Biography
EARLY YEARS
Russell was born on the 15th of september 1949 in Brisbane Australia. His dad was in the airforce and he went to 13 schools. He wanted to be a drummer [actually marching Darwin primary school in daily with a kettle drum] but his father couldnt afford a set of drums so he bought him a cheap acoustic guitar when he was 12 years old.
Russell with his first guitar christmas 1961
There was a regular put that b*** guitar down and do your homework in the Bayne household. This didn't deter Russell. A friend of his father gave him a set of [How to play Country and Western guitar in 3 weeks lessons out of a Pix magazine] so Russell worked through the book and taught himself all the basic chords. As there was no record player in the house Russell would spend hours in front of the radio tuning the dial and finding music he liked to play along with and learn. While still at school he entered Swallows Juniors [a talent show on national television in the early 60's] as a guitar duo with another guitar player, Christopher Butcher and they made it to the finals and came 2nd place.
Russell played with a local band from Raymond Terrace [outside of Newcastle] whilst still at school. These were older guys than himself and they had electric guitars. Russell didnt have one. They used to borrow one for him and they played at local dances and at surf clubs playing most of the instrumentals and songs that were on the radio at the time. He also made his own amplifier out of old parts from broken down TV's and radios.
Russell moved to Sydney at 16 years of age in 1966 to become a PMG technician. It was there where he bought his first electric guitar [an old Framus] and made a lifelong friend and still very active drummer on the central coast of NSW Bob Loundar. He joined a band which was later to become Sebastian Hardie and they rehearsed and played all around the Sydney western suburbs for one year.
NEWCASTLE 1967
Russell was then posted back to work at New Lambton telephone exchange in Newcastle. It was back in Raymond Terrace he met drummer Herman Kovacs.
The Ouebbe [The Web]
The above photo kind courtesy of,
[Newcastle Bands Database, sixties bands]
Eventually after a couple of lineups including The Ouebbe [The Web] they formed The Australian Velvet underground . This band took Newcastle by storm in 1967 and placed second in the Hoadleys battle of the bands. They held residencies at all the top Newcastle disco's and supported most of the major rock acts of the time such as The Twlights, The Bee Gees etc. Russell was then sent back to work in Sydney and after trying to commute and play in the band finally leaves and is replaced by Les Hall. The Velvet Underground then turn fully professional and go on the road. They later become friendly rivals when they team up with Ted Mulry to form the Ted Mulry Gang [TMG]. Herm Kovacs now owns and runs Ramrod recording studios in Sydney. Russell now back in Sydney after auditioning and playing with various bands forms Truth. This band gets a lot of work around the Sydney dance circuit With two vocalists, George Kent and Jimmy Squadrito and rhythm section trio Bob Loundar, Camel [bass] and Russell.
Pyramid
Dal Myles takes over management of the the band and they change the name to Pyramid. Adding Roy Giles on bass and third vocalist Earl Dalby [now Erle Montaigue]The record Cant Wait for September is released under the banner of Earl Dalby and Pyramid. It goes to the top 10 and Pyramid play hundreds of gigs and concerts in Sydney in 1970 and tour extensively. Pyramid also become a backing band for solo artists and end up backing artists such as Mike Furber, Shane Bourne,Ted Mulry [as he had a hit record at the time with 'Julia' before he was to form TMG] as well as playing on various demos at Pyrmont studios for John J Francis of [Play Mama Play]fame. Pyramid are the first band to play at the Sydney Opera House.They play for the opening ball. Russell then turns professional on his 21st birthday. Pyramid play The Don Lane Show supporting Jose Feleciano and share a residency at Jonathans with the bands Sherbet [Daryl Braithwaite on vocals], Fratenertity [Bon Scott from AC/DC on lead vocals and Elmtree [John Paul Young on vocals] It was an exciting time as all the musicians would jam together and look to each other for inspiration and musical ideas. Bands would share the night and do guest spots at up to 3 venues a night.We all knew each other and would socialise. Bands such as The Flying Circus, Chain, Blackfeather, Beeb Birtles [LRB] Autumn, [Yellow river] Jeff St John and the Id, Sherbet and The Velvet Underground to name a few.
Pyramid 2
Earl Dalby leaves the band to pursue a solo career.The band replace Bob Loundar with Chris Condon and then go to Melbourne and Adelaide with just two vocalists.The play all the major venues and appear on Happening 70 [later to be called Counrdown] with Ian [Molly] Meldrum then tour Adelaide and back to Melbourne.They then return to Sydney and disband. George Kent joins the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and Roy Giles returns home to Newcastle.
SYDNEY 1972
Russell then Joins the resident band at Newtown leagues Club, Kevin Barkers Rock and Roll Revival Band and stays there for one year.
