"the clones" Sydney clones Australia bands "power pop" clones Australia power pop mods bands "the clones" "mark alchin" "john salway" "noel sharpe" "david keogh" the clones "tired of hiding" "happy i'm with her" "the reasons why" "the persuaders" "sydney mod scene" "australian pub rock" "punk scene australia" clones bands

	WELL HI THERE!
	So here we are...my wish is that you explore everything this site has to offer,
	hopefully you will discover some of the many fantastic original songs that the guys
	have written.
	The Clones were a big part of my life, it was a time full of excitement and expectation
	and I think it's great to have everything we have done over the years put
	together here in one package.
	At the time of writing all I can say is that I am simply stunned - well over 2,000 hits on
	the site! All this from a humble beginning with John putting a few songs on CD, amazing
	what a scotch and coke will do.
	Yes, The Clones did end, however, in various ways we continued on our journeys over the
	years with the 'Post Clone Bands'. The originals kept coming thick and fast and
	culminated in a band called The Groovediggers. This band finally reunited the four
	original Clones, we were at our best musically at this time and the guys' song writing
	really hit a peak, some of the best original songs I have ever heard from the guys
	were presented in The Groovediggers.
	I guess I can say all that because I couldn't write a song to save my life, also I can't sing a
	bloody note! I'm just a drummer, so it lets me off the hook a bit as I can actually be
	a fan without compromising my abundant musical integrity (just joking!)
	THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES
	I just can't believe that all this started from a dusty boxful of old tapes! When investigating
	this vast menagerie I uncovered a whole heap of stuff, from studio work to live on stage
	recordings and even some records!
	A few years back, John came over to my place for that great Aussie tradition, the barbie - he
	brought along some CDs and explained all about a new project of his; converting some of his
	own collection of tapes to disc. The tape hiss was gone and the songs sounded great!
	This was amazing, after a few beers to pluck up the courage I said, "mate! Buddy, old pal, could
	you maybe put a song or two onto disc for us, won't take too long."
	Well, that old boxful of tapes finally saw the light of day, as well as another boxful
	from Mark. Sometimes it was an interesting listen, sometimes a joy as a gem of a song
	was uncovered. I diligently vetted every track of every tape, as one does in their spare time.
	At this point I must really thank John for his work in converting these collections, it
	took a lot of hard work. I am especially thankful that he did such a great job on
	The Reasons Why discs....John was not in the Reasons Why, he had his own band,
	The Persuaders  but that's another story for another time.
	I must also congratulate Mark for putting so much work into this website, it looks great and
	works well, it's quite comprehensive and seasoned with a dollop of humour! I know he is
	updating it all the time as new material comes to hand. Many of the songs you can download
	are from that old boxful...very simply put; John converts tapes to disc, Mark puts the site
	together and voila, there you have it!
	30 ODD YEARS
	When Mark asked me to write something for the site I knew it would be a bit of a challenge,
	it's now even more difficult as I can't help but reflect on thirty years of friendship and music and
	it's all there in this site; click this button, hyperlink this and download that. Not to mention
	the many photos, gig guides, diaries and articles. So I guess I'd better narrow it down
	to a specific period in time. Without diminishing all the other great
	things, I'd like to talk about The Reasons Why.
	When John left The Clones, for the last time, we adapted into a three piece unit. I remember
	practicing at Sound Lab studios in Canterbury. In the beginning we did most of our
	practicing there but I'm not sure why we returned there....maybe it was for the chance
	encounter I had with William Shakespeare, a real pop star who had hits like 'My Little Angel'
	and 'Can't Stop Myself From Loving You'...we bumped into each other whilst I was
	heading for the little boys room!
	It was around this time of late 1979, early 1980 that Mark was penning some excellent tunes, for
	example 'Am I Asking Too Much' and 'I Was Half Asleep'. Ian also had a great tune called
	'No Place to Go' - I have a ripper of a live version that I'd love to put on the website.
	This was a turning point for me as I started to really work hard on improving my drumming - it
	really needed it....for example, a drum roll; yes, well how does that go again? The three
	piece Clones did lots of gigs at the Banksia Hotel and one of our last gigs was at the
	Vicar of Wakefield being October 3rd, 1980. I have had
	some songs from that gig put onto disc which may make the website in the near future.
