The Flying Circus were an Australian pop and country rock band with founding mainstays, Doug Rowe on lead guitar and vocals and Colin Walker on drums.
Hughes left the band in early 1969; he was replaced by bassist Warren Ward, while the group added Greg Grace on vocals and harmonica.
[1] Hughes later became an actor and appeared in a musical documentary film, ABBA: The Movie (1977), and had the lead role on the TV sitcom, Hey Dad..!
[5] The Flying Circus signed to EMI Records/Columbia Graphophone Company in late 1968 and appeared at an outdoor concert in Sydney's Domain on Australia Day 1969.
Their first chart success occurred with their debut single, a cover of American songwriters, Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden's song, "Hayride" (February 1969),[6][7] which peaked at No.
[8] The song has a Chipmunks sounding intro, which resulted in the band being branded with a bubblegum pop tag, although their stage performances and later recordings were in the country rock vein.
[1][9] Notwithstanding its trite nature, "Hayride", was initially banned in New Zealand due to a suggestive lyric, "making love in the hay.
[13] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "[it] was an odd collection of the pop hits, Byrds' covers, an ill-conceived medley of songs from the rock musical Hair and a couple of Rowe's country-rock tunes.
McFarlane described how it, "featured all country songs, including covers of Dylan's 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' and Merle Haggard's 'The Day the Rains Came'.
Also in April they added a fifth member, lead guitarist and pedal steel player, Bertram "Red" McKelvie, (ex-Starving Wild Dogs, Quill).
[1] Further change was evident on their second album, Prepared in Peace, which was released in July 1970 and comprised 12 original tracks in folk and country styles and only one cover version.
In July that year the band scored a victory over teen favourites, Zoot, in the national final of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds competition.
[citation needed] The Flying Circus used their Hoadley's prize to travel to San Francisco, United States in mid-1971 and then re-located to Toronto, Canada.
"[1] During the brief time in Australia, in September 1971, Sam See had left to join progressive rock group, Fraternity (alongside Bon Scott as lead singer), and Greg Grace rejoined as his replacement.
[1] The Flying Circus returned to Australia for the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973, where, "the lukewarm reception did little to bolster the band's regard for local audiences.