There is more than one artist with this name: 1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the jesus music movement, and initially signed to Myrrh Records, they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits.
Thre are at least four bands with this name. a) a solo acoustic indie act currently based and playing in London (no known success)
b) a british Rock band, successful in the 70's with the song "Hiroshima"
c) a Jazz band
d) a punk/rock band from Melbourne, Australia (disbanded in 2007). Released two full length albums: "Standing Still" and "Kicking Goals, Banging Goals And High Fives All Round". ---------------- More information relating to (c) above:
Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin Scott MacMichael in 1985, and made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin Farley and drummer Martin Beadle joined in 1986. Their first album, Broadcast, released in 1986, was the first U.S. number one album for Richard Branson's Virgin Records. It included "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", their most popular single, which reached number one in the U.S.
Yes is a British progressive rock band which formed in London, United Kingdom in 1968. They are best known for 1970's "I've Seen All Good People", the 1972 9-minute US Top 20 smash "Roundabout" and their 1983 #1 hit "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". Despite many lineup changes, occasional splits and the influence of the many changes in popular music, the band has endured for 40 years and still retains a strong international following. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, lush harmonies, often extended song lengths and a general showcasing of members' instrumental prowess.
Richard Clapton (1951?-) is an Australian singer/songwriter. His date of birth is somewhat elusive, but in an interview with the Melbourne Age in 2002, he described himself as 50 something. In an article in "Who" magazine his birthdate was given as 1951.
His albums include: "Prussian Blue" (1973)"Girls on the Avenue" (1975) "Main Street Jive" 1976 "Goodbye Tiger" 1977, "Past Hits and Previews" 1978 "Hearts on the Nightline" 1979 "Dark Spaces" 1980 "The Great Escape" 1982 "Solidarity" 1984 "Glory Road" 1987 "The Best Years of Our Lives" 1989 "Distant Thunder" 1993 "Angeltown" 1995, "Diamond Mine" 2004 and "Rewired" 2006.
Although not well-known outside Australia, a number of his songs such as "Girls On The Avenue", "Capricorn Dancer", "Deep Water", "Lucky Country", "The Best Years of Our Lives", and "I Am an Island" are staples of FM radio playlists in Australia.
The early 1970s are often regarded as a stagnant time for Australian rock music. In this context, the emergence of Richard Clapton as a talented and ambitious songwriter in the "troubadour" tradition of, for instance, Neil Young and Jackson Browne (both of whom later expressed their admiration for Clapton) was refreshing. Although no hit singles were on his first album, "Prussian Blue", by the time of his second album, "Girls on the Avenue," Clapton enjoyed a reasonable amount of mainstream success, with the title song from the album reaching #2 spot on the Australian top 40 charts. Clapton's first five albums were produced by Richard Batchens.
At the times of its release, "Goodbye Tiger" was one of the most critically acclaimed albums an Australian artist had produced. It was produced by Richard Batchens, who was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era.(See articles collected on the fan site linked below for confirmation of this). Many Clapton fans continue to regard this notably melancholic record as Clapton's masterpiece.
Thereafter, Clapton played less of a central role in the music industry; although "The Great Escape" (featuring contributions from members of Cold Chisel and INXS) sold strongly and contained memorable singles in "I Am an Island" and "The Best Years of Our Life." During the early 1980s he was acknowledged as a mentor to several bands emerging from the then vigorous pub-rock scene, in particular INXS whose second LP, Underneath the Colours he produced.
On a 2006 album, Rewired, recorded at his home studio, Clapton produced "unplugged" acoustic versions of his early songs. This album contains many early Clapton Gems that have been reworked to fit in with the acoustic vibe of the album.
(From the Wikipedia entry for Richard Clapton) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Uncanny X-Men formed in Melbourne as a guitar pop band in 1981 and worked the pub rock circuit. Original line-up included Chuck Hargreaves on guitar, Steve Harrison on bass guitar, Brian Mannix as lead singer, Nick Manthandos on drums and Ron Thiessen on guitar. Mannix became known for his mischievous and comical send-ups of other artists. The band was signed by Mushroom Records early in 1982 and released their debut EP Salive One in November, which peaked at #15 on the Kent Music Report. They toured Australia in support of US rock act Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Sting (b. Gordon Matthew Sumner, 2 Oct 1951, in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK), is a distinguished English solo musician & former lead-singer / principal-composer / bassist of, 1970s/80s rock band, The Police. Sumner was born in Wallsend, near Newcastle, to Audrey Cowell and her husband, Ernest Sumner. He is the eldest of four children and has a brother, Philip, and two sisters, Angela and Anita. His father managed a dairy, and as a boy Sumner would often assist him with the early morning milk delivery rounds.
John Peter Farnham (born July 1, 1949) is an English-born Australian pop singer. Domestically he has remained one of Australia's best-known performers over a career spanning more than 30 years. He is the only Australian artist to have a number one record in five consecutive decades (echoing Sir Cliff Richard in the United Kingdom). Born in Dagenham, East London, United Kingdom, Farnham spent the first years of his life in England before migrating to Australia in 1959. As an undistinguished student, he began a plumbing apprenticeship before taking leave from that to pursue music.