Hello Sailor

Although their renown never extended far beyond New Zealand’s shores, Hello Sailor rose during the mid-1970s to become one of the most prominent acts on the local pub-rock circuit, marking the first time a homegrown Kiwi ensemble had built a following primarily through original songs rather than cover material. Guitarists Harry Lyon and Dave McArtney had first performed together as far back as 1964 while still in high school, lost touch afterward, and reconnected as students at Auckland University in the early 1970s. After several aborted attempts, they launched Hello Sailor in 1975 alongside vocalist Graham Brazier, bassist Tony McMaster, and drummer Graeme Turner. Months of unpromising gigs prompted McMaster’s departure; bassist David Lisle Kinney stepped in, and the lineup gradually earned a reputation for strong live shows, releasing a 1976 RCA single that reworked the Andrews Sisters’ “Rum and Coca Cola.”

When heroin problems forced Graeme Turner out, Ricky Ball took the drum chair in time for the self-titled debut album, which appeared in late 1977. Strong sales followed, driven by the charting singles “Gutter Black” and “Blue Lady,” and a nationwide tour helped establish New Zealand’s own pub-rock network. Punk’s sudden arrival quickly rendered the group unfashionable, casting them as relics of an earlier era. Much of 1978 was spent in Los Angeles; upon returning for the release of their second LP, Pacifica Amour, they discovered their audience had largely vanished. A six-month Australian trek in 1979 ended in failure, and mounting drug and health issues led to the band’s final show in February 1980. Hello Sailor briefly reunited in 1985 to play the pub circuit once more.