Company Caine


Company Caine, also styled as Co. Caine and Company Kane, were an Australian progressive rock band. They were formed in March 1970 by Ray Arnott on drums, Cliff Edwards on bass guitar, Jeremy Noone on saxophone and keyboards, Gulliver Smith on lead vocals and Russell Smith on guitar and vocals.

Recordings

In July 1970 Arnott left and was replaced by Eric Cairns on drums and was replaced, in turn, two months later by John McInerny. At that time Edwards was replaced by Tim Partridge on bass guitar. In 1971 the line up of McInerny, Noone, Gulliver Smith and Russell Smith were joined by Arthur Eizenberg on bass guitar and Ian Mawson on keyboards. In June that line up recorded their debut single, "Trixie Stonewall's Wayward Home for Young Women" and, in July, their first album, A Product of a Broken Reality on Generation Records. They used the TCS Studio in Richmond, it was produced by Gus McNeil and engineered by John French. The album reached the top 40 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the album as "a milestone of the early 1970s progressive rock era" as their "music was more expansive, more 'out there' than just about every band of the day."
Noone left in August 1971 to join King Harvest, and later that year Mal Capewell joined on saxophone and flute. The group relocated to Sydney and were promoted as Co. Caine. Early in the following year Dave Kain joined on rhythm guitar and they issued another single, "Dear Caroline". They disbanded in October 1972, Gulliver Smith continued his solo career and released his debut album, The Band's Alright but the Singer Is..., in the following year. Russell Smith had joined Duck and then became a member of Mighty Kong, which later included Arnott.
In 1975 Gulliver and Russell Smith formed Metropolis before being renamed, Company Caine, with returning member John McIverney, Geoff Burstin on guitar, John Power on bass guitar, and Shirley Smith as co-lead vocalist. McFarlane felt that the "new line-up was superior in some respects to the original, and played the Melbourne and Sydney concert/dance circuit for a year before calling it quits again." In September that year they recorded studio tracks for one side of their second album, Dr. Chop, three tracks were produced by Ross Wilson, the rest were extended versions of previously issued singles recorded with McNeil. The other side had live tracks, with McFarlane describing the album as "excellent and ultra-rare."
Company Caine inspired fellow Australian artists: the Church, the Sports and John Farnham. Gulliver Smith died in November 2014 after a long illness.

Personnel

  • Gulliver Smith — lead vocals
  • Russell Smith — guitars, backing and lead vocals
  • Jeremy Noone — saxophone, keyboards
  • Cliff Edwards — bass
  • Ray Arnott — drums
  • Eric Cairn — drums
  • John McInerny — drums
  • Tim Partridge — bass
  • Ian Mawson — keyboards
  • Arthur Eizenberg — bass
  • Mal Capewell — saxophone, flute
  • Dave Kain — rhythm guitar
  • Shirley Smith — lead vocals
  • Geoff Burstin — guitars
  • John Power — bass, backing vocals

Cam-Pact / Company Caine Timeline


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