The Swingers
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Auckland , New Zealand |
Key people | Phil Judd, Wayne Stevens (Bones Hillman), Mark Hough (Buster Stiggs), Ian Gilroy, Andrew Snoid |
| Products | Albums, Singles |
The Swingers were a rock group from New Zealand active between 1979 and 1982, renowned primarily for their chart-topping track "Counting the Beat".
Background
Originating from former members of the Suburban Reptiles, the initial ensemble featured Split Enz co-founder Phil Judd on guitar and vocals, Wayne Stevens (also known as Bones Hillman) handling bass duties, and Mark Hough (alias Buster Stiggs) on drums. Their 1979 release "One Good Reason" secured a position within New Zealand's top 20 singles. They built a dedicated live audience through a residency at Auckland’s Liberty Stage and were included on the Ripper Records compilation AK79.
In 1980, The Swingers moved their base to Australia, signing with Mushroom Records for releases in that country while maintaining their association with Ripper Records in New Zealand.
Success
After changes in personnel, notably Ian Gilroy taking over drums from Hough, the band issued "Counting the Beat", which achieved number one status on both Australian and New Zealand charts. Their subsequent 1981 single, "It Ain't What You Dance, It's the Way That You Dance It," reached the top five in New Zealand but only climbed to number 43 in Australia. The album Practical Jokers, produced by David Tickle, was released in 1981. Additionally, The Swingers contributed several songs to the soundtrack of the 1982 movie Starstruck, which attained number 13 on Australian music charts.
Breakup
Following additional lineup modifications, including the addition of vocalist Andrew Snoid, The Swingers dissolved in March 1982. Afterwards, Phil Judd embarked on a solo music career.
Albums
| Title | Details | Highest chart rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AUS | ||
| Practical Jokers |
|
2 | 70 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart rankings | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AUS | ||||
| "One Good Reason" | 1979 | 19 | — | non-album single | |
| "Counting the Beat" | 1981 | 1 | 1 | Practical Jokers | |
| "It Ain't What You Dance, It's The Way That You Dance It" | 4 | 43 | |||
| "One Track Mind" | 27 | — | |||
| "Punch and Judy" | 1982 | — | — | non-album single | |
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released. | |||||