Tully were formed in Sydney in September 1968 with the original lineup of John Blake on bass guitar, Michael Carlos on keyboards, Richard Lockwood on saxophone, flute, clarinet and piano and Robert Taylor on drums.
[4] Tully's members were accomplished multi-instrumentalists with years of experience and their musical breadth quickly earned them a reputation as an adventurous and polished concert band.
NZ-born Blake had previously played in Johnny O'Keefe's backing band the Dee Jays (1959), as well as the Chessmen (1961), the Jimmy Sloggett Five (1963–64) and Max Merritt & the Meteors (1965).
[4] Blake, Carlos, Lockwood and Taylor were members of Levi Smith's Clefs in early 1968, which was led by R&B singer Barrie McAskill.
[4] They were supported by the Id – such dances were subsequently banned from the venue due to noise complaints and the "casual attire" of patrons.
Over the next twelve months, Tully's profile built steadily to become one of Australia's foremost rock concert attractions.
During 11–12 April, Tully and East Sydney Technical College's Art Students Pop Orchestra supplied music for "Alexander Nevsky's Homecoming", which was a happening devised by David Humphries for the National Art Students' Union, with experimental theatre troupe The Human Body performing and lighting by UBU.
[7] Australian-based entrepreneur Harry M. Miller selected Tully as the house band for the original Australian production of American theatrical rock musical, Hair.
At this concert the group's rendition of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' accompanied by Ellis D. Fogg lighting effects and the slow motion movements of a male and female dancer dimly visible through a screen behind them, was a superbly restrained happening of great beauty and sensitivity.In January 1970 Tully appeared at Australia's first outdoor rock festival, the Pilgrimage for Pop, at Ourimbah, Central Coast, NSW over the Australia Day long weekend.
This included the world premiere of Peter Sculthorpe's work Love 200, for orchestra and rock band, with words by Tony Morphett.
It was performed by the SSO, augmented by Tully and singer Jeannie Lewis, conducted by John Hopkins, with light show by Fogg.
[1][5][22] Extradition members Colin Campbell on guitar and Shayna (Karlin) Stewart on vocals joined Tully in early 1971.
In 1971 Tully shifted to EMI's new progressive label Harvest, and released their only single, "Krishna Came" / "Lord Baba" (May 1971).
[1] In October 1971 Taylor and Wilson formed a short-lived band, Space,[23] which explored similar musical territory to Roy Wood's Electric Light Orchestra, mixing rock and classical instrumentation.
The lineup included guitarist Dave Kain (ex-Dr Kandy's Third Eye), jazz pianist Bobby Gebert, bassist Ian Rilen (later of Blackfeather, Rose Tattoo and X) and cellist Adrian Falk.
Taylor named them Tully, which performed mainly original rock-fusion tracks written by Thursby-Pelham, but also covered Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck material.
This version of Tully gained popularity in Western Australia, performing at Perth's Daly's Court, The Sandgroper and the City Hotel.
[24] In 1977 the secretary of the Musicians Union, Harry Bluck, had the band headline a televised rally for youth unemployment at the Perth Supreme Court Gardens.
Bluck encouraged the members to start a self-help group to deal with social problems prevalent in the contemporary music community.