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The Angels were a hard rock band from Adelaide, Australia from the 1970s to the 2000s. The band relocated from Adelaide to Sydney. In the US, their records were released under the name Angel City.

In 2006, The Angels and Doc Neeson were featured on a postage stamp for Australia Post as part of their "Australian Rock Posters, The Stamps" collection.

History

Early years

In November 1970, John Brewster, and his brother Rick Brewster formed The Moonshine Jug and String Band. In 1971 Bernard "Doc" Neeson joined the band with a group of friends. The band performed at university campuses and in 1973 released their debut EP Keep You on the Move, which made the top 5 in Adelaide. This was followed in 1974 by the single "That's All Right With Me". Both these releases were on John Woodruff's Sphere label.

In 1974 they changed their name to The Keystone Angels, switched to electric instruments and began playing 1950s rock and roll on the pub circuit. In 1975 the band supported AC/DC during a South Australian tour, and later performed as the backing band for Chuck Berry.

1970s - The Angels formation

In 1975, on the recommendation of Bon Scott and Malcolm Young, the band was offered a recording deal with the Alberts label. They dropped "Keystone" from their name and became simply "The Angels". As this point the band was a four-piece with Neeson on bass guitar, Charlie King (Peter Christopolous) on drums, Rick Brewster on lead guitars and John Brewster on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.

The Angels' first single, "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", was released in April 1976. The Angels made their debut TV appearance on Countdown. Later in the year, Charlie King, at the time AWOL from the army, was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on the drums. This would be the first of three different versions of the song the band released as singles throughout their career.

July of 1977 saw the release of the band's second single, "You're A Lady Now", followed a month later by their self-titled debut LP, The Angels. Chris Bailey and Bon Scott were members of Mount Lofty Rangers in 1974. They released Round and Round, it was later remixes by Vince Lovegood as Round and Round and Round in 1996. Doc Neeson moved to lead vocals and Chris Bailey on bass.

1978's Face to Face album reached #16 in November and stayed on the Australian charts for 79 weeks. Mark Opitz engineered, and along with The Angels, co-produced the album. Peter Ledger, who designed the cover, won Best Australian Album Cover Design Award. Face to Face produced the band's first hit single, "Take a Long Line", which has gone on to become one of the band's most-recognised songs. In November, the band supported David Bowie on his first Australian tour, resulting in The Tour EP 7" single.

No Exit, issued in June of 1979, entered the Australian album chart at #8 upon its release and again at #15 in September. George Young contributed as a backing vocalist. In October 1979, Albert released the Out Of The Blue EP, featuring the third version of "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" in three years.

On New Year's Eve 1979, the band performed in front of almost 100,000 people on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Their show, however, was cut short when a riot broke out in the audience. Doc Neeson was hit on the head with a sign and Chris Bailey was knocked unconscious by a flying bottle and hospitalised.

1980s

The band signed an international contract with CBS Records and released, in March of 1980, Face to Face, a compilation of tracks from the Australian Face to Face and No Exit albums, on the Epic label. The band billed itself as Angel City to avoid legal problems with the Casablanca Records' act "Angel".

In June 1980, Dark Room, produced by the Brewster brothers, was released. The overseas version of this album featured re-recorded versions of "Ivory Stairs" and "Straight Jacket" in place of "Alexander" and "I'm Scared". American band Great White would later cover "Face The Day", from this LP, as well as "Can't Shake It" from Face to Face.

In March 1981, drummer Graham Bidstrup left the band, reportedly due to non-musical differences, and was replaced by New Zealander Brent Eccles. The Never So Live EP, issued in October, received heavy airplay and on the strength of the new song "Fashion And Fame" went to sell some 80,000 copies. In November 1981 Night Attack, produced by Ed Thacker, John and Rick Brewster, was released.

The band's third international album, Night Attack included a remixed version of "Back On You", previously only available on the flipside of the "Into The Heat" single. Early in 1982, it became apparent Chris Bailey would be unable to tour with the band in the US; American Jim Hilbun was recruited as replacement.

