When Skyhooks started bubbling around 1974 co-founder and principal songwriter Greg Macainsh says he was creating the sort of band he would like to go and see live.
“I’d see a lot of bands. I used to go out all the time. There was nothing I’d see locally that took my fancy particularly,” Greg tells Noise11.com. “I had the idea to create something, the kind of band I’d like to go and see. I used to go to all the overseas gigs at Festival Hall. I remember being impressed by Gary Glitter’s stage show and lots of other people. The local band I really liked was Daddy Cool because they had a bit of show and it was kind of fun. I guess that was the subconscious blueprint for Skyhooks”.
One person responsible for shaping the band was Daddy Cool/Mighty Kong/Mondo Rock frontman Ross Wilson. Ross produced the ‘Living In The 70s’ album and subsequent Skyhooks albums.
Greg says, “Ross obviously took an interest. The very first version of Skyhooks was Steve Hill singing, Peter Starkie and Peter Inglis. We played a show at the Melbourne University for Union night and we were supporting Ross’ band Mighty Kong at the time. That was were I first met Ross person to person”.
The ‘Living In The 70s’ single wasn’t released until August 1974. Skyhooks performed at the Sunbury Music Festival in January 1974, eight months before their first record so punters at the Festival were amongst the first to hear Skyhooks songs. “We were doing a lot of gigs before we recorded the album,” Greg says. “They were all original songs. We were not a covers band at all. People would have heard those songs live for the first time, not just at Sunbury but in all the other places we used to play”.
Watch the full Noise11 interview with Greg Macainsh of Skyhooks:
Skyhooks debut album ‘Living In The 70s’ has been reissued for its 50th anniversary.
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