JUMP ON HIS BANDWAGON......ITS TMG TIME

First time I can clearly remember seeing Ted was him singing Julia on a music show that was airing at the time, maybe GTK or early Sounds, dunno, it wasnt yesterday after all, however there was no gang in sight at that point

in 1972 he switched from acoustic guitar to bass and formed the now legendary ( in my mind anyway), Ted Mulry Gang, with guitarist Les Hall & drummer Herman Kovacs. The band were offered and almost immediately signed a recording deal with Albert Productions in 1974, as they were the label to be on for hard rocking bands of the time, they recorded and released their first album Here We Are. Guitarist Gary Dixon joined around this time to complete the foursome.

Their first major hit, and the biggest of their career was the 1975 single "Jump in My Car" which spent 6 weeks at number one on the Australian singles charts in 1976. It was the second single released from the Here We Are album . Over the next few years they achieved a string of hit singles including a rocked up version of the old jazz song, "Darktown Strutters' Ball", "Crazy", "Jamaica Rum" and "My Little Girl". and were in near constant rotation on Countdown and Sound Unlimited tv shows and, as in my case 2SM radio in Sydney, a high percentage of TMG hits were co-written with Les Hall,  as for live experiences, I saw them a few times around the pubs, but the biggest gig I remember was the one at the foot of the Harbour bridge in Sydney, chicks were jumping in the water to get at TMG..(oh and of course JPY in his sailor suit, but thats for another blog)

By the early 1980s, the new wave era had kicked off and radio was playing pommy techno bands like Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran and other similar type acts.. TMG's chart success had ended but they remained popular performers on the Australian pub circuit throughout the decade.

I  still saw Ted and the boys gigging around town, still filling up places and having a rocking good time... In 1998 Ted released a solo CD called This Time featuring songs co-written by himself and his brother Steve Mulry (who sings lead for Black Label)

 In early 2001 the news came that Ted had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. the resulting GIMME TED concerts organized shortly before his death, brought together an assortment of Ted's 70's cohorts which included a reunion of his band Ted Mulry Gang with his brother ...I went to the 2nd night at Fox Studios and saw The Tatts, The Radiators  and Kevin Borich among others give Ted the homage he so richly deserved...Ted passed shortly after the gigs and shall forever be missed.....

As for TMG tunes , well, there  is all the usuals on the Reunion c.d...BUT...my all time favorite Gang song is "I'm Free"...give it a listen its a ripper

  Members

    Ted Mulry (September 2, 1947 – September 1, 2001) – Vocals and Bass
    Gary Dixon – Guitar
    Les Hall – Guitar
    Herman Kovac – Drums
    Mark Tinson – Guitar

Recordings

    Here We Are – 1974
    Struttin’ – 1976
    Steppin’ Out – 1976
    Greatest Hits – 1977
    TMG – 1977
    Disturbing The Peace – 1978
    TMG Live – 1979
    Locked In – 1980
    Re-Union – 1989
 

THE TED MULRY BENEFIT CONCERT DVD