Laneway Talks with Vince & Rob

Chris Turner is a London born guitarist. He started playing guitar in 1961 around the London rock scene. His first band appeared on the same bill as Bowie, Frampton and The Small Faces with Steve Marriot. His band also did shows with John Mayall, Manfred Mann and Johnny Dankworth’s Orchestra to name just a few. He played the Mecca Ballroom Circuit with this band, The Consorts, until 1965. The late sixties saw the Chris Turner Group and 'The Wranglers' emerge in Auckland, New Zealand where he toured the North Island learning his trade not only as a guitarist but also as a band leader. He did a brief stint with hit band 'Summer Wine' and played with 'The Soundelles', Auckland's only professional band at the infamous Oriental Ballroom.

The Seventies

In 1970 Chris moved to Sydney, Australia. He signed up with a package show called The Action and set off on a tour of The Philippines and Vietnam. After an exhaustive three month stint, three shows a day, seven days a week, he was jailed on drug charges. He escaped and had an epic life-threatening adventure. He eventually made it back to Sydney. On his return from overseas Chris once again formed his own Chris Turner Band and toured New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, one tour lasting over 18 months. In 1973 Chris formed an eight-piece band and called it Drain! (cos that’s where all his money, energy and time went!!), it featured two drummers and a horn section, it worked around the Sydney hard rock clubs, including the world famous Chequers night club, The Bondi Lifesaver, Whisky a Go Go and dozens of the other clubs and gigs. In 1975 Chris was asked to join heavy rock band Buffalo, recording and writing the title track on the fifth album, Average Rock n' Roller. Buffalo did numerous radio and television spots and toured Australia with Richie Blackmore's Rainbow. Throughout this time Pete Wells and Digger Royal (Rose Tattoo) were stable members of The Chris Turner Band which could be seen every Monday night at the infamous Chequers night club from late till dawn. The band continued to play all the hot night spots on the circuit as well as out of towners (OOT’s). Chris was touring with Rose Tattoo on and off from 77 thru to 81 as the band changed and settled on its line-up. Chris was ‘Mr. Fix It’ for Tattoo as the members came and went; in fact Turner, Wells and Royal did a national tour as ‘Little Tattoo’ when Angry Anderson left the band for a while.

The Chris Turner Band continued to work and tour throughout the late seventies with Chris taking time out to work with Rose Tattoo, F J Holden and the Easybeats' Stevie Wright. Literally hundreds of musicians passed through Turner's band as it relentlessly toured Australia. The Chris Turner Band backed and toured with Jeff St John on a double header package for a time. Chris was asked to record a track for The Australian Guitar Album and was also featured on the Concert Of The Decade with F J Holden.

The story rolls on from there..........