James Reyne Australian rock musician, singer and songwriter Date of Birth: 19.05.1957 Country: Australia

1. Biography of James Reyne
2. Formation of 'Australian Crawl'
3. Success with 'Australian Crawl'
4. Solo Career and Collaborations
5. Continued Career

Biography of James Reyne

James Reyne is an Australian rock musician, singer, and songwriter known for his solo performances as well as his involvement with the legendary Australian band 'Australian Crawl'. He was born in Nigeria to an Australian mother and an English diplomat. In the early 1960s, his family moved to Victoria, Australia, where James completed his schooling and later attended the Victorian College of Arts.

Formation of 'Australian Crawl'

While studying, James Reyne formed his first band called 'Spiff Roach' with his friends Bill McDonough, Guy McDonough, Brad Robinson, Paul Williams, Robert Walker, Mark Hudson, and Simon Binks. After the disbandment of 'Spiff Roach' in the early 1970s, James, along with Binks, Robinson, Williams, and his younger brother David Reyne, formed a new band called 'Clutch Cargo', which later became 'Australian Crawl'. The band gained local popularity and eventually became well-known in Australian clubs.

Success with 'Australian Crawl'

'Australian Crawl' achieved significant success and sold approximately one million albums in the 1980s. Some of their most famous songs include 'Reckless', 'Beautiful People', 'Errol', 'The Boys Light Up', 'Things Don't Seem', 'Oh No Not You Again', and 'Downhearted'. In 1981, the band was named the 'Most Popular Group of the Year' by the popular TV show 'Countdown', and James Reyne was recognized as the most popular performer in the Australian music scene for two consecutive years.

Solo Career and Collaborations

After 'Australian Crawl' disbanded in 1986, James Reyne embarked on a solo career. Prior to this, he had already established useful connections, such as collaborating with Lin Buckfield from 'Electric Pandas' on the single 'R.O.C.K./Under My Thumb', released in 1986. James released his debut solo album in 1987, featuring the highly successful single 'Motors Too Fast'. Several other singles from the album achieved great popularity in Australian radio and television broadcasts.

In 1992, James Reyne recorded a duet with country singer James Blundell, covering the song 'Way Out West' by the band 'The Dingoes', which reached the second position in Australian charts. In the same year, James collaborated with former 'Sherbet' frontman Daryl Braithwaite, Jeff Scott, and Simon Hussey on the album 'Company of Strangers', which produced four highly successful singles. James released his fourth solo album, 'The Whiff Of Bedlam', in 1994 before taking a break from music for a few years.

Continued Career

James Reyne returned to active music in 1999 with the album 'Design For Living' and later took another five-year hiatus. In 2004, he released the album 'Speedboats for Breakfast', followed by '...And The Horse You Rode In On' in 2005, which contained acoustic versions of his own songs and 'Australian Crawl' hits. In 2007, James recorded another acoustic album titled 'Ghost Ships'. He continues to perform and record music with varying levels of activity to this day.