Essential (Divinyls album)

Divinyls

Divinyls are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying aggression towards band members and the audience. The band, originally a five-piece, underwent numerous lineup changes with Amphlett and McEntee as the core members, before breaking up in 1996.

The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006 and in late 2007 Amphlett and McEntee reconvened to record a new single and begin working on a new album. The band played a short series of live gigs in Australia in late 2007 and early 2008.

Divinyls have released five studio albums, with four of them reaching the Top 10 in Australia and one, ‘’Divinyls’’, reaching #15 in the US. Their biggest-selling single, “I Touch Myself” (1991) achieved #1 in Australia, #4 in the US and #10 in the UK.

1980s: Formation and early albums

Amphlett is the cousin of 1960s Australian pop icon Little Pattie and closely related to pioneer rocker Col Joye and his brother, leading promoter Kevin Jacobsen. In her autobiography Pleasure and Pain (2005), Amphlett described breaking into the music scene from the age of fourteen, being arrested for busking when seventeen and travelling in Spain, and how her performances drew upon childhood pain.

Amphlett and McEntee (ex-Air Supply) met at the Sydney Opera House where Amphlett was singing in a choral concert in 1980. They recruited Jeremy Paul (ex-Air Supply), Bjarne Ohlin and Richard Harvey, and for almost two years they performed in pubs and clubs in Sydney's Kings Cross. Australian film director Ken Cameron saw Divinyls in a club, he asked them to provide the soundtrack for 1982's Monkey Grip and also had Amphlett acting. The group released two singles from the soundtrack EP, "Boys in Town", which reached #8 on the national singles chart, and "Only Lonely". Original bassist Jeremy Paul left before the movie or first single were released. He was replaced on bass, briefly by Ken Firth (ex-The Ferrets) and more permanently by Rick Grossman (ex Matt Finish). Grossman left in 1987 to replace Clyde Bramley in Hoodoo Gurus. By early 1988, Divinyls were reduced to the founding duo of Amphlett and McEntee with augmentation by additional musicians when recording or touring.

Over the decade Divinyls released four albums, Monkey Grip Soundtrack EP on WEA Records in 1982, Desperate on Chrysalis Records in 1983, What a Life! in 1985 and Temperamental in 1988. The latter two albums were also released by Chrysalis in the US. They had hit singles in Australia with, "Science Fiction" #13 in 1983, "Good Die Young" #32 in 1984 and "Pleasure and Pain" #11 in 1985. Their early manager Vince Lovegrove was former co-lead vocalist of 1960s pop band The Valentines with Bon Scott (later in AC/DC); Lovegrove had organised Divinyls' transfer from WEA to Chrysalis and their first tours of United States. They established a fan base there, without achieving major commercial success. Divinyls also had Australian hits with cover versions of The Easybeats' "I'll Make You Happy", and Syndicate of Sound's "Hey Little Boy" ("Hey Little Girl" with the gender switched) which reached #25 in 1988. Amphlett became a controversial and highly visible celebrity for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive humour in lyrics, performances and media interviews.

1990s: Divinyls duo

In 1991 Divinyls released diVINYLS on Virgin Records and the single "I Touch Myself" which became their only Australian No.1 single. The song reached #4 in the US and #10 in the UK. The majority of Divinyls' hits were co-written by Amphlett and McEntee, but in this case they wrote with Thomas Kelly and Billy Steinberg. diVINYLS reached #5 on the Australian album charts and #15 on Billboard Top 200. The drummer for the diVINYLS sessions was Charley Drayton, who became romantically involved with Amphlett and from 2000 they have lived together in New York. A disagreement with Virgin Records stifled future development outside Australia where they released popular albums and achieved two more top twenty singles with "I Ain't Gonna Eat out My Heart Anymore" #19 in 1992 and "I'm Jealous" #14 in 1995. During the 1980s and 1990s Amphlett collaborated as a songwriter with other artists including Chrissie Hynde and Cyndi Lauper, and both Amphlett and McEntee worked on solo projects.

A live album, Divinyls Live, was released in 1991 but Divinyls did not provide another studio album for five years. In the early 1990s they recorded a series of cover songs for various movie soundtracks, including the Young Rascals' "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), the Wild Ones' "Wild Thing" for Reckless Kelly (1993), and Roxy Music's "Love Is The Drug" for Super Mario Brothers (1993).

