Jigsaw (Australian band) explained

Jigsaw
Origin:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre:Country pop
Years Active:
Label:Fable
Associated Acts:Johnny Chester
Past Members:
  • Ray Eames
  • Alan "Ollie" Fenton a.k.a. Alan Wright
  • Ron Gilbee
  • Dennis Tucker
  • Eddie Chappell
  • Jon Calderwood
  • Barry Roy

Jigsaw were an Australian country pop band, composed of Jon Calderwood on lead guitar, Eddie Chappell on drums, Ron Gilbee on rhythm guitar and Dennis Tucker on bass guitar. Over the course of their career, the band released Australian top ten singles, "Yellow River" (1970) and "How Do You Do" (1972). They also served as the backing band for Australian singer-songwriter Johnny Chester throughout the early 1970s.

History

Jigsaw were formed in May 1968 in Melbourne by Ray Eames on lead guitar (ex-Tony Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays, Rockhouse), Alan "Ollie" Fenton on drums (ex-Phantoms, Rockhouse), Ron Gilbee on rhythm guitar and Dennis Tucker on bass guitar (both ex-Merv Benton and the Tamlas, the Rondells/Impala).[1] [2] When the Tamlas disbanded in 1967, band mates Gilbee and Tucker decided to form a Shadows-inspired tribute band.[3] They recruited their friend Eames and his Rockhouse band mate Fenton.[3] The name, Jigsaw, is from a 1967 Shadows album.[3]

After playing Melbourne's pub circuit, in July 1968, Jigsaw joined an Australian Government sponsored tour of South Vietnam to entertain Australian and American troops.[3] [4] Also on that tour were Yvonne Barrett, Pat Carroll, Johnny Chester and compere-comedian Jack Perry.[3] While backing Chester during the Vietnam tour Jigsaw members agreed to work together with the country pop singer upon return to Melbourne.[3] Fenton had previously worked for Chester when he was a member of Phantom, Chester's earlier backing band.[1] Jigsaw also performed and released material on their own, they were signed to Ron Tudor's new label, Fable Records.[1] Fenton died in a work place accident in ca. 1969 and was replaced by Eddie Chappell on drums, while Jon Calderwood took over on lead guitar from Eames soon after.[1] [3]

Jigsaw's debut single for Fable, "To Love Means to Be Free", appeared in May 1970 and reached No. 49 on the Go-Set National Top 60.[5] [6] Also in May the 1970 radio ban, had started as a "pay for play" dispute between major record labels and commercial radio stations.[1] [7] Due to their label's independent status, Fable Records' artists were exempt from the radio ban.[7]

Jigsaw's second single, "Yellow River" (July 1970),[5] was a cover version of United Kingdom band Christie's single from April,[1] [8] which was not played on commercial radio due to the ban.[1] [7] An English singer, Leapy Lee, also issued a cover version, as did Sydney-based group Autumn.[8] [9] After ten weeks on the Go-Set National Top 60, "Yellow River" peaked at No. 1 on 31 October 1970 and was co-credited to all four artists: Jigsaw, Autumn, Christie and Lee.[9] The radio ban had ended the week before.[7]

"Gwen (Congratulations)" (August 1971) by Johnny Chester and Jigsaw,[1] [5] was a cover of American country singer, Tommy Overstreet's single from earlier that year.[10] It peaked at No. 26.[11] Jigsaw's next single, "So I Tell You" (September),[5] was written by Calderwood,[12] but it did not chart. "Shame and Scandal (in the Family)" (December), with Chester,[1] [5] is a cover of Sir Lancelot's 1943 song,[13] which peaked at No. 13.[14]

Jigsaw issued "How Do You Do" as a single in February 1972,[5] which reached No. 11,[1] [15] and is a cover of Dutch duo Mouth & MacNeal's 1971 hit.[16] Their next charting single, "Mademoiselle Ninette" (August),[1] [5] reached No. 20.[17] It is a cover of German group Soulful Dynamics' 1970 single.[18] Another single with Chester, "Midnight Bus", followed in September 1972,[1] [5] their rendition of John D. Loudermilk's 1960 track,[19] which reached No. 25.[20]

Johnny Chester backed by Jigsaw released, "World's Greatest Mum", in June 1973, which peaked at No. 9.[1] [5] [21] In January 1974 Jigsaw and Chester separated, although they periodically supported Chester on tours.[4] Jigsaw's last charting single, "A Rose Has to Die" (June 1974),[1] [5] reached No. 19 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Their compilation album, Best of Jigsaw, appeared in 1975.[1] They continued performing on the Melbourne pub circuit in the mid-1970s and issued their last single, "Every Day, Every Night", in January 1977.[1] [4] They disbanded shortly after. As for Chester from 1977 he was touring with the Blue Denim Country Band.[22]

Members

Credits:[1] [4]

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Johnny Chester & Jigsaw
  • Released: 1971
  • Label: Fable
  • Formats: LP
Going Places (Just for Fun)
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Fable
  • Formats: LP
Best of Jigsaw
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Fable
  • Formats: LP
  • Compilation album

