Stylus (band)

Stylus developed from Mason's Cure, which were a Melbourne-based group, led by Ian Mason on keyboards, and included at various stages Peter Cupples (ex-Wheatfield, Canyon), Ashley Henderson, Peter Lee, Ronnie Peers & Ian Tomney. In early 1975 that group issued a single, "Let Me Love You Right", but Mason left to join The Bootleg Band.[1] The remaining members became Stylus with Cupples on lead vocals, guitar (electric and acoustic), congas, percussion and electric piano; Henderson on bass guitar, lead and backing vocals; Lee on drums and percussion; Peers on lead guitar (electric and acoustic); and new member, Sam McNally (ex-Silver Sun, Baiyana) on keyboards: fender electric piano, acoustic piano, moog synthesiser and clavinet;.[1][2] The group supported tours by Focus, Ike and Tina Turner, and Sherbet.[1]

Stylus were signed to WEA and, in June 1975, released their debut single, "Summer Breeze", which was a cover version of Seals & Croft's 1972 song.[1] The Stylus version reached the top 60 of the Kent Music Report Singles Chart.[3][4] Their second single, "World of Make Believe", appeared in October which peaked into the top 40.[3][4] It was followed, in November, by their debut album, Where in the World?, which was recorded at Armstrong Audio Video in Melbourne for Atlantic Records.[2] In April 1976 the album provided a third single, "I'm Going Home", but Stylus had left WEA.[1]

Their next single, "So Much Love", was issued in June 1976 on Crystal Clear Records, which reached the top 50.[3][5] The group signed with the Oz label, run by Ross Wilson and Glenn Wheatley, and distributed by EMI.[1] Their second album, For the Love of Music, was released in October that year, which was produced by Trevor Courtney and Cupples.[1][6] It included their next single, "I Just Don't Wanna Fall in Love Right Now", which reached the top 100.[3][5] By that time Courtney (ex-Vibrants, Skylight) had temporarily replaced Lee on drums, and was replaced in turn by Joe Tattersall (Ayers Rock) by the end of that year.[1]

With Courtney on drums, Stylus had recorded the group's third album, Best Kept Secret, which appeared in April 1978.[1][7] It provided three more singles, "Workout Fine" (March 1978), "Look at Me" (July) and "Got to Say Goodbye" (November).[1] The group signed with Motown Records to re-issue Best Kept Secret as Stylus, in the United Kingdom and United States, on their Prodigal imprint.[1] The album and its related singles received favourable reviews in music industry magazines, Cashbox and Billboard. By mid-1978 Peter Roberts (ex-Ride Band) had joined on co-lead vocals and then Mark Meyer (Sailor) replaced Tattersall on drums.[1] Prodigal was shelved by Motown in 1979, disrupting the Stylus-Motown relationship, just as tours with Hall & Oates and Earth Wind & Fire were proposed. Stylus supported George Benson on his Australian tour. In August 1979 the band issued their fourth album, Part of It All, and the related single, "If You Believe in Me". The group disbanded later that year.[1] Part of It All was to be their second US release but this was also shelved. EMI Records in Australia were not committed to the band despite the US interest.

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• Stylus and Related Record Info