Australian Crawl was an Australian surf / pop rock band. The band released four studio albums, three live albums, six compilations, seventeen singles, one extended play, and three video albums. These include releases credited to Australian Crawl, Australian Crawl and James Reyne (but not his solo material), and 'Members of Australian Crawl'. The band was founded by James Reyne (lead vocals/piano), his younger brother David Reyne (drums), Brad Robinson (rhythm guitar), Paul Williams (bass guitar) and Simon Binks (lead guitar) in 1978. David Reyne left in 1979 and was replaced by Bill McDonough (drums, percussion), and in October 1980 the band was joined by his younger brother Guy McDonough (vocals, rhythm guitar). In 1979, Australian Crawl recorded their first single, "Beautiful People", produced by Little River Band's guitarist David Briggs. Briggs helped them gain a recording contract with EMI Records; he also produced their debut album The Boys Light Up in 1980, which peaked at number four on the Australian Kent Music Report album charts and remained on the charts for 101 consecutive weeks from 1981 to 1982. NOTE: Used for Australian singles and albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
The band's second album, Sirocco, was released in 1981 and achieved number one on the albums charts. On the 1981 Australian End of Year Album Charts, Sirocco is number two, behind Double Fantasy by John Lennon and ahead of AC/DC's Back in Black, making it the best-charting album by an Australian act for the year. Their third album, Sons of Beaches, was released in 1982; it also reached number one. Bill McDonough left before they recorded their extended play, Semantics, in 1983, which achieved number one on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Bill McDonough was replaced on drums, temporarily by Graham Bidstrup and permanently by John Watson. Semantics contained the track "Reckless (Don't Be So)", which is described as a number one-single in Music Australia's profile on James Reyne. The live album Phalanx was a stop-gap measure between studio albums; nevertheless, it reached number four on the albums charts during December 1983. In early 1984, the band signed with Geffen Records for international release of their material.
In 1984, the band released the best of their early material as a compilation titled Crawl File, which peaked at number two on the albums charts. Geffen released Semantics, internationally, as a long play album with six newly re-recorded tracks compiled from their first three studio albums. Promotion of the album and the subsequent tour was stalled when Guy McDonough died in June of viral pneumonia. Before Guy's death, he had recorded demos with his brother Bill McDonough, and ex-members of their earlier band, The Flatheads. Bill McDonough assembled the tapes and produced Guy McDonough's posthumous album My Place on Wheatley Records in April 1985. Tracks from these sessions were re-mastered and released on Lost & Found in 1996, credited under the 'Members of Australian Crawl' name. Meanwhile, remaining Australian Crawl members had recorded their fourth studio album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which was released in 1985 and achieved number 11 on the albums charts. This was followed by the announcement that they would disband after another tour. The live album, The Final Wave recorded their performance on 27 January 1986; it was released in October and peaked at number 16 on the albums charts.
Australian Crawl were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame on 30 September 1996. Two weeks later, on 13 October 1996, Robinson died of lymphoma. After Lost & Found, another compilation was released, More Wharf: Their Greatest Hits in 1998. This was followed by the compilation Reckless: 1979–1995, released in 2000 and credited to Australian Crawl and James Reyne. This was followed by the compilation Australian Crawl and James Reyne: The Definitive Collection, released in 2002.
Albums Studio albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chartpositions CertificationsAUSNZ The Boys Light Up Released: April 1980 Label: EMI (EMX102) Format: LP 4 14 ARIA: 4× Platinum Sirocco Released: July 1981 Label: EMI (EMX108) Format: LP 1 — ARIA: 4× Platinum Sons of Beaches Released: July 1982 Label: EMI (EMI 3423) Format: LP 1 29 ARIA: 2× Platinum Between a Rock and a Hard Place Released: July 1985 Label: EMI, Freestyle (SFL1-0134) Format: LP 11 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart and/or did not receive certification.
Live albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chartpositionsAUS NOTE: Information supplied by ARIA shows that Australian Crawl has no Top 50 charting albums or singles since they started their charts in mid-1988.NZ Phalanx Released: December 1983 Label: EMI (EMI P-4000) Format: LP 4 13The Final Wave Released: September 1986 Label: EMI, Freestyle (SFL1-0142) Format: LP 16 —Live at Billboard 1981 Released: 1 July 2020 Label: Australian Crawl, Black Box, MGM Distribution Format: CD (limited), DD, streaming — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Compilation albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chartpositions CertificationsAUSSemantics Released: 1983 Label: Geffen (GHS 4028) Format: LP Crawl File Released: November 1984 Label: EMI (EMC245) Format: CD, LP 2Lost & Found Released: 1996 Label: EMI, Global (GRCD 0001) Format: CD —More Wharf: Greatest Hits Released: 16 October 1998 Label: Virgin, EMI (EMI 4973272) Format: CD —Reckless: 1979–1995 Released: 26 May 2000 Label: EMI, Raven (RVCD-83) Format: CD —The Definitive Collection Released: 14 October 2002 Label: EMI (5423512) Format: 2CD —The Greatest Hits Released: 24 January 2014 Label: Universal (3766933) Format: CD 4 ARIA: Platinum "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Video albums +List of video albums, with selected details Title Video details The Crawl Video File Released: 1985 Label: EMI Format: VHS More Wharf: Their Greatest Video Hits Released: 9 November 1998 Label: EMI 152302 (EMIVIDEO) Format: VHS Australian Crawl and James Reyne: The Definitive Collection Released: May 2004 Label: EMI 724359 9292 9 3 Format: 2DVD
Extended plays + List of EPs, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chartpositions CertificationsAUSSemantics Released: 10 October 1983 Label: EMI (BUG-3) Format: 12" vinyl 1 ARIA: Gold
Singles +List of singles, with selected chart positionsYearTitlePeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbumAUSNZ1979"Beautiful People" 22 —The Boys Light Up1980"The Boys Light Up" 22 — RMNZ: 2× Platinum"Downhearted" 12 25 RMNZ: Gold1981"Things Don't Seem" 11 —Sirocco"Errol" 18 —"Oh No Not You Again" 58 — RMNZ: Gold1982"Shut Down" 17 —Sons of Beaches"Daughters of the Northern Coast" 76 —"Runaway Girls" 88 —1983"Reckless (Don't Be So)" 1 8 RMNZ: 2× PlatinumSemantics EP1984"Louie Louie" 81 —Phalanx"Unpublished Critics" — —Crawl File1985"Two Can Play" 44 —Between a Rock and a Hard Place"If This Is Love" 87 —"Trouble Spot Rock" 69 —1986"Two Hearts" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Other appearances Year Song contributed Album1982"Six Days on the Road" (Dave Dudley cover)Rocking Australia Live"Unpublished Critics" (live version)Rocking Australia Live
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