The Rondells

The Rondells were one of the more notable bands on the Australian music scene of the mid-'60s, if only for the fact that three of their members went on to serious careers in music. They first showed up in an important way on record backing <a href="spotify:artist:1SdPw6rN4hkoercuX1Bnm2">Bobby & Laurie</a> (another act from down under) on "I Belong to You," before getting signed to the Go!! label in 1965, for which they cut a pair of singles and an EP. Bernie O'Brien was the leader and did some songwriting when they weren't covering rock & roll standards, and the constantly shifting lineup at one point included Wayne Duncan (bass) and Gary Young (drums) who, at the turn of the decade, became the rhythm section for <a href="spotify:artist:5ht2HGrvbN9eDWJarHsou6">Daddy Cool</a> and, later still, <a href="spotify:artist:063AxhAs6zx8UYdPahb5Gi">Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons</a>. Rondells member Gil Matthews became a member of Max Hamilton & the Impacts, <a href="spotify:artist:5LGUc3bZYz2u8eLWJPzDWz">Levi Smith's Clefs</a>, and the Aztecs, among other bands. One early lineup, in addition to O'Brien, included Denis Tucker (bass), John Sullivan (rhythm guitar), and Dennis Collins (drums). In any incarnation, they were a hard-rocking outfit, surprisingly close in spirit to <a href="spotify:artist:1SQRv42e4PjEYfPhS0Tk9E">the Kinks</a>. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi