The Missing Links (band)

For other uses, see Missing Link (disambiguation).
The Missing Links
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresGarage rock, R&B, protopunk
Years active1964–1966
Past memberssee members list below

The Missing Links were an Australian garage rock, R&B, and protopunk group from Sydney who were active from 1964 to 1966.[1] The group was known for wearing their hair long and smashing their equipment on-stage.[2][3] Throughout the course of 1965, the band would go through a complete and total lineup change resulting in two completely different versions of the band: the first consisted of Peter Anson on guitar, Dave Boyne on guitar, Bob Brady on vocals, Danny Cox on drums and Ronnie Peel on bass and released their debut single, "We 2 Should Live" in March 1965.

The second and better-known version had none of the previous members and consisted of Andy Anderson on vocals (initially also on drums), Chris Gray on keyboards and harmonica, Doug Ford on vocals and guitar, Baden Hutchens on drums, and Ian Thomas on bass, and released their debut album, The Missing Links in December. According to Allmusic's, Richie Unterberger, "This aggregation cut the rawest Australian garage/punk of the era, and indeed some of the best from anywhere, sounding at their best like a fusion of the Troggs and the early Who, letting loose at times with wild feedback that was quite ahead of its time."

  1. ^ Marks, Ian D. and McIntyre, Iain. They are not connected with the American group of the same name and era that featured Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Wild About You: The Sixties Beat Explosion in Australia and New Zealand. Verse Chorus Press. Portland, London, Melbourne. 2010 ISBN 978-1-891241-28-4 pg. 7 (McFarland introduction: "garage-punk/R&B/pscyh" to describe various groups from the time of which the Missing Links are the first mentioned), pg. 87 ("punk pioneers"), pg. 98 (describing band appearance in photo: "the definitive Australian punk image of all") - Garage rock is best descriptor. Whenever "punk" is used to describe mid 60s bands, it automatically means garage rock, since "punk rock" was the original name given to the garage rock genre by critics in early 70s; "R&B" can be used as a secondary descriptor, but pure R&B would refer to the more