Boom Crash Opera

Boom Crash Opera are a pop-rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1985. Initially based around the songwriting partnership of Richard Pleasance (guitar/bass/vocals 1985 - 1992) and Peter Farnan (guitar/bass/keys/vocals) Boom Crash Opera also includes Dale Ryder (lead vocals), Peter 'Maz' Maslen (drums/vocals), Greg O'Connor (keyboards/guitar) and Ian Tilley (bass/vocals 1992 - present).

They released seven albums and an EP in the thirteen years of their recording career, and continue to play occasional shows.

Recording career

Prior to forming Boom Crash Opera, Pleasance and Farnan were two thirds of three-piece Serious Young Insects.^[1]

Boom Crash Opera were quickly signed to WEA records Australia and in 1986 released their debut single "Great Wall" (produced by Steve Brown). The single reached number 5 on the ARIA National charts. Their self titled debut album, released in 1987, (Produced by Alex Sadkin) went Gold and also featured the follow up singles "Hands Up In The Air" (produced by Steve Brown), "City Flat" and "Her Charity".

Following on from the success of their debut in 1989 they released the top 10 single "Onion Skin" from what would become their most successful album These Here Are Crazy Times (produced by Pete Smith and Richard Pleasance, mixed by Nick Launay). These Here Are Crazy Times spent more than 12 months in the Australian National Top 40 and achieved double platinum sales. "Onion Skin" was followed by the top 20 singles "Get Out Of The House", "Best Thing", "Dancing In The Storm" and "Talk About It".

In 1990 they released Look! Listen!!. The album featured remixed versions of songs from their first two albums plus two new songs.

It was soon after the release of Look! Listen!! that Richard Pleasance was diagnosed with Tinnitus. While Richard took time off he was replaced on bass by Mick Vallance. It was during this break in 1991 that Richard released an ARIA Award-nominated solo album titled Galleon.

In 1991 they released the EP 'Dreams On Fire' with both Pleasance and Vallance. The EP featured the single "Holy Water". Though the EP didn't perform as well as their previous efforts it brought the band and Keith Forsey together. This relationship would continue when Keith would end up co-producing their next album with producer Jamie McCarney.

In 1992 they travelled to Los Angeles and began work on the follow up to These Here Are Crazy Times. Soon after they began writing and recording Pleasance made the decision to leave the band. He was temporarily replaced by Dorian West.

The band returned from L.A. and Ian Tilley joined as the permanent replacement for Pleasance. In 1993 they released the single "Bettadaze". It was followed by their third album, the L.A. recorded Fabulous Beast (Produced by Don Gehman and Keith Forsey). "Bettadaze" was followed by the singles "In The Morning" and "This Isn't Love". Though the album went Top 40 it didn't perform as well as These Here Are Crazy Times and soon dropped down the charts.

After the long and fairly successful tour of Fabulous Beast they took a break. It was during this time off that Peter Farnan produced the debut album for The Sharp, a three piece band from Collingwood in Melbourne that went on to have some success. It was also during this break that Greg O'Connor decided to return to full-time study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

The remaining members returned to the airwaves and record stores in 1995 with a new contract with BMG and the double album Born (produced by Peter Farnan and Neil Wiles). The album was released as a double CD package. The idea being that after a few months they would release the second CD , Born Again. Born marked a real turn in the sound and look of the band, featuring the glam rock sounding single "Gimme" and the follow up single "Tongue Tied". The album was a lot more electronic than previous releases and though "Gimme" received generous radio airplay the album failed to ignite renewed interest in the band. Due to this lack of interest BMG scrapped the release of the second part of the album Born Again. Also in 1995 Pleasance released his solo album Colourblind.

1997 saw the release of Boom Crash Opera's last new release Gizmo Mantra (Produced by Daniel Denholm, Kalju Tonuma and Boom Crash Opera). Pulling back from the electronic sounding Born, Gizmo was somewhat of a return to the melodic rock sounds that fans where use to. Featuring the singles "All" and a song penned by Farnan and Pleasance around the time of "Dreams On Fire" called "Dreaming Up A Fire" the album again failed to return the band to the top of the charts.

A year later BMG released The Best Things a greatest hits album featuring singles from all their albums plus the song "Soundtrack" from their unreleased album Born Again.

In 2002 Robert Doyle the Opposition Leader of Victoria used the song "Dancing in the Storm" as his theme song at the Liberal Party of Australia State election campaign launch in November. The band wasn't asked their permission, and would have refused if asked according to Richard Pleasance. The campaign failed, and Steve Bracks of the Australian Labor Party won the election.

Current status

Boom Crash Opera are still together. In 2009, Boom Crash Opera released an acoustic album entitled "Dancing in the Storm" as part of the Liberation Blue series. This new album contains acoustic re-workings of their best known songs. The CD release also features a DVD of footage from the Fabulous Beast tour performed in 1993 for MTV Australia in Melbourne. The acoustic disc also featured Richard Pleasance, guesting with the band for the first time in over a decade.

In 2008 Hook N Sling released a dance re-make of the 1989 hit "The Best Thing" featuring on Ministry of Sound Sessions 5.

