The Scientists
The Scientists was an influential indie rock band from Perth, Australia, led by Kim Salmon. There were two versions of the band: the Perth-based punk-pop band of the late 1970s and the Sydney-based rock band of the 1980s.
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2 Perth, 1978-1981 3 Sydney and London, 1982-1987 |
Salmon formed Perth's first punk rock band, the Cheap Nasties, in August 1976. The lineup was Kim Salmon (guitar), Rob Porritt (vocals), Neil Fernandez (guitar), Dan Dare (bass) and Mark Betts (drums). Salmon left the Cheap Nasties in December 1977 and the rest of the band continued as The Manikins.
Salmon joined the Invaders. Before Salmon they had been called the Exterminators — lineup Mark Demetrius (vocals), Roddy Radalj (guitar, vocals), Boris Sujdovic (bass) and John Dowlings (drums). Salmon replaced Demetrius.
The Invaders became The Scientists in May 1978, when James Baker from The Victims replaced John Dowlings. Sujdovic left the band in August 1978.
The band started playing again in January 1979 with Dennis Byrne on bass. This lineup recorded the band's first single, "Frantic Romantic/Shake (Together Tonight)", released in June 1979.
Radalj and Byrne left in April 1979, to be replaced by Ben Juniper (guitar) and Ian Sharples (bass). This lineup recorded the band's second single, The Scientists EP (released February 1980) and did two tours of Melbourne and Sydney, in December 1979 and February/March 1980. In Melbourne, the band appeared on pop TV show Countdown, performing "Last Night" from the EP.
Juniper left in May 1980 and Salmon, Baker and Sharples continued as a three-piece. The band broke up in January 1981 after recording their album, The Scientists (commonly referred to as The Pink Album), released in August 1981.
Salmon then formed Louie Louie with Kim Williams (bass) and Brett Rixon (drums), though this band broke up in August 1981.
In September 1981, Salmon and Boris Sujdovic reformed the band, with Brett Rixon on drums and Tony Thewlis on guitar, and prepared to move to Sydney. For this version of the band, the melodic power-pop punk favoured by James Baker had been dropped for psychedelic-tinged rock'n'roll in the manner of The Cramps.
The band was signed by Au Go Go Records, who released "This Is My Happy Hour/Swampland" (December 1982), the influential Blood Red River mini-LP (September 1983) and "We Had Love/Clear Spot" (December 1983).
By the end of 1983, the Scientists were one of the most popular Australian independent bands. Deciding to move on to new horizons, they left Australia to move to London in March 1984. In October 1984, the band supported The Gun Club on their European tour. Meanwhile, Au Go Go had issued the mini-LP This Heart Doesn't Run on Blood, This Heart Doesn't Run on Love mini-album (September 1984).
fill out with UK history, further recordings, implosionPrehistory
Perth, 1978-1981
Sydney and London, 1982-1987