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John David Prior (born July 22, 1960, in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]]) is an [[Australian]] [[drum kit|drummer]], [[composer]] and [[record producer|producer]], best known for his work with [[Matt Finish]]<ref name="McF">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]]|last=McFarlane|first=Ian|authorlink=Ian McFarlane|publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]]|year=1999|chapter=Encyclopedia entry for 'Matt Finish'|chapterurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040615182743/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=471|isbn=1864487682|accessdate=2009-02-24}}</ref><ref name="ARDb">{{cite web|url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/m/mattfinish.html|work=[[Australian Rock Database]]|title=Matt Finish|publisher=Magnus Holmgren|accessdate=2009-04-06}}</ref>, [[Adrian Belew]]<ref name="smh.com.au">[http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/zappas-mate-makes-it-look-easy/2006/04/23/1145730805204.html Sydney Morning Herald review by John Shand of Adrian Belew in Australia with John Prior]</ref> ([[King Crimson]]), [[Mick Taylor]]<ref>[http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/mt/taylor95.htm Mick Taylor database 1995]</ref> ([[The Rolling Stones]]), [[Roy Buchanan]], [[Champion Jack Dupree]]<ref>[http://www.hotsource.com.au/directory/artist/15190/John_Prior/]</ref>, iOTA, [[Wicked Beats Sound System]], [[Kevin Borich]]<ref>[http://www.australianmusichistory.com/matt-finish The Australian Music History website]</ref> and [[Dale Barlow]]<ref>[http://www.australianmusichistory.com/matt-finish The Australian Music History website]</ref>.
John David Prior (born July 22, 1960, in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]]) is an [[Australian]] [[drum kit|drummer]], [[composer]] and [[record producer|producer]], best known for his work with [[Matt Finish]]<ref name="McF">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]]|last=McFarlane|first=Ian|authorlink=Ian McFarlane|publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]]|year=1999|chapter=Encyclopedia entry for 'Matt Finish'|chapterurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040615182743/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=471|isbn=1864487682|accessdate=2009-02-24}}</ref><ref name="ARDb">{{cite web|url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/m/mattfinish.html|work=[[Australian Rock Database]]|title=Matt Finish|publisher=Magnus Holmgren|accessdate=2009-04-06}}</ref>, [[Adrian Belew]]<ref name="smh.com.au">[http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/zappas-mate-makes-it-look-easy/2006/04/23/1145730805204.html Sydney Morning Herald review by John Shand of Adrian Belew in Australia with John Prior]</ref> ([[King Crimson]]), [[Mick Taylor]]<ref>[http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/mt/taylor95.htm Mick Taylor database 1995]</ref> ([[The Rolling Stones]]), [[Roy Buchanan]], [[Champion Jack Dupree]]<ref>[http://www.hotsource.com.au/directory/artist/15190/John_Prior/]</ref>, iOTA, [[Wicked Beat Sound System]], [[Kevin Borich]]<ref>[http://www.australianmusichistory.com/matt-finish The Australian Music History website]</ref> and [[Dale Barlow]]<ref>[http://www.australianmusichistory.com/matt-finish The Australian Music History website]</ref>.


[[Sydney Morning Herald]] reviewer John Shand wrote: "Prior was a nexus of energy, fun and accuracy" about his performance with [[Adrian Belew]].<ref name="smh.com.au"/>
[[Sydney Morning Herald]] reviewer John Shand wrote: "Prior was a nexus of energy, fun and accuracy" about his performance with [[Adrian Belew]].<ref name="smh.com.au"/>

Revision as of 03:09, 12 March 2010

John Prior

John David Prior (born July 22, 1960, in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian drummer, composer and producer, best known for his work with Matt Finish[1][2], Adrian Belew[3] (King Crimson), Mick Taylor[4] (The Rolling Stones), Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree[5], iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich[6] and Dale Barlow[7].

Sydney Morning Herald reviewer John Shand wrote: "Prior was a nexus of energy, fun and accuracy" about his performance with Adrian Belew.[3]

Prior is also owner and director of Mammal Music Pty Ltd, a music and video production company that built and operates Unity Gain Studios, where he has composed and produced many albums for independent artists including the ARIA Award winning and nominated Tibetan Prayer (Best World/Traditional/Folk Album 1995[8][9]), The Hipbone Connection (Best Independent Album 2000[10] and #1 on the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) charts) and The Story Of Abbey (Best Show/Cast Album 2002)[11] and has produced a number of works for film, television, theatre and advertising, gaining a Australian Guild of Screen Composers Nomination for orchestral composition and production[12].

