Biography
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Years Active
1967 – 1971 (4 years)
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Founded In
Lower Hutt, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
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Members
- Carl Evensen
- Chris Parry
- Wayne Mason
The Fourmyula were a New Zealand rock group. Formed in 1967, the group consisted of Martin Hope (guitar and vocals), Wayne Mason (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Ali Richardson (bass and vocals) and Chris Parry (drums). They were joined in 1968 by Carl Evenson as lead vocalist. The success of Fourmyula marked a major turning point in the development of New Zealand rock: to an industry long dependent on cover versions of international hits, the Hutt Valley-based quintet offered proof positive that native talent could reach the national charts on the strength of their own original material.
Mason and Richardson's first original composition, "Come with Me", was originally scheduled to appear as the B-side to their 1968 debut single "Honey Child," a cover of a Martha and the Vandellas hit, but their label HMV took such a liking to the new song that "Come with Me" was instead promoted as the A-side. The single was a smash, reaching the number two spot on the Kiwi charts; overnight, Fourmyula became superstars, and Mason and Richardson quickly wrote a dozen new songs for release as their 1968 LP debut, The Fourmyula. Demand for the group was so high that HMV even issued two new singles, "Alice Is There" and "I Know Why," simultaneously; both rocketed into the Top Ten, and after quickly recording a sophomore album, Green B Holiday, the band toured Britain, later recording the single "Lady Scorpio" at the famed Abbey Road studios.
Their third LP, Creation, appeared in late 1969, followed by the chart-topping single "Nature"; Mason was now the group's sole songwriter, and as the band returned to Europe to tour, his material again adopted a heavier approach. To avoid conflict with a similarly named group, Fourmyula rechristened themselves Pipp; after scoring a minor hit with the 1970 single "Otaki," their fortunes dwindled, and by the following year they were no more. Parry later founded Fiction Records.
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