	BETWEEN BANDS
	We pretty much went our own way after that and had to contend with
	that dirty, four letter word "work". Ian and I got married (not to each other!).
	I remember we enjoyed good times and lots of BBQs as Ian and I joined the
	mortgage belt brigade out west. Mark would join in the festivities
	as well. We would listen to tons of early '80s music and vinyl
	was still the way to go. In my head I'm hearing Culture Club's 'Church of the
	Poisoned Mind' - sorry, no download available on this site!
	We were very good friends and it was a great chance just to chill out for
	a while, no rehearsals or gigs to worry about, but forming another band was
	always on the cards given how much we liked music.
	THE LAST WORD
	One of our numerous diary dates details how "we have played our fourth gig as
	The Last Word", the date is January 16th, 1983. We had a whole heap of
	songs and were really playing well together. One of my favourite songs from
	Mark at this time was 'All the Same to Me. We were at about half covers and half originals.
	Some of the covers were 'No Dancing' (Elvis Costello) and a great Zombies song,
	'Is This the Dream'. I'm not sure about the date but Ian penned a great song
	titled 'Just One Chance'.
	The originals that I have named in this, soon to be lengthy article, are all on disc. If room
	permits, maybe Mark can create some more mp3s for download so you can have a listen.
	This is about the last word on The Last Word.
	9th OF JULY 1983
	A review of some diary notes says that "a lot has happened, John has joined a
	band called Division 4, The Last Word has now morphed into The Reasons Why and
	done some studio demos." I remember using the spa bath at one of the
	studios when Billy Field popped in and said hello, I was just relaxing in the bubbles after
	some heavy drumming sessions.....sorry no 'Bad Habits' here!
	The demos that we did later at a Kogarah studio opened many doors for us, it was
	around this time that we were becoming quite popular and starting to draw a crowd,
	I remember saying to myself "what's the go with all those scooters out there?" This, of course,
	was the start of a very loyal following for us. It was great having the support of the Mods
	and everyone else as we gigged all around the place; places like the Vulcan Hotel,
	Mosman Hotel, Harold Park Hotel, Strawberry Hills Hotel, the Petersham Inn and
	Quarrymen's Hotel to name but a few.
	WHY THE WHY
	I guess for me personally this was a special niche in time where everything was
	on an upward spiral. What was a three piece band which worked very well now
	became a four piece and worked even better with the inclusion of a very
	talented and gifted bass player, namely James Rothery.
	We're now well into 1984 and were doing substantially well gig-wise. We did lots of
	radio interviews and played at places like Maroubra Seals Club, Selina's and Sydney Cove
	Tavern. Some of the bands we were playing with were The Cockroaches, Stupidity,
	Hoodoo Gurus and Dynamic Hepnotics.
	I would like to indulge in some specific personal memories if I may:
	Like James joining around mid-1984, as I mentioned he is a great bass player and
	I really had to practice hard and lift my game as a drummer, we had many
	new songs and more complex cover work than I had been used to; songs like
	'I Can See For Miles' for example but it all seemed to come together - yep, that old
	rhythm section thing.
	We even returned to the old church at Coogee for rehearsals....must have been the lure
	of that great pie shop down the road. Ian was busy employing fancy echo machines
	and gizmos that gave his own excellent and unique style of guitar playing a much
	broader scope. Mark was in fine voice and the originals kept coming, Mark was now
	also dabbling in some lead guitar work himself, gee we were really on a roll!
	BIG HIGHLIGHTS
	I remember getting a phone call whilst we were entertaining some friends at my house,
	it was a call to say that Studio 301 at EMI was now available to finish off the
	recordings that we made on a new, fan dangled digital desk. This was when digital things
	were in their infancy. A well known producer, John Bee, who produced Ross Wilson's
	'Bop Girl' heard one of those earlier demo tapes and was really impressed with
	Mark's original work.
	This was really exciting stuff as I hurried our guests out the door with the explanation that I
	was off to EMI to make fame and glory. As a result, the songs 'The Reasons Why' and
	'Leap Before You Look' were recorded. I have a first generation copy direct from the
	master tape in that old dusty boxful I spoke about earlier - it's now on disc and may make
	an appearance as a download in the future.
