Col Loughnan
Colin John Loughnan is an Australian jazz saxophonist, teacher and composer, best known as a member of The Delltones, Ayers Rock, Judy Bailey quartet and as a teacher of saxophone at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Although Loughnan has long been associated with jazz music, the first nine years of his career were spent as a non-instrumental vocalist with vocal harmony groups The Crescents, and The Delltones starting in 1958. In the 60s, he learnt to play the saxophone, performing as an instrumentalist with Col Nolan and The Soul Syndicate, and as a founding member of the Daly-Wilson Big Band. At this time Loughnan was proficient in saxophones, flutes, and clarinet.
By the early 1970s, Loughnan had included session work, arranging music for television, and studying in the United States under Victor Morosco to his achievements. He was playing with Kala in London in 1973, before returning to Australia to join progressive rock, jazz fusion outfit Ayers Rock. Loughnan was a major influence on the sound of the band, and wrote most of their musically adventurous material. At the end of Ayers Rock's second tour of the United States, Loughnan chose to remain in the United States to continue his studies. He flew back to Australia in 1978 to take up the position of lecturer in saxophone, and arranging at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Faculty. Concurrent with teaching, he was playing jazz, working as a studio musician, and acting as musical director for Marcia Hines, and John Farnham, for ABCTV specials.
Loughnan has played with many top international artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Freddie Hubbard, Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis. He has played with a very long list of Australian musicians including Don Burrows, John Sangster, George Golla, Rhonda Burchmore, Errol Buddle, Bob Barnard and New Zealander Ricky May. His long-term collaboration with Judy Bailey has extended from the late 1970s to the present. Another collaborator, guitarist Steve Murphy joined Loughnan to record the album Feel the Breeze as a duo in 1981. In the early 1980s, he studied under venerated saxophone teacher Joe Allard in New York City. He has led his own combo's the Col Loughnan Endeavour, and the Col Loughnan quartet.
Loughnan toured with Georgie Fame and The Aussie Blue Flames on Fame's frequent visits to Australia from 1979 to 2006. He has entertained both great and small, playing with the Sydney and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, and creating children's music in the studio for Australia's ABC Records. Loughnan recorded a solo album Ellen St., in 2007, of his own compositions, which was produced by his son, bassist Lyal Loughnan, and Loughnan himself. He was involved in a scientific experiment at The University of New South Wales, nicknamed the "Frankensax" experiment, which investigated the acoustics inside the mouth, and throat of a saxophonist while playing. He remains active in teaching and playing, often with friend Judy Bailey
Early life
Loughnan was born on 26 October 1942, in Sydney. His parents, Con and Merle lived in Ellen St., Randwick, an inner south–east suburb of Sydney. They were a musical family, and enjoyed the jazz and popular artists of the day. By coincidence, Frank Coughlan, a Sydney bandleader and trombonist, lived next door. Interactions with Coughlan lead the young Loughnan to ask his parents to buy him a trumpet, which received a polite but firm "no". It was decided that it would be better to stick to singing.Loughnan attended Marist Brothers College, Randwick, where he sang in the school choir with good friend Mike Downes. Loughnan briefly played drums in the school marching band. He also excelled in swimming. From 1957, he studied at South Sydney Junior Technical High School, after which he was employed as an apprentice fitter and turner.
Career
The Crescents
Downes and Loughnan were joined by Dennis O'Keefe, and Kel Palace, who lived near O'Keefe, to form a vocal quartet, The 4 Tops. Loughnan was 16 years old. The 4 Tops were regular performers, in late 1958, at the Leichhardt Police Boys Club dances, run by Johnny O'Keefe. A few months later, Dennis O'Keefe left to join the Air Force, and the remaining trio changed their name to The Crescents. Johnny O'Keefe became their manager, and Loughnan recalled that "everyone respected ... but that was understandable – he was THE MAN".O'Keefe invited The Crescents to appear on his television program "Six O'Clock Rock" on 7 March 1959. This success later lead to further appearances on "Six O'Clock Rock", "Bandstand", and "Teen Time". The Crescents were heavily influenced by American vocal groups of the period, practising and working on their arrangements at Palace's parents' house, with Loughnan on the piano.
Promoter, Lee Gordon was closely associated with O'Keefe, and signed the group to his Leedon recording label. Gordon also drafted The Crescents into his "Big Shows": The Johnnie Ray Show in August 1959, and Fabian in October the same year. In an interview with Damian Johnstone, Loughnan remembered the aftermath of the Johnnie Ray Show:
"we were all working on jobs prior to the tour, but after that tour we gave our jobs up. We made a fortune, or what seemed like a fortune, on that tour. I remember coming home with all this money... We were all good looking guys in those days ... We all wore the same clothes – with the quarter moon crescent insignia".These large scale tours allowed The Crescents to perform on the same bill as many of the top popular music acts in Australia, as well as the visiting American stars. They received good reviews including The Age, which stated that "of the... supporting artists, The Crescents vocal group were the most popular" apart from Australian pop idol, O'Keefe.
