Mental as Anything
Mental as Anything is a new wave and rock band from Sydney ( New South Wales , Australia ), called Mentals by their fans .
Band history
The students Reg Mombassa, Martin Plaza, Andrew "Greedy" Smith, Peter O'Doherty and Wayne Deslisle formed the band in 1977 in Sydney, ostensibly to get free drinks by performing. The musical result was better than expected, so Mental as Anything became more and more popular and there was a very long pub crawl.
On August 16, 1977, the night Elvis Presley died, the band first performed at the Cellblock Theater (East Sydney Tech.). This was followed by a one-year engagement at the Unicorn Hotel in Sydney, where a pool table served as a makeshift stage. In 1978 the Mentals stayed in town, but moved to the Civic Hotel for another year.
In 1979 the single The Nips Are Getting Bigger ( AU # 16) and the album Get Wet (AU # 19) entered the top 20 of the Australian charts for the first time. After its release in Great Britain, the single was placed in the top 40 of the independent charts .
The extraction Come Around (AU number 18) from the 1980 album Espresso Bongo could well in the Australian singles chart placing as (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet (AU 27th place), which, however, was to be found on any album. In 1981 the platinum album Cats and Dogs was released . The extracted songs If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? (AU place 4) and Too Many Times (AU place 6) were the band's first top 10 hits.
In 1982 Mental as Anything went on tour in the United States for the first time . There the single I Didn't Mean to Be Mean (AU place 25) was created, which was produced by Elvis Costello . With the long player Creatures of Leisure and other extracts, e.g. B. Spirit Got Lost (AU 20) and Working for the Man (AU 20), a cover version of the Roy Orbison hit from 1962, went on a concert tour in Canada as well as the USA .
The first art exhibition with works by the band members was in 1983 at Watters Gallery, Darlinghurst (Sydney). The buyers also included Patrick White and Elton John . White later gave one of Reg's work to the Art Gallery of NSW .
With Apocalypso (Wiping the Smile off Santa's Face) (AU place 37), the Mentals released a Christmas single in 1984. The following year, the platinum album Fundamental as Anything was released with the singles You're so Strong (AU 11th) and Live It Up (AU 2nd). For Live It Up there was an APRA Award for Most Performed Work and a countdown Award for best single. Through its use in the soundtrack for the film Crocodile Dundee , the title also became popular in Europe at the end of 1986 and, around a year and a half after its release, reached high chart positions in Scandinavia , Germany , England , the Netherlands , Spain and Italy , where Mental as Anything from Italian television coveted Telegatto was awarded.
The album Mouth to Mouth was released in 1987. The band's success was again limited to Australia, where the singles Let's Go to Paradise and He's Just No Good for You reached the top 20 (both number 15). A cover version of Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender was not included on any album, but was available as a single (AU number 34). In the same year the band toured with Robert Palmer through Great Britain, Canada and Nebraska (USA).
The 1988 hit Rock & Roll Music (AU place 5) came from the soundtrack by Einstein Junior (original title Young Einstein ). Cyclone Raymond was the name of the 1989 album, which should be the last for the time being.
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Paul Keating opened the second Mental-as-Anything art exhibition in 1990, which featured works by all five band members. Because of its great success, the exhibition toured across the continent.
The next studio album Liar Liar Pants on Fire was not released until 1995. After that, the musicians retired to the studio to work on a new album. They played at the Mountain Rock Music Festival in Woodville and toured Australia and New Zealand with Chris Isaak .
The LP Garage was released in 1997. The third art exhibition, which then traveled through Australia until 2002, was opened by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam . In 1999 the songwriter Peter O'Doherty left the band to work professionally as a painter. He later won many art awards and organized exhibitions at home and abroad. The new Mentals member was David Barraclough.
On Australia Day 2000 the band played in Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam . Various other national and international tours and several album releases followed in the next few years, e. B. 2009 Tents Up . In 2009 the band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame .
Founding member Andrew "Greedy" Smith died on December 2, 2019 in Sydney of complications from a heart attack .
