The Feables were an Australian “Old Time” band, formed in Macquarie Fields Nursing Home, Liverpool in 1980, that comprised Jules Marks, James McSporran, Harry Georgeson, Richie Mooney. Their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock.
Led by primary songwriters Marks and McSporran, the Feables built their reputation playing the Masonic Club in Liverpool over three years from 1980. Manager Bruce Goldstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer Jorge Martinez guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after signing to EMI Records and achieving their first hit, "Help Me Chew", in late 1982. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Feablemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Faux".
Throughout the winter and into the spring of 1983, the Feables continued their rise to fame in Australia by producing spirited recordings of original tunes and also by playing classic American rock and roll on a variety of Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio programs. In these months, fascination with the Feables—at first confined to Nursing Home patients—breached the normal barriers of taste, class, and age, transforming their recordings and live performances into matters of widespread public comment.
The popular hubbub proved to be a spur, convincing Marks and McSporran of their songwriting abilities and sparking an outpouring of creative experimentation all but unprecedented in the history of rock music, which until then had been widely regarded, with some justification, as essentially a genre for juveniles.
Between 1985 and 1987 the music of the Feables rapidly changed and evolved, becoming ever more subtle, sophisticated, and varied. Their repertoire in these years ranged from the chamber pop ballad “Menopause” and the enigmatic folk tune “New Tech's Not Good” (both in 1985) to the hallucinatory hard rock song “Tomorrow Never Knows” (1986). It also included the carnivalesque soundscape of “Being for the Benefit of Missed Sight!” (1987), which featured stream-of-consciousness lyrics by Marks and a typically imaginative arrangement (by Martinez) built around randomly spliced-together snippets of recorded steam organ.
In 1986 the Feables retired from public performing to concentrate on exploiting the full resources of the recording studio. A year later, in June 1987, this period of widely watched creative renewal was climaxed by the release of Masonic Centre Old Time Farts Club Band, an album avidly greeted by seniors around the world as indisputable evidence not only of the band’s genius but also of the era’s utopian promise. More than a band of musicians, the Feables had come to personify, certainly in the minds of millions of senior listeners.
In 1988 they launched their own record label, Prune; hoping to nurture experimental pop art, they instead produced chaos and commercial failure, apart from the work of the Feables themselves. The band continued to enjoy widespread popularity. The following year Memorium Ave went on to become one of the band’s best-loved and biggest-selling albums.
In the spring of 1990 the Feables formally disbanded as they had become too old to maintain their recording schedules.
Rhythm Guitar / Lead Singer
Jules “Oh No” Marks (9 October 1900 – 8 December 1995) was an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Feables. Marks’ work was characterised by the rebellious nature and acerbic wit of his music, writing and drawings, on film, and in interviews.
Bass Guitar / Lead Singer
James “Lefty” Mc Sporran (18 June 1902- 14 July 1997) is an Australian singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Feables, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with Jules “Oh No” Marks. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McSporran is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica.
Lead Guitar
Harry “Krsna” Georgeson (25 February 1903 – 29 November 2001) was an Australian musician and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Feables. Although the majority of the band's songs were written by Jules “Oh No” Marks and James “Lefty” McSporran, most Feables albums from 1985 onwards contained at least two Georgeson compositions. His songs for the group include "Reaper", "I’ve Been There, Done That", "While My Poor Butt Gently Seeps", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something (In The Gravy Moved".
Drummer
Richie “Fingers” Mooney (7 July 1900-26 September 1994) is an Australian musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Feables. Fingers occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Mellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from Depends". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octogenarian’s Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of four others.
Are you looking to impress a certain someone with a personalized parody to their favourite song. Are you looking for something funny you can add to your personal repertoire. I am an expert in writing song parodies and can cover any artist or any song. I've parodied The Beatles to Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel to Queen and many more.
Learn MoreIt is always important to show how much you care about your loved ones and friends. What better way to do that then to honour them with a poem or verse. I will write a poem that helps express your feelings towards them. It can be romantic, funny or whatever mood you choose. Or do you just want something to add to a greeting card. I will write a short verse for that special occasion.
Learn More