	We had lots of gigs; the residencies at the Trade Union Club were fantastic, many a late
	night was had. Lucky my VW beetle had those quarter windows I could turn in such a way as to
	blow cold air on my face just to keep myself awake on the long journey back
	to the sticks! We also played some gigs at Newtown Leagues Club, some great nights there.
	I think it was the Graphic Arts Club in the city that is really etched in my memory; we came on
	and did 'River Deep, Mountain High' to a packed room, big light show, fog machines and
	go-go dancers. It was an absolutely fantastic night, no doubt my memory is assisted
	due to the fact that we all had to share the same dressing room as the dancers, go girls!
	AT A PEAK
	We recorded some songs at Sun Studios in the city and from that came Mark's
	songs 'Big Words' and a fantastic track called 'Undecided', the latter was later released on a
	compilation album with other Australian bands titled 'Countdown Under - Party at Hanging Rock'
	It was released in the UK and Europe but not in Australia.
	The band was going strong, we had our own distinctive style and sound. I have an old tape
	of a gig made around this time recorded through the mixing desk. The songs sound great
	and went to disc really well, it kind of sums up all that we were. Right at the peak of
	things we did a gig at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre - from memory
	the gig did not go well, something about stuff being thrown at us and equipment
	malfunctions.
	Strangely though, I didn't have any pre-conceived ideas about leaving the band, maybe it was
	just one late night too many, I don't really know, but I did leave The Reasons Why soon
	after.
	NO REGRETS, NO WORRIES
	Our good friend Ed Codsi, a drummer who had played with James in a band called Get Smart,
	became the new drummer for The Reasons Why. When we did those EMI sessions I spoke about
	earlier I remembered borrowing Ed's drum kit, it was much better than mine and it
	sounds great on the recordings, thanks Ed - your cheque is in the mail!
	I'm not sure of what gigs The Reasons Why did after I left but I wished them well. After a
	while I contacted my old mate John Salway to see what he was up to.
	Why I did this I do not know. The Persuaders had
	finished by then so John and I formed a band called The Frogs with fellow
	band members Adam and Danielle. It was a really fun band, Adam was a very fine
	guitarist and Danielle's great vocals added a whole new dimension.
	John was working on some new original songs and some of those came to light
	in this band. The Frogs played some great gigs and we even recorded some work in a studio,
	however the band ended and from that we reunited with Mark and Ian after The Reasons Why
	eventually folded. The four of us were now The Groovediggers - maybe if I had not left
	The Reasons Why then this chapter of our journey might not have happened.
	As mentioned earlier, two songs were recorded at Sun Studios. These two
	songs were later remixed and added as the B-side to The Reasons Why's first
	single 'In the End' which was recorded at Emerald City Studios in January 1987 and
	released by Phantom Records.
	The single reached number three on the independent charts, sold in the thousands and was
	played extensively on 2JJJ-FM. The A-side features Ed's excellent drum work,
	great guitar playing by Ian and Mark is in fine voice; definitely the best
	recorded work that I can think of. The B-side tracks being 'Undecided' and
	'Big Words' have my original drumming recorded, thanks guys - hmmmm, better
	put another cheque in the mail.
	A while after that, the guys went back to Emerald City Studios and recorded what was
	meant to be a follow-up single, a song penned by Mark titled 'Nothing', also
	they recorded a new version of 'Leap Before You Look'.
	The follow-up single was never released, I have it on good authority that the band
	ended in late 1987. I guess we will never know what might have been for The Reasons Why...
	IN THE END
	So, there you have it! I hope this gives you some background about The Reasons Why and
	other things as well. For me The Reasons Why would be the band that I miss the
	most; from memory I think it's about four years from go to whoa - lots of exciting times
	and some great friendships and moments. I think we all have a memory of
	doing something that feels good and goes well, it kind of gathers
	momentum and hits a groove. It could be anything really, like playing a
	team sport, doing well at work or enjoying a hobby or your
	family and friends.
	The Reasons Why were definitely headed somewhere, maybe it was destined toward
	this website!
	That's all folks!!
	Noel Sharpe