Biography
Mid-1970s Australia witnessed Skyhooks exert an influence on rock nearly equal to that of the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
Glitter rock aesthetics clashed with Australian music's longstanding requirement that performers prove themselves live before audiences, so no credible new band would risk makeup, sequins, and platform heels. Melbourne's Skyhooks chose to satirize the style instead of adopting it. Their varied costumes remained disconnected from the music itself—pure sex, drugs, and rock & roll—whose lyrics, penned by bassist Greg Macainsh, depicted the surrounding world with precise references to local streets and suburbs. Those songs ultimately overshadowed the visual element, turning the costumes into an unintended separator from both international and domestic rock rather than a successful parody.
First crowds consisted of Melbourne University's intelligentsia, followed by suburban punks who claimed them. Live excitement matched the cleverness of the material. Nationwide fever peaked in February 1975 when Living in the Seventies spent an unprecedented 16 weeks at number one, driven by the chart-topping single "Horror Movie," a commentary on televised news. The band re-entered the studio for July 1975's Ego Is Not a Dirty World, which held number one for another 11 weeks. With two of Australia's all-time biggest-selling albums secured, they poured resources into the most elaborate stage productions yet seen in the country. The phenomenon seemed unstoppable.
Skyhooks eventually carried their music to America, where critics focused on guitarist Red Symons' Japanese makeup and extended tongue and labeled them Kiss copies—an assessment far from reality. They returned with the American-recorded third album Straight in a Gay Gay World, its title reflecting their experience abroad. Seven platinum records and two million dollars in album sales now stood to their credit. Enigmatic lead singer Graeme "Shirley" Strachan began issuing solo pop-oriented singles, Symons was forced out, and the band dropped theatrics for a direct approach. The refreshed lineup opened strongly in March 1978 with the powerful Top Ten single "Women in Uniform" from Guilty Until Proven Insane; Iron Maiden later covered the track.
Singer Strachan departed in June 1978 for radio and television work, replaced on one album by Tony Williams. When February 1980's Hot for the Orient failed to chart, the group disbanded, announcing the end via a full-page music-press advertisement stating "Why don't you all get fu**ed." The classic lineup reunited occasionally for tours, and an attempted new album produced only the October 1990 single "Jukebox in Siberia," returning them to number one for the first time in 15 years. Songwriter Greg Macainsh never sought another vehicle for his material. Renewed chart interest followed the tragic death of Graeme "Shirley" Strachan in a helicopter crash on August 29, 2001, placing Skyhooks: The Collection back inside the Top 100 within two weeks.
Glitter rock aesthetics clashed with Australian music's longstanding requirement that performers prove themselves live before audiences, so no credible new band would risk makeup, sequins, and platform heels. Melbourne's Skyhooks chose to satirize the style instead of adopting it. Their varied costumes remained disconnected from the music itself—pure sex, drugs, and rock & roll—whose lyrics, penned by bassist Greg Macainsh, depicted the surrounding world with precise references to local streets and suburbs. Those songs ultimately overshadowed the visual element, turning the costumes into an unintended separator from both international and domestic rock rather than a successful parody.
First crowds consisted of Melbourne University's intelligentsia, followed by suburban punks who claimed them. Live excitement matched the cleverness of the material. Nationwide fever peaked in February 1975 when Living in the Seventies spent an unprecedented 16 weeks at number one, driven by the chart-topping single "Horror Movie," a commentary on televised news. The band re-entered the studio for July 1975's Ego Is Not a Dirty World, which held number one for another 11 weeks. With two of Australia's all-time biggest-selling albums secured, they poured resources into the most elaborate stage productions yet seen in the country. The phenomenon seemed unstoppable.
Skyhooks eventually carried their music to America, where critics focused on guitarist Red Symons' Japanese makeup and extended tongue and labeled them Kiss copies—an assessment far from reality. They returned with the American-recorded third album Straight in a Gay Gay World, its title reflecting their experience abroad. Seven platinum records and two million dollars in album sales now stood to their credit. Enigmatic lead singer Graeme "Shirley" Strachan began issuing solo pop-oriented singles, Symons was forced out, and the band dropped theatrics for a direct approach. The refreshed lineup opened strongly in March 1978 with the powerful Top Ten single "Women in Uniform" from Guilty Until Proven Insane; Iron Maiden later covered the track.
Singer Strachan departed in June 1978 for radio and television work, replaced on one album by Tony Williams. When February 1980's Hot for the Orient failed to chart, the group disbanded, announcing the end via a full-page music-press advertisement stating "Why don't you all get fu**ed." The classic lineup reunited occasionally for tours, and an attempted new album produced only the October 1990 single "Jukebox in Siberia," returning them to number one for the first time in 15 years. Songwriter Greg Macainsh never sought another vehicle for his material. Renewed chart interest followed the tragic death of Graeme "Shirley" Strachan in a helicopter crash on August 29, 2001, placing Skyhooks: The Collection back inside the Top 100 within two weeks.
Albums
