Ted Mulry

Martin Albert Mulry was born on 2 September 1947 in Oldham, Lancashire, England.[1][2][3] His younger brother, Steve Mulry, was also a musician. Mulry started learning guitar from the age of ten. On 5 April 1966 Mulry arrived in Sydney as a cotton weaver intending to work at Carinya Farm, Bargo.[3] By 1969 he was working for the Department of Main Roads, driving a bulldozer.[4][5]

He sent a demo tape of his own compositions to Albert Productions in Sydney and intended to gain work as a songwriter.[6] The company persuaded him to release his own recordings.[5] He gained notice as a solo singer-songwriter with his pop ballad, "Julia" (February 1970), which reached the Go-Set National Top 40 in mid-May.[4][7][8] However, the single's airplay and charting was adversely affected by the 1970 radio ban, which was a "pay for play" dispute and prevented commercial radio from playing some works (including Mulry's).[9] Mulry's next single, "Falling in Love Again" (February 1971), was written by Vanda & Young (ex-the Easybeats), which reached No. 11.[10]

During his solo career Mulry was typically backed by ad hoc groups.[6] For the Canberra Day Pop Concert, in March 1971, the line-up was local musicians Russ Corkhill on piano and organ, Bob Martin on guitar, Paul Reynolds on bass guitar, and Tony Simon on drums.[11][12] In June of that year he supported visiting English pop group, the Kinks at a performance in Canberra.[13] He used the same backing musicians, who The Canberra Times' Michael Foster described as "very good Canberra musicians."[13] He also felt that "Best of his presentations were probably 'Julia' and 'Louisa', with everyone happy to hear 'Falling in Love Again'. I would have enjoyed 'Take Me Back', if it had finished when the statement had been made."[14]

Mulry released his debut solo album, Falling in Love Again (September 1971), and returned to England in the following month. While there he issued a single, "Ain't It Nice" (May 1972), as Steve Ryder for the Blue Mountain label.[4] It did not chart and he returned to Sydney by mid-1972. Mulry was a prolific songwriter and provided material for other artists, including John Farnham and Alison MacCallum. Pop band Sherbet had a top 20 hit with a cover version of his song, "You're All Woman" (August 1972).[4][15] He issued his second solo album, I Won't Look Back (February 1973).[4][8] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described how "[it] featured a rockier sound than heard on [his] early singles, and augured well for the future."[4]

Mulry, on lead vocals and, initially, on rhythm guitar, formed his own backing group in Sydney, which became Ted Mulry Gang (TMG), in September 1972.[4] Other founders were Les Hall on lead guitar, Steve Hart on bass guitar and Herman Kovacs on drums.[4][5] Hall and Kovacs had been members of a "popular suburban dance band", the Velvet Underground (not the US band of the same name), which had formed in Newcastle in 1967 and had relocated to Sydney in 1969.[4][6] They had previously included Malcolm Young (later of AC/DC) on rhythm guitar.[4][6] One of TMG's first performances was in September 1972 at the Waitara Festival, Newcastle.[4][16] Hall, Hart and Kovacs backed Mulry on ABC-TV's popular music series, GTK, in 1973 to promote his own version of "You're All Woman".[5]

During a 1974 gig Hart stormed out leaving his bass guitar behind, Mulry picked up the instrument and finished the show on vocals and bass guitar.[5][6] Ted Mulry Gang signed with Albert Productions in that year and released their first album, Here We Are (November 1974).[4][8] Before the album appeared they recruited Gary Dixon on rhythm guitar (ex-Fat Harry).[4][8][17] It reached the Kent Music Report top 100 albums chart.[18] Its first single, "Sunday Evenings" (March 1975), also appeared in the lower reaches of the singles chart top 100.[18] Due to low sales the record company wanted Mulry to go back to his solo career,[17] however, with his band's support he adopted a harder rocking style.

Their first major hit, and the biggest of their career, was the next single, "Jump in My Car" (September 1975), which spent six weeks at No. 1.[18] According to McFarlane, "[it] set the tone for subsequent releases with its simplistic, 12-bar boogie guitar riffs, thumping beat, Mulry's gravelly, gregarious vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics."[4] Over the next two years they achieved a string of top ten singles including a rocked up version of an old jazz song, "Darktown Strutters' Ball" (February 1976); followed by "Jamaica Rum" (January 1977) and "My Little Girl" (May).[18]

Many of TMG's songs, including "Jump in My Car", were co-written by Mulry and Hall. By late in 1980 their chart success had ended but they remained popular performers on the Australian pub circuit until they disbanded in 1986.[19] With his music career side-lined he started a business with his mechanic.[19] In 1989 Ted Mulry Gang briefly reformed, with Mulry, Hall and Kovacs joined by sometime Rose Tattoo guitarist Mick Cocks.[19][20] They released an album, Re-Union for Albert, on Sony. This marked their first on compact disc. Other CD reissues followed in the early 1990s. In 1998 Mulry, as a solo artist issued a CD, This Time, featuring songs co-written by himself and his brother, Steve.

In February 2001, Mulry announced that he had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Gimme Ted, two tribute concerts were organised for the following month, with numerous Australian musicians paying homage.[21][22] Included was a reunion of the Ted Mulry Gang with Steve as lead vocalist. A double-DVD, Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts, was released in 2003.[22] Mulry died of his brain tumour on 1 September 2001 in Sydney, one day away from his 54th birthday.[23] Steve later fronted a rock band, Black Label,[24] which performed in New South Wales and Victoria, including supporting the Angels.

In January 2006 actor David Hasselhoff recorded a cover version of "Jump in My Car", whilst in Australia. Hasselhoff's version was released in the UK and went to No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart in October. It also went No. 24 in Ireland.

• Ted's Official Facebook Page
• Ted Mulry Gang Feature Pop Archives Site
• Ted Mulry discography at Discogs
• Ted Mulry Gang discography at Discogs