Biography
Emerging as a prominent outfit from New Zealand, the Human Instinct shifted their sound from psychedelia toward hard rock across their active years. This resilient yet nimble guitar-driven ensemble sustained an extended presence in their home country while also tracking material and taking the stage in the U.K. Tracing their roots to the Kiwi beat combo the Four Fours, they issued several gritty R&B- and freakbeat-flavored 45s on Mercury during 1966 and 1967, followed by two bolder psychedelic singles on Deram in 1967 and 1968 amid a stay in London. Upon resettling in Auckland, the group embraced hard rock filled with guitar heroics across the LPs Stoned Guitar (1970), Snatmin Cuthin? (1972), and The Hustler (1974). Their visibility declined by the mid-1970s, yet despite repeated personnel shifts the Human Instinct persisted as a performing unit and delivered a return recording, Midnight Sun, in 2009.
The Human Instinct narrative opened in 1957 with the formation of the Four Fours. Pianist Mike Horman and clarinetist Colin Minifie assembled a dance band that maintained steady bookings in Tauranga, a favored holiday spot in New Zealand. Within twelve months the pair had grown into a quartet by adding drummer Trevor Spitz and saxophonist Rob Smith, while gradually incorporating rock & roll numbers into their sets. They settled on the name the Four Fours (drawn from the standard 4/4 time signature) and brought in Bill Ward on lead guitar and vocals. The Four Fours soon appeared regularly in Tauranga, both at the late-night venue The Inferno run by Spitz and at teen dances the group itself promoted. In 1960 Colin Minifie departed and Dave Hartstone joined on rhythm guitar with backing vocals. For a period Rob Smith’s brother Richard sat in frequently as vocalist; he eventually moved to England, adopted the name Richard O’Brien, and gained recognition as the writer of the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show.
During 1963 the New Zealand-based Allied International label contracted the Four Fours, resulting in their first single, “That Happy Feeling” b/w “Janice B.” At that stage Mike Horman handled both piano and bass, but when the ensemble resolved to relocate to Auckland, Horman and saxophonist Rob Smith elected to remain behind. Frank Hay, already acquainted with Spitz through employment at The Inferno, entered the lineup in time for the move, leaving the group as a quartet once more. The Four Fours rapidly established themselves among Auckland’s most active bands, and 1965’s “Time Slips Away” b/w “Theme from an Empty Coffee Lounge” scored a hit after audiences unexpectedly favored the B-side. Late in 1965 the Four Fours began planning a relocation to England aimed at reaching wider audiences. Drummer Trevor Spitz developed reservations and stayed put, while Maurice Greer, an outgoing stand-up percussionist previously with the Palmerston North combo the Saints (unrelated to the pioneering Australian punk band), accepted an invitation to join. The Four Fours switched from Allied International to Zodiac Records; their initial Zodiac single, “This Time Tomorrow” b/w “Trucking Blues,” appeared just before they served as opening act for the Rolling Stones on the 1966 New Zealand tour. Following the release of “Go Go” b/w “Don’t Print My Memoirs,” another NZ success, the Four Fours sailed from New Zealand to London aboard the ocean liner Fairsky in September 1966. During the voyage the members concluded they required a fresh name better suited to evolving rock trends, and upon arrival in England they performed under the billing the Human Instinct.
Once established in England, the Human Instinct promptly secured a Mercury Records contract after Zodiac staff recommended the former Four Fours. Their Mercury debut, “Can’t Stop Around” b/w “Want to Be Loved by You,” surfaced in November 1966 and revealed a leaner, more R&B-oriented approach. After initial difficulties the Human Instinct gained traction on the British club circuit, headlining venues and sharing bills with acts including the Spencer Davis Group, the Jeff Beck Group, the Herd, and the Moody Blues. Although two further Mercury singles followed—“The Rich Man” b/w “Illusions” and a re-recording of “Go Go” b/w “I Can’t Live Without You”—none charted, and when the deal concluded the band moved to Deram Records. There producer Mike Hurst assisted in foregrounding their emerging psychedelic tendencies on 1967’s “A Day in My Mind’s Mind” b/w “Death of the Seaside.” The Human Instinct had upgraded to a full Marshall backline that strengthened their guitar sound, and their second Deram release, early 1968’s “Renaissance Fair” b/w “Pink Dawn,” represented their most refined work to date, incorporating arrangements with the London Symphony Orchestra. Several months later, still without a hit and facing expiring work visas for several members, the group confronted another turning point. Dave Hartstone, who possessed a British passport, chose to remain, while the others returned to New Zealand. Although Hartstone had assumed payments on the band’s van, his refusal to ship the amplifiers home created friction; he soon left performing behind for a career in tour management (including work with Led Zeppelin) and equipment rental for major acts.