Members
Current
- Martin Plaza (Martin Murphy) - guitar , vocals (since 1976)
- David Barraclough - bass , vocals, guitar, keyboard (since 2000)
- Mike Caen - guitar, vocals (since 2002)
- Robbie Souter - drums (since 2004)
- Martin Cilia - guitar (since 2014)
Former
- Greedy Smith (Andrew Smith) - keyboard , harmonica , vocals (1976-2019; † 2019)
- Reg Mombassa (Chris O'Doherty) - guitar, vocals (1976-2000)
- Steve Coburn - bass (1976-1977)
- David Twohill (Wayne de Lisle) - drums (1976-2004)
- Peter O'Doherty (Yoga Dog) - bass, vocals (1977-2000)
- Mike Gubb - keyboard (at concerts) (1986–1987)
- Murray Cook - guitar (2000–2002)
Discography
Studio albums
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
AU | |||
1989 | Cyclone Raymond CBS 465645 |
AU34 (4 weeks) AU |
First published: September 1989
Producers: Mark Moffatt, Mark Opitz, Robin Smith, Steve James |
1995 | Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Ariola 333842 |
AU32 (2 weeks) AU |
First published: October 1995
Producers: Mental as Anything, Martin White |
* The Australian album placements before 1988 are currently not available, see also the chart format template .
More studio albums
- 1979: Get Wet (Regular 37125)
- 1980: Espresso Bongo (Regular 37358; Release: July 21)
- 1981: Cats & Dogs (Regular 53006)
- 1982: If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? (UK, US, NL; A&M 4921 only )
- 1983: Creatures of Leisure (Regular 1205)
- 1985: Fundamental as Anything (Regular 1212)
- 1987: Mouth to Mouth (CBS 450361)
- 1998: Garàge (2 CDs; Festival 93492; release: August 25th)
- 2000: Beetroot Stains ( Universal Music Australia 0026)
- 2002: Road Case (Syray Pty Ltd 0008)
- 2005: Plucked (Liberation Blue 081; release: May 14th)
- 2009: Tents Up ( Warner Music Australia 46772; release: June 15th)
Compilations
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
AU | |||
1999 | Best of Mental as Anything Festival 26450 |
AU42 (2 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1999
|
* The Australian album placements before 1988 are currently not available, see also the chart format template .
More compilations
- 1986: Greatest Hits Volume 1 (CBS 8158)
- 1993: Chemical Travel (Regular 31094)
- 1999: Mental as Anything (Festival)
- 2003: Best of Mental as Anything (Festival; release: March 4th)
- 2009: Essential as Anything: 30th Anniversary Edition (CD + DVD; Rhino 39165)
- 2016: A Mental Collection, Vol. 1 (Edsel; release: April 29)
- 2016: Live It Up: The Collection (2 CDs; Music Club Deluxe 221; release: November 11th)
EPs
- 1979: Plays at Your Party (release: January 22nd)
- 1995: Bicycle
- 1997: Minus Bonus
- 1998: Just My Luck
- 1998: Calling Colin
- 2000: Fine Line
- 2001: borscht
- 2017: 5 track EP
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | UK | Dance | AU | |||
1979 | The Nips Are Getting Bigger Get Wet |
- | - | - | - |
AU16 (26 weeks) AU |
First published: July 1979
Author: Martin Murphy |
Possible Theme for a Future TV Drama Series Get Wet |
- | - | - | - |
AU57 (11 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1979
Author: Martin Plaza |
|
1980 | Come Around Espresso Bongo |
- | - | - | - |
AU18 (25 weeks) AU |
First published: May 1980
Author: Martin Plaza |
(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet | - | - | - | - |
AU27 (18 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1980
Authors: Bob Hamilton, Freddie Gorman Original: The Reflections , 1964 |
|
1981 | If You Leave Me - Can I Come Too? Cats & Dogs |
- | - | - | - |
AU4 (21 weeks) AU |
First published: May 1981
Author: Martin Plaza |
Too Many Times Cats & Dogs |
- | - | - | - |
AU6 (20 weeks) AU |
First published: August 1981
Author: Greedy Smith |
|
Berserk Warriors Cats & Dogs |
- | - | - | - |
AU30 (16 weeks) AU |
First published: December 1981
Author: Peter O'Doherty |
|
