Broderick Smith (17 February 1948 – 30 April 2023) was an English-born Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and sometime actor.[1][2] He was a member of 1970s bands Sundown, Carson, and The Dingoes. In the 1980s, he was part of Broderick Smith's Big Combo where he recorded and performed both solos and duos. He acted on stage in the 1973 Australian version of the rock opera, Tommy, and in minor roles in the 1990s TV series Blue Heelers, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, and State Coroner. Smith was involved with the writing of some 200 songs and ran workshops on song writing, harmonica, and vocals. He was the father of Ambrose Kenny-Smith, who has provided vocals, harmonica and keyboards for the rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard since 2011.
Broderick Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 February 1948 Hertfordshire, England |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 30 April 2023 (aged 75) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1962–2023 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of |
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| Website | brodericksmith |
Early life and education
editBroderick Smith was born in Hertfordshire, England and, with his father Richard, mother Millicent (née Stone) and a younger sibling, migrated to Australia in April 1959 via RMS Orion out of the Port of Tilbury.[3][4] They settled under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme,[3] initially, in St Albans a western suburb of Melbourne.[5] He later recalled, "I remember going to [a] sideshow in St Albans as a kid and seeing a dancing chicken. But I didn't know they were on hot plates at the time. I thought wow – dancing chickens, why are their feet smoking?"[6] He left secondary school in 1963 and worked as a messenger boy. From 1965, he was a sales clerk for Allans retail music store for three years.[5] In the mid-1960s, he moved to Craigieburn and later the Central Victorian town of Castlemaine.
Starting music career
editAccording to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "blessed with a masterful blues voice, Smith has retained an interest in roots music right throughout his career."[7] Smith's early influences were, "Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Charlie Musselwhite."[7] In 1962 or 1963 Smith was a member of the Maltese Band on percussion.[5][8] Other blues groups he joined included the Smokey Hollows in 1965.[8] He joined Adderley Smith Blues Band (1966–68) on vocals and harmonica, alongside Kerryn Tolhurst on guitar and mandolin.[8] Smith had to leave the group when he was conscripted into the army as part of his National Service during the Vietnam War.[7][9] From 1968 to 1970, he was stationed at Holsworthy Barracks in New South Wales.[5][7][9] Upon his discharge, Smith briefly joined a country music group, Sundown, with Tolhurst, but left in 1971.[5][7][8]
1971–1973: Carson
editCarson formed in January 1970 and was a blues-boogie band influenced by US group Canned Heat. During 1971, Smith replaced founder John Capek, providing vocals and harmonica.[10] Other members included Greg Lawrie (guitar, slide guitar), Ian Ferguson (bass, vocals), Tony Lunt (drums) and Ian Winter (guitar).[10] After they released a single "Travelling South" / "Moonshine" in August 1971, Ferguson left to be replaced successively by Barry Sullivan and Garry Clarke. Mal Logan (keyboards) joined later that year.[10] Carson performed at the first Sunbury Rock Festival in January 1972. The following Easter, they played a legendary set at the Mulwala Pop Festival, alongside Canned Heat.[5] Smith spent part of 1972 recording two solo singles: "Goin' on Down to the End of the World", released in May 1972, and "Yesterday it Rained", released in February 1973 on the Image label.[11][deprecated source] He also kept up with Carson to record "Boogie, Part 1" / "Boogie, Part 2", which reached No. 30 on the National charts in September 1972.[10] That was followed by their debut album, Blown, on Harvest Records, produced by Rod Coe, which reached No. 14 in December.[10]
Australian psychedelic and progressive rock band Tamam Shud were recording tracks for Albie Falzon's 1972 surf film Morning of the Earth, including their song "First Things First".[10] Their main lead singer, Lindsay Bjerre, was having voice problems so they recorded the song using lead guitarist Tim Gaze. Producer G. Wayne Thomas was unhappy with Gaze's vocals and asked Smith to fill in. According to Bjerre, Tamam Shud only found out about the switch at the film's premiere, but according to Smith, his contribution was made with Tamam Shud's knowledge and permission.[10][12]
