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Biography
Use dmy dates|date=August 2011Use Australian English|date=August 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Noiseworks| image = Noiseworks.jpg| caption = Noiseworks, 1990.| image_size = 250| landscape = Yes| background = group_or_band| origin = Sydney , New South Wales, Australia| genre = Hard rock , Australian pub rock , Alternative rock | years_active = 1986–1992, 1999, 2004, 2007–2008, 2011| label = CBS#Columbia Records|CBS Epic Records|Epic Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Columbia Records|Columbia Sony BMG Music Entertainment|Sony BMG | associated_acts = The Change The Electric Hippies Rose Tattoo Blackfeather|Feather Swanee Kevin Borich The Party Boys INXS | website = http://www.noiseworks.com.au/| past_members = Steve Balbi Stuart Fraser Kevin Nicol Justin Stanley Jon Stevens Chris Becker Barbara Griffin Scott Aplin Noiseworks is an Australian rock music|rock band formed in Sydney in 1986 with bass guitarist Steve Balbi , guitarist Stuart Fraser, drummer Kevin Nicol, keyboardist Justin Stanley and lead vocalist Jon Stevens . They had four Australian Top& nbsp;10 albums, Noiseworks (album)|Noiseworks (No.& nbsp;6, 1987), Touch (Noiseworks album)|Touch (No.& nbsp;5, 1988), Love Versus Money (No.& nbsp;1, 1991) and Greatest Hits (No.& nbsp;4, 1992). They produced three Top& nbsp;10 singles, "Take Me Back", "Touch" and "Hot Chilli Woman" before disbanding in 1992. Reunion tours occurred in 1999, 2004, 2007–2008 and 2011.
Formation
New Zealand -born pop singer Jon Stevens had released a solo album and several hit singles (including a duet with Sharon O'Neill ) before relocating to Sydney in 1981. Stevens recorded a self-titled album for the Big Time label, two singles were issued but neither were successful. In 1983, Stevens formed The Change with guitarist Stuart Fraser, who had played in 1970s hard rock act Blackfeather (later called Feather) and then with fellow member Swanee . Bass player Steve Balbi , who was a member of Kevin Borich|Kevin Borich Express and then Rose Tattoo , played with The Change on their 1984 single "Forever Young". The following year, Stevens and Fraser hired Balbi and drummer Kevin Nicol (ex-Dial X). United States-born Justin Stanley was Balbi's song writing partner and joined the group in 1986, the band was renamed as Noiseworks.
History
Noiseworks was formed in Sydney with the line up of Steve Balbi on bass guitar and backing vocals; Stuart Fraser on guitar and backing vocals; Kevin Nicol on drums; Justin Stanley on keyboards, harmonica and backing vocals; and Jon Stevens on lead vocals. After quickly establishing a solid following on Sydney's Australian pub rock|pub rock circuit, Noiseworks was signed by CBS#Columbia Records|CBS . Their first single, "No Lies", reached the Top& nbsp;40 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. "Take Me Back" was more successful, making No.& nbsp;7, and became one of the band's best known songs.
On 20 July 1987 they released their debut self-titled album, Noiseworks (album)|Noiseworks , which was produced by Mark Opitz ( The Angels (Australian band)|The Angels , Cold Chisel )and engineered by Alan Wright, INXS, Icehouse, Ratt. It peaked at No.& nbsp;6 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. "Love Somebody" and "Welcome to the World" were also lifted from the album, but neither made the Top 40. Noiseworks sold more than 210,000 copies (3× List of music recording sales certifications|platinum ) in Australia. "Burning Feeling" was released as the album's fifth single in early 1988, which failed to chart.
On 11 November 1988, their second album Touch (Noiseworks album)|Touch was released and debuted at No.& nbsp;5 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) ARIA Charts|Albums Chart . The album was produced by Chris Kimsey ( The Rolling Stones ) and Noiseworks.Engineered by Al Wright Hoodoo Gurus, Jimmy Barnes, Divinyls The title track preceded it as the first single, peaking at No.& nbsp;12 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Subsequent singles "Voice of Reason", "Simple Man" and "In My Youth" failed to make the Top& nbsp;40. Nevertheless, Noiseworks was now one of Australia's most popular live rock acts.
