbed to #13 on Australia's national singles chart. The song’s lyrics highlight themes of personal empowerment: "Life can be sweet and sour, But I am in control."

Music direction was overseen by Martin Armiger (The Sports, Stephen Cummings Band), who contributed not only backing vocals but also lead guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and songwriting. The Associate Music Director Graham Bidstrup (The Angels, GANGgajang) added backing vocals, keyboards, percussion, and co-wrote lyrics. Stephen O'Rourke assisted as Music Director’s aide, providing backing vocals.

Among the recording musicians and composers were industry stalwarts such as Tommy Emmanuel, Chris Bailey (The Angels, GANGgajang), Eric McCusker (Mondo Rock), Red Symons and "Freddie" Strauks (Skyhooks), Todd Hunter (Dragon, XL Capris), Rick Grossman (Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus), Mark Edwards (The Runners), Tony Buchanan (Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs mk2), and Reg Mombassa (Mental As Anything).

For Sandra Lillingston’s singing parts, Cathy McQuade (Deckchairs Overboard) provided the vocals, while John Clifforth (Deckchairs Overboard) was the singing voice for David Reyne; both Reyne and Herbert also performed backing vocals.

The soundtrack album attained platinum certification by selling over 70,000 units.

The Australian group GANGgajang originated directly as a result of four members’ participation in this production: Chris Bailey, Graham Bidstrup, Mark Callaghan, and Kay Bee.

Several Australian musicians made cameo appearances: The Johnnys performed live in Episode 3; Richard Clapton appeared in Episode 6; Kirk Pengilly of INXS featured in Episode 7; and Chrissie Amphlett from the Divinyls appeared in Episode 8.

Countdown links

As a production of ABC TV, Sweet & Sour naturally connected with Countdown, which included guest appearances by Ian "Molly" Meldrum. The song "Sweet & Sour," with Conway on lead vocals, was showcased on the 12 August 1984 broadcast. The promotional video excluded The Takeaways' 'bass player' George (Arky Michael) but incorporated a juggler, acrobat, and stage magician. That same episode featured performances by O'Neill ("Power") and Stephen Cummings ("Gymnasium"), with Armiger acting as producer, musician, and songwriter.

"Glam To Wham," featuring Conway as lead vocalist and McQuade on backing vocals, aired on 7 October 1984. Members Michael, Lillingston, and Herbert of The Takeaways guest-hosted the program; Herbert referred to Arky Michael as "Spartels." The promo clip showed Lillingston lip-syncing Conway’s vocals; however, within the series itself, McQuade provided Lillingston’s singing voice. McQuade sang lead only on "Digging A Hole" and "On The Street Where You Live." That episode also included Cummings performing "Another Kick to the Head," produced and written by Armiger.

The pilot episode was directed by Grant Rule, Executive Producer of Countdown, filmed in a warehouse located in Pyrmont. It starred Terry Serrio from the Elks and Joy Smithers, later known for her role in Bangkok Hilton. Guitarist Marty Shiel (Juggernaut) contributed musically. Carolyn James, co-producer of the Countdown Awards and credited as LP sleeve researcher, was responsible for selecting and briefing songwriters. Based on guidance from Peter Hall at Rondor Publishing, she negotiated with Jan Chapman a pioneering "No Favoured Nations" contract for ABC drama productions. This contract expanded the music budget and guaranteed ongoing royalties to all songwriters involved, benefiting emerging artists such as David McComb of The Triffids. Graham Thorburn transitioned from producing/directing Countdown to directing four episodes of this series.

New Zealand's TVNZ series Heroes, which premiered on 21 October 1984, portrayed musicians forming a rock band. It consisted of eight episodes in 1984 and six more in 1986, starring actors such as Michael Hurst, Jay Laga'aia, Margaret Umbers, and John Gibson.

Creators, Writers, and Directors

Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott, who were previously part of the Sydney post-punk group XL Capris (active from 1978 to 1982), played a crucial role within the creative team. Dragon's bassist, Todd Hunter, initially produced XL Capris before becoming a member of Dragon. Pigott and Hunter collaborated on writing successful tracks such as "Rain" for Dragon and "Age of Reason" for John Farnham. Additionally, Gooding and Pigott contributed to the scripts of the television series Heartbreak High (with Hunter providing its musical composition) as well as Mortified.

