The Badloves - Get On Board (1993)

The Australian rock group the Badloves formed in early 1990 under the name DC3. Members of that first band were singer and guitarist Michael Spiby, his brother, keyboardist and saxophonist John Spiby, bassist Stephen "Irish" O'Prey, drummer Chris Tabone, and guitarist John Housden. After a year though, John Spiby left the Badloves; the band went through a few guest keyboardists before settling on Tony Featherstone, who also pulled off easy riffs on the guitar.

In 1992 the Badloves got its first big break, opening for the celebrated Hall and Oates. That gig earned the band the chance to make three recordings, "I Remember," "Lost," and "Green Limousine." The brass at Mushroom Records liked what they heard. Soon the Badloves was back in the studio hard at work on a full-length debut album, Get on Board. Michael Spiby, Stephen O'Prey, and John Housden wrote all of the songs on this first album.

A year later the group released a few singles and two EP's, one self-titled and the other called Green Limousine. The guys toured a lot in between recordings, performing with bands such as the Sharp and the Baby Animals. The Badloves also fit in time to perform with fellow Australian singer Jimmy Barnes on his album, Flesh and Wood.

All of the exposure and work paid off, and the debut album, Get on Board, slowly climbed into the Top 40, then continued to move upward until it reached the Top 10. Once there, it grabbed hold and held steady for three long months.

In addition to a lineup change, 1994 brought more tours for the band, in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand. O'Prey left and was replaced by bassist John "Bull Frog" Favarro. That same year the Aria Music Awards voted the group as Best Australian New Talent, Best Debut Album for Get on Board, and Best Debut Single for "Lost."

The Badloves completed a couple more albums, Holy Roadside and Everybody Everwhere, which is a 12-track live recording from one of the band's many concerts. It carries numbers like the hit "The Weight" and "Caroline." Most of the Holy Roadside's sessions were caught on film by Clayton Jacobson and are available on video.