The third album, Love Versus Money , had production started by Noiseworks but was initially rejected by their new label, Sony Music Entertainment|Sony . Sony brought in Randy Jackson to assist in the album's production. Love Versus Money featured guest appearances by Michael Hutchence of INXS , Vika and Linda|Vika and Linda Bull and Penny Ford of the electronic music|techno group Snap! . The first two singles, "Freedom" and "Miles and Miles" were moderate hits, but the third, the hard-rocking "Hot Chilli Woman", reached No.& nbsp;7 and propelled the album to the top of the chart when it was released on 5 July 1991. Late in the year, a fourth single "R.I.P. (Millie)", a tribute to Stevens' mother who had recently died from cancer , was also released.
Stevens joined the cast of the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in early 1992 in the role of Judas Iscariot|Judas . Noiseworks disbanded following a final show in Sydney in March 1992. Later that year, the Greatest Hits compilation appeared, featuring a cover of The Beatles hit " Let It Be (song)|Let It Be " which was released as a single. It had been recorded live at their last performance. The compilation climbed to No.& nbsp;4 nationally.
Aftermath
Balbi and Stanley formed the psychedelic pop group Electric Hippies in 1993 and had top& nbsp;30 success with the single, "Greedy People", and debut album, Electric Hippies both released in 1994. Electric Hippies were producers for different artists including, Vincent Stone, Jenny Morris (musician)|Jenny Morris and Nikka Costa (Stanley's wife). By 1997, Balbi had formed another band, Universe. Stanley and Costa returned to the US.
Stevens returned to his solo career and released further albums; he appeared as the host of the reality TV show The Resort . In 1999, Fraser, Nicol and Stevens reformed Noiseworks (as Noiseworks II) with Chris Becker on bass guitar and Barbara Griffin on keyboards and toured Australia. In 2000 Stevens joined INXS , initially as a touring vocalist, but after being officially installed as a band member in October 2002 he left the band a year later. A single released by this version of the group, " I Get Up ", was unsuccessful.
Noiseworks reformed in September 2007, with Scott Aplin on keyboards in place of Stanley, for a national tour with The Choirboys (band)|The Choirboys and Balbi's project Move Trees. In December, Stevens announced that Noiseworks planned to return to the studio in 2008 to record their first studio album together in sixteen years. A new album has been hinted in 2011. Jon Stevens and the original Noiseworks band members featured on the Red Hot Summer Tour of NSW (in early May 2011) alongside Jimmy Barnes and Thirsty Merc.
Discography
Studio albums
Year
Title
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
Label: Columbia Records|Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment|Sony (468447.2)
Producer: Noiseworks, Randy Jackson
1
1
—
—
—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
Compilation albums
Year
Title
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of music recording sales certifications
AUS
1992
Greatest Hits
Released: 2 October 1992
Label: Columbia Records|Columbia (472119.2)
Producer:
4
2007
The Essential Noiseworks
Released: 9 April 2007
Label: Sony BMG Music Entertainment|Sony BMG (88697069612)
Producer:
—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
Singles
Singles discography | all_albums= yes | charts=3 | include_footnote = yes| chartA = AUS Kent Music Report|KMR | chartB = AUS ARIA Charts|ARIA | chartC = NZL Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|RIANZ | title1 = No Lies | album1 = Noiseworks | albumspan1 = 5 | year1 = 1986 | peak1A = 31 | peak1C = 15 | title2 = Take Me Back | year2 = 1987 | yearspan2 = 3 | peak2A = 7 | title3 = Love Somebody | peak3A = 50 | title4 = Welcome to the World | peak4A = 41 | title5 = Burning Feeling | year5 = 1988 | yearspan5 = 2 | peak5A = 60 | title6 = Touch | album6 = Touch | albumspan6 = 4 | peak6A = 9 | peak6B = 12 | peak6C = 44 | title7 = Voice of Reason | year7 = 1989 | yearspan7 = 3 | peak7A = 37 | peak7B = 43 | title8 = Simple Man | peak8A = 56 | peak8B = 47 | title9 = In My Youth | peak9A = 35 | peak9B = 44 | title10 = Freedom | album10 = Love Versus Money | albumspan10 = 5 | year10 = 1990 | yearspan10 = 2 | peak10B = 30 | title11 = Miles and Miles | peak11B = 26 | title12 = Hot Chilli Woman | year12 = 1991 | yearspan12 = 2 | peak12B = 7 | peak12C = 32 | title13 = R.I.P. (Millie) | peak13B = 26 | peak13C = 23 | title14 = I Want to Take You Higher|Take You Higher | year14 = 1992 | yearspan14 = 2 | peak14B = 84 | note14 = with Vika and Linda|Vika & Linda Bull | title15 = Let It Be (song)|Let It Be | album15 = Greatest Hits | peak15B = 99 | note15 = live
References
refbegin;General
cite encyclopedia|last=McFarlane|first=Ian|authorlink=Ian McFarlane|encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |title=Whammo Homepage|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20040405231007/www.whammo.com.au/index.asp|accessdate=8 February 2010|year=1999|publisher= Allen & Unwin |location= St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW |isbn=1865080721 Note: Archived on-line copy has limited functionality.
