The Dugites
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Perth, Australia |
| Founder | Lynda Nutter, Peter Crosbie, Gunther Berghoffer, Phillip Bailey, Clarence Bailey |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Dugites were a rock ensemble originating from Perth, Australia, in the late 1970s, recognized for their fusion of power pop, new wave, and electronic music influences. Throughout the early 1980s, they issued three studio albums, featuring popular tracks such as "In Your Car," "Waiting," and "Juno and Me," which received significant radio rotation and appearances on the television program Countdown. The band's name is inspired by the dugite, a venomous snake indigenous to Western Australia.
History
Established in 1978, the initial members comprised Lynda Nutter (lead vocals), Peter Crosbie (keyboards), Gunther Berghoffer (guitar), Phillip Bailey (bass), and Clarence Bailey (drums). They independently financed their debut single in 1979 before securing a contract with Deluxe Records, distributed by RCA. In 1980, Paul Noonan took over bass duties from Phillip Bailey. Their first album, The Dugites, produced by Bob Andrews and released in June 1980, climbed to No. 22 on Australian charts and achieved gold certification after selling 35,000 units. Singles like "In Your Car" (No. 34) and "South Pacific" (No. 90) emerged from this release. The group received nominations at the 1980 Countdown Music Awards for Best New Talent and Most Popular Female (Nutter). Additionally, they served as the opening act for Elton John at Perth Entertainment Centre.
The follow-up album, West of the World, also produced by Andrews and released in July 1981, reached No. 33 on the charts. It featured singles such as "Waiting" (No. 40) and "Part of Me." Midway through 1982, Gunther Berghoffer departed and was succeeded by Andrew Pendlebury (formerly of The Sports). The band released the single "No Money" alongside a mini-album sharing the same title. Subsequently, Pendlebury was replaced by Bob Fallovic on guitar, with Paul Williamson joining on saxophone. By mid-1983, the lineup had contracted to Nutter, Crosbie, Bailey, and Noonan. After performing on Hey Hey It's Saturday, both Bailey and Nutter relocated to Melbourne.
Under Mercury/PolyGram's label, The Dugites launched their third album, Cut The Talking, in April 1984. Singles included the title track "Cut the Talking," "Juno and Me" (which peaked at No. 60), and "It Ain't Like That." For touring purposes, Peter Kaldor (saxophone) and John Crosbie (trombone/trumpet) briefly joined the group. The band ultimately dissolved at the close of 1984.
Members
- Lynda Nutter – vocals, percussion (1978–84)
- Gunther Berghofer – guitar, vocals (1978–83)
- Peter Crosbie – keyboards, vocals (1978–84)
- Clarence Bailey – drums, vocals (1978–84)
- Philip Bailey – bass, vocals (1978–80)
- Paul Noonan – bass, vocals (1980–84)
- Andrew Pendlebury – guitar (1982–83)
- Robert Fallovic – guitar (1983)
- Paul Williamson – saxophone (1983)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| The Dugites |
|
22 |
| West of the World |
|
33 |
| Cut The Talking |
|
45 |
Compilation albums
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| Hisstorical: The Best of the Dugites |
|
| Live At Billboard 1981 |
|
EPs
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| No Money |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Hit Single"/"Bruce" | - |
| 1980 | "In Your Car"/"13 Again" | 34 |
| "Goodbye"/"No God, No Master" | - | |
| "South Pacific"/"Gay Guys" | 90 | |
| 1981 | "Waiting"/"Who Loves You More" | 40 |
| "Part of Me"/"Never Touch" | - | |
| 1982 | "No Money"/"Decide" | - |
| 1983 | "Cut the Talking"/"Michael and Rodney" | 47 |
| 1984 | "Juno and Me"/"Everything Must Change" | 60 |
| "It Ain't Like That"/"All That I Want" | - |
TV Week / Countdown Awards
The Australian pop music television program Countdown, broadcast on ABC-TV from 1974 through 1987, hosted music awards between 1979 and 1987. Initially organized in partnership with TV Week, the TV Week / Countdown Awards combined votes from both the public and industry peers.
|- | rowspan="2" | 1980 | Themselves | Best New Talent | |- | Lynda Nutter (The Dugites) | Most Popular Female | |-