They issued four studio albums, Smoke Dreams (June 1973), Wangaratta Wahine (late 1974), Australia (November 1975) and Slightly Troppo (1978), before they disbanded in September 1980.
Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, opined, "one of the most unusual aggregations ever assembled in Australia, [they] played jug-band blues enlivened with sideshow entertainment and vaudeville lunacy.
[1][4] They signed with Image Records and issued their debut single, "My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes" (written by Jack Golden,[5] Ted Koehler and Edward Pola), which is a cover version of Irish-born English band leader, Debroy Somers' 1931 original.
Basil of Tharunka caught their performance in early May 1974, he felt, "[the group] epitomised the 20s, Prohibition and flappers... [with their] cunning combination of the camp, the serious, the brilliant, the hilarious, did once again what they do better than any other band in the country: entertain their audience unrelentingly.
[16] During 1975 Fleming and Hales left and were replaced by Chris Worrall (ex-The Pelaco Brothers) on guitar and Manny Paterakis on drums.
"[1] Tony Catterall of The Canberra Times noticed that one way the group, "maintains total absorption is by pretending to be a band of brilliant musicians justifiably despatched to a lunatic asylum and which plays at the next-door sleazy nightclub, which the other inmates also attend...
It's hard to pick favourites but the title track is a gem: full of pomp and cracked trumpets blaring after its military beat, and both an ocker's anthem and the first impressions the archetypal, Crass Texas Millionaire has of Australia.
"[17] In December they supported Skyhooks on that group's In the Heat of the Night Tour, after which Catterall surmised the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, "is unlikely to reach the sales position of the Hooks, [but] it too is a proven winner.
[1] The Canberra Times' Luis Feliu felt, "There seems to be more emphasis on polish compared with previous material; more of that Matchbox spirit and wit, send-ups as usual (less hard-core political though – the cause seems to be lost).
By mid-year the line-up of the Conways, McManus and Muhleisen had been joined by Chris Coyne on saxophone and flute, Eric McCusker on guitar and Robert Ross on drums (ex-Manning).
[1][2] Their final single, "Juggling Time", had been released early in 1980 which was recorded by Matchbox Band with the line-up of the Conways, Coyne, McCusker, McManus, Muhleisen and Ross.
Jim Conway worked on many musical projects and became a sought-after session and backing musician, however due to the onset of multiple sclerosis, his health (but not his playing) was significantly affected and in early 2014 he retired.
[23] Chris Worrall was the founding guitarist of Melbourne-based pub rockers, the Bleeding Hearts, in 1976, and joined Paul Kelly & the Dots in February 1979.