The Sharp is a Melbourne four-piece pop, rockabilly band which formed in 1991 with Allan Catlin on double bass and lead vocals, Piet Collins on drums and Charlie Rooke on guitar and lead vocals. They issued two studio albums, This Is the Sharp (1993) and Sonic Tripod (1994). Their highest-charting single, "Alone Like Me" (1994), reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 20.

History

1991–1992: Formation and Spinosity

In 1991 the Sharp was formed as a three-piece rockabilly, pop group in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood by Allan Catlin on double bass and lead vocals, Piet Collins on drums and Charlie Rooke on guitar and lead vocals. Rooke had formed 59 Sharp, a "good-time bar-band", They "played 1950s rock'n'roll and rockabilly covers to a hardcore Melbourne following." joined on drums in 1991 due to other commitments for both Day and Simcic. They were signed to East West Music/Warner Music Australasia later that year. Their first hit single, "Talking Sly" (from the Spinosity EP), was written and sung jointly by Rooke and Catlin, which "received plenty of radio support and high critical acclaim."

The Sharp released their debut album, This Is the Sharp, in September 1993, which was co-produced by Farnan, Mainsbridge and the group.

Further singles reached the top 50 of the ARIA Singles Chart including "Scratch My Back" and "Yeah I Want You". The latter had four cover versions of work by The Cure ("The Love Cats"), Blondie ("Hangin' on the Telephone"), Lou Reed ("Vicious") and The Violent Femmes ("Add It Up"). It provided their highest-charting single "Alone Like Me", which peaked at No. 20. The group were known for their image of black high neck skivvies, Rooke reflected on their legacy "I think people will remember us for being a bit different... I'm sticking with the simplicity... I seemed to go for that vibe in the first, and I've always believed in it. I think you can do so much with that approach, but most groups these days are into bigger production."

1996–present

A posthumous collection of previously unreleased studio tracks, Skeletons in the Closet, was released in 1996.

In 2000 the Sharp performed a reunion gig in Melbourne,

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! scope="row"| This Is the Sharp

|

  • Released: 6 September 1993
  • Label: East West <small>(450993510-2)</small>
  • Format: CD

| 13

|-

! scope="row"| Sonic Tripod

|

  • Released: 22 August 1994
  • Label: East West <small>(450997336-2)</small>
  • Format: CD

| 13

|}

Compilation albums

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

|+ List of Compilation albums, with chart positions and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Details

! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions

|-

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | AUS<br>