The Dynamic Hepnotics
Background information
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresBlue-eyed soul, funk
Years active1979 (1979)–1986 (1986)
LabelsMambo, Missing Link, Mushroom, White Label, Festival
Past membersTim Martin
Manuel Patti
Richard Ruhle
Andrew Silver
Robert Susz
Vickie Kenny
Bruce Allen
Allen Britton
Robert Souter
Mike Gubb
Peter Bishop
Dave Brewer
Mark Simmonds
Duncan Archibald
Chris Pascoe
Lloyd Swanton
Websitedynamichepnotics.com

The Dynamic Hepnotics were an Australian soul, blues and funk band which formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1986. Mainstay, lead vocalist and front man, "Continental" Robert Susz formed the group in Sydney. They had chart success on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with a top 5 single, "Soul Kind of Feeling" in 1984. It was followed by "Gotta Be Wrong (Way to Love)" which reached the top 20 in 1985. Their album, Take You Higher, reached the top 20 on the related Albums Chart in June. In 1986, "Soul Kind of Feeling" won the APRA Music Award for 'Most Performed Australasian Popular Work'.

History

The Dynamic Hepnotics formed in Sydney in 1979 with Tim Martin on saxophone (ex-Friends), Manuel Patti on bass guitar, Richard Ruhle on drums, Andrew Silver on guitar (Big Town Playboys) and "Continental" Robert Susz on vocals and harmonica (Rugcutters, Humdinger Dogs).[1] One of their early gigs was at the Potts Point night club, Arthur's.[2] In May 1980 this line-up issued a four-track extended play, Shakin' All Over on the Mambo label.[1][3] By the time of its release, Silver and Susz had been joined by Bruce Allen on saxophone (ex-Jeff St John Band, Ol' 55), Allen Britton on bass guitar (Mangrove Boogie Kings) and Robert Souter on drums (Lizard, Gulliver's Travels, Living Legends).[1][3] The group issued a single, "Hepnobeat", in September 1981 and subsequently changed from Mambo to Missing Link Records.[1][3] Jim Niven from The Sports played organ on the single.[1] An early line-up featured television presenter, Jonathan Coleman, on piano.[2][4]

In August 1982 they released a six-track EP, Strange Land, which was produced by Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool, Mondo Rock, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons) for Missing Link.[1][3] The group contributed to the soundtrack of 1983 feature film, Going Down.[5] By 1984 the band had signed with Mushroom Records' White Label Records. In late January Dynamic Hepnotics appeared at the Narara Music Festival.[6][7] They released a single, "I'll Make You", in May.[1][3] Their highest charting hit, "Soul Kind of Feeling", appeared on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October 1984 and peaked at No. 5.[8][9]

Early in 1985, they issued Live (aka The Dynamic Hepnotics Live), which including cover versions and originals recorded live in the studio.[1][3] An audible hissing noise was recorded onto the album from the sound of fire extinguishers used to put out a fire under the stage as the group performed.[4] Mike Gubb joined on keyboards. Live was followed by "Gotta Be Wrong (Way to Love)" in May, which reached the top 20.[8][9] Their album, Take You Higher, reached the top 20 on the related Albums Chart in June.[1][8] At the end of that year, Dave Brewer replaced Silver on guitar, Mark Simmonds replaced Allen on saxophone and Peter Bishop joined on trumpet.[1] The group's final single, "On Our Way Now", was released in March 1986, which reached the top 100.[1][9] Souter was replaced by Duncan Archibald on drums, Gubb was replaced by Chris Pascoe on keyboards and Lloyd Swanton replaced Britton on bass guitar.[1][3] However, the group disbanded before the end of the year.[1] In 1986, "Soul Kind of Feeling" won the APRA Music Award for 'Most Performed Australasian Popular Work'.[10]

