Biography
The Cockroaches, an Australian group fusing rock with R&B, adopted their name from a pseudonym frequently employed by the Rolling Stones throughout the 1960s. Brothers John and Paul Field assembled the band during their years at a boarding school in New South Wales, where they soon drew steady crowds to nearby pubs. Several independent labels issued their early singles, among which “Empty Heart” performed best by reaching number nine on the Australian charts in October 1981.
Regular Records, already home to Icehouse and Mental as Anything, signed the band in 1986. Bassist Phil Carson came aboard in place of Phil Robinson, and the group’s first release on the new label, “Wait Up,” entered the Top 40. Their self-titled debut album appeared in March 1987, climbed to number nine nationally, and surpassed 100,000 copies sold while yielding the band’s biggest success, “She’s the One,” which peaked at number seven the following April.
Peter Mackie assumed bass duties from Phil Carson for the subsequent album, Fingertips. In 1989 the Cockroaches mounted a nationwide Australian tour in tandem with Mental as Anything and delivered their third album, Positive, in 1991. Before the year closed, the group disbanded; Tony Field and Jeff Fatt then joined Murray Cook and Greg Page to launch the Wiggles, a children’s music act whose blend of songs, movement, and characters ranked among the decade’s most popular attractions.
Regular Records, already home to Icehouse and Mental as Anything, signed the band in 1986. Bassist Phil Carson came aboard in place of Phil Robinson, and the group’s first release on the new label, “Wait Up,” entered the Top 40. Their self-titled debut album appeared in March 1987, climbed to number nine nationally, and surpassed 100,000 copies sold while yielding the band’s biggest success, “She’s the One,” which peaked at number seven the following April.
Peter Mackie assumed bass duties from Phil Carson for the subsequent album, Fingertips. In 1989 the Cockroaches mounted a nationwide Australian tour in tandem with Mental as Anything and delivered their third album, Positive, in 1991. Before the year closed, the group disbanded; Tony Field and Jeff Fatt then joined Murray Cook and Greg Page to launch the Wiggles, a children’s music act whose blend of songs, movement, and characters ranked among the decade’s most popular attractions.
Albums