Chart success
In October 1959, Leedon released their first single, "Everlovin'" backed with "You Broke My Heart", the latter being co-written by Loughnan and O'Keefe, but it failed to chart. The follow-up, "Mr. Blue" was a Top 5 hit in Brisbane, and Melbourne, however it was their only chart success. With a hit record, The Crescents became the main competition for the Delltones. Their next record, "When You Wish upon a Star" was released in April 1960.O'Keefe crashed his expensive imported red Plymouth near Kempsey in June 1960, suffering severe head, and facial injuries, and spending a fortnight in hospital. This had a profound effect on O'Keefe's life. Five months later, Loughnan was, himself, a passenger in a car crash. In November 1960, Loughnan, Alan Heffernan, Barry Stanton, and Ray Hoff were rounding a bend on a Victorian road, when a tyre blew out. Loughnan recounted:
"the next thing I remember was the car rolling over and over. The car went down an embankment and landed upside down. None of us were really badly hurt... It had a bad effect on me. I remember I had nightmares for years after that. I just hated it".
The Crescents were invited to perform at The Ricky Nelson Show in September 1960. These were the first concerts at which O'Keefe performed after his car accident. By June 1961, The Crescents had released another three singles, and two EPs, without any chart success.
Disbandment
In about July 1961, Downes decided to leave The Crescents, and was replaced by Alan Roberts. The new line-up recorded their final single, "Get a Job"/"Silhouettes", however, this was a period of low morale for the trio. Even so, they continued working for another year until Noel Widerberg of the Delltones died in a car accident on 7 July 1962. Loughnan explained: "The Crescents were on the way out... had jammed a lot with the Delltones at parties, etc... I was pretty good mates with Warren Lucas and I'm sure he was one of the main ones who plugged for me to take over as lead singer of the Delltones. Auditions weren't held". The Crescents disbanded.The Delltones
Loughnan was invited to become vocal harmony group, the Delltones, new lead singer in September 1962. He joined original members Warren Lucas, Ian Wilson, and Brian Perkins. In November 1962, they cut a new single "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Leiber and Stoller, which became the Delltones biggest hit, making it to No. 1 in Sydney. The surf music inspired "Hangin' Five" by Ben Acton was also a big hit in November 1963. In the book, Pioneers of Australian Rock 'n' Roll, Graham Jackson quotes Loughnan saying:"When we first heard the song, it was really slow and full of all these funny chords but we thought it had possibilities and rearranged the tempo and harmonies".That year, the Delltones received four radio awards: the "Gold and Silver Baton Award", "Golden Microphone Award", and "The Best Australian Record Award". In this period, due to chart success, radio airplay, live performances, and many TV appearances, The Delltones were one of the most recognisable names in Australian music. From 1965, Loughnan was privately learning to play the saxophone at home in Randwick. The Delltones set out on an East Asian tour which included entertaining Australian soldiers in Vietnam. One of the five concerts in Vietnam was at Bien Hoa Air Base on 1 March 1966 in stifling heat. Loughnan married Rhonda Moore on 30 May 1966. During his time with the group, they released nine singles and two albums. In 1967, Loughnan decided to take a very different direction, and left the Delltones after five years as a member.
The Soulmates
The Soulmates were a house band at the Coogee Bay Hotel, owned by Mrs. Munro, a widow who was known to have a favourite saying: "It's permanent, you know!". By October 1967, Loughnan had joined the band, not as a vocalist, but as a saxophonist. In his book Behind the Rock and Beyond, Leon Isackson describes the band's reaction: "everybody remembered as the lead singer the Delltones... here he was blowing us all away with the saxophone!" At that time, The Soulmates were led by guitarist, Jimmy Doyle along with Les Young on bass, Brian Myers on piano, Loughnan, and, shortly thereafter they were joined by drummer, Isackson. Loughnan and Doyle were to become lifelong friends, as well as working together from time to time over several decades.The band played six nights a week from 8 pm to midnight, and there was a featured artist, usually a solo singer, that changed after a week or a fortnight. These artists included Dig Richards, Eden Kane, The Ambassadors, the Power Brothers, Johnny O'Keefe and Ray Burton. Over time, Young was replaced by Michael Lawler on bass, Doyle gave notice and Jon Hayton took over on guitar, and Myers was sacked with his place being taken by Dave Macrae. In early 1968, Loughnan's services were no longer required because The Soulmates were cut back to a four piece outfit.