The Groove (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Defunct | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music recordings, albums, singles |
The Groove was a Melbourne-based Australian ensemble specializing in R&B and pop, established in early 1967. The lineup consisted of Geoff Bridgford on drums, Jamie Byrne handling bass, Tweed Harris on keyboards, Rod Stone playing guitar, and Peter Williams serving as lead vocalist and guitarist. Their musical approach drew heavily from Stax Soul and 1960s R&B legends such as Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, reflecting Williams' prior vocal experience with Max Merritt & The Meteors.
Their initial success arrived with the track "Simon Says," which climbed to No. 17 on the Go-Set National Top 40 chart in December 1967. After embarking on a nationwide tour, their rendition of Sam Cooke’s "Soothe Me" achieved a peak position of No. 14 in April 1968, coinciding with the launch of their first album, The Groove, distributed by EMI and Columbia Records. In July 1968, the group secured victory in the national finals of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, winning a trip to London as their prize.
Later singles included a cover of Ben E. King's "What Is Soul?" which reached No. 36 nationally, and "You Are the One I Love," which found regional chart success but did not enter the national Top 40. Capitalizing on their competition reward, they moved to the UK in March 1969. There, "Relax Me" made it into the Go-Set Top 40; however, subsequent releases like "The Wind" failed to chart.
In early 1970, the group adopted the name Eureka Stockade and released the single "Sing No Love Songs." They recorded an album for Decca Records that remained unreleased before disbanding in 1971. Tweed Harris succumbed to throat cancer on 13 October 2004 at age 63.
After disbandment
Post-breakup, Harris and Stone toured throughout the UK and Europe supporting Cliff Richard and performed alongside The Echoes backing John Rowles. Stone also accompanied comedians Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise on tour—an acclaimed highlight in his career. Bridgford joined the Bee Gees, replacing Colin Petersen, while Williams collaborated with female vocal trio The Cookies (also managed by Spry) under the name The Spirit of Progress, touring the UK before joining The Mixtures for tours across Europe and Australia.
Beginning in the mid-1970s, Harris pursued work as an arranger and producer within Australia, contributing to artists such as Sherbet (notably "Cassandra" and its album), Daryl Braithwaite, Renee Geyer, Bobby Bright, Kush, and folk musician Lionel Long. He also played as second keyboardist during the reformation of The Groop for their 1988–89 tour and composed scores for television. Later in his career, he created music for TV programs and advertisements both in Australia and Singapore. After being diagnosed with throat cancer in the late 1990s and undergoing surgery, Harris passed away on 13 October 2004 at age 63.
Studio albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Groove |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Soothe Me |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Rankings | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU | |||
| 1967 | "Simon Says" | 16 | The Groove |
| 1968 | "Soothe Me" | 10 | |
| "What Is Soul" | 35 | ||
| "You Are The One That I Love" | 39 | Non-album Single | |
| 1969 | "Relax Me" | 34 | |
| "The Wind" | 82 | ||
| 1970 | "Sing No Love Songs" | - |
Go-Set Pop Poll
Between 1966 and 1972, the yearly Go-Set Pop Poll gathered votes from readers of the youth-focused music publication Go-Set to determine the most favored Australian music acts.
|-
| 1968
| the band
| Best Australian Group
| style="background:tan;"| 3rd place
|-
References
- General
- Note: The archived online version has restricted features.
- Noel McGrath, Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop (Outback Press, Sydney, 1978)
- Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry, Who's Who of Australian Rock (Moonlight Publishing)
- Gavin Ryan's Chart Books
- Specific