Dannie Davidson Interview - Drummer of The Strangers and Tamam Shud (Newcastle Series Ep #1)

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack kicks off his 8-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series talking with Dannie Davidson, drummer of Tamam Shud. This series will talk with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story. 

Dannie’s first group was a local Newcastle band called The Strangers, which he helped form in Cooks Hill in 1962. With Dannie on drums, The Strangers would go on to be Newcastle’s top group of the early ‘60s. In 1964, The Strangers became the first Newcastle band to have a single released nationally when their single The Rip came out. The band would leave for Sydney in 1965 and become The Sunsets, where they would play more Beach Boys-type music. While in Sydney, they would meet filmmaker Paul Witzig, who would get the band to provide soundtrack music for his surf films. In 1967, the band’s music was changing yet again due to the influx of American sounds from the likes of The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, and so the band changed their name to Tamam Shud. 

As with their days in The Sunsets, Paul Witzig got Tamam Shud to provide the soundtrack music for his surf movie Evolution. In return for their services for Witzig, the band was able to record a studio album. Tamam Shud would record their debut album, Evolution, in one session. The album would sell out its initial pressing of 10,000 copies within weeks; however, due to the master tape being erased, it would not see another pressing for many years to come. In early 1970, Tamam Shud would begin recording their second album, The Goolutionites and The Real People. Continuing their innovative ways, the album was environmentally themed, an unusual topic for a rock record in Australia at the time. Dannie left the Shud after the band's second album and throughout the 70s would go on to perform in bands such as Karvus Jute and Band of Light. 

In this episode, Dannie discusses with Jack his early life in Newcastle and Kings Cross, seeing acts such as Buddy Rich live in the '50s, the formation of The Strangers, the instrumental craze of the early '60s, the recording of The Rip, how the band became The Sunsets, meeting Paul Witzig, the recording and success of Evolution, Tamam Shud live gigs of the late '60s, the band's second album, and what Dannie is up to today. 

"We recorded The Rip, I think we did that... I think it was released in '64, but we actually recorded it in '63. It was going to be called Bombora, but The Atlantics came along, and we were filthy because we were surfers and they weren't!" - Dannie Davison on this Vinyl Vibes episode talking about the debut single from The 4 Strangers called The Rip. 

Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.