[1][2] They were one of the first bands signed to the Michael Gudinski co-owned Mushroom Records which released their debut single, "Goodbye Lollypop" in February 1973, followed by the album Stillpoint in August.
[1][2] By 1969 the line-up was McKenna, Mason, Mick Fettes on vocals, Jac Kreemers on drums and John McKinnon on keyboards, they were playing cover versions for the pub circuit.
[1][2] With a repertoire of progressive, psychedelic, blues music they changed their name, in early 1971, to Madder Lake—madder lake is a crimson-coloured water-based dye (alizarin) mixed with alum and used in painting.
[1][2] The Melbourne-based line-up of Fettes, Kreemers, Mason, McKenna and McKinnon were picked up by Michael Gudinski's booking agency, Consolidated Rock.
[1] British conductor, David Measham, who had worked with Rick Wakeman on his Journey to the Centre of the Earth, was based in Perth, Western Australia from 1974.
[1] He commissioned Madder Lake for a theme piece on Aldous Huxley's science fiction novel Brave New World,[1] but the project stalled when funding from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was cut back and Measham's other commitments intruded.
Madder Lake resurfaced with three tracks on Mushroom Evolution Concert live album, to celebrate the record company's tenth anniversary in 1982.
[2] Madder Lake's two studio albums have been re-issued by Aztec Music with bonus tracks added, Stillpoint on 10 October 2008[6] and Butterfly Farm on 24 March 2009.