[1] He has appeared on albums by Richard Clapton (including the Australian hit "Girls on the Avenue") and The Flying Circus in Australia and Hello Sailor, Dave Dobbyn's DD Smash, Al Hunter and Glen Moffatt in New Zealand.

McKelvie's early forays in the music scene were as lead guitarist for such Auckland, New Zealand, bands as The Chelsea Beats, The Dark Ages and The Avengers, but it was upon his arrival in Sydney, Australia, in 1967 that he became a much in-demand sideman and session player.

Sydney bands in which McKelvie featured included The Starving Wild Dogs, alongside future Blackfeather pianist Paul Wyld, and Quill before he joined The Flying Circus and greatly influenced their flirtation with country music.

[2] McKelvie released singles as a solo artist and as leader of The Third Union Band and was lead guitarist on the first two Richard Clapton albums, including playing all the multilayered electric guitar on the Australian number two hit "Girls on the Avenue".

McKelvie returned to his home town of Christchurch in 1997, and in 2007 finally released his debut solo album, Ridin' On Trains – Songs of New Zealand and Australia.