History

The Seventies

Prior started playing guitar in 1968 aged 8, drums at 11, vibes at 17 and piano at 18. During his teens, he formed the fusion band Conic Section with brother Rob Prior (guitar), neighbour Paul Williams (bass guitar) and Chris Short (keyboards) and they performed at The Kirribilli Hotel, the Mosman Spastic Centre and Sydney Boys High School[13]

At 16, he played drums with Stevie Wright (Easybeats), Sea Of Clouds, Atlantis, the Northbridge Jazz Band and formed experimental funk band Hot Dogma with Craig Learmont (guitar, The Layabouts, Klezma Orcheztra), Peter Astley (bass) & Anthony Smith (keyboards, Flowers, Icehouse)[14][15].

In 1979, Prior formed Matt Finish[16] with singer/guitarist Matt Moffitt[17] and through to the end of the seventies, they played regular residencies in clubs and pubs around Sydney every night of the week, often double-gigging on weekends.[18]

In November 1979, radio station 2JJ broadcast Matt Finish live-to-air from the Civic Hotel in Pitt Street, Sydney and continued to broadcast the raw live performances for a year[19].

The Eighties

Matt Finish, 1981, left-right: Prior, Grossman, Clayton and Moffitt

During the eighties, Matt Finish was one of Australia's most popular and exciting live bands[20] performing thousands of live shows to more than a million people[21] including national tours with U2, XTC, Midnight Oil, INXS, The Ramones, Split Enz, Cold Chisel, Brian Ferry and The B-52's.[22][23][24]

Matt Finish released Matt Finish Play Africa (single 1980), Short Note (album 1981), Fade Away (EP 1981), Matt Finish (EP 1983), Word Of Mouth (album 1983) and numerous singles[25]. The Short Note album was re-released on CD in 1989 and is still available from music shops after 25 years.[26]

In 1985, Prior travelled to London and Brussels to record the Matt Moffitt solo album By As Little As A Look with producer Nicky Graham (David Bowie, CBS A&R Manager)[27][28]. While in London, he continued studying piano and music theory with Peter Sanders (London Symphony Orchestra) and electronic music using computers, synthesizers and samplers at CBS Studios London and Fairlight CMI's studios in Sydney.[29][30]

During the late eighties, Prior toured Australia as drummer with Roy Buchanan[31], Champion Jack Dupree[32], Mal Eastick, Girl Overboard, Troy Newman, Jackie Orszaczky, Guy Le Claire, Stephanie Howell, Baby Loves To Cha-Cha, Getaway Plane, T-Vibes, Bastiaan, Bob Armstrong and Charlie McMahon; performed drums with Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil) and hundreds of other drummers and percussionists at Bondi Pavilion; performed solo at the first Australian Music Day Concert[33]; performed each year at the Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane Music Trade Fairs and conducted drum clinics and music clinics in music shops around Australia sponsored by Australis Music, Tama Drums, Akai Samplers, Dynamic Music and Sabian Cymbals; taught drums at Drum City Sydney and Emmanuel School Randwick; composed music for productions at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, Nimrod Theatre, Griffin Theatre, New Theatre (Newtown) and Belvoir St Theatre; and produced local independent artists including Megan Williams, One Franc, Sandi Chick, Amanda Mann and Guy Le Claire[34].

In 1989, Prior travelled to New York to produce Matt Moffitt and Jennifer Barrett and perform percussion with Pacific Orchestra[35]

The Nineties

In 1990, Moffitt and Prior reformed Matt Finish with former Eurogliders members Guy Le Claire (guitar) and Lindsay Jehan (bass) and New Yorker Jennifer Barrett (guitar)[36]. Managed and promoted by Prior, the band completed their most successful tour to date[37] including fifty sold-out performances around Australia. The band recorded four songs produced by Peter Blyton at Studios 301 and Bondi Road Studios that were never released[38].

During the nineties, Prior also performed with Mick Taylor[39] from the Rolling Stones featuring Alex Lloyd on bass guitar, Olivia Newton-John, Crunch and Monkey Principle. He formed Mammal Music production company, which built and operated Unity Gain Sudios in Cammeray from 1992 and Erskineville from 1997[40]. He composed and produced several production music albums for Bruton Music UK and dozens of albums for local independent artists including ARIA Award winner Tibetan Prayer with Yungchen Lhamo (Best World/Traditional/Folk Album 1995[41]) and the ARIA Award nominated The Hipbone Connection with iOTA (Best Independent Album 2000[42] and #1 on the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Charts), which spawned 6 charting singles.