cite book|title=The Who's Who of Australian Rock|last=Spencer|first=Chris|coauthors=Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry with notes by Ed Nimmervoll |origyear=1987|year=2002|publisher=Five Mile Press|location= Noble Park, Victoria|Noble Park , Vic.|page=|isbn=1-86503-891-1|accessdate=8 February 2010cite web|url= http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2090055|title=Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry|work=catalogue|publisher= National Library of Australia |accessdate=8 February 2010 Note: on-line version established at http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/whoswho/aboutww.htm White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
cite web | title = Jon Stevens | publisher = Bruce Sergent| work = New Zealand Music of the 60s, 70s and a bit of the 80s | url = http://www.sergent.com.au/music/jonstevens.html | last = Sergent | first = Bruce | accessdate = 8 July 2010
cite web | url = http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/n/noiseworks.html | work = Australian Rock Database | title = Noiseworks | publisher = Magnus Holmgren | first = Magnus | last = Holmgren | accessdate = 8 July 2010
cite book | title = Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 | last = Kent | first = David | authorlink = David Kent (historian) | publisher = Australian Chart Book Ltd | location = St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives, NSW | year = 1993 | isbn = 0-646-11917-6 NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA created their own ARIA Charts|charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
cite web | url = http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp? interpret=Noiseworks | title = Discography Noiseworks | publisher = Hung Medien | work = Australian charts portal | accessdate = 8 July 2010
cite web | url = http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp? interpret=Electric+Hippies | title = Discography Electric Hippies | publisher = Hung Medien | work = Australian charts portal | accessdate = 10 July 2010
McFarlane, http://web.archive.org/web/20040420004534/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp? articleid=316 'Electric Hippies' entry. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
cite news | url = http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2008/10/15/nikka-costa/ | title = Nikka Costa | last = Matteo | first = Steve | work = Crawdaddy! | publisher = Paul Williams (Crawdaddy& #33; creator)| | date = 15 October 2008 | accessdate = 10 July 2010
cite web | url = http://charts.org.nz/showinterpret.asp? interpret=Noiseworks | title = Discography Noiseworks | publisher = Hung Medien | work = New Zealand charts portal | accessdate = 8 July 2010
cite web | url = http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp? interpret=Noiseworks | title = Discography Noiseworks | publisher = Hung Medien | work = Swedish charts portal | accessdate = 9 July 2010
cite web | url = http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp? interpret=Noiseworks | title = Discography Noiseworks | publisher = Hung Medien | work = Swiss charts portal | accessdate = 9 July 2010
cite news | work = The Courier-Mail | title = Noiseworks to make music | url = http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/noiseworks-to-make-music/story-e6freq7x-1111115127366 | publisher = Queensland Newspapers ( News Limited ) | date = 16 December 2007 | accessdate = 9 July 2010
External links
http://www.noiseworks.com.au/ Official Noiseworks Home Page
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1992 Category:Musical groups established in 1986 Category:New South Wales musical groups Category:Australian rock music groups Category:Australian alternative rock groups
fr:Noiseworks
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