The writing team for Sweet and Sour comprised Gooding, Pigott, Michael Cove, Paul Leadon, David Poltorak, Bert Deling, Forrest Redlich, and Debra Oswald. Direction was handled by Geoffrey Nottage, Riccardo Pellizzeri, Graham Thorburn, Posie Graeme-Evans (also known as Posie Jacobs), and Helena Harris.

Sweet and Sour – TV Soundtrack

The album Sweet and Sour – TV Soundtrack, performed by Takeaways & Various Artists, was released by ABC Records under catalog number L-38159 for vinyl and C38159 for cassette in 1984.
Track listing

"Sweet and Sour" (Sharon O'Neill) – 3:03 Featuring lead vocals by Deborah Conway
"Hip Romeo" (Jennifer Hunter-Brown aka Jennifer Jewel Brown) – 2:21 Lead vocals by Conway
"Moon and the Stars" (William "Billy" Miller (The Ferrets)) – 2:17 Lead vocals by Conway
"Chicken Feed – Part 1" (Lyrics: Tim Gooding, Music: Martin Armiger) – 0:25 Spoken performance by Ric Herbert and Tracy Mann
"Singing in the Shower" (Michael Walker, Glenn Muirhead, John Barnes) (members of Solid Citizens) – 2:43 Lead vocals by Conway
"It's A Game" (Don Walker (Cold Chisel)) – 2:31 Lead vocals by Ian Moss
"Glam to Wham" (O'Neill) – 4:10 Lead vocals by Conway with backing vocals from Cathy McQuade
"Heart Plays Tricks" (Mark Callaghan (Riptides), Kay Bee aka K Bidstrup, G Bidstrup) (all part of GANGgajang) – 2:47 Lead vocals by Conway
"On the Street Where You Live" (David McComb (The Triffids)) – 2:50 Lead vocals by McQuade
"Too Hot to Move" (McComb) – 4:16 Lead vocals by Conway
"Little Boxes" (Lyrics: Oswald, Music: Armiger) – 1:04 Spoken by David Reyne and Megan Williams
"No Worries" (Reg Mombassa (Mental As Anything) under the name Christopher O'Doherty) – 2:20 Lead vocals by Clifforth
"Party On Wheels" (Chris Bailey, Callaghan, G Bidstrup) (all members of GANGgajang) – 2:31 Lead vocals by Clifforth
"Sweet" (Johanna Pigott, Todd Hunter) – 2:50 Lead vocals by Conway

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	4

Sweet and Sour Volume Two – TV Soundtrack

Released in 1984 as ABC RML 53143,
Track listing

"Sweet and Sour Theme Tune" (O'Neill, Armiger) – 0:57 Instrumental track
"No Focus" (Steve Leeson, Sally Ford) (both from the Kevins) – 2:33 Vocals led by Conway
"Crocodile Shoes" (Edwards) – 3:08 Vocals performed by Mark Edwards
"The Kiss" (Bert Deling, Armiger, Gooding) – 1:20 Spoken dialogue featuring Sandra Lillingston and Arky Michael
"Image of an Angel" (Roger Hart-Wells (Little Heroes) aka Roger Wells) – 3:05 Vocals by Clifforth and McQuade
"Down the Road" (Callaghan) – 2:41 Vocals led by Clifforth
"Good Advice" (Eric McCusker) – 2:29 Vocals performed by Conway
"Psychosis" (Symons) – 3:17 Vocals sung by Daniel Abineri
"Popstars and Politicians" (Pigott, Liz Munro aka E Kalkipsakis) – 3:01 Vocals led by Conway
"Digging a Hole" (McComb) – 2:28 Vocals performed by McQuade
"The Rain" (Armiger) – 0:23 Instrumental piece
"Can't Stand Still" (Armiger) – 2:00 Vocals led by Clifforth
"Two of the Boys" (Armiger, Michael Cove, Gooding) – 1:12 Spoken parts delivered by Mann and Lillingston
"I'm a Genius" (Pigott, Hunter, Gooding) – 2:18 Vocals performed by Conway
"Bill Posters" (Armiger) – 1:07 Instrumental track
"Can't Imagine" (Pigott) – 2:39 Vocals led by Conway

Singles

Year	Track	Highest chart ranking
Year	Track	AUS
1984	"Sweet and Sour"	13
	"Glam to Wham"	85
	"No Focus"	–