State of Mind / Schoolgirl
Release date: August 1984
Hipslingers formed in late 1983 at the BHP Steelworks in Newcastle, when three metallurgists, John Di Gravio, David Brett and Stuart St Hill decided to make music with an insurance seller Tom Masi. The first song they ever worked on was Them's "I can only give you everything", being recorded on a four track. After a few of these recordings they came under the attention on Sydney Decade Records Chief Peter Montford, who declared they should record a single. The songs chosen were State of Mind and Schoolgirl, the old unrecorded Mansons classic. Listen for the doorslam at the end of the recording, Montford slammed it so hard it blew the desk.
Heavenly Blue / Wilderness
Release date: August 1985
Recorded in the early hours of the new year 1985 in Paradise Studios in Sydney, this single marked a momentous time for the young band. It felt like a shining star was beginning to rise, the feeling captured by a great riff and thundering drums. "Heavenly Blue" was written in the dark room on the BHP Steelmaking Plant in Newcastle. The magical "Wilderness" being largely composedby David Brett with some chorus work by John Di Gravio. The single was very succesful on the Sydney music charts hitting the top ten.
Pilgrim B/W Chimes
Release Date: January 1987
The bassline to Pilgrim came as Di Gravio was walking across traintracks at BHP Steelworks for an Afternoon Shift at Steelmaking. The song completed as he gazed at the 200 ton furnace bellowing away in spectacular fashion. This single marked an exit point for the band from their comfortable 60s pop niche into more unfamiliar ground. With only minimal guitar and trumpet, the main features became the rhythm section of Darren Rowe and Nick Cecire, with a voice telling the tale of a futile quest. The lyrics were in part inspired by H.P. Lovecraft allusions to the Necronomicon; a fictitious magical work. The cover being an alchemical engraving chosen at random from Daniel Stolcius' Viridarium Chymicum, or The Pleasure Garden of Chymistry, 1624.
Panoramic LP
Moof -Working Title LP
Release Date: Never Released
The Hipslingers went in
to Kings lane to record a single with Brian Hall and came out with another
album of songs. This was to be the follow-up to "Panoramic", but negotiations
with Mushroom Records and then Rooart Records intervened, unfortunately the
recordings were never made into an album and so to this day remain unreleased.
The album began with "Lazy" which was a sort odd dixie land meets the Bonzo
Dog Doo Dah band dittie. "The Brink" followed which later emerged as one of
the live recordings on "Miracle on Bull Street" cassette. The weird "Turtle"
with its sublime duty, the lamentation "Whisper" with shimmering curtain guitar,
stepping bass by Rowe and masterful drumming by Cecire was an incantation
to better times. "U" was another which resurfaced as a live recording at the
Oriental Hotel in Cooks Hill for the "Miracle on Bull Street" and featured
the mandolin of Catherine Irwin. "Tracy Paint the Picture", a song about old
girlfriends, "Never the Twain" would later be remixed and trombone added for
the 1989 single which also included a remixed version of "What's the Matter".
"Summer of Love" and "Sex" explored the passions, "The Point" a funk thing
ending with the classic "Music To My Ears" which must be heard.
Miracle on Bull Street
Release Date: July 1989
In 1989 the Hipslingers began a regular set of Friday night gigs at the local Oriental Hotel in Cooks Hill in Newcastle. Turning into an era in itself this period was remembered by wonderful nights at the Oriental Hotel, drinking with a free bar until one was totally legless and performing like there was no tomorrow. The "regulars" like Bob who had originally hated the intrusion of these "poofters" in their pub, eventually softened. I can remember Bob coming up to me one night after he had helped load the gear onto the stage saying "I like Running Bear". Local Radio Station 2NURFM announced that a live recording should be made under the engineering skill of Robert "Barb" Taylor. The highlights of the gigs were the audience input, the playing of xylophones on "Fred the Leper", the fact that every gig was a unique experience
What's the Matter / Never the
Twain
Release Date: ca1989
All 500 copies of this single contained silk screened covers, every one an original. The cottage industry of record making was alive and well during this period. With help from their touring companions the Sitting Ducks (later to be The Madding Crowd) and artwork from Catherine Kavanagh the Slingers made the covers in Di Gravio's garage with working bees going late into the night. The songs were recorded earlier at the "Pulse-Moof" sessions at Kings Lane in 1987 in Sydney. "Moof" was to be the follow up to the Hipslingers' album "Panoramic" , but was never released as Rooart didn't deem it commercially viable. The two songs were later remixed with Greg Atkinson (from the Ups and Downs, now with Big Heavy Stuff), trombones added and off it went into the wide world.
Miracle in Monkerai - Cassette LP
Release Date: August 1990
Legend has it that only 15 copies of this cassette were ever made, you can't get any rarer than that. Consisting of the Monkerai demos that spawned the "Life was meant to enjoy" single.
Life was meant to
enjoy?/ Circle the moon
Release date: June 1991
This single was recorded under a full moon in the country. The small hamlet of Monkerai, just outside Dungog, played host to the Hipslingers as they recorded 57 demos in the night air. The music could be heard throughout the valley systems, the effect being an attempt at capturing a connection with the Australian bush. The dew upon the trees in the morning glistened, as the inhabitants were treated to 3 days of music. This single was made by Stuart and Malcom St Hill who believed that a single should herald the release of "Somnium" which was to be the Hipslingers final released album of songs. The jigsaw puzzle added an interesting touch putting life's jigsaw together.
Somnium
Release Date: November 1991
Somnium was the last release of the Hipslingers. A loss of hope had set in and ate to the very core. A very successful enterprise after Triple J placed "Love will Remain" on high rotation and featured the band on its famous "Live at the Wireless" spot. The Hipslingers played their last show at the Cambridge Hotel in early 1992 after producing a body of work which they could be proud to say pushed all of the boundaries hitherto reached by any band in this country. Oblivion was the price paid for musical integrity and the quest for the unique pigeonhole.
Simple/ St Germain
Release Date: Never Released
The Hipslingers final single never saw light of day as product. "Simple" was based on a dream while "St Germain" was based on the mysterious historical personage of the same name. Both tunes featured the hauntingly beautiful horn work of Stuart St Hill and Garry Kosky.
Hipslingers were:
John Di Gravio Vocals, guitar,keyboards and songwriter 1982-1992
Stuart St Hill Trumpets and Backing Vocals 1982-1992
Nick Cecire Drums, Percussion 1984-1992
Kyri Frame Bass Guitar 1988-1992
Garry Kosky Trombone 1988-1992
Michael "Hooly" Thompson Bass Guitar 1988
David Brett Bass Guitar 1982-1985
Darren Rowe Bass Guitar 1985-1987
Frank Rosetti Drums 1983-1984
Tom Masi Drums 1982-1983
A sincere thanks go to:
Karin Catt Artist and Photographer
Catherine Kavanagh Artist
Peter Montford Decade Records Chief 1982-1986
Robert "Barb" Taylor Sound Engineer, Video Producer
2NURFM
Triple J
and the countless thousands of helpers,
thankyou thankyou thankyou.
Copyright 1999 Gionni Di Gravio