Autumn (Australian band)

Autumn were a pop music band, which formed in Sydney in 1969.[1][2] Their debut single, "Mr Henry's Lollipop Shoppe", was released early in the following year via EMI/Columbia.[1][2] They were signed to Chart Records during the 1970 radio ban, which had started in May as a "pay for play" dispute between major record labels and commercial radio stations.[1][3]

Autumn's second single, "Yellow River" (August 1970), was a cover version of United Kingdom band Christie's single from April,[4] which was not played on commercial radio due to the ban.[1][3] An English singer, Leapy Lee, also issued a cover version, as did Melbourne-based group Jigsaw.[4][5] For Autumn's recording the line-up was Glenn Beatson on drums, Rick Graham on bass guitar, Greg Jacques on organ, Steve McMurray on guitar and Tony Romeril on lead vocals.[1] After ten weeks on the Go-Set National Top 60, it peaked at No. 1 on 31 October 1970 and was co-credited to all four artists: Autumn, Jigsaw, Christie and Lee.[5] The radio ban had ended the week before.[3]

"Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl" (January 1971) was their next charting hit, which reached No. 24.[1][6] They were also the backing band for Dave Allenby, a cabaret singer, who issued a cover version of UK group Edison Lighthouse's "She Works in a Woman's Way".[1][7] It reached the top 40 in February and was co-credited to Allenby and Edison Lighthouse – at the same time "Yellow River" and "Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl" were still in the top 40.[6] Autumn issued their debut album, Song to Raymondo, in that year.[1][2] By March 1971 Jacques was replaced by Alan Marshall (ex-Hot Cottage) on guitar.[1] Also in that month they formed their own company, Collage, in equal share with their business manager Graham Farrell, "to produce and promote its own records and related products."[8]

The new line-up released another charting single, "Falling", which also peaked in the top 40.[1][9] Unlike their previous charting hits, "Falling", was an original – written by their drummer, Beatson.[10] Their second album, Comes Autumn, appeared later that year via Warner.[1] At the end of 1971 Charlie Wright joined on piano and organ.[1] Their final single, "Just Couldn't Believe It" (1971) featured Marshall, its writer, on lead vocals.[11][12] The group travelled to the UK but disbanded there early in 1972.[1]

After splitting Beatson, Marshall and McMurray formed a UK group, Mecca before relocating to Canada.[1] In 1976 they formed a Canadian rock band, Wireless, which issued three albums.[1] Romeril lived in Italy, for a few years, where he recorded material as Andy Foxx.[1] Graham and Romeril reformed Autumn in Sydney in 1976 with James Caulfield on keyboards, Dave Hallard on guitar, and Con Westaberg on drums; but disbanded soon after.[1] Autumn reunited for a tribute, benefit concert, Gimme Ted in March 2001 in support of contemporary singer-songwriter, Ted Mulry.[13][14] Their performances appeared on a 2×DVD video album, Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts (May 2003).[13][14] Romeril curated the re-release of Autumn's second album, Come Autumn (July 2010), on CD via Aztec Music.[11]

In 2015 Romeril released a tribute album, Will You Remember Me: a Tribute to Ted Mulry... Songwriter, he sang on five of its thirteen tracks, which were written by Mulry.[15] He also engineered and produced the album.[15]