- The Ferrets (band)
Infobox musical artist
Name = The Ferrets
Img_capt = "Dreams of a Love" The Ferrets début album
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = flagicon|AustraliaMelbourne &Sydney ,Australia
Genre = Pop,Rock
Years_active = 1975-1979
Label = Mushroom, Charisma
Associated_acts = Buster Brown
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Philip Eizenberg
Kenneth Firth
William Miller
David Springfield
Rick Brewer
Jane Miller
Pam Miller
George Cross
Ric PetropolisThe Ferrets were an Australian pop / rock band from
Melbourne andSydney , formed in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. They are best known for their début #2 hit single "Don’t Fall in Love" in 1977.cite web|title= Oz Net Music Chart| url= http://www.onmc.iinet.net.au|accessdate= 2007-09-20] Philip Eizenberg (guitar ), Kenneth Firth (bass guitar , backing vocals), William Miller (vocals, guitar) and David Springfield (guitar, backing vocals) formed The Ferrets and were soon joined by drummer Rick Brewer.cite web |title=Australian Rock Database |publisher=Magnus Holmgren |url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/f/ferrets.html |accessdate= 2007-09-20 ]Background
Ken Firth, Phil Eizenberg and Billy Miller had been involved with the Australian stage production of "
Jesus Christ Superstar " (1972-1974) which also includedJon English andJohn Paul Young .cite web|title= MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964-1975|producer=Duncan Kimball & Paul Culnane| url= http://www.milesago.com |accessdate= 2007-09-20]Firth (bass guitar, backing vocals), Miller (vocals, guitar) and Dave Springfield (guitar, backing vocals) were all members of hard rockers Buster Brown (which also featured vocalist
Angry Anderson later ofRose Tattoo ). In 1975 the trio left Buster Brown to join with guitarist Eizenberg and formed The Ferrets. Drummer Rick Brewer (ex-Zoot) joined in 1976 together with Miller’s sisters Jane Miller (backing vocals, keyboard) and Pam Miller (backing vocals). They were now a seven-piece band.Willie Everfinish
After favourable reactions from audiences in Melbourne and Sydney, The Ferrets produced a demo tape that caught the attention of Ian "Molly" Meldrum talent coordinator for ABC-TV series "Countdown". Meldrum signed them to
Mushroom Records and started producing their début album "Dreams of a Love" on 19 July 1976. web cite|title= Discogs entry on Dreams of a Love|publisher= tonycohen|url= http://www.discogs.com/release/784568| accessdate= 2007-09-20] After nearly a year, production was still incomplete, so The Ferrets took over (assisted by recording engineersTony Cohen and Ian MacKenzie) and Meldrum was attributed as "Willie Everfinish".cite news | title= The quirks that made it work |date=2006-08-05 |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald " |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/the-quirks-that-made-it-work/2006/08/04/1154198331689.html
accessdate= 2007-09-20 ] Album production was finalized on15 August 1977 . ]Meldrum had carefully crafted their first single’s A side "Lies" taking weeks but the B side "Don’t Fall in Love" (written by Ian Davis and Firth)cite web| title= Australasian Performing Right Association | publisher= APRA | url= http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt |accessdate= 2007-09-20 ] was rushed in three hours. ] The Ferrets premiered on "Countdown" in an episode compèred by
Jon English however, they used their B side. "Don’t Fall in Love" quickly sold out its initial pressing and many customers wanted a copy of The Ferrets' début album – there was concern at Mushroom Records as Meldrum had not organised an album cover: a white hand stamped cardboard sleeve was issued with a promise of the album artwork to follow! [cite web | title= Midoztouch | url= http://www.midoztouch.com | accessdate= 2007-09-20 ] The Ferrets released a promo as the single rocketed to #1 on Melbourne’s chartscite book | last = Guest | first = Thomas J. | title = Thirty Years Of Hits (1960-1990) | publisher = M. J. Moloney | date = 1991 | location = Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia| isbn = 0-646-04633-0 ] and #2 Nationally. ] They were awarded with "Best Australian TV Performer" at the 1977 King of Pop Awards for their "Countdown" appearances. [cite web | title= Top 40 Plus | url= http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | accessdate= 2007-09-20 ]Although generally remembered for their biggest hit, their follow-up single "Janie May" reached #19 in Melbourne ] and was on "Countdown" episode of 13 November 1977 (featured infamous 'Prince Charles Interview'). [ cite web | title= Countdown Archives episode 132 | url= http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/webgirl/main&cmd=list&range=0,8&Year~=1977&cmd=all&Id=62 |accessdate= 2007-09-20 ] Their debut album "Dreams of a Love" achieved Gold record status ] and the long awaited album cover depicted a model (Wendy Bannister) holding a snarling ferret on her shoulder (front: see infobox above), a photo of the seven member band (back), lyrics and recording details including a photo of "Willie Everfinish" (inside).
