Divinyls

This article is about a rock band. For the album, see Divinyls (album).

Divinyls
Divinyls, 1982
Divinyls, 1982
Background information
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresNew wave, pub rock, pop rock
Years active1980–1996, 2006–2009
LabelsChrysalis, Virgin, RCA, WEA

Divinyls (/dɪˈvaɪnəlz/) were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school uniform and fishnet stockings, and she often used an illuminated neon tube as a prop for displaying aggression towards both band members and the audience.[1][2] Originally a five-piece, the band underwent numerous line-up changes, with Amphlett and McEntee remaining as core members, before its dissolution in 1996.[2]

In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations, named "Science Fiction" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.[3] The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006[4][5][6] and in late 2007 Amphlett and McEntee reconvened to record a new single and begin working on a new album.[7] The band played a short series of live gigs in Australia in late 2007 and early 2008. Divinyls broke up in 2009, and Amphlett died in 2013.

Divinyls released five studio albums—four placed in the Top 10 Australian chart, while one (Divinyls) reached No. 15 in the United States (US) and No. 33 for 3 weeks in Canada. Their biggest-selling single "I Touch Myself" (1990) achieved a No. 1 ranking in Australia, No. 4 in the United States, No. 10 in the United Kingdom (UK), and No. 13 in Canada.[1]

  1. ^ a b McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b Amphlett, Chrissy; Larry Writer (2005). Pleasure and Pain: My Life. Sydney: Hodder Australia. p. 336. ISBN 0-7336-1959-2.
  3. ^ Kruger, Debbie (2 May 2001). "The songs that resonate through the years" (PDF). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  4. ^ "ARIA 2008 Hall of Fame inductees listing". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Winners by Award: Hall of Fame". ARIA. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  6. ^ "2006 ARIA Hall of Fame Awards". ARIA. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  7. ^ Adams, Cameron (16 November 2007). "Fine line between pleasure and pain for Divinyls". Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 February 2017.