The Party Boys
About
Ex-Mondo Rock member Paul Christie formed Party Boys in 1982 as an occasional “supergroup” consisting of some of Australia’s finest musicians. The concept was that Christie would employ players (all of whom had other commitments) when the need arose, and that the set they played would consist entirely of cover versions.
By 1987, the band had released four live albums (and a Best Of collection), with Live At Several 21sts (1983) making the national Top 10. The band finally entered the recording studio in 1987 to put down a cover version of John Kongas’ 1971 hit He’s Gonna Step On You Again, which reached Number One.
From Nostalgia Central
History
Lead vocalists for the Party Boys have included some of Australia’s best known performers; Australian Crawl’s James Reyne (1982 – 1983), Richard Clapton (1983), Shirley Strachan (1983 – 1984), Marc Hunter (1984 – 1985), Angry Anderson (1986) and John ‘Swanee’ Swan (1987).
From Nostalgia Central
Members
- Paul Christie – Bass, Drums
- James Reyne – Vocals – 1983
- Kevin Borich – Guitar – 1983-92
- Harvey James Guitar, Vocals – 1983
- Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup – Drums – 1983-84
- Richard Clapton – Guitar and Vocals – 1983
- Rob Riley – Guitar – 1984
- Matthew Wenban – Drums – 1984
- Shirley Strachan – Vocals – 1984
- Joe Walsh(US) – Guitar – 1984, 89
- Richard Harvey – Drums 1984-88
- Angry Anderson – Vocals – 1986
- John Brewster – Guitar – 1986, 87, 92
- Alan Lancaster – Bass – 1986, 87, 92
- John Swan – Vocals – 1987, 92
- Graham Bonnett – Vocals
- Calvin Welch – Drums – 1989
- Hamish Angus – Guitar – 1989
- Fergus Richardson – Key, Vocals -1989
- Eric Burdon(UK) – Vocals – 1989
- Malcolm Eastick – Guitar – 1989
- Mal Logan -Keys – 1989
- Warren McLean – Drums -1989
- Ross Wilson – Vocals
- Don Raffaele – Sax – 1983
- Stuart Fraser – Guitar
- Dorian West – Bass – 1990
- Mark Evans – Bass -1990
- Marc Hunter – Vocals – 1984
- Brad Carr – Guitar – 1988, 90
- Vince Contarino – Vocals – 1990
- Das Hanuman – Drums – 1990
- Sam McNally – Keys, Bass – 1989
- Barton Price – Drums 1988
- Steve Williams – Guitar- 1990
- John Zak – Drums – 1990
Recordings
Singles
- Bitch – 1983
- I fought the law – 1983
- Kashmir – 1984
- He’s gonna step on you again – 1987
- Hold your head up – 1987
- Is this the way to say goodbye – 1987
- Gloria – 1988
- Follow your heart 1989
- Do Wah Diddy – 1990
- Thats the way God planned it – 1992
Albums
- Live at several 21st’s – 1983
- Greatest hits of other people – 1983
- No song too sacred – 1984
- You need professional help 1985
- The Party Boys – 1987
- Greatest hits, rarites – 1992
What about the “Party Girls”!!
Do you remember a version of the party boys with no known members except for a member of waa waa nee.
[…] Party Boys have been a concept that has always provided audiences with an opportunity to see fantastic […]
Does any one know where you can get hold of the first two Party Boys albums.
i have all 4 lps
Hi, I love the Party Boys and have two albums Live at several 21st’s – 1983
Greatest hits of other people – 1983. I have the vinyl
Are these albums on CD and are they imported to the UK.
In fact are all the alnums on CD.
Kind regards
Anna
[…] musician who has also played with the likes of Angry Anderson and Aussie supergroup The Party Boys, via telephone from his home 80 kilometres south of Adelaide and asked him to fill me on on the […]
A bit of inside ‘dirt’ in the recording of “He’s Gonna Step on You” – 3 musicians didn’t get a mention playing on that track – Sunil de Silva & Waldo (Fabian) Garrido both played percussion – Wayne Miller (myself) played the organ. The drummer was in fact a drum machine (Alesis HR16) programmed by the bass player/producer Alan Lancaster.
Some will hate me for exposing this – hahahahaha
[…] The Party Boys did this too. John, in the middle of this they do a medley of songs. Neil Young’s, Old man line, I’m a lot like you, then he mimes the intro to Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child, a surprise, then a great lead break by Tony McDowell, finishing with the crowd singing-Hold your head up with John. He then talks about how he has always been a fan of Australian Music. Growing up with The Easybeats, AC DC. How George Young was particular big Influence on his Life. They then do Friday On My Mind, just great. They follow that up with Evie (A solo hit for Stevie Wright in 1974-parts 1,2 & 3) Then his first commercial hit which was in 1981 with his version of “If I Were A Carpenter” off the album “This Time Is Different” which featured two other hits, “Temporary Heartache” and “Lady What’s Your Name”. Sung by Bobby Darin from the Album: If I Were a Carpenter Released in 1966. […]
[…] “He’s Gonna Step on You Again” – The Party Boys […]
[…] Party Boys have been a concept that has always provided audiences with an opportunity to see fantastic […]
You forgot me on drums….1984. Thats me on the My Generation video.
Thanks Matthew, I’ve fixed that.
Cheers, Mark 🙂
Hi Mark, I’m considering doing a spoken word one man show about The Party Boys, thought it might be worth having chat with you, cheers, PC.
That would be great Paul. Happy to have a yack at any time. 🙂
Hey Paul, how about putting a band together again??? I would f*^king love to see you guys play again, in any line up! I think Butto and his Airlie Beach Festival Of Music gig would too! You guys rocked! in every line up I saw! Bring it back Bro!
Hi
I was trawling the web looking for proof of something I might well have dreamed – a PB gig at Shellharbour Workers some time in the 80s with Joe Walsh and Kevin Borich as twin guitar attack and Shirl singing, with a tolerably tired and emotional Jimmy Barnes joining him for a few encores. Wish I didnt drink so much back then – might not have been total recall now, but a tad better than the fog I suffer from now. I could well be running two gigs together. Anyway, it was awesome, real or imagined.
Thanks
I definitely saw The Party Boys with Joe Walsh at Shellharbour Workers’ Club. I’m pretty sure it was in 1985 (I’m trawling the web, too, trying to find the exact date!), but Marc Hunter (from Dragon) was the lead singer, not Shirl … and didn’t Jimmy Barnes come on for an encore with INXS when they did SWC? (Imagine that, SWC to Wembley in a few short years!)
Any chance of The Party Boys 40th Anniversary Tour in 2022 with Paul, James and the guys?
The perfect band to lift our spirits after this pandemic.
Oh year, bring it on!
I remember seeing them in Melb with Marc Hunter as lead vocalist and Joe Walsh on guitar – I was in my late teens and most of the crowd were obviously there for Walsh (I wasn’t) and he kept playing these guitar solos that got longer and longer, finally Marc stopped singing and wandered off stage and never came back.
Hi.
Does anyone have a list of venues the party boys played at in Melbourne?
I remember seeing numerous lineups at the Dorset Hotel.
thanks
These are the only Party Boys gigs I have.
Cheers, Mark
The Party Boys
I was fronting the support fro the Party Boys in 1989 at the Benowa Tavern.
We turned up to the stage door and there was a rustling in the bushes. Out popped a drunk Eric Burdon having just had a wee. He offered me his hand, which was suspiciously wet. I patted him on the shoulder instead.