Fame At Any Price
By the end of 1977, guitarist Eizenberg and backing vocalist Pam Miller had left; her sister Jane Miler left in 1978. ] The Ferrets continued to tour and then recorded their second album "Fame At Any Price" (1978) produced by Cohen. ] There were disappointing sales for the related singles "This Night" (written by
Frank Howson , Firth, Miller) and "Tripsville" and for the album itself. Firth also left to be replaced successively by George Cross (previously inJim Keays Southern Cross with Brewer) and Ric Petropolis. ] The Ferrets had no further chart success and disbanded in 1979.ubsequent Careers
*Philip Eizenberg:Played bass guitar in Mighty Guys (1980s) with Mick Hamilton and Leon Isackson. He studied martial arts from 1984 (at age 34) and was registered with the Australian
Hapkido Association as a 4th Degree instructor. [cite web | title= Australian Hapkido Association page on Phil Eizenberg | publisher= Phil Eizenberg | date=2006-05-11 |url=http://www.hapkidoaustralia.com/content/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=114| accessdate=2007-09-20 ] He played bass on "Night of the Gale" with Phill Raymond in 2006. [cite web | title=Phill Raymond’s MySpace | publisher Phill Raymond| url= http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=123762285 | accessdate= 2007-09-20 ]*Kenneth David Firth aka Ken Firth:Rejoined Miller in Billy Miller and the Great Blokes (1979-1982), then temporarily with
Divinyls (1982) while they replaced out-going bassist Jeremy Paul with Rick Grossman. Firth was in Interchange Bench (1993-1998) with Miller again. He was a session musician on Miller’s CDs "Victoria" (1998) and "Elsternwick ‘69" (2000).*William Harris Miller aka Billy or Bill Miller:Produced Frank Howson’s cover version of The Ferrets' song "Killing Ourselves" ] (co-written by Howson and Springfield). Session musician on Howson’s "The Boy Who Dared To Dream" LP, member of various bands including: Billy Miller and The Great Blokes (1979-1982), The Spaniards (1983-1986), Interchange Bench (1993-1998), The Dave Graney Show (1998-2004) and Dave Graney ‘n’ The Lurid Yellow Mist (2004-?). Some of these have included Firth or Springfield.
*Dave Springfield (aka David John Schofield):Rejoined Miller, briefly, in The Spaniards. Released a
Country music CD "Rev J D Love" as Rev J D Love aka David J Schofield. [ cite web | title= Rev J D Love | publisher= CD Baby | url= http://cdbaby.com/cd/revjdlove | accessdate= 2007-09-20 ]*Rick Brewer:Later joined the Motivators (1980-1982) and cover band Free Radicals (2007) with Barry Ferrier. [cite web | title= Coverbands Australia |url= http://www.coverbands.com.au/default.asp | accessdate= 2007-09-20 ]
*Jane Miller:
*Pam Miller:
*George Cross:
*Rick Petropolis:Also in the Motivators (with Brewer).
Countdown Spectacular
Billy Miller performed "Don’t Fall in Love" for the first
Countdown Spectacular Tour of Australia from June to August2006 and can be seen on the associated DVD (disc 1 track 16). [cite web | title= Countdown Spectacular - Live (2006) | publisher= ABC Shop |url= http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=741252|accessdate= 2007-09-20 ] Also on this tour wereJon English andJohn Paul Young from his Jesus Christ Superstar days.Discography
Albums
*"Dreams of a Love" (1977)
*"Fame At Any Price" (1978)ingles
*"Don’t Fall in Love" (1977) Highest Australian Chart Position: #2 in 1977
*"Janie May" (1977) Highest Melbourne Chart Position: #19 in 1977/1978
*"This Night" (1978)
*“Tripsville” (1978)References
External links
* [http://www.thedavegraneyshow.com/davegraneyshow/ktgbilly.htm Billy Miller at Dave Graney Show website]
* [http://www.pocoloco.com.au/Bill_Miller_Bio.htm Billy Miller at Poco Loco website]
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