1982 | I Didn't Mean to Be Mean If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? |
- | - | - | - |
AU25 (10 weeks) AU |
First published: April 1982
Author: Martin Plaza |
Close Again Creatures of Leisure |
- | - | - | - |
AU55 (16 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1982
Author: Peter O'Doherty |
|
1983 | Spirit Got Lost Creatures of Leisure |
- | - | - | - |
AU20 (13 weeks) AU |
First published: March 1983
Authors: Greedy Smith, Reg Mombassa |
Brain Brain Creatures of Leisure |
- | - | - | - |
AU82 (7 weeks) AU |
First published: June 1983
Author: Peter O'Doherty |
|
Working for the Man Creatures of Leisure |
- | - | - | - |
AU20 (18 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1983
Author and original: Roy Orbison , 1962 |
|
1984 | Apocalypso (Wiping the Smile off Santa's Face) Fundamental as Anything |
- | - | - | - |
AU37 (12 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1984
Authors: Martin Plaza, Reg Mombassa |
1985 | You're So Strong Fundamental as Anything |
- | - |
UK82 (2 weeks) UK |
Dance21 (8 weeks) Dance |
AU11 (18 weeks) AU |
First published: March 1985
Chart entry US Dance only in September 1986 Chart entry UK only in May 1987 Author: Greedy Smith |
Live It Up Fundamental as Anything |
DE6 (15 weeks) DE |
AT15 (10 weeks) AT |
UK3
silver
(15 weeks)UK |
- |
AU2 (23 weeks) AU |
First published: May 1985
Chart entry in the EU only 1987 Author: Greedy Smith |
|
Date with Destiny Fundamental as Anything |
- | - | - | - |
AU25 (11 weeks) AU |
First published: September 1985
Author: Greedy Smith |
|
Big Wheel Fundamental as Anything |
- | - | - | - |
AU75 (6 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1985
Author: Martin Plaza |
|
1986 | Let's Go to Paradise Mouth to Mouth |
- | - | - | - |
AU15 (22 weeks) AU |
First published: November 1986
Author: Greedy Smith |
1987 | He's Just no Good for You Mouth to Mouth |
- | - |
UK88 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
AU15 (18 weeks) AU |
First published: July 1987
UK chart entry only in January 1988 Author: Greedy Smith |
Don't Tell Me Now Mouth to Mouth |
- | - | - | - |
AU35 (20 weeks) AU |
First published: September 1987
Author: Martin Plaza |
|
Love Me Tender Mouth to Mouth |
- | - | - | - |
AU34 (14 weeks) AU |
First publication: November 1987
Authors according to cover: Elvis Presley , Vera Matson (see here ) Original: Aura Lee, 1936 |
|
1988 | Rock and Roll Music Cyclone Raymond |
- | - | - | - |
AU5 (16 weeks) AU |
First published: November 21, 1988
Author and original: Chuck Berry , 1957 |
1989 | The World Seems Difficult Cyclone Raymond |
- | - | - | - |
AU19 (9 weeks) AU |
First published: August 7, 1989
Author: Peter O'Doherty |
1995 | Mr. Natural Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire |
- | - | - | - |
AU27 (13 weeks) AU |
First published: March 1995
Author: Martin Plaza |
More singles
- 1980: Egypt (release: January)
- 1982: Let's Cook (release: April)
- 1986: Hold On ( Flexi ; release: March)
- 1986: Sloppy Croc (release: April)
- 1989: Love Comes Running (release: April)
- 1989: Baby You're Wild (release: October)
- 1990: Overwhelmed (release: February 26th)
- 1995: Whole Wide World
- 1995: Nigel
- 1996: Marianne
- 1998: Just My Luck
- 1998: Calling Colin
- 2001: Fine Line
- 2001: Stretchmarks
- 2002: Talking in Tongues
Videos
- 1998: Monumental as Anything
- 2006: Basemental
Web links
- official website
- Mental as Anything at Allmusic (English)
- Mental as Anything at Discogs (English)
- Biography at Taurus Press
Individual evidence
- ^ ARIA Hall of Fame. Australian Recording Industry Association , accessed August 6, 2017 .
- ↑ Front man of Mental As Anything died at the age of 63. Report on t-online.de , December 3, 2019. Accessed December 4, 2019.
- ↑ a b c Chart sources: DE AT UK US-Dance
- ↑ a b c gold / platinum databases: UK AU (pdf)
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7