Carson performed at the 1973 Sunbury Rock Festival, on the Australia Day long weekend.[5] Band members Winter and Ferguson left soon after and, by February, Carson had disbanded.[10] A live recording of their Sunbury set, On the Air was released in April 1973.[10]
1973–1978: Tommy to the Dingoes
editThe Who's rock opera Tommy was performed in Australia in 1973, in an orchestral version, with Smith in the role of The Father (Mr Walker).[5][13] Other Australian artists involved were Daryl Braithwaite (as Tommy), Billy Thorpe, Doug Parkinson, Wendy Saddington, Jim Keays, Colleen Hewett, Linda George, Ross Wilson, Bobby Bright, and Ian Meldrum (as "Uncle Ernie" in Sydney).[13]
The Dingoes were formed in Melbourne in April 1973 by Smith's old band mate, Kerryn Tolhurst.[10][14] The original line-up included Tolhurst (ex-Adderley Smith Blues Band, Sundown, Country Radio) (singer, songwriter, guitars), Chris Stockley (ex-CamPact, Axiom) (guitars), John Strangio (bass), John Lee (ex-Blackfeather (drums)) and Smith (vocals, harmonica).[5][8][10][14] The band was formed to fuse rhythm and blues with Australian bush music but it was generally described as country rock.[5][10][14] Their best performed singles were "Way Out West" and "Boy on the Run". Their 1974 debut self-titled album, The Dingoes, peaked at No. 18.[10] They performed at Sunbury Rock Festivals in 1974 and 1975, making Smith one of the few artists who performed at all four Sunbury festivals.[5] From 1976, the Dingoes relocated to US for their next two albums, Five Times the Sun in 1977 and Orphans of the Storm in 1979. While recording the latter album their management team, headed by Peter Rudge, had been devastated when some members of fellow-signing Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash in October 1977. The Dingoes finally split in February 1979.[10][14] Smith had already returned to Australia in late 1978.[5]
1979–1988: Big Combo and others
editAfter his 1978 return to Australia, Smith fronted various bands with his name featured: Broderick Smith's Hired Hands (1978–1979), Broderick Smith's Big Combo (1979–1982), Broderick Smith Band (1982–1985), and Broderick Smith and the Noveltones (1988). Of those, Big Combo provided his best known latter releases, with the singles "Faded Roses" and "My Father's Hands", and the 1981 album Broderick Smith's Big Combo.[5][8] The line-up of his backing group included, John Ballard on guitar, saxophone and backing vocals, Peter Lee on drums, Mick "the Reverend" O'Connor on keyboards, and Ron Robertson on bass guitar.[8] By October 1982, those four were all members of Tinsley Waterhouse Band.[8]
1990–2023: Acting, workshops and duos
editSmith appeared in brief television roles including episodes of police drama Blue Heelers in 1994's "Adverse Possession"[15] and 1997's "Bloodstained Angels";[16] 1998's historical drama Snowy River: The McGregor Saga episode "Prince of Hearts"[17] and crime drama State Coroner episode "On Thin Ice".[14][18][19]
Smith delivered numerous workshops on song writing, harmonica and vocals to schools within Victoria,[5] writing about 200 songs, and has run workshops on song writing, harmonica and vocals.[20][21] He considered himself to be primarily a lyricist. His song writing technique typically involves writing the lyrics in prose form, with the music then being written (usually by someone else), with the lyrics then changed to suit the music.[20] Smith believed "lyrics should say something and not just be something to sing along to."[20] Smith performed as a duo with Mick Ahearn (keyboards) in the late 1990s[14] and produced other recording artists at Harcourt Valley Recorders.[20] He also performed with Mick O'Connor on piano in the early 2000s, sometimes they added Pip Avent on tuba and Tim O'Connor on drums, with this line-up Smith recorded Too Easy in 2002.[20] He played harmonica with the Backsliders, alternating with Ian Collard (of Collard Greens & Gravy) as a replacement for founding member Jim Conway, performed live on RocKwiz Episode 74 in January 2009 singing "God May Not Be With Us" and a Duet of the MGMT song "Time to Pretend" with Patience Hodgson from the Grates, performed with Tabasco Tom and Doc White, an American blues vocalist, singer songwriter and a Victorian blues and country musician.[22] Participating in several tours around Australia and one in New Zealand in the late 2000s. He also performed on their album, Tabasco Tom & Doc White, and Smith wrote and narrated the text for the album Eyes Like the Sky by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released in 2013 and featuring his son Ambrose on harmonica.
