Breakaways’ music still alive and well
Last Saturday afternoon I spent a couple of hours with Midge Marsden and Doug Thomas at the launch of the re-release of the 1960s Breakaways album All For One at the Vinyl Countdown record shop on Devon St.
My connection with Midge goes back to the start of his live band career when I saw him at the Waitara War Memorial Hall in 1964 as a member of The Blue Diamonds.
They were the first rock n roll band I’d ever seen live, I was only 10 at the time but I was hooked on it. Dinah Lee was hot on the charts, and with The Blue Diamonds as the opening act, it was a night to remember.
Bari Gordon formed The Blue Diamonds in 1964 and they were the backing band for Dinah Lee, Tommy Adderley and John Hore on the Johnny Coopers talent Quest Shows.
There were few rhythm and blues bands back then, The Chants R&B of Christchurch and The Dark Ages who were Auckland based.
The Blue Diamonds consisted of Bari Gordon, Bryan Beauchamp, Midge Marsden, Colin Lambert and Tim Nuku. The Blue Diamonds then became Bari and the Breakaways with Tim Nuku falling off and Dave Orams coming on board.
Bari had played in his father’s band in 1961 and then joined Stratford band The Crescendos.
He later joined The Nitelites with lead singer Lew Pryme and Dave Orams.
It’s funny how musicians all knew each other and often helped out in other bands if the need arose.
Bryan Beauchamp had originally played with Darryl and the Demons, and with Midge Marsden and Dave Orams in the group, Bari and the Breakaways were born. They began playing at Wellington nightclubs and touring provinces in and around the city. A guest spot on Let’s Go with Peter Sinclair was to boost their popularity.
In 1965 they signed up with HMV records and they had a very successful year releasing singles.
Midge was called up for military service and Bari left the group to get married. Dave and Bryan recruited Dave Hurley who was a guitarist in a Palmerston North band The Saints.
The new band was called The Breakaways and the band played in the Nelson area, until Midge rejoined them, and they were then based in Christchurch.
Their first album Let’s Take a Sea Cruise with The Breakaways was released in 1966.
When Bryan Beauchamp left the group, he was replaced with Doug Thomas on the drums. He was formerly with New Plymouth band Rex and the Roadrunners. Soon after Dave Hurley quit the band and was replaced by Tim Piper from Christchurch who had been with Chants R&B.
The band finally split in 1967. Dave Orams later played with Tom Thumb, The Bitter End, The Underdogs and Quincy Conserve.
Doug played with Le Frame and The Underdogs and has been a music producer now for some years.
Midge joined Radio NZ where he worked for a few years before music called him back into the scene.
He formed The Country Flyers, one of the more popular rock bands of the ‘70s and of course who can forget those nights at the Ngamotu Tavern when The Midge Marsden Connection came to town.
Midge has gone from strength to strength in his amazing career,and as his show at the 4th Wall Theatre last Friday and Saturday night proved, his magic on stage is still alive and well.
‘‘I love a full house’’, he told me, ‘‘I love it when the place is full’’. It was great to spend time with Midge and Doug and watch them chatting and signing copies of their newly released album.
These guys have stood the test of time and are true Taranaki icons. Puke Ariki cares for more than 110,000 images in the Swainson/ Woods Collection that were generated by the New Plymouth based businesses, Swainson’s Studios and Bernard Woods Studio, between 1923 and 1997.
Many of the photographs are still unidentified.
Check our efforts out online at http://vernon.npdc.govt.nz/ simpleSearch.jsp
If you can help identify this week’s photo, please phone the Taranaki Research Centre, 06 759 6060, or email the team at images@npdc.govt.nz