It wasn't until 1996 that Underworld, their fifth studio album, was released in Australia by BMG. Despite the success of diVINYLS Virgin had not kept them under contract and BMG did not release Underworld in the US. As with What A Life! they worked with three producers, beginning with Peter Collins recording "I'm Jealous" in Nashville, followed by Keith Forsey for "Sex Will Keep Us Together" and "Heart Of Steel". Although "Heart of Steel" was chosen as a single, Divinyls discontinued with Forsey because according to Amphlett "he was a bit too 'pop' for us" and remaining tracks were produced by their drummer Drayton. In early 1997, Amphlett and McEntee had a falling out and separated without formally disbanding Divinyls.

After the separation

Following Underworld Amphlett pursued a stage career, in 1998 she played the role of Judy Garland in the Australian stage production of the life story of entertainer Peter Allen, titled The Boy from Oz. The production was a success and Amphlett's interpretation of Garland, during her final troubled years, brought her critical acclaim: she was nominated for the Helpmann Award for 'Best Female Actor in a Musical'.

Amphlett and McEntee concentrated on solo projects and collaborations with other artists. Amphlett and Drayton lived in New York City from 2000, while McEntee ran a clothing label, Wheels and Doll Baby, in Perth with his partner, Melanie Greensmith. In November 2005 Amphlett published her autobiography Pleasure and Pain: My Life co-written with Larry Writer; she detailed her achievements, drug and alcohol abuse, love affairs and triumphs while a member of Divinyls.

2006: Hall of Fame and reformation

On 16 August 2006 Divinyls were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and had their first performance for 10 years at the award ceremony. They reformed shortly afterwards and a compilation, Greatest Hits, was released by EMI Music Australia in August 2006. A single, "Don't Wanna Do This", was released in November 2007 and an album recorded in Las Vegas is expected to be released in 2008.

They performed during the Australian Idol grand final at the Sydney Opera House, on November 25 2007, although their performance of "Boys in Town" (also performed by Idol winner Natalie Gauci) had to be repeated after Network Ten's transmission feed was interrupted. A national tour of Australia followed in December 2007 with a touring band featuring Drayton on drums, Jerome Smith on bass, Charlie Owen on guitar and newest member Clayton Doley on keyboards. Amphlett revealed on 7 December 2007 that she had MS in an interview with Richard Wilkins on Network Nine's A Current Affair nevertheless she was looking forward to touring with Divinyls. The next day Divinyls headlined the Homebake music festival where Amphlett displayed an emotional fragility when attempting to get the crowd to sing along with her.

Members

Chronological order (includes session / tour musicians):

Christina Amphlett (1980-1997, 2006-current) — vocals
Mark McEntee (1980-1997, 2006-current) — guitar
Bjarne Ohlin (1980-1986) — keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
Jeremy Paul (1980-1982) — bass guitar
Richard Harvey (1981—1985) — drums
Ken Firth (1982) — bass guitar, replaced Paul
Rick Grossman (1982–1987) — bass guitar, replaced Firth
J. J. Harris (1985-1986) — drums, replaced Harvey
Frank Infante (1987) — guitar
Tom Caine (1987) — drums
Kenny Lyon (1987) — keyboards
Matthew Hughes (1987-1988) — keyboards, bass guitar
Warren McLean (1988) — drums
Tim Millikan (1988) — bass guitar
Roger Mason (1988-1989, 1990) — keyboards
Tim Powles (1989) — drums
Charley Drayton (1990-1997, 2006-current) — drums, percussion
Benmont Tench (1990-1991) — keyboards: Hammond organ
Randy Jackson (1990) — bass guitar
Lee Borkman (1991) — keyboards
Jim Hilbun (1991) — bass guitar
Mark Meyer (1991) — drums
Charlie Owen (1991, 2006-current) — guitar
Jerome Smith (1991, 2006-current) — bass
Clayton Doley (2007-current) — keyboards

Discography

Studio and soundtrack albums:

1982: Monkey Grip EP
1983: Desperate
1985: What a Life!
1988: Temperamental
1991: diVINYLS
1996: Underworld

Compilations:

Soundtrack work

Divinyls recorded the soundtrack for the film Monkey Grip, with six songs appearing in the film: "Boys in Town", "Only Lonely", "Elsie", "Only You", "Gonna Get You" and "Girlfriends".
The song "I Touch Myself" has been featured in Prelude to a Kiss, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, American Pie Presents: Band Camp, "A Trip to the Dentist" (an episode of Veronica Mars), and the pilot episode of the ABC television series "My So-Called Life".
In the early 1990s Divinyls recorded a series of cover songs for various movie soundtracks, including the Young Rascals' "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Wild Ones' "Wild Thing" for Reckless Kelly, and Roxy Music's "Love Is The Drug" for Super Mario Brothers.
The song "Back to the Wall" was used in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.