Biography
The group was composed of singer/occasional guitarist Alex Smith, formerly of Bilgola Bop Band and This Side Up; guitarist/keyboardist Garry Frost (The Harps); saxophonist, Andy Thompson (Bilgola Bop Band), Charlie Cole on keyboards/trumpet; bass player, Ian Lees (This Side Up) and Paul Freeland on drums.
The band's first performance was July 4, 1980 and they forged a strong reputation as a pub rock act with R&B influences, playing up to 250 shows a year. Their early performances included a mix of original material and covering the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. In early 1981 Moving Pictures were signed to the Wheatley management team (run by former Masters Apprentices bassist Glenn Wheatley). Their breakthrough on the charts came with "Bustin’ Loose" in October, 1981. The band's live show was all about their rock leanings but, after signing to Wheatley, their debut album, Days of Innocence (released in October, 1981), featured strong ballads that belied that live rock act. The album's biggest single "What About Me", which remained at number one for six weeks in early 1982 and won the 'Best Single' award at the 1982 Countdown Awards. It was the second biggest selling single in Australia for 1982 (behind Survivor’s "Eye of the Tiger"). It also reached #29 on the Billboard pop singles chart, spending 26 weeks inside the Billboard Hot 100. "What About Me" managed to make Billboard's year-end Hot 100 list for 1983, at #88 - a rare feat for a single with such a low peak position. The song made an unusual comeback in 1989, peaking at #46.
Moving Pictures were then signed to the Elektra distribution label in the America and just as the song started to chart there Elektra collapsed. This was also on the eve of their planned U.S. tour to capitalise on their phenomenal success there. The tour included support slots with REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty and Hall & Oates as well as their own headlining shows. In hindsight this was Moving Pictures only chance and it was shot. Paul Freeland then left the group and was replaced by drummer Mark Meyer (ex-Stylus, Richard Clapton and Mark Gillespie).
Their second album, Matinee, was released in October 1983, which reached number 16 in Australia. The release captured more of the band's live show feel and rock leanings. Of the four singles lifted from the album only "Back To The Streets" was able to crack the Australian Top 40. The band toured Japan before internal frictions saw Garry Frost leave the group in 1984, with Joey Amenta a temporary replacement until Kevin Bennett joined the lineup. The group continued to tour domestically and gained a strong, loyal following but it wasn't until 1987 that they released their next album, The Last Picture Show, based on their 'Live Picture Show' tour that took place earlier in May 1987, at the end of that year. Soon after the group disbanded.
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