Biography
James Baker (born 7 March 1954) is a rock musician from Perth, Western Australia. He has drummed with, and was instrumental in the founding of several influential Australian bands including The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, The Dubrovniks and The Painkillers.
Baker has named Ronnie Bond of The Troggs as the main influence on his drumming style. He first started drumming for a local Perth band, Black Sun (1973–1974), followed by The Slick City Boys (1974–1975).
"I was in a Beatles covers band. I saw Ringo Starr and I said I want to do that."- James Baker
When he was 16 he travelled to the United States and England, where he was influenced by early live performances of The Ramones, Flamin' Groovies, The Dictators and Johnny Thunders. It was during these travels that he met Sid Vicious
Baker was a member in 1976 of protopunk band The Geeks, who are regarded as one of the first punk rock groups in Australia, although they played no gigs and did not release any recorded material until fairly recently. After Dave Faulkner joined, the band became known as The Victims. Baker and Faulkner co-wrote the band's first single, "Television Addict", which is widely regarded as a classic and has featured on several punk compilations.
In May 1978 Baker joined another punk rock band, The Invaders, joining Kim Salmon (guitar, vocals), Roddy Radalj (guitar, vocals) and Boris Sujdovic (bass), replacing the bands original drummer, John Rowlings. With the inclusion of Baker, the band was renamed The Scientists however with Sujdovic leaving in August 1978 the band didn't start playing again until January 1979 with Dennis Byrne on bass. The band released its first single in April 1979, "Frantic Romantic" b/w "Shake (Together Tonight)" on the DNA label. Radalj and Byrne left in April 1979, to be replaced by Ben Juniper (guitar) and Ian Sharples (bass). This lineup recorded the band's second release, The Scientists EP (released February 1980) and did two tours of Melbourne and Sydney, in December 1979 and February/March 1980.
In January 1981, Baker joined Faulkner, Kimble Rendall and Roddy Radalj as founders of Sydney based band Le Hoodoo Gurus (aka Hoodoo Gurus)
Rendall left in 1982, just prior to the release of "Leilani", and was replaced by Clyde Bramley (bass guitar, backing vocals) from Sydney bands The Hitmen and Super K. Radalj was next to leave the band as he was unhappy with Rendall's leaving and Faulkner's greater influence on the band's direction. He was replaced by ex-Fun Things guitarist Brad Shepherd, who had been Bramley's flatmate and in The Hitmen and Super K.
Gurus new line-up (Baker, Bramley, Faulkner and Shepherd) recorded the band's first album, Stoneage Romeos (1984). With Baker co-writing several of the band's songs, but was sacked from the band in August 1984 before the album was released.
Baker joined the Beasts of Bourbon in 1984, together with Tex Perkins, Spencer P. Jones (The Johnnys), Boris Sudjovic and Kim Salmon of The Scientists. The group were initially thrown together by vocalist Perkins to fulfill a booking his previous band, Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, could no longer make and began by playing together in small venues in Sydney. This lineup was featured on the band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, recorded in 1984 in a single afternoon for one hundred dollars by Tony Cohen. Although the album became an underground success (a cover of "Psycho" being a hit on alternative radio), the band continued to be just a side project for its members until the original line-up fell apart in 1984 when the Scientists left Australia to tour overseas.
In 1985-86, Baker recorded vocals on a single, a cover of The Troggs’ "I Can’t Control Myself" with an original, "Born to Be Punched" on the B-side. It was credited to The James Baker Experience.
When both the Johnnys and the Scientists fell apart, however, the original line-up reunited in 1987, to record another album, Sour Mash in 1988. The swamp-rock of The Axeman's Jazz had given way to a fusion of blues-based pub rock and punk with great effect. Black Milk, recorded in 1990, expanded on this idea. The band grew particularly confident and powerful while touring Europe on the back of Sour Mash and grew in popularity. In 1991, Baker and Sujdovic left to be replaced by Brian Hooper and Tony Pola - the bassist and drummer of Kim Salmon's new band, The Surrealists.
In 1988 Baker joined a new band, The Dubrovniks, with Roddy Radalj, Peter Simpson and Boris Sujdovic. The band's name was coined from the fact that Radalj and Sujdovic were both born in Dubrovnik, a town in Croatia. The band released several albums including, Dubrovnik Blues, Audio Sonic Love Affair, Chrome and Medicine Wheel. After they broke up in the 1994, following the release of the band's fourth album, with Baker returning to Perth.
Baker's current projects are Rockin' Hendy (with Rik van der Velde - guitar, and Lou Boy - bass and vocals) and The Painkillers. Baker forming The Painkillers in May 2005 together with Joe Bludge on guitar and vocals. The Painkillers have played support in Perth for bands such as The Fuzz, Little Birdy, The Panda Band, Brian Hooper, Pharaohs, and Beasts of Bourbon. On 25 August 2005 The Painkillers released their debut album, Drunk on a Train on Blazing Strumpet Records, through Reverberation.
In 2006 Baker was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame.
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