The Narcs
The Narcs are an award winning New Zealand band, that formed in 1980 in Christchurch, New Zealand, by bassist Tony Waine, drummer Bob Ogilvie and guitarist Garth Sinclair – departed/replaced by Australian guitarist/singer songwriter Andrew/Andy Dickson.[1]
Christchurch remained the band's base with a series of resident club and pub gigs building their following. Touring had become a regular event for The Narcs by 1981, and the pressures of the road contributed to Bob Ogilvie leaving – being replaced by Steve Clarkson on drums in 1982. Keyboardist Liam Ryan became a full-time Narc in 1983.
The band pursued a management deal with Mike Chunn, and signed a record deal with CBS Records.[2]
During a retreat at a commune the band wrote most of the songs for their debut album, Great Divide. The single, "Heart and Soul", peaked at No. 4 on the NZ charts, picked up five 1984 New Zealand Music Awards[2] and the album achieved gold disc status.[3]
The band worked in both NZ and Australia, recording a total of four albums and playing alongside such acts as Midnight Oil, Split Enz, Elton John and Queen.
The Narcs were one of the first Kiwi acts, apart from Split Enz, to have records released worldwide.[citation needed]
The band reformed in 2016 with ex-DD Smash drummer Peter Warren and Rikki Morris of The Crocodiles[4] and have continued to play live and record music since then. In 2018, the band released new single 'Summerhill Stone'.[5]
Discography
Releases
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| 1981 | "Narcs EP" | EP | ||
| 1982 | "Over My Head" | Single | ||
| 1983 | "No Turning Back" | 12 | — | EP |
| 1983 | "Whistle While You Work" | 17 | Live Album with Coconut Rough | |
| 1983 | "Look The Other Way" | 38 | — | Single |
| 1984 | Heart and Soul | 4 | Gold | Great Divide Album |
| 1984 | "Lazy Susan" | 35 | — | Great Divide Album |
| 1984 | "Missing in Action" | Great Divide Album | ||
| 1985 | "Diamonds on China" | 15 | — | The Narcs Album |
| 1985 | "Side By Side" | The Narcs Album | ||
| 1985 | "Abandoned By Love" | The Narcs Album | ||
| 1988 | "It's Got To Be Love" | 49 | — | Single |
| 1995 | "Back to the Deep" | Push The Boat Out Album | ||
| 2002 | "Best of the Narcs" | Album | ||
| 2018 | "Summerhill Stone" |
References
- ^ "The Narcs – AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Great NZ album: Great Divide – The Narcs". Radio New Zealand. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ "NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "First song: The Narcs perform live". Radio New Zealand. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ "The Narcs". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018.