Prior also composed and produced music, dialogue and sound effects for film, television, theater and advertising including soundtracks for MTV, The World Around Us, AFTRS, Australian Federal Government, NSW Tourism, Australia Today Indonesia Tomorrow, Jesus Christ Superstar, feature film This Won't Hurt A Bit, award winning short film The Red Dress[43], The Great Outdoors, Paradise Beach, Art of Stone, Barnardos, Coca-Cola, MacDonalds, KFC, Levi's, Sun Alliance, Sky-Garden, Andronicus, Toyota, Slazenger, Buttercup, Just Jeans, Frutti, Hi-C, Milo, Sydney Turf Club, Deloitte, BA Insurance and Price Waterhouse.[44]

The Noughties

In 2002, Prior co-composed, arranged and produced the ARIA Award nominated rock opera The Story Of Abbey (Best Show/Cast Album 2002), which also had a successful theatrical run at the Sydney Seymour Centre[45][46].

In April and May 2006, Prior toured Australia with King Crimson singer/guitarist Adrian Belew and bassist Al Slavik[47][48]. Their first performance was at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Byron Bay to 75,000 people[49][50]. John and Rob Prior promoted shows on the tour at the Basement in Sydney and Manchester Lane in Melbourne[51].

In November 2006, Prior produced the Matt Finish single Don't Fade Away with singer/guitarist Luke Dixon, bassist Matt Cornell and sound engineer Greg Clarke[52].

In December 2006, John and his brother Rob promoted Matt Finish's Matt Moffitt Memorial Tour featuring Dixon, Cornell, Clayton and a guest performance by Rick Grossman[53].

In April 2007, Prior formed a new lineup of Matt Finish and managed and promoted 60 shows with vocalist David Adams, bassist Harry Brus and a number of guest guitarists including Guy Le Claire, Steve Edmonds, Les Rankin and Kevin Borich[54][55][56]. While touring, Prior also performed music clinics and workshops at music stores around Australia in association with sponsors Tama and Sabian. In December 2007, he produced the Matt Finish album 1978 - 2008, released January 2008[57].

In June 2008, Prior managed a Matt Finish tour with special guest Dale Barlow, a friend from primary school[58]. In December 2008, he directed, edited and produced a video clip for the Matt Finish song Short Note featuring a montage of highlights from the Musician's Club[59].

In January 2009, Prior produced the Matt Finish DVD Live At The Musicians Club 1981 with the only existing concert footage of Matt Finish in the eighties[60]. In February 2009, he produced the Matt Finish EP New Frontier featuring singer David Adams. In March 2009, Matt Finish relaunched as a three-piece with Glenn Bidmead (vocals/guitar), Harry Brus (bass/vocals) and John Prior (drums/vocals)[61]. The band is currently performing around Australia and recording new material[62][63][64].

Equipment

  • ATC SCM-20 monitors
  • Apogee Ensemble AD/DA converters
  • TC Electronic Powercore PCI card
  • Mac G5 computer
  • Manley Vari-Mu
  • Manley Massive Passive
  • Manley Voxbox (x2)
  • Peach pre-amps (x8)
  • Amek 9098 Dual Mic Amps
  • TC Electronics Fireworx
  • TC Electronics M2000
  • TC Electronics Finalizer
  • Neumann, Reslo, AKG, Sure and Tandy microphones
  • Tama Artstar maple drum kit
  • Sabian Cymbals
  • Guitars, keyboards, percussion

Discography

Matt FInish

  • 1980 "Matt Finish Play Africa": "CIA" / "Mancini Shuffle"
  • 1981 Short Note
  • 1981 "Short Note" / "Layman's Day"
  • 1981 Fade Away
  • 1983 Matt Finish
  • 1984 "Words and Wars" / "Still Roads (I Need It)" / "Come on Over"
  • 1984 Word of Mouth
  • 1984 "Always Another" / "Forecast"
  • 2001 Just a Short Note (The Best of)
  • 2006 "Don't Fade Away 2006"
  • 2008 1978 - 2008
  • 2009 Matt Finish Live at the Musicians Club 1981
  • 2009 New Frontier

