Broderick Smith


Broderick Smith is an English-born Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and sometime actor. He was a member of 1970s bands Carson and the Dingoes, 1980s Broderick Smith's Big Combo and he has recorded and performed solo and in duos. He acted on stage in the 1973 Australian version of the rock opera, Tommy, and in minor roles in 1990s TV series, Blue Heelers, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga and State Coroner. Smith has been involved with the writing of some 200 songs and has run workshops on song writing, harmonica and vocals. He is the father of Ambrose Kenny-Smith, who has provided vocals, harmonica and keyboards for the rock band, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, from their formation in 2010.

Early years

Broderick Smith was born in 1948 and, with his father Richard, mother Millicent and a younger sibling, migrated to Australia in April 1959 via RMS Orion out of the Port of Tilbury. They settled under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme, initially, in St Albans a Western suburb of Melbourne. He later recalled, "I remember going to sideshow in St Albans as a kid and seeing a dancing chicken. But I didn't know they were on hot plates at the time. I thought wow – dancing chickens, why are their feet smoking?" He left secondary school in 1963 and worked as a messenger boy. From 1965 he was a sales clerk for Allans retail music store for three years. In the mid-1960s he moved to Craigieburn.

Starting music career

According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "blessed with a masterful blues voice, Smith has retained an interest in roots music right throughout his career." Smith's early influences were, "Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Charlie Musselwhite." In 1962 or 1963 Smith was a member of the Maltese Band on percussion. Other blues groups he joined included the Smokey Hollows in 1965. He joined Adderley Smith Blues Band on vocals and harmonica alongside Kerryn Tolhurst on guitar and mandolin. Smith had to leave the group when he was conscripted into the Army as part of his National Service during the Vietnam War. He was positioned at Holsworthy for two years from 1968 to 1970. Upon discharge, Smith briefly joined a country music group, Sundown, with Tolhurst but left in 1971.

1971–73: Carson

Carson had formed in January 1970 and was a blues-boogie band influenced by US group Canned Heat, during 1971 Smith replaced founder John Capek, providing vocals and harmonica. Other members included Greg Lawrie, Ian Ferguson, Tony Lunt and Ian Winter. After they released a single "Travelling South" / "Moonshine" in August 1971, Ferguson left to be replaced successively by Barry Sullivan and then Garry Clarke; Mal Logan joined later that year. Carson performed at the first Sunbury Rock Festival in January 1972. The following Easter, they played a legendary set at Mulwala Pop Festival, alongside Canned Heat. Smith spent part of 1972 recording two solo singles: "Goin' on Down to the End of the World" released in May 1972 and "Yesterday it Rained" released in February 1973. He also kept up with Carson to record "Boogie, Part 1" / "Boogie, Part 2" which reached No. 30 on the National charts in September 1972. This was followed by their debut album, Blown on Harvest Records produced by Rod Coe, which reached No. 14 in December.
Australian psychedelic and progressive rock band Tamam Shud were recording tracks for Albie Falzon's 1972 surf film Morning of the Earth including their song "First Things First". Their main lead singer, Lindsay Bjerre was having voice problems so they recorded the song using lead guitarist Tim Gaze; producer G. Wayne Thomas was unhappy with Gaze's vocals and asked Smith to fill in; according to Bjerre, Tamam Shud were not informed and only found out about the switch at the film's premiere; according to Smith, he had Tamam Shud's knowledge and permission.
Carson performed at the 1973 Sunbury Rock Festival, on the Australia Day long weekend. Band members Winter and Ferguson left soon after and by February, Carson had disbanded. A live recording of their Sunbury set, On the Air was released in April 1973.

1973–78: ''Tommy'' to the Dingoes

's rock opera Tommy was performed as an orchestral version in 1973 in Australia with Smith in the role of The Father.
Other Australian artists were Daryl Braithwaite, Billy Thorpe, Doug Parkinson, Wendy Saddington, Jim Keays, Colleen Hewett, Linda George, Ross Wilson, Bobby Bright, and Ian Meldrum.
The Dingoes were formed in Melbourne in April 1973 by Smith's old band mate, Kerryn Tolhurst. The original line-up included Tolhurst , Chris Stockley , John Strangio, John Lee and Smith. The band was formed to fuse rhythm and blues with Australian Bush music but it was generally described as Country rock. Their best performed singles were Way Out West and "Boy on the Run", their 1974 debut self-titled album The Dingoes peaked at No. 18. They performed at Sunbury Rock Festivals in 1974 and 1975, making Smith one of the few artists who had performed at all four festivals. The Dingoes relocated to USA from 1976 for their next two albums, Five Times the Sun in 1977 and Orphans of the Storm in 1979. While recording the latter album their management team, headed by Peter Rudge, had been devastated when some members of fellow signing Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash in October 1977; The Dingoes finally split in February 1979. Smith had already returned to Australia in late 1978.

1979–88: Big Combo and others

After his 1978 return to Australia, Smith fronted various bands with his name featured: Broderick Smith's Hired Hands, Broderick Smith's Big Combo, Broderick Smith Band and Broderick Smith and the Noveltones. Of these Big Combo provided his best known latter releases with the singles "Faded Roses" and "My Father's Hands" and the album Broderick Smith's Big Combo in 1981. The line-up of his backing group included, John Ballard on guitar, saxophone and backing vocals; Peter Lee on drums; Mick "the Reverend" O'Connor on keyboards; and Ron Robertson on bass guitar. By October 1982 these four were all members of Tinsley Waterhouse Band.

1990–current: Acting, workshops and duos

Smith has appeared in brief TV roles including episodes of police drama Blue Heelers in 1994's "Adverse Possession" and 1997's "Bloodstained Angels"; 1998's historical drama Snowy River: The McGregor Saga episode "Prince of Hearts" and crime drama State Coroner episode "On Thin Ice".