Following the loss of their gear, Bill Ward grew discouraged and stepped away from music for many years, soon joined by Frank Hay. Maurice Greer, however, resolved to sustain the Human Instinct and formed a new lineup featuring guitarist Billy Te Kahika (also known as Billy TK) and bassist Peter Barton. The ensemble adopted the hard-rock direction prevalent at the time, with Te Kahika clearly drawing from Jimi Hendrix. A subsequent trip to England proved less successful than hoped, yet the members connected with fellow New Zealander Doug Jerebine, who was likewise pursuing opportunities in the U.K. Jerebine had been writing and recording as Jesse Harper, and Greer recognized promise in his songs. With Jerebine’s approval the Human Instinct incorporated several of these numbers into their sets, where they would dominate the track listings of the first two albums, 1969’s Burning Up Years and 1970’s Stoned Guitar. By the completion of Burning Up Years, Peter Barton had exited and Larry Waide assumed bass duties; Waide departed after Stoned Guitar, with Neil Edwards taking over in time for the third album, 1971’s Pins in It. After Pins in It, Billy TK left the Human Instinct, after which Maurice Greer remained the sole constant member. The group re-established ties with Zodiac Records and recorded the albums Snatmin Cuthin? (1972) and The Hustler (1974). In 1975 the Human Instinct completed an album titled Peg Leg that stayed unreleased, prompting a brief breakup. Greer later revived the band and they continued performing live for decades, yet released no further material until Midnight Sun in 2009, which included guitar contributions from Billy TK on two tracks. (Peg Leg received a delayed release in 2002.) Maurice Greer led iterations of the Human Instinct well into the 2010s; Zodiac Records issued a three-disc box set compiling Snatmin Cuthin?, The Hustler, and Peg Leg in 2010, while the British RPM label released 1963-1968, a compilation of key singles from both the Four Fours and Human Instinct eras, in 2019.
The Human Instinct narrative opened in 1957 with the formation of the Four Fours. Pianist Mike Horman and clarinetist Colin Minifie assembled a dance band that maintained steady bookings in Tauranga, a favored holiday spot in New Zealand. Within twelve months the pair had grown into a quartet by adding drummer Trevor Spitz and saxophonist Rob Smith, while gradually incorporating rock & roll numbers into their sets. They settled on the name the Four Fours (drawn from the standard 4/4 time signature) and brought in Bill Ward on lead guitar and vocals. The Four Fours soon appeared regularly in Tauranga, both at the late-night venue The Inferno run by Spitz and at teen dances the group itself promoted. In 1960 Colin Minifie departed and Dave Hartstone joined on rhythm guitar with backing vocals. For a period Rob Smith’s brother Richard sat in frequently as vocalist; he eventually moved to England, adopted the name Richard O’Brien, and gained recognition as the writer of the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show.