Other Artists

  • 1986 Matt Moffitt / By As Little As A Look
  • 1987 Johnny Batchelor / Work And Save
  • 1991 Guy Le Claire / Guy Le Claire
  • 1993 Wicked Beats Sound System / Summer Sun
  • 1993 Sam Sethi / Sai Baba
  • 1993 Pam Sethi / Pam Sethi
  • 1994 Great South Land / Great South Land
  • 1994 Toni Nation / Toni Nation
  • 1995 Young Chen Lhamo / Tibetan Prayer
  • 1996 Heavenly Light Quartet / Heavenly Light Quartet
  • 1997 Guy Le Claire / Naughty
  • 1997 Xiang / Xiang
  • 1997 Bujuanes / This Is Life
  • 1998 Ragged Band / Distant Shores
  • 1998 Pan De Cielo / Bread Of Heaven
  • 1998 iOTA / iOTA
  • 1999 Maréa / No Distractions Please
  • 1999 iOTA / The Hip Bone Connection
  • 2000 Merge / Interface
  • 2000 Mr House / The Fruits Of Mr House
  • 2001 Eclection / Day And Night
  • 2001 Ear Candy / Made In Australia
  • 2001 Ear Candy / Feels Like Summer
  • 2001 Ear Candy / Candy For Your Soul
  • 2002 Merge / The Need To Fall
  • 2002 Play Act One / Story Of Abbey
  • 2003 Astral Taxi / Leave Nothing Untouched
  • 2005 Jennifer Whatson / Jennifer Whatson
  • 2006 Meryl Leppard / Meryl Leppard
  • 2008 Steve Lockyer / Sticks & Stones
  • 2008 David Kingdom / Tattoo
  • 2009 Sameera Bashir / The Cat, The Fiddle & This Tune

Production Music

  • 1995 Bruton Music UK / Impact Promotions
  • 1996 Bruton Music UK / Pop Music
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Energy
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Smooth
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Pop Roots
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Club Soda
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Master Grooves
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Café Cool
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Extra Chunky
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Guitar Lover
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Retail Melodies
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Neo Classics
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Arabmatic
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Folk & Gypsy
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Atmosphere
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Earth
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Romantic Piano
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Unreal Christmas
  • 2003 Unreal Music / All Sorts
  • 2003 Unreal Music / Survival Kit
  • 2004 Unreal Music / Celestial Grooves
  • 2004 Unreal Music / Astral Riffs
  • 2004 Unreal Music / Urban Dub

References

  1. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Matt Finish'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1864487682. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Matt Finish". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  3. ^ a b Sydney Morning Herald review by John Shand of Adrian Belew in Australia with John Prior
  4. ^ Mick Taylor database 1995
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ The Australian Music History website
  7. ^ The Australian Music History website
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ Yungchen Lhamo
  10. ^ The ARIA AWARDS website
  11. ^ ARIA Music Awards of 2002
  12. ^ [3]
  13. ^ List of Old Boys of Sydney Boys High School#Entertainment, media and the arts
  14. ^ [4]
  15. ^ [5]
  16. ^ Australian Music History website
  17. ^ Australian Music History
  18. ^ Australian Music History
  19. ^ [6]
  20. ^ [7]
  21. ^ [8]
  22. ^ [9]
  23. ^ [10]
  24. ^ [11]
  25. ^ Australian Music History
  26. ^ [12]
  27. ^ [13]
  28. ^ [14]
  29. ^ [15]
  30. ^ [16]
  31. ^ [17]
  32. ^ [18]
  33. ^ [19]
  34. ^ [20]
  35. ^ [21]
  36. ^ [22]
  37. ^ [23]
  38. ^ [24]
  39. ^ [25]
  40. ^ [26]
  41. ^ Yungchen Lhamo
  42. ^ [27]
  43. ^ [28]
  44. ^ [29]
  45. ^ ARIA Music Awards of 2002
  46. ^ [30]
  47. ^ [31]
  48. ^ [32]
  49. ^ [33]
  50. ^ [34]
  51. ^ [35]
  52. ^ [36]
  53. ^ [37]
  54. ^ [38]
  55. ^ [39]
  56. ^ [40]
  57. ^ [41]
  58. ^ [42]
  59. ^ [43]
  60. ^ [44]
  61. ^ [45]
  62. ^ [46]
  63. ^ [47]
  64. ^ [48]
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