Boom Crash Opera will appear on Sunday 5 April in Alistair Knox Park in Eltham for "A Day Of Healing" benefit concert to support the CFA following the February 2009 Victorian bushfires

Careers outside the band

Various members have had success outside of the band.

Peter Farnan has produced and written with up and coming bands such as Rachael Kane and Cade as well as a solo profile on my space.

Greg O'Connor is a freelance graphic designer. ^[2]

Peter "Maz" Maslen has performed live and/or as a recording drummer for many top Australian artists including: Natalie Imbruglia, Delta Goodrem, Mark Seymour, Men at Work, The Seekers, Belinda Emmett, Archie Roach, Bodyrockers, Icehouse, Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Jimmy Little and Braindead Lovers.

Richard Pleasance has had great success outside of the band. His 1991 album Galleon featured the singles "Sarah (I Miss You)" and "Don't Cry". The album featured some of his closest friends in the music industry including Paul Hester and Deborah Conway. Galleon was critically acclaimed and went on to earn five nominations at the ARIA Awards. Pleasance then toured the album, as a support act for Elvis Costello.

Also at this time Richard co-produced and performed on the highly successful debut album for Deborah Conway String Of Pearls. Conway and Pleasance co-wrote a song on the album called "King Of Jordan". As well as producing and co-writing with Conway, Pleasance has also produced, arranged, played and written with acts such as Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Suzanne Vega, James Reyne, Jon Stevens, Nick Barker, Seven Stories and Augie March. In 1996 Pleasance teamed up with singer/songwriter Wendy Morrison. They called themselves 'Felt' and released a self titled album on Gotham/BMG records.

One of his Richard Pleasance's biggest successes came when he wrote and produced the theme from the popular Australian television series SeaChange. He also started a band, Pleasantville, which included his wife, Michelle, releasing their debut album Hill of Beans in 2004.

Discography

Singles are in italic

1987 - Boom Crash Opera

1. Gap That Opened
2. Hands Up In The Air
3. Love Me To Death
4. City Flat
5. Her Charity
6. Sleeping Time
7. Great Wall
8. Bombshell
9. Caught Between Two Towns
10. Too Hot Too Think

1989 - "These Here Are Crazy Times!"

1. Onion Skin
2. Where There's A Will
3. The Best Thing
4. Piece Of The Pie
5. Forever
6. Get Out Of The House
7. Talk About It
8. End Up Where I Started
9. Dancing In The Storm
10. Mountain Of Strength
11. Axe To Grind
12. Superheroes

1990 - Look! Listen!!

1. Onion Skin (Extended Mix)
2. Great Wall (Extended Mix)
3. Off To Sea
4. The Best Thing (LISTEN!! Mix)
5. Hands Up In The Air (Extended Mix)
6. Get Out Of The House (Extended Mix)
7. Bombshell (Extended Mix)
8. Rocks Are In My Head
9. Talk About It
10. These Here Are Crazy Times

1992 - Dreams On Fire EP

1. Holy Water
2. Hell To Pay
3. Skys Are Blue
4. Antarctica

1993 - Fabulous Beast

1. My Revelation
2. This Isn't Love
3. In The Morning
4. Bettadaze
5. The Colour Of Love
6. Strike A Match
7. Look Up What's Coming Down
8. What A Good Night
9. You Wouldn't Want To Know
10. I Am Nature
11. Don't Let On
12. The Last Place On Earth

1995 - Born

1. Essence
2. When She Get's There
3. Move Over
4. Wired
5. Dissemble
6. Get Me Happy
7. Oh So Cool
8. Gimme
9. Tongue Tied
10. Crush

1997 - Gizmo Mantra

1. Wake Up Fine
2. Dirt
3. Don't Forget To Breathe
4. Welcome To Tomorrow
5. All
6. Walking Disaster
7. Funny
8. Bad Television
9. Ain't I Amazed
10. I'm Not Like You
11. Dreaming Up A Fire
12. On

1998 - The Best Things Greatest Hits

1. Great Wall (Single Mix)
2. Hands up in the air (Single Mix)
3. City Flat
4. Her Charity
5. Onion Skin
6. Get Out Of The House
7. The Best Thing
8. Dancing In The Storm
9. Bettdaze
10. In The Morning
11. This Isn't Love
12. Gimme
13. Soundtrack
14. Radio
15. All
16. Welcome To Tomorrow
17. The Last Place On Earth

2007 - Essential Greatest Hits

1. Great Wall
2. Hands up in the air
3. City Flat
4. Her Charity
5. Love Me to Death
6. Onion Skin
7. Get Out Of The House
8. The Best Thing
9. Dancing In The Storm
10. Mountain Of Strength
11. Talk About It
12. End Up Where I Started
13. Holy Water
14. Bettadaze
15. In The Morning
16. This Isn't Love
17. Gimme
18. Dreaming Up A Fire
19. All

2009 - Dancing In The Storm Acoustic

1. The Best Thing
2. Onion Skin
3. Great Wall
4. Dancing In The Storm
5. Hands up in the air
6. Love Me to Death
7. Get Out Of The House
8. In The Morning
9. You Wouldn't Want to Know
10. Bettadaze
11. Ordinary Heaven
12. Talk About It
13. Caught Between Two Towns

References

1. ^ http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/p/pleasancerichard.html
2. ^ [www.misterwolf.com]

External links

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