Ups and Downs (band)
| Company type | Pop group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 in Brisbane, Australia |
| Founder | Greg Atkinson, Darren Atkinson, John Flade |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Ups and Downs is a pop group from Australia, recognized primarily for their track "The Living Kind", which received a nomination for the ARIA Award for Best New Talent at the ARIA Music Awards of 1987.
1983–1990
The band originated in Brisbane in 1983, founded by siblings Greg and Darren Atkinson alongside John Flade. Shortly thereafter, Peter Shaw joined the lineup. After issuing two singles under the Basketcase label in 1984, they moved to Sydney where they developed a dedicated cult audience.
In 1986, "The Living Kind" was released through True Tone, leading to an ARIA Award nomination at the 1987 awards. Keyboardist Trevor O'Neil became part of the group in 1987, coinciding with their signing to Mushroom Records. Their first full-length album, Underneath the Watchful Eye, was launched in 1988. Following Flade’s exit in 1989, the band put out one last EP before dissolving in 1990.
2007–present
The Ups and Downs regrouped in 2007 to perform at occasions such as Pig City, which honored Brisbane's music scene, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of radio station 4ZZZ. Another reunion occurred in 2011 with several live performances and the release of a compilation titled Out of the Darkness: Sleepless, Singles & Other Stories.
In 2017, with Alex Ronayne on bass, they released The Sky's In Love With You through Basketcase Records. By September 2019, they participated in the Shake Yer Popboomerang Volume 3 compilation by covering The Hummingbirds' "Two Weeks With a Good Man in Niagara Falls" and re-recorded their track "Ups and Downs," originally featured on their 1983 cassette Darling It's Wonderful.
Members
- Darren Atkinson – drums, vocals
- Greg Atkinson – bass guitar, vocals
- John Flade – guitar
- Trevor O'Neil – keyboards
- Peter Shaw – guitar
- Alex Ronayne – bass guitar
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Sleepless |
|
84 |
| Underneath the Watchful Eye |
|
75 |
| The Sky's in Love With You |
|
- |
Compilation albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Anthology |
|
| Out of the Darkness (Sleepless, Singles & Other Stories) |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Darling It's Wonderful |
|
| Rash |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Darling It's Wonderful" | 1983 | — | Darling It's Wonderful |
| "Living Inside My Head" | 1984 | — | non album single |
| "Perfect Crime" | 1985 | — | non album single |
| "In the Shadows" | 1986 | — | non album single |
| "The Living Kind" | 75 | Sleepless | |
| "Lit by the Fuse" | 1988 | 94 | Underneath the Watchful Eye |
| "Moments Away" | — | ||
| "Untie Ian" | 1991 | — | non album single |
| "True Love Waste" | 2017 | — | The Sky's in Love with You |
| "Disco in My Head" | 2018 | — | |
| "Some Sleep" | — | ||
| "The Real World" | 2019 | — | non album single |
ARIA Music Awards
Since 1987, the ARIA Music Awards have annually celebrated outstanding achievement and creativity across all styles of Australian music.
|-
| 1987
| the band
| Best New Talent
|
Countdown Australian Music Awards
From 1974 to 1987, Countdown, an Australian pop music television program broadcast on ABC-TV, hosted music awards between 1979 and 1987. The TV Week / Countdown Awards featured categories voted on by both the public and industry professionals.
|-
| 1986
| the band
| Most Promising New Talent
|
|-