The Mutton Birds

The Mutton Birds were a New Zealand rock music group formed in Auckland in 1991 by Ross Burge, David Long and Don McGlashan, with Alan Gregg joining a year later. Four of their albums reached the top 10 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, The Mutton Birds (1992), Salty (1994), Envy of Angels (1996) and Rain, Steam and Speed (1999). They had a number-one hit with "The Heater" (1994), while their two other top 10 singles were a cover of "Nature" by the Fourmyula (1992), and an original, "Anchor Me" (1994). From 1996 to 2000 the group were based in England; they returned to New Zealand and then disbanded in 2002.

History

David Long on guitars and Don McGlashan on lead vocals and bass guitar formed the Mutton Birds in Auckland as a three-piece rock group in early 1991.^[1][2] For their first live performance, on Saint Patrick's Day, they used an interim drummer who was soon replaced by Ross Burge.^[1] McGlashan had been a member of Blam Blam Blam (1982, 1984) and the Front Lawn (1985–1993), Long had played in the Six Volts and appeared on the Front Lawn's albums.^[1] Burge had been a member of the Spines and Sneaky Feelings, and early on, he was drumming both for Dribbling Darts (1989–1993) and the Mutton Birds. In 1992, the three-piece band gained Alan Gregg, also from Dribbling Darts, on bass guitar.^[1]

As a four-piece they recorded their first self-titled album.^[1] It peaked at No. 2 on the New Zealand Albums Chart in September 1992,^[3] and was certified platinum in New Zealand.^[1] It was in the top 50 for 52 non-consecutive weeks.^[3] They gained notice outside college radio for their cover version of "Nature" (August 1992), which reached No. 4 on the related singles chart.^[3] The original was recorded by the Fourmyula in 1969 (written by keyboardist Wayne Mason), and in 2001 was voted as New Zealand's greatest song of the previous 75 years.^[4]

They signed with EMI Australia, which financed their second studio album, Salty (April 1994).^[1][2] This was self-produced and mixed by American producer-engineer Tchad Blake (Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Crowded House).^[1] It reached No. 3 and was certified platinum in New Zealand.^[1][3] Salty provided a number-one hit single, "The Heater", in April, and top 10 position for "Anchor Me" (October).^[3] McGlashan won an APRA Silver Scroll song writing award for the latter hit.^[1][5] Their next album, Nature (September 1995), was a compilation of tracks selected from their first two albums with additional production by Neil Finn (of Crowded House), via Virgin Records for the United Kingdom market.^[1][2]

Their third studio album, Envy of Angels, was recorded in Wales and released in November 1996, with Hugh Jones producing (the Bluetones, Dodgy, Echo and the Bunnymen).^[1][2] It peaked at No. 4 in New Zealand.^[3] The band moved to London where they remained until 2000.^[2] During 1996 the Mutton Birds contributed a cover version of Blue Öyster Cult's 1976 single, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", to the soundtrack of Peter Jackson's film The Frighteners.^[1] Their version reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 50 early in the following year.^[1][6] By that time Long had already returned to New Zealand and he was replaced on guitar by New Zealand-born, British-based Chris Sheehan (of the Starlings).^[1]

In 1997 the band played concerts in Canada as part of the Another Roadside Attraction festival tour.^[7] They established their own label, Gravy Train Records, and issued two limited-release albums, Angle of Entry (an acoustic live album) in late 1997 and Too Hard Basket (subtitled B-sides and Bastards, a compilation of contained rarities) in 1998.^[1] In mid-1998 Gregg left and was replaced by English-born Tony Fisher on bass guitar and keyboards.^[1] The group's fourth studio album, Rain, Steam and Speed (February 1999), appeared on shhh! Records.^[1][2] Another live album, Live in Manchester, was issued before their 2000 UK tour, during which their line-up was augmented by ex-Garageland guitarist, Andrew Claridge.

For the New Zealand and Australian tour in October–November 1999, Burge's former band mate Matthew Bannister (Sneaky Feelings, Dribbling Darts) was added to the line-up. The group returned to New Zealand in 2000. A greatest hits compilation, Flock, was released in 2002 but they disbanded by mid-year. In 2012 the Mutton Birds temporarily reunited with the line-up of Burge, Gregg, Long and McGlashan, to play at New Zealand wineries in February and early March.^[8] Another live album from that tour, Free Range: The Mutton Birds Live 2012, was issued in November.^[9]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards

Aotearoa Music Awards

The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.

References

Bibliography

• Dix, John, Stranded In Paradise, Penguin, 2005. ISBN 0-14-301953-8
• Eggleton, David, Ready To Fly, Craig Potton, 2003. ISBN 1-877333-06-9
• Shute, Gareth, NZ Rock 1987–2007, Auckland, Random House, 2008. ISBN 978-1-86979-000-4
• Spittle, Gordon, Counting The Beat, GP Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-86956-213-5

External links

• Official website archived from the original on 9 June 2002. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
• A Religion of a Kind – The Mutton Birds and beyond fansite.

This page was last edited on 20 December 2022, at 01:47