Tully (band) - Changes

Changes

In October 1971 Wilson and Taylor formed the innovative (but short-lived) Space, a band that apparently explored similar musical territory to Roy Wood's Electric Light Orchestra, mixing rock and classical instrumentation. The lineup included guitarist Dave Kain (ex-Dr Kandy's Third Eye), jazz pianist Bobby Gebert (an in-demand session player, who also worked with Tamam Shud and Gulliver Smith), bassist Ian Rilen (later of Blackfeather, Rose Tattoo and X) and cellist Adrian Falk.

In 1976 Robert Taylor reformed Tully in Perth teaming up with prodigious young guitarist Andrew "Frizby" Thursby-Pelham (ex - Berlin (Perth c. 1975)), and bassist John "Bass" Walton (ex - Graphic). The band performed mainly original rock/fusion pieces penned by Thursby-Pelham, and loosely covered other fusion artists such as "The Mahavishnu Orchestra", and "Jeff Beck", whose arrangements were interspersed with lengthy periods of improvisation. For a short time singer Bill Tahana (1977) was included in the lineup.

This incarnation of the band gained popularity quickly in the West, performing at three of the annual Parkerville Amphitheatre festivals as well as regular spots at venues such as Daly's Court, The Sandgroper, and the City Hotel. A notable feature of the band's performances was the unusually large number of local musicians who came to see them.

In 1978 bassist John Walton became chronically ill and was forced to leave the band. Finding a replacement proved impossible at the time due mainly to the difficulty of the material, much of which was scored in compound time under multiple key signatures. Walton's leaving ultimately signalled the end of the band.