In May 1983, Watch The Red, produced by The Angels and engineered by Andrew Scott and Al Wright, was issued. The first single release,"Stand Up", written by Hilbun, was a successful single. The album, critically acclaimed for its musical inventiveness, featured saxophone leads from Hilbun, John Brewster on lead vocals for one track, and even a piano accordion. A great deal of the material was also derived from a 40 minute jam-session, including an instrumental track and totally improvised lyrics from Neeson. The recording of the album was also dogged by a fire that gutted the recording studio, almost destroying the master tapes.

In November 1984, the Two Minute Warning album was released following a three-month recording session in Los Angeles. The American version of the album, on MCA, included a new version of the 1978 song "Be With You", which would become The Angels' last commercially available single in the United States. Metal Blade Records re-issued the album in 1990. Unfortunately for the band, an internal personnel purge at MCA meant that Two Minute Warning was dead the moment it hit the streets. MCA would later reject The Angels' next album.

In late 1985, John Brewster left the band. In his place, the band hired ex-Skyhooks guitarist Bob Spencer in March 1986. In October of the same year Howling was released. This album included a cover version of The Animals hit, "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" which, at #6, became the band's highest charting single up to that point.

In December 1987, Live Line, a double live set album, was released. The collection spanned ten years of the band's career. Following on the success of the album, The Angels embarked on a massive tour of Australia with a lengthy two-hour set that covered the entire history of the group.

Chrysalis Records in the US issued Beyond Salvation (the band now billing itself as The Angels From Angel City) in November of 1989. It included four new songs, three of which would later appear on the Australian version of the album, and new recordings of the classics "I Ain't The One", "Can't Shake It", "Who Rings The Bell", "City Out of Control" and "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", none of which was made available in Australia. Alan Niven was signed on as manager of the band's affairs in the US. At the time, Niven was also managing Great White and Guns 'N' Roses. Jim Hilbun left during these recording sessions and was replaced by Australian James Morley on bass.

1990s

In February 1990, Beyond Salvation was released becoming the band's first and only number one album. Produced by Terry Manning, the LP spawned five successful singles, including "Dogs Are Talking" and "Backstreet Pickup". The Angels soon hit the road on their "Beyond Salvation" Tour with Cheap Trick as supporting act. The video for "Backstreet Pickup" was filmed the day the band were told of the album reaching number one on the charts and shows a very buoyant and enthusiastic band performing for the cameras.

Red Back Fever, parts of which were recorded in Memphis during the Beyond Salvation sessions, was released in November of 1991. The band toured for two years, and the song "Tear Me Apart" was included a multi-million dollar government campaign highlighting alcohol related violence. In July 1992 Mushroom re-issued as Red Back Fever / Left Hand Drive (2 CD set). In 1992, both Bob Spencer and James Morley left the band. In 1993, the New Zealand chapter of the Hell's Angels asked the band to perform for them; to this end, the remaining members asked John Brewster and Jim Hilbun to return, and thus the classic line-up of Brewster-Neeson-Brewster-Eccles-Hilbun was reunited. They immediately set out to write new material. The first results of this collaboration were included on Evidence, a career-spanning collection of the band's hits.

In April 1995, The Hard Evidence Tour EP was issued to coincide with the Barbed Wire Ball tour. The band then took a break from recording and touring, reconvening in mid-1996 at Darling Harbour studios for the start of what would become the sessions for their last studio album.

In July 1997, The Lounge Lizard Tour with Angry Anderson from Rose Tattoo and Ross Wilson from Mondo Rock and Daddy Cool hit the road around Australia. The band, on acoustic instruments, backed each singer through classics from their respective bands. On 13 August 1997, The Angels signed a recording deal with Shock Records in Australia. A new single, "Caught in the Night", followed in October and a new album, Skin and Bone, in March of 1998. Though moderately successful, the album was nominated by ARIA as one of the year's best Australian recordings. On 20 October 1998, The Angels were inducted into ARIA the Hall Of Fame by Angry Anderson. In November 1998 the band performed a brief set at Concert of the Century to celebrate Mushroom Record's 25th anniversary.

