Flaming Hands
Led by singer Julie Mostyn and astute songwriter /guitarist
Jeff Sullivan, the Flaming Hands were one of the great inner-city
Sydney (Australia) bands of the early 80s. The band's intense yet
tuneful blend of 1960s soul, R&B and psychedelic pop attracted
a loyal following.
The band signed to the Phantom label and issued the delightful
I Belong To Nobody single in September 1980. The single
featured soul covers originally recorded by The Marvelettes and
Soul Incorporated. By the time the first single was released, Paul
'Sluggo' Maheno had joined on sax.
The new line-up issued the Lobby Loyde-produced Wake Up
Screaming single in March 1981, which coincided with another
line-up change, with Sullivan, Mostyn and Sluggo being joined by
newcomers Grant Conner (bass), Peter Bull (keyboards) and Alan
Brown (ex-Proteens) on drums.
The new line-up supported The Clash at its epic seven night
stand at Sydney's Capitol Theatre during February 1982. The
Clash's manager, Bernie Rhodes became something of a Flaming Hands
fan.
The band issued a new single, It's Just That I Miss You
a month later. By the end of the year, however, Sullivan and
Mostyn had grown dissatisfied with their lack of progress and
inability to gain a major record deal and broke up the band.
Bull later joined Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls, while
Sullivan and Mostyn started to put together a new band called
Tunnels and Trains, but a year later had reverted to the name The
Flaming Hands. The band signed to Big Time (through EMI) and
prepared to record an album.
With the help of INXS members Andrew Farriss and Garry Beers,
Sullivan and Mostyn recorded the 12" single Cast My Love
(October 1983) and the 7" single The Edge (March
1984).
By 1984, Flaming Hands consisted of Sullivan, Mostyn and Sluggo.
With assistance from session players the band completed their
self-titled debut album, which also spawned two more singles, Break
Down And Cry and Out Of Our Hands.
By mid-year the band had returned to the live arena with a
line-up of Sullivan, Mostyn, Sluggo, Tim Leitch (keyboards), DC
Robertson (bass) and Michael Prowse (drums).
At the end of 1985, with still only a cult following to show
for five years of perseverance, Sullivan and Mostyn finally laid
Flaming Hands to rest.
|
