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The Pink Finks

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The Pink Finks
OriginMelbourne,Australia
GenresPop,R&B
Years active1965–1967
Past membersDavid Cameron, Rick Dalton, Michael Edwards,Richard Franklin,Ross Hannaford,Chris Kinman, Leigh Lansdown, Jimmy Niven, Geoff Ratz,Ross Wilson

The Pink Finkswere an Australian pop/R&B band of the mid-1960s. Based inMelbourne,the group is most notable for being the first in the series of bands that featuredRoss WilsonandRoss Hannaford,which culminated in the hugely successfulDaddy Cool.

History

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The Pink Finks formed in early 1965 when 16-year-oldR&Bfanatic Ross Wilson joined forces with Rick Dalton and Ross Hannaford's schoolboy outfit The Fauves, which played mainly covers ofThe ShadowsandThe Ventures.They were a part-time band, since the members were all still at school at the time. Hannaford, who was only 14 when the band formed, was often driven to concerts by his mother, and had to be sneaked in and out of the licensed venues they played at because he was underage. Money was short and Hannaford played on a low cost acoustic guitar fitted with a Moody sound hole pick-up (without controls) through a Burns Tri-Sonic amplifier provided by Wilson. Inspired by the onslaught of English groups likeThe Rolling Stones,The Pretty Things,andThe Yardbirds,the young band's repertoire was chiefly R&B and blues covers.

David Cameron replaced original rhythm guitarist Rick Dalton in early 1965, with Dalton later joining Running Jumping Standing Still, which includedAndy AndersonandDoug Ford,both formerly ofThe Missing Linksand Ian Robinson on drums.

The Pink Finks released four singles during their brief career; their first, released on their own Mojo label, was a raunchy version ofThe Kingsmen's "Louie Louie"and it gave them an early taste of success when it became a local hit (#16) in Melbourne in June 1965. These were followed by covers ofThe Shirelles' "Untie Me",Howlin' Wolf's "Back Door Man"andSpencer Davis Group's "It Hurts Me So".

Franklin, Cameron and Ratz left to go to university in early 1966. It appears from the information inWho's Who of Australian Rockthat they were replaced, by Kinman (bass), Lansdown (drums), and Niven (keyboards). Michael Edwards was added on trumpet and sax in August 1966. Jimmy Niven was later a member of theCaptain Matchbox Whoopee Band(1973–76) andThe Sports(1976–80).

Richard Franklinlater became a successful feature film director; his Australian credits includeThe True Story of Eskimo Nell,Fantasm,RoadgamesandPatrick.After moving to Hollywood he directedPsycho II,Cloak & Dagger,LinkandFX2: The Deadly Art of Illusion.In the 1990s, he returned to Australia where he directedHotel Sorrento,Brilliant LiesandVisitors,before he died of cancer in 2007.

David Cameron graduated fromNIDAand became an actor, beginning with a role in theABC'sBellbird,in 1969 and since appeared in string of Australian TV series, miniseries and feature film appearances, includingAgainst the Wind,Dawn!,Water under the Bridge(for which he received aLogienomination),My First WifeandMad Max.In 1995, he turned to directing television, commercials and corporate documentaries, includingStingers,SeaChange,Good Guys Bad Guys,State Coroner,Fergus McPhail,The Wayne Manifesto(for which he won anAFI award),LifeandDogwoman.Cameron is currently a teacher at The Australian Film & Television Academy (TAFTA).

Wilson and Hannaford moved on to notable bands such asThe Party Machine,Sons of the Vegetal Mother,Daddy Cool,andMighty Kong.

Chris Kinman returned toBrisbanein the late 1960s and turned to making guitars. In 1996 he founded his own pickup boutique, Kinman Guitar Electrix.

Leigh Lansdown and UK arriviste Duncan Fry formed local band "The Harris Tweed Band" in 1965 which is still performing mainly in Melbourne's southern suburbs.

Personnel

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  • David Cameron – guitar
  • Rick Dalton – guitar/vocals
  • Michael Edwards – sax/trumpet (1966)
  • Richard Franklin– drums
  • Ross Hannaford– vocals/guitar
  • Chris Kinman – bass (1966)
  • Leigh Lansdown – drums (1966)
  • Jimmy Niven – keyboards (1966)
  • Geoff Ratz – bass
  • Ross Wilson– vocals/guitar

Discography

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Singles

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EP's

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  • In Group(1965) [In E2558]
  • Louie Louie(December 1980) [Raven RV06] –Louie, Louie/Back Door Man,Comin' Home / You're Good For Me / Rub My Root / Somethin' Else / Untie Me

References

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  • McFarlane, Ian,Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop, (Allen & Unwin, 1999)
  • McGrath, Noel,Australian Encyclopedia of Rock(Outback Press, 1978)
  • Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry,Who's Who of Australian Rock,(Five Mile Press, 2002)