Th' Dudes
New Zealand rock band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Th' Dudes are a New Zealand rock band that was formed in the late 1970s in Auckland, New Zealand. Hits include "Walking in Light", "Right First Time", "Be Mine Tonight" and "Bliss".
Rikki Morris
Peter Urlich
Lez White
Bruce Hambling
Th'Dudes | |
|---|---|
Th' Dudes at the Cricketers' Arms, Wellington, New Zealand. 1980. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1975–1980, 2006–2008, 2019-present |
| Members | Dave Dobbyn Rikki Morris Peter Urlich Lez White Bruce Hambling |
| Past members | Ian Morris (deceased) Peter Coleman |
History
1975–1980
The band was formed by Morris, Urlich, Coleman and Dobbyn, students at Sacred Heart College in Auckland. The band name derived from the "Lone Groover" comic strip in the English music paper, NME.
1990s–present
In October 2006, Th' Dudes embarked on a tour of New Zealand as part of Radio Hauraki's 40th anniversary celebrations.[1] The band compiled a six-track album of demo and alternate versions of their biggest hits, culled from the band's own collections. This CD was available only at shows on the tour and was called Pubs, Parks, Theatres, Clubs, Church Halls, Gardens, Lounges & Band Rotundas.
In 2008, the band sued Stebbing Studios for non-payment of royalties. The band sought to show that they were not paid royalties for sales of their music due to their songs being recorded in downtime at Stebbing, but studio owner Eldred Stebbing claimed production costs had not been met.[2][3] The dispute was resolved to both parties' mutual satisfaction[4] in November 2008.
In 2019, the band announced a new tour of New Zealand, with dates from 9–25 April 2020, but it was postponed until November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ian Morris's brother, Rikki Morris joined the group for the tour.
Ian Morris died suddenly in Napier on 7 October 2010.[5]
Members
- Dave Dobbyn – vocals, guitars
- Ian Morris (deceased) – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
- Peter Urlich – drums (changing to vocals later)
- Peter Coleman (1976-1978) – bass
- Lez White - bass
- Bruce Hambling – drums
- Rikki Morris - guitar, vocals
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Year | Album | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [6] | |||
| 1979 | Right First Time |
|
17 |
| 1980 | Where Are the Boys? |
|
– |
Live albums
| Year | Title | Album | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [6] | |||
| 2006 | Th' 2006 Reunion Tour Live |
|
39 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Album | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [6] | |||
| 1982 | So You Wanna Be a Rock'n'Roll Star |
|
27 |
| 2001 | Where Are the Girls?: Th' Definitive Collection |
|
31 |
| 2020 | Bliss On Wax |
|
7 |
Demo albums
| Year | Title | Album details |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Pubs, Parks, Theatres, Clubs, Church Halls, Gardens, Lounges & Band Rotundas |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [6] | |||
| 1979 | "Be Mine Tonight" / "That Look in Your Eyes" | 36 | Right First Time |
| "Right First Time" / "Tonight Again" | 34 | ||
| "Walking in Light" / "Bad Boy Billy" | 50 | Where Are the Boys | |
| 1980 | "Bliss" / "On the Rox" | 25 | |
| 2010 | "Bliss 2010" (vs. Jolyon Petch & Sam Hill) | – | Non-album single |
Awards and nominations
Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Th' Dudes | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | inductee | [7] |