In February 1999, Live Line - Definitive Digital Remaster (2 CD set) was released. It contains 10 bonus tracks, recorded between 1981 and 1983.

On New Year's Eve, 1999, The Angels performed what would be their last concert at the MGM Grand Darwin Millennium Concert. Doc Neeson announced his departure from the band following a major car accident.

2000s

In November 2000, Shock Records reissued Left Hand Drive, previously released by Mushroom in 1992 as a limited-edition collection of unreleased versions and B-sides.

The Angels reformed as Members of The Angels with John and Rick Brewster, Buzz Bidstrup, Chris Bailey and Jim Hilbun on lead vocals, in March of 2001, for the Gimme Ted - The Ted Mulry Benefit Concert (released on video as Gimme Ted). On 24 June 2002, Shock Records issued The Complete Sessions 1980-1983, a 4-CD box set collection of the band's recorded output from the period between the Dark Room and Watch the Red albums.

Albert have signed a new deal for Australia and NZ with Sony BMG, which went into effect in June of 2006.

On 4 December 2006, Live at The Basement containing all the classics with Brewster, Bailey, Bidstrup and Brewster.

In July 2006, Liberation reissued the The Angels' catalogue. Albums included: Dark Room, Night Attack, Watch the Red, Two Minute Warning, Howling, Beyond Salvation, Red Back Fever, and Wasted Sleepless Night - The Definitive Greatest Hits.

On 11 June 2007 Wasted Sleepless Nights - The Videos. Includes live footage never before released and tracks recorded live from ABC's Studio 22.

Band lineups

1975 - 1976

• Doc Neeson (bass, vocals)
• John Brewster, (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Peter Christopolous, known as Charle King (drums)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)

August 1976

• Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums, vocals)
• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Doc Neeson (bass, vocals)

January 1977 - March 1981

• Chris Bailey (bass)
• Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums, vocals)
• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)

March 1981 - April 1982

• Chris Bailey (bass, vocals)
• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)

April 1982 - February 1985

• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• Jim Hilbun (bass, vocals, sax, keyboards)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)

March 1985 - July 1989

• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• Jim Hilbun (bass, vocals, sax, keyboards)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)
• Bob Spencer (rhythm guitar, vocals)

1990 - 1992

• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• James Morley (bass, vocals)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)
• Bob Spencer (rhythm guitar, vocals)

1993 - January 2000

• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• Jim Hilbun (bass, vocals, sax, keyboards)
• Doc Neeson (lead vocals)

Members of The Angels - March 2001

• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Brent Eccles (drums)
• Jim Hilbun (lead vocals)
• Chris Bailey (bass, vocals)
• Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums, vocals)

The Angels were known as The Original Angels Band - December 2001 -

• John Brewster (rhythm guitar, lead vocals)
• Rick Brewster (lead guitar, vocals)
• Chris Bailey (bass, vocals)
• Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums, vocals)

Discography

Albums

The Angels released albums under different names. The Angels (TA); Angel City (AC); The Angels From Angel City (TAFAC)

Singles

The Angels released singles under different names. The Angels (TA); Angel City (AC); The Angels From Angel City (TAFAC)

Compilation appearances

References

• 1. Countdown
• 2. Australian Rock Posters The Stamps (Australia Post)

Other sources

• The Angels
• The Keystone Angels
• Mount Lofty Rangers

External links

• Martin's Angels/Angel City Page
• The Angels - The Australian Metal Guide
• The Angels Official Site
• The Angels Website - Liberation

1. - Australian Rock Posters The Stamps (Australia Post)

• Articles needing cleanup from April 2007
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from April 2007
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from April 2007
• Articles lacking sources from February 2007
• Australian rock music groups
• Hard rock
• 1970s music groups
• 1980s music groups
• 1990s music groups