During 1963 the New Zealand-based Allied International label contracted the Four Fours, resulting in their first single, “That Happy Feeling” b/w “Janice B.” At that stage Mike Horman handled both piano and bass, but when the ensemble resolved to relocate to Auckland, Horman and saxophonist Rob Smith elected to remain behind. Frank Hay, already acquainted with Spitz through employment at The Inferno, entered the lineup in time for the move, leaving the group as a quartet once more. The Four Fours rapidly established themselves among Auckland’s most active bands, and 1965’s “Time Slips Away” b/w “Theme from an Empty Coffee Lounge” scored a hit after audiences unexpectedly favored the B-side. Late in 1965 the Four Fours began planning a relocation to England aimed at reaching wider audiences. Drummer Trevor Spitz developed reservations and stayed put, while Maurice Greer, an outgoing stand-up percussionist previously with the Palmerston North combo the Saints (unrelated to the pioneering Australian punk band), accepted an invitation to join. The Four Fours switched from Allied International to Zodiac Records; their initial Zodiac single, “This Time Tomorrow” b/w “Trucking Blues,” appeared just before they served as opening act for the Rolling Stones on the 1966 New Zealand tour. Following the release of “Go Go” b/w “Don’t Print My Memoirs,” another NZ success, the Four Fours sailed from New Zealand to London aboard the ocean liner Fairsky in September 1966. During the voyage the members concluded they required a fresh name better suited to evolving rock trends, and upon arrival in England they performed under the billing the Human Instinct.
Once established in England, the Human Instinct promptly secured a Mercury Records contract after Zodiac staff recommended the former Four Fours. Their Mercury debut, “Can’t Stop Around” b/w “Want to Be Loved by You,” surfaced in November 1966 and revealed a leaner, more R&B-oriented approach. After initial difficulties the Human Instinct gained traction on the British club circuit, headlining venues and sharing bills with acts including the Spencer Davis Group, the Jeff Beck Group, the Herd, and the Moody Blues. Although two further Mercury singles followed—“The Rich Man” b/w “Illusions” and a re-recording of “Go Go” b/w “I Can’t Live Without You”—none charted, and when the deal concluded the band moved to Deram Records. There producer Mike Hurst assisted in foregrounding their emerging psychedelic tendencies on 1967’s “A Day in My Mind’s Mind” b/w “Death of the Seaside.” The Human Instinct had upgraded to a full Marshall backline that strengthened their guitar sound, and their second Deram release, early 1968’s “Renaissance Fair” b/w “Pink Dawn,” represented their most refined work to date, incorporating arrangements with the London Symphony Orchestra. Several months later, still without a hit and facing expiring work visas for several members, the group confronted another turning point. Dave Hartstone, who possessed a British passport, chose to remain, while the others returned to New Zealand. Although Hartstone had assumed payments on the band’s van, his refusal to ship the amplifiers home created friction; he soon left performing behind for a career in tour management (including work with Led Zeppelin) and equipment rental for major acts.
Following the loss of their gear, Bill Ward grew discouraged and stepped away from music for many years, soon joined by Frank Hay. Maurice Greer, however, resolved to sustain the Human Instinct and formed a new lineup featuring guitarist Billy Te Kahika (also known as Billy TK) and bassist Peter Barton. The ensemble adopted the hard-rock direction prevalent at the time, with Te Kahika clearly drawing from Jimi Hendrix. A subsequent trip to England proved less successful than hoped, yet the members connected with fellow New Zealander Doug Jerebine, who was likewise pursuing opportunities in the U.K. Jerebine had been writing and recording as Jesse Harper, and Greer recognized promise in his songs. With Jerebine’s approval the Human Instinct incorporated several of these numbers into their sets, where they would dominate the track listings of the first two albums, 1969’s Burning Up Years and 1970’s Stoned Guitar. By the completion of Burning Up Years, Peter Barton had exited and Larry Waide assumed bass duties; Waide departed after Stoned Guitar, with Neil Edwards taking over in time for the third album, 1971’s Pins in It. After Pins in It, Billy TK left the Human Instinct, after which Maurice Greer remained the sole constant member. The group re-established ties with Zodiac Records and recorded the albums Snatmin Cuthin? (1972) and The Hustler (1974). In 1975 the Human Instinct completed an album titled Peg Leg that stayed unreleased, prompting a brief breakup. Greer later revived the band and they continued performing live for decades, yet released no further material until Midnight Sun in 2009, which included guitar contributions from Billy TK on two tracks. (Peg Leg received a delayed release in 2002.) Maurice Greer led iterations of the Human Instinct well into the 2010s; Zodiac Records issued a three-disc box set compiling Snatmin Cuthin?, The Hustler, and Peg Leg in 2010, while the British RPM label released 1963-1968, a compilation of key singles from both the Four Fours and Human Instinct eras, in 2019.
Albums