Death
editSmith died on 30 April 2023, at the age of 75 in his hometown of Castlemaine.[23][24]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [25] | ||
| Broderick Smith's Big Combo (Broderick Smith's Big Combo) |
23 | |
| Broderick Smith |
|
— |
| Suitcase | — | |
| My Shiralee[26] |
|
— |
| Songster |
|
— |
| Crayon Angels |
|
— |
| Too Easy |
|
— |
| Unknown Country |
|
— |
| Man Out of Time |
|
— |
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Journal – The Best of Broderick Smith |
|
Other albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [27] | ||
| Eyes Like the Sky (by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard) |
|
10 |
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [25] | |||
| Credited as Broderick Smith | |||
| "Goin' On Down to the End of the World" | 1972 | 51 | Non-album single |
| Credited as Broderick Smith's Big Combo | |||
| "Faded Roses" | 1981 | 31 | Broderick Smith's Big Combo |
| "My Father's Hands" | 56 | ||
| "High Rise" | 1982 | — | |
| "Ruby in the Snow" | 99 | ||
| Credited as Broderick Smith | |||
| "Vision of You" | 1983 | — | Broderick Smith |
| "When I Swim" | 1984 | — | |
| "Here Comes Trouble" | — | ||
| "Leah" | 1985 | — | |
| "Snowblind Moon" | 1992 | — | Suitcase |
| "Battler's Ballad" (with The Bushwackers) |
1996 | — | Non-album single |
| "I Still Miss Someone" | 1997 | — | Crayon Angels |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Broderick Smith". Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
The minstrel has passed. Broderick Smith died peacefully at home aged 75. Sincere condolences to family and friends. Go well Brod. (The Web Mister 30 April 2023)
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2300. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b "Item details for: A1877, 15/04/1959 Orion Smith R J". National Archive of Australia. 22 July 2004. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Broderick Smith | Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2015. Note: User may have to click on a tab, e.g. "Credits", to access further information.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Broderick Smith biography". Entertain Oz. Archived from the original on 20 September 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
- ^ Dawson, Dave (20 September 2009). "Dave's Diary – Broderick Smith CD Review". Nu Country. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via Trove (National Library of Australia).
- ^ a b c d e McFarlane, Ian (31 March 2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Broderick Smith'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press (published 2017). pp. 440–441. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Broderick Smith and related entries at Australian Rock Database:
- Broderick Smith: Holmgren, Magnus. "Broderick Smith". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- Carson (1971–73, 1993): Holmgren, Magnus. "Carson". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- The Dingoes (1973–79, 2009–13): Holmgren, Magnus. "The Dingoes". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ a b Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian "Molly" (2007). "Joe Camilleri – A life in Music". Molly Meldrum Presents 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 192–201. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2020. Note: The book's authors, Jenkins and Meldrum, acknowledge the chapter is written by Camilleri. The on-line version is from Camilleri's Official website, a mirror copy was available at "The Black Sorrows Official Website" on20 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Carson". Milesago. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
- ^ "Rate Your Music entry on Broderick Smith". rateyourmusic.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
- ^ "Tamam Shud". Milesago. Archived from the original on 24 June 2003. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
- ^ a b "Tommy Australian concert production 1973". Milesago. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Dingoes". Milesago. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
- ^ "Blue Heelers episode guide season 1". Australian television information archive. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Blue Heelers episode guide season 4". Australian television information archive. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga episode guide season 4". TV.com. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "State Coroner episode guide season 2". Australian television information archive. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ "Broderick Smith". TV.com. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Broderick Smith webpage (obsolete: archive copy)". labyrinth.net.au. 2004. Archived from the original on 9 June 2004. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
- ^ Cox, Tim (31 May 2004). "Legendary Oz muso Broderick Smith". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 31 August 2005. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
- ^ "Australian Blues Music Festival – Tabasco Tom & Doc White". Australianbluesmusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (1 May 2023). "Vale Broderick Smith at 75". Noise11. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ Varvaris, Mary. "Aus Music Legend Broderick Smith Of Carson & The Dingoes Passes Away". themusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 278. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 12 November 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
