So Much Promise

Sydney band Deckchairs Overboard came to being in 1982, the aftermath of Melbourne outfit The Cheks. The original lineup featured Ken Campbell on vocals, John Clifforth guitar/keyboard, Cathy McQuade on bass and the late great Paul Hester on drums. Relentless live playing on the Sydney pub/club circuit helped build a following and led to a self titled EP release in late 1982. 'That's The Way' was the single to be released in early '83 but in spite of getting a run on Countdown's playlist the song set up anchor at #86 on the Australian charts.

Shortly after Paul Hester left to take up the post as Split Enz's new drummer and of course would go on to have a stellar career with Australasian powerhouse Crowded House. Deckchairs recruited Dennis Flannery to the ranks and added keyboardist Michael Hoste to round out the ensemble. The lineup chopped and changed markedly over the next 18 months with only Clifforth and McQuade remaining stable members.

It was during this time that the band released their one and only album, again self titled (released late '85). Featuring on the album were two pop classics (in my humble opinion), 'Walking In The Dark' released as a single in mid '84 and 'Fight For Love' (OZ #78) released a year later. Despite the obvious quality of these gems, neither made much of an impact in commercial terms, and with the album only reaching #88 in late 1985, Deckchairs Overboard's voyage soon ended with band members going their separate ways before years end.

The album is not currently commercially available (to my knowledge) and is a rare get to find second hand. I was fortunate enough to score a copy of the original 45 'Fight For Love'. Check out the promo clip for 'Fight For Love', featuring the destruction of a type writer, and some fun on Sydney Harbour.