The band leave and take up a residency at The Night Owl nightclub in Surfers Paradise. Now Russell has to read charts and back acts every night. He decides he wants to be a session and backing guitarist. It was here that he plays with all the touring floorshow artists such as Ricky May, Dalvanius and the Fascinations, Maria Venuti, The bandstand team including Little Pattie ,Bryan Davies etc.
MELBOURNE 1973
Russell arrives in Melbourne in 1973 and joins the Bobbie James Syndicate. They backs acts like Ronnie Burns, Debbie Byrne, Phillip Gould, The Young talent team, Allison Durbin, Issy Dye. Russell also plays with Bon Scott who was in the process of rehearsing AC/DC and David Briggs who was to later join the Little River Band. He stays for 2 years and plays with many musicians on the melbourne scene including his old mate Gus Fenwick who was playing in Brian Cadd and the Bootleg Family on the television series Blind Date. After a 3 month tour with The Merry Minstrel Show out of England With Peter Kaye, Roy Waterson and the Raybons, Russell plays with the band Rainbow in a residency at the Ferntree Gully Hotel. This band later go to Hobart to open the first Casino but Russell goes back home to Brisbane.
BACK TO SUNNY QLD [1975]
Sick of the Melbourne cold he joins the QLD showband Impact Live and ends up back in Brisbane. He moves to the gold coast and joins his old mate from Pyramid, George Kent [now the sound engineer and booking agent at the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay]. After holding a residency at the Miami Hotel for 1 year [which included Dave Overton on drums who was later to reach fame with Bullamakanka] the band reform and go on the road, play the hotel circuit and recruit Bob Loundar for a tour to Townsville. The band breaks up and Russell heads back to Sydney and starts to make way into the session scene when he gets a call to come back to Brisbane again and join Julian Young and Julian Jones in a Residency at the Brisbane venue Lennons. He stays for one year then Russell leaves and joins the Perth based band Common Ground and tours Australia on the showband circuit and finally arrives in Perth. It is there he meets Buddy Loren the american impressionist and is flown around Western Australia as Buddy's musical director.
SYDNEY SESSIONS 1978.
Sick of years on the road Russell arrives back in Sydney in 1978. He then starts writing jingles, playing on sessions and backing floorshows in the clubs. He is also in demand as a musical director for freelance club acts such as Brotherhood Nev Nichols, Marty Rhone, Daryl lee, Buddy Loren. etc etc.
Rockin with Chuck Berry at The Hordern Pavillion
Playing with the piano Rocker Jimmy Taylor he gets to back Chuck Berry, Bo Didley and every australian rocker that ever was and has been. He also plays on many jingles, demos and singles for Castle Music and Mixdown Studios as well as writing the arrangements and fixing the sessions.
BACK TO BRISBANE TO STAY [1980]
Russell comes home to Brisbane in 1980 after playing on the cruise ships out of sydney. Back home jingle writing, backing acts ,teaching guitar, and playing gigs keeps Russell busy. He plays in shows at the lyric theatre such as 42nd st, Hot Shoe shuffle, Me and my Girl, Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Hello Dolly, The Secret Garden, African Sanctus and the broadway cast of Porgy and Bess with the QLD Philharmonic Orchestra. Also with the QLD Symphony orchestra he gets called to back , Pavarotti, Kiri ti Kanawa, Don Burrows, Don Lane, Geoff Harvey, Tommy Tycho and Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue. Television work at channel 7 and 9 and jingle sessions become regular as well as numerous gigs playing jazz including putting a jazz band together for the QLD Ballet in the concert hall of the lyric theatre. Also most major acts that have come to Queensland such as Jerry Lewis, Shirley Bassey, [Monkees] Davy Jones and Peter Tork, Kamahl, Jane Rutter, Normie Rowe, Graeme Bell , Bob Barnard, Judith Durham [The Seekers] etc,etc have had Russell playing guitar for them.
Russell also Produces the album 'Its a Truckin Life' for Dave Reynolds, Dixie down Under, and plays on albums and singles for Fiddle me Please, Peter Uppman, Joe Fingers Webster and the River City Jazzmen, Jan Deanne and the European Connection, Golden Harps, Tony Ashby, and Tijuana Trumpets [Mal Jennings]. Going back to his roots Russell leads the band The Guitar Gurus [Best guitarists in the country, not too good in the city] for 2 years at The Treasury Casino with Jose Mclaughlin [ex Gerry and the Pacemakers]. He Performs regularly around The Great South East with various bands and loves playing with other experienced guitarists for fun. Players such as Michael Fix, Jose Mclaughlin, Tuhi Timoti ,Aaron Hopper,Wes Taylor etc, have all played in Russells band. He has taught guitar at the QUT and still teaches at Brisbane Boys College. Ex students of his include Darren Middleton from Powderfinger.
Russell with all his years of experience Has written many original compositions and arrangements. He flew to Sydney recently to recieve awards for a 6th and 8th as a finalist in the Australian Songwriters Association [ASA] Songwriting Competition.
