The Choirboys are an Australian hard rock and pub rock band from Sydney formed as Choirboys in 1979 with mainstays Mark Gable on lead vocals, Ian Hulme on bass guitar, Brad Carr on lead guitar and Lindsay Tebbutt on drums. In preparation for their second album, Big Bad Noise, in 1988, the band changed their name to The Choirboys. The band line-up saw many changes from 1983 to 2007, while releasing 8 studio albums. Their 1987 single "Run to Paradise" remains their biggest commercial success.

Career

Early years

Choirboys formed in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney as a hard rock pub band in 1979. Released in the United States, it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1989. They were alongside other well-known acts, including Jimmy Barnes, The Machinations, Nick Barker, The Sports and INXS, to name a few.

2000–present

The Choirboys recorded the Evolver album in 2002 and 2003 in between going on an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand. Richard Coleman was the current drummer until 2003. Then former Icehouse drummer Paul Wheeler joined the band. The Evolver album was released in 2004 but due to low promotion for the album, it peaked at 174 in the Australian charts. The band returned to the Australian singles charts in Australia in July when dance producer Nick Skitz asked Gable to sing "Run to Paradise" on a dance reworking. The song, billed as "Nick Skitz vs. Choirboys", debuted in the top 20 of the Australian singles charts.

In 2019, the Choirboys released a series of cover EPs, titled 6 Pack of the Hits.

In 2021, The Choirboys released the singles "Feels Good", "Sorry" and "Rendezvous" followed by Feels Good. Feels Good is a compilation of live streams songs, released on vinyl on 29 October 2021.

On 17 December 2021 the band announced through their social media pages that drummer Lindsay Tebbutt had died from mesothelioma.

Members

;Current members

  • Mark Gable&nbsp;– lead vocals <small>(1979–present)</small>, rhythm guitar <small>(1979–1993, 1999–2002, 2003–2007, 2007–present)</small>, lead guitar <small>(1993–1999, 2002–2010)</small>
  • Ian Hulme&nbsp;– bass, backing vocals <small>(1979–present)</small>
  • Brett Williams&nbsp;– lead guitar, backing vocals <small>(1987–1992, 2010–present)</small>

;Former members

  • Lindsay Tebbutt&nbsp;– drums, backing vocals <small>(1979–1992, 2010–2021; died 2021)</small>
  • Brad Carr&nbsp;– lead guitar <small>(1979–1987)</small>
  • Bob Spencer&nbsp;– lead guitar <small>(1992–2004)</small>
  • Brad Heaney&nbsp;– drums <small>(1993–1994)</small>
  • Steve Williams&nbsp;– rhythm guitar <small>(1993–1995)</small>
  • Barton Price&nbsp;– drums <small>(1994–1996)</small>
  • Richard Lara&nbsp;– guitar <small>(1995–1999)</small>
  • Tony Le Rhodes&nbsp;– drums <small>(1996–1997)</small>
  • Richard Coleman&nbsp;– drums, backing vocals <small>(1997–2003)</small>
  • Johnny Ghiselli&nbsp;– rhythm guitar <small>(2002–2003)</small>
  • Rohan Cannon&nbsp;– rhythm guitar <small>(2007)</small>
  • Paul Wheeler&nbsp;– drums, backing vocals <small>(2003–2009)</small>
  • Mick O'Shea&nbsp;– drums, backing vocals <small>(2009–2010)</small>

Timeline

<div class="left" >

<timeline>

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Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1979 till:05/07/2025

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =

id:lvocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals

id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals

id:lead value:teal legend:Lead&nbsp;guitar

id:rhythm value:green legend:Rhythm&nbsp;guitar

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums

id:lines value:black legend:Studio&nbsp;albums

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2

ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1979

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1979

LineData =

at:01/01/1983 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/1988 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/1991 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/1994 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/1996 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/2004 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/2006 color:black layer:back

at:01/01/2007 color:black layer:back

BarData =

bar:Gable text:"Mark Gable"

bar:Hulme text:"Ian Hulme"

bar:Carr text:"Brad Carr"

bar:Williams text:"Brett Williams"

bar:Spencer text:"Bob Spencer"

bar:SWilliams text:"Steve Williams"

bar:Lara text:"Richard Lara"

bar:Ghiselli text:"Johnny Ghiselli"

bar:Cannon text:"Rohan Cannon"

bar:Tebbutt text:"Lindsay Tebbutt"

