The band are also known for their music having featured on television, such as "Better Get a Lawyer" soundtracking an RTA ad targeting drink driving, and "Reckless Eyeballin'" – an instrumental track from their debut album Down Below – becoming the theme of Australian TV police drama Blue Heelers.
Danny Rumour (aka Daniel John Atkins)[1] was a member of punk rock bands Blackrunner, Urban Guerrillas, Friction, Ugly Mirrors and Bedhogs in Sydney from the mid-1970s to 1980.
[2] The name was from a 1964 surf instrumental, "Cruel Sea", by United States group The Ventures (a cover of The Dakotas' 1963 single, which was in turn inspired by the novel and film of the same name).
[2] Barry Turnbull (ex-John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong, The Widdershins) briefly substituted for Gormly on bass guitar.
[3][4] In 1989, The Cruel Sea invited vocalist Tex Perkins, their lighting technician and member of Beasts of Bourbon, to join them on-stage.
"Reckless Eyeballin'" – an instrumental track on the album – later became the theme song of Australian TV police drama, Blue Heelers (1994–2006).
Although Perkins was also performing with Beasts of Bourbon, The Cruel Sea built a following on the inner-city pub rock circuit with "atmospheric music [that] evoked the feel of wide open spaces".
The Cruel Sea's third album, The Honeymoon Is Over was produced by the band, Cohen and Mick Harvey (Robert Forster, Anita Lane) of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
[8][7][9] At an after-party, a drunken guest attacked Higgins, a professional photographer, and a fracas ensued with Perkins defending his partner.
[7][10] The Cruel Sea's next album, Rock'n Roll Duds, was a compilation of b-sides and studio outtakes, released in November 1995.
The Cruel Sea returned to their instrumental roots and embarked on a series of gigs without Perkins including the Big Day Out tour.
[3] In February 1998, with Perkins returned, the group released a single, "Hard Times" ahead of its album Over Easy in August.
The album was produced by Daniel Denholm (Frente!, Boom Crash Opera), Phil McKellar (Grinspoon, Frenzal Rhomb), the band and McKercher.
[11] Perkins featured on "Episode 6: Gathering of the Tribes 1984–2000" where he discussed his non-mainstream work with both Beasts of Bourbon and The Cruel Sea, which were "Providing the poor forgotten 5% with something – who like the really fucked up weird shit".
In spite of his earlier statement, The Cruel Sea with Perkins toured Melbourne and Sydney in 2008 before their Blues & Roots Festival performances.
[15] In 2023, the band reconvened to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic 1993 release, The Honeymoon Is Over, with the addition of longtime collaborator, guitarist Matt Walker.