In 1964 RCA records started production of 45 rpms in Oz. One of their first local hits was "Kahuna" by the Cronulla instrumental group The Renegades, produced by Johnny Devlin and recorded at AWA's 3-track studio in central Sydney. It reached #8 in Sydney in January.The group's first 7" outing was an attempt at the popular "Limbo Rock" backed by "Wonderful Land" in 1963. "Wonderful Land" being a copy of the hit recorded by The Shadows.
The Renegades were in residency 1963-4 at the Cronulla Surf Club. They continued up to about 1966 as a group but had little chart success even with a change of labels.
Singles:
1963 Limbo Rock / Wonderful Land (Prestolympic)
1964 Kahuna / Hot Sands (RCA 101539)
1966 Cadillac / Do The Shake (Festival FK-1329)
Download "Kahuna" and enjoy another surf rock OZ oldie:
http://rapidshare.com/files/203558799/The_Renegades_-_Kahuna.mp3
ALSO SOME VISION AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ois9wgw_o
Hi Tom. You do great work here!
ReplyDeleteThe Renegades actually changed their name to "the Charades" in 1964. The 3rd entry is a different band.
Hoping you can re-post this or contact me. (My dad was in the band and I'm trying to track this down!)
Cheers
Hi mate my name is Bob hunt see my post below I would like to know about your dad, was it Trevor i believe he had a son,maybe I can help you, it was such a long time ago, but I got a contact for Peter today and will follow that up tonight Cheers
DeleteHi Tom, Yes, you do great work but there are a few things that need correcting. I was an original member of The Renegades until early 1964 & we, Peter, Ken, Dez, Trevor & myself ran a successful dance every Friday night at Collaroy Surf club from 1961 during which practically every Australian singer appeared as a guest artist. We held the record for the longest running dance date in Sydney but also helped to promote Australian talent, the Delltones, Robbie G, Peter Allen, Lucky Starr to name a few.We were NOT a Cronulla instrumental group!!
ReplyDelete"Kahuna" was our one & only single hit & was written by Peter(with a little bit of help from his friends) but "Hot Sands" was my composition.
The day we recorded "Kahuna" at AWA we spent some hours getting it down & were left with less than an hour to do the B side. Fortunately I had an instrumental (later to be named by me as "Hot Sands") which we successfully recorded. Peter got or took the credit for this B side, I'm not complaining just setting the record straight.
Unfortunately early in 1964 Ken & I decided to leave the others of the band due to separate marriage commitments whilst the others added 2 new guitarists, named their band the Charades & toured S.E. Asia.
I'm proud of what we achieved over the time we were together & I hope Peter, Dez, Trevor & their families are well & enjoying life.
HI Tom,So glad I found your site, yes Lex is certainly correct, I joined Des Thomson as a cabaret performer in 1969 first we retained the name of Charades but then changed it to the Jokers in 1970, we did spot work for about 15 years, but stayed like brothers for life, I had a reunion with his ex wife and two sons at Des's Funeral 3 years ago I did the Eulogy which was sad but funny, cause des was the funniest man I ever knew and he’d like it that way, he had developed diabetes and all his organs let him down at age 64,
DeleteWe had great times and fantastic memories of music and comedy
I had grown up at Narrabeen on the Northern beaches, sang quite a few times with the renegades I remember Lex but knew peter quite well, Des and I dropped in to see him near Taree whilst on a country road trip, I have a few photo's of The Jokers on FB if you or lex are keen Kindest Regards Bob Hunt
Hi Tom, wonderful effort, and certainly interesting to see the subsequent comments and corrections. Unfortunately over time, the facts are sometimes entwined with fiction, and history rewritten. As a foundation member of both the "Renegades" and "Charades", please allow me to correct some of the myths that appear to have developed. I totally agree with the first paragraph of Lex's comment, but am somewhat surprised and would have to disagree with the bulk of what followed.
ReplyDeleteThe accepted practice is that whoever provides the melody line and chords for a tune is always recognised as the composer and not a singer or instrumentalist who subsequently may record or perform the song. For the record, I provided those for both "Kahuna" and "Hot Sands" and was accredited on the label. This has never been disputed by anyone before and it is really disappointing and somewhat puzzling as to the motive for doing so now?
I played the steel guitar melody line on "Kahuna" and Lex played the guitar melody line on "Hot Sands". The whole group was correctly accredited for that effort as is normal practice, and not just those who happened to play the lead instrument.
When Ken and Lex left the group they summarily registered the band name, leaving Des. Trevor and myself no alternative but to adopt a new band name. RCA stood by us however and as the "Charades" with two new guitarists, Murray Chenery and Paul Baker, we recorded several more singles.
The follow up song to "Kahuna" was "The Lonely Beach”, and again it should be noted that while I played the melody line on steel guitar, it was Johnny Devlin who provided the melody line and the chords for that song and accordingly, he was recognised on the label as he should be.
I'm really sorry to hear Des is no longer with us, but he has certainly provided us all with many fond memories. I hope all the rest of my old friends and their families are doing well as we enjoy our twilight years.
Personally I am still actively involved in lobbying for a just and more equitable outcome for parents and children in Family Law, and recorded my last music album in 2006, dedicated to their plight. This is now available for free download here at the following link.
http://www.dadsontheair.com.au/ourstolenchildren/
Warm regards
Peter van de Voorde
Interpaal Productions
www.interpaal.com
Hello Tom, My name is Ken Morrison and together with Robyn Sheedy, as teenagers we decided to form a Rock'n'Roll band in 1958 after we saw Coll Joye and the Joyboys at the Odeon Theatre in Manly. We were just kids and decided we would call it "The Renegades". We joined up with Lex Cowie, Desi Thompson and Peter Van de Voorde and started our practice sessions in a garage under my now wife's home in Headland Road, Dee Why. The first song we learned was Forty Miles of Bad Road by Duane Eddy. Our first gig was a tennis club dance at DY beach. After Robyn died at a very young age from leukaemia, Trevor Miller joined the band as bass player.
Delete"The Renegades" played at various surf clubs and venues mostly on Sydney's northern beaches and ran a very well attended surf club dance at Collaroy Surf Club every Friday night for many years with guest artists including the Bee Gees, who were little boys in checked waistcoats whose dad brought them and packed them and their gear into an old station wagon. Peter Allen, the original Delltones, Judy Stone, Lucky Starr, etc.
After Kahuna became quite a successful hit, Peter, Dez and Trevor decided that they wanted to join a cruise ship playing in the band but Lex and I were married and did not want to leave our day jobs.
Peter, Desi and Trevor called their group "The Charades" and pursued their dream.
Lex and I recruited three new members, Derek Bates (Bass), John Twentyman (drums) and Paul Schneider (sax) and continued playing as "The Renegades" for a total of about ten years at Collaroy. (Never Cronulla).
We old fellas are still alive and rocking and I believe it's about time I organised a reunion?