bar:Heaney text:"Brad Heaney"

bar:Price text:"Barton Price"

bar:Rhodes text:"Tony Le Rhodes"

bar:Coleman text:"Richard Coleman"

bar:Wheeler text:"Paul Wheeler"

bar:O'Shea text:"Mick O'Shea"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Gable from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1993 color:rhythm width:3

bar:Gable from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1999 color:lead width:3

bar:Gable from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2002 color:rhythm width:3

bar:Gable from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2003 color:lead width:3

bar:Gable from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2007 color:rhythm width:3

bar:Gable from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2007 color:lead width:7

bar:Gable from:01/01/2007 till:31/12/2007 color:lead width:3

bar:Gable from:31/12/2007 till:01/06/2010 color:lead width:7

bar:Gable from:31/12/2007 till:end color:rhythm width:3

bar:Carr from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1987 color:lead

bar:Gable from:01/01/1979 till:end color:lvocals

bar:Hulme from:01/01/1979 till:end color:bass

bar:Hulme from:01/01/1979 till:end color:bvocals width:3

bar:Tebbutt from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1992 color:drums

bar:Tebbutt from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1992 color:bvocals width:3

bar:Tebbutt from:01/06/2010 till:17/12/2021 color:drums

bar:Tebbutt from:01/06/2010 till:17/12/2021 color:bvocals width:3

bar:Williams from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1992 color:lead

bar:Williams from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1992 color:bvocals width:3

bar:Williams from:01/06/2010 till:end color:lead

bar:Williams from:01/06/2010 till:end color:bvocals width:3

bar:Spencer from:01/01/1992 till:10/10/1992 color:lead

bar:Heaney from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1994 color:drums

bar:SWilliams from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1995 color:rhythm

bar:Price from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1996 color:drums

bar:Lara from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1999 color:rhythm

bar:Rhodes from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:drums

bar:Coleman from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2003 color:drums

bar:Ghiselli from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2003 color:rhythm

bar:Cannon from:01/01/2007 till:31/12/2007 color:rhythm

bar:Wheeler from:01/01/2003 till:01/06/2009 color:drums

bar:Wheeler from:01/01/2003 till:01/06/2009 color:bvocals width:3

bar:O'Shea from:01/06/2009 till:01/06/2010 color:drums

bar:O'Shea from:01/06/2009 till:01/06/2010 color:bvocals width:3

</timeline>

</div>

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart<br />positions

|-

! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | <small>AUS</small><br />

|-

! scope="row" | Choirboys

|

  • Released: July 1983
  • Format: LP, CS
  • Label: Albert Productions (APLP – 060)

| align="center" | 26

|-

! scope="row" | Big Bad Noise

|

  • Released: March 1988
  • Format: CD, LP, CS
  • Label: Mushroom (RML 53258)

| align="center" | 5

|-

! scope="row" | Midnight Sun

|

  • Released: 26 May 1991
  • Format: CD, LP, CS
  • Label: Mushroom (TVL 93324)

| align="center" | 30

|-

! scope="row" | Dancing on the Grave of Rock n' Roll

|

  • Released: 1994
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Ravenswood Records (R V 1009)

| align="center" | -

|-

! scope="row" | Yo-Yo

|

  • Released: September 1996
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Shock (BOYS02)

| align="center" | 179

|-

! scope="row" | Evolver

|

  • Released: May 2004
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Shock (BOYS01)

| align="center" | -

|-

! scope="row" | Big Bad and Acoustic

|

  • Released: 2006
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Liberation Blue (BLUE087.2)

| align="center" | -

|-

! scope="row" | So Easy

|

  • Released: 2007
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Big Bad Music Production

| align="center" | -

|-

! scope="row" | 1965, Life's a Beach

|

  • Released: 1 August 2018
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: Choirboys

| align="center" | -

|}

Live albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of live albums

! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:12em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:16em;" | Album details

|-

! scope="row" | Dead Drunk Live Hangovers

|

  • Released: 1991 (USA only)
  • Label: Big Bad Music
  • Format: CD
  • Note: Limited edition

|-

! scope="row" | Pub Rock Live

|

  • Released: October 2017
  • Label: Choirboys
  • Format: digital
  • Note: Live at Boondall

|}

Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart<br />positions

|-

! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | <small>AUS</small><br />

  • Format: digital
  • Label: Choirboys

|}

Singles

References

;General

  • Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.

;Specific