After disbandment

In 1988 Susz formed a "stylish soul / R&B" group, The Mighty Reapers, with Archibald, Brewer and Ruhle. That group recorded three albums, The Mighty Reapers (1993), Trouble People (1994) and The Hurt Is On (1997).[1] Susz was later in the group, Continental Blues Party. Bruce Allen later toured &/or recorded with The Allniters, Eurogliders, The Eddys, Glenn Shorrock, Doug Parkinson and Ross Wilson, and currently performs with a number of Sydney-based bands including The Layabouts, The Bellhops and The Hollywood Hombres. Mike Gubb has worked with a number of Australian bands, including Mental As Anything, Ganggajang, The Whitlams and Dog Trumpet.[1][3] Lloyd Swanton formed a jazz trio, The Necks, in 1987 with Chris Abrahams and Tony Buck.[11] Dave Brewer has worked with The Catholics (formed by Swanton in 1991) and currently performs with Perth-based blues band The Doodaddies. In late 2008, Brewer released a solo album titled Life of Riley. Richard Ruhle performs with Sydney-based jazz 4-piece Seriously Cool. Robert Souter performs with Mental As Anything. Duncan Archibald performs with Sydney-based band The Moods.

Four of the original band members (Susz, Souter, Britton and Brewer) performed 2 shows under the Dynamic Hepnotics name in 2015, at the Caloundra Music Festival and the last ever Narooma-based Great Southern Blues and Roots Music Festival.[12][13]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
[14]
Live
  • Released: December 1984
  • Label: White Label (L27147)
  • Note: live album
 66
Take You Higher
  • Released: May 1985
  • Label: White Label (RML 53164)
 30

Compilation albums

Title Details
Hepnobest
  • Released: 2016
  • Label: Right On Records (ROR1609)

Extended plays

Title Details
Shakin' All Over
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Mambo Records (MAMBO 501)
Strange Land
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Missing Link (ING 007

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions
AUS
[14]
1981 "Hepnobeat" -
1984 "I'll Make You" -
"Soul Kind of Feeling" 5
"Gotta Be Wrong (Way to Love)" 20
1985 "Whenever You're Ready" -
"Believe Me" -
1986 "On Our Way Now" 86

Awards and nominations

Countdown Australian Music Awards

Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974–1987, it presented music awards from 1979–1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.[15][16]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1984 "Soul Kind of Feeling" Best Single Nominated

Band personnel

Credits:[1][3]

Vocals, harmonica

  • Robert Susz (1979–1986)

Guitar

  • Andrew Silver (1979–1986)
  • Dave Brewer (1986)

Bass guitar

  • Manuel Patty (1979)
  • Vickie Kenny (1979-1980)
  • Allen Britton (1980–1986)
  • Lloyd Swanton (1986)

Drums

  • Richard Ruhle (1979–1980)
  • Robert Souter (1980–1986)
  • Duncan Archibald (1986)

Saxophone

  • Tim Martin (1979–1980)
  • Bruce Allen (1980–1985)
  • Mark Simmonds (1985–1986)

Trumpet

  • Peter Bishop (1985–1986)

Keyboard

  • Mike Gubb (1985–1986)
  • Chris Pascoe (1986)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Dynamic Hepnotics'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 Warner, Dave (June 2006). Countdown: the Wonder Years 1974–1987. Sydney, NSW: ABC Books. p. 110. ISBN 0-7333-1401-5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Holmgren, Magnus. "Dynamic Hepnotics". Australian Rock Database. (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Dynamic Hepnotics". Nostalgia Central.
  5. ↑ Sawyer, Mark (15 April 2011). "The Morning After the Night Before". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "Narara Music Festival". Central Coast Express Weekender. News Corporation. 20 January 1984.
  7. ↑ Mostyn, Patti (27 January 1984). "Narara '84 Programme". Australian Music History. Archived from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  9. 1 2 3 Ryan (bulion), Gary (5 June 2011). "Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 4 – Dynamic Hepnotics". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "1986 Winners - APRA Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  11. ↑ McFarlane 'Chris Abrahams' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  12. ↑ Williams, Tom (2 June 2015). "Caloundra Music Festival's First 2015 Lineup Announced". Music Feeds. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Narooma Blues Festival Announces 2015 Lineup". TheMusic.com.au. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  14. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 18. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ↑ "Countdown to the Awards" (Portable document format (PDF)). Countdown Magazine. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). March 1987. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "Final episode of Countdown". 1970scountdown. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
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