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positions
AUS
Go-Set

[23]
AUS
KMR

[24]
1970"To Love Means to Be Free"49 50
"Yellow River"1 5
1971"Albert the Albatross"62
"Gwen (Congratulations)" 26 19
"So I Tell You"
"Shame and Scandal (in the Family)" 13 13
1972"How Do You Do"11 8
"Readymix Revenge" 37
"Mademoiselle Ninette"20 18
"Midnight Bus" 25 31
1973"Sing Along"
"Clap Your Hands" / "Marilyn Jones"
"Sunday Girl"99
"World's Greatest Mum" 9 8
1974"She's My Kind of Woman" 19 14
"A Rose Has to Die"19
"Light up the World"
1975"Teach Me How to Rock and Roll"
1977"Every Day, Every Night"

Notes and References

  1. Book: McFarlane . Ian . Ian McFarlane . . Encyclopedia entry for 'Jigsaw' . https://web.archive.org/web/20040419001541/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=959 . http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=959 . 1999 . . . 19 April 2004 . 1-86508-072-1 .
  2. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20100314214800/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20100315-0848/www.milesago.com/artists/bobby_laurie-2.html . Bobby & Laurie . Kimball . Duncan . Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions . 2005 . 14 March 2010 . 10 November 2019 . live .
  3. Web site: Denis Tucker's Musical Journey . Brown . Graeme . Sunshine Secets . 26 May 2020 . 21 November 2021 .
  4. Web site: Jigsaw . laurieallen.net . . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20070831081058/http://www.laurieallen.net/jigsaw . 31 August 2007 . 20 November 2021 .
  5. Web site: Record Labels – Fable Records . Kimball . Duncan . MilesAgo . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090319044804/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20090315-0738/www.milesago.com/industry/fable-2.html . 19 March 2009 . 20 November 2021 .
  6. Web site: Go-Set Australian charts . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . 8 August 1970 . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316175720/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19700808.html . 16 March 2017 . 20 November 2021 .
  7. MA. The place of Go-Set in rock and pop music culture in Australia, 1966 to 1974 . Appendix 6: The Record Ban . Kent . David Martin . . September 2002 . Canberra, ACT . 265–269 . 20 November 2021 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150904073704/http://erl.canberra.edu.au/uploads/approved/adt-AUC20050509.095456/public/02whole.pdf . 4 September 2015 .
  8. Web site: 'Yellow River' – Autumn . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . 20 November 2021 . 26 March 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100326043913/http://www.poparchives.com.au/71/autumn/yellow-river . dead .
  9. Web site: National Top 60 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 31 October 1970 . 20 November 2021 . 31 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180331024235/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19701031.html . dead .
  10. Web site: 'Gwen (Congratulations)' – Johnny Chester & Jigsaw (1971) . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150322105536/http://poparchives.com.au/2648/johnny-chester-jigsaw/gwen-congratulations . 22 March 2015 . 20 November 2021 .
  11. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 25 December 1971 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316181609/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1971/19711225.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
  12. Web site: APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) . 'So I Tell You' at APRA search engine . 20 November 2021 . Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  13. Web site: 'Shame and Scandal (In the Family)' – Johnny Chester & Jigsaw (1972) . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140126081730/http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=852 . 26 January 2014 . 20 November 2021 .
  14. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 10 June 1972 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316181609/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720610.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
  15. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 12 August 1972 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316183350/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720812.html . dead .
  16. Web site: 'How Do You Do' – Jigsaw (1972) . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140127050219/http://poparchives.com.au/1026/jigsaw/how-do-you-do . 27 January 2014 . 20 November 2021 .
  17. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 6 January 1973 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316183939/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19730106.html . dead .
  18. Web site: 'Mademoiselle Ninette' – Jigsaw (1972) . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160505001352/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20160504-1246/www.poparchives.com.au/1788/jigsaw/mademoiselle-ninette.html . 5 May 2016 . 20 November 2021 .
  19. Web site: 'Midnight Bus' – Betty McQuade (1961) . Nuttall, Lyn . Where Did They Get That Song? . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150321172227/http://poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=54 . 21 March 2015 . 20 November 2021 .
  20. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 3 March 1973 . 20 November 2021 . 7 June 2014 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140607043425/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20160504-1246/www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19730303.html . dead .
  21. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 6 October 1973 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316184059/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19731006.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
  22. McFarlane, . Archived from the original on 6 August 2004.
  23. Go-Set singles charting:
    • "To Love Means to Be Free": Web site: Go-Set Australian charts . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 8 August 1970 . National Library of Australia . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316175720/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19700808.html . 17 March 2017 . 20 November 2021 .
    • "Yellow River": Web site: National Top 60 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 31 October 1970 . 20 November 2021 . 31 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180331024235/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19701031.html . dead .
    • "Gwen (Congratulations)": Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 25 December 1971 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316181609/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1971/19711225.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
    • "Shame and Scandal (In the Family)": Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 10 June 1972 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316181609/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720610.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
    • "How Do You Do": Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 12 August 1972 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316183350/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720812.html . dead .
    • "Mademoiselle Ninette": Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 6 January 1973 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316183939/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19730106.html . dead .
    • "World's Greatest Mum": Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Go-Set . 6 October 1973 . 20 November 2021 . 16 March 2017 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170316184059/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19731006.html . dead . Note: chart only displays Johnny Chester as artist
    • "She's My Kind of Woman": Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20070329135043/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1974/19740706.html . Go-Set National Top 40 . Go-Set . Nimmervoll . Ed . 29 March 2007 . 6 July 1974 . 22 November 2021 .
  24. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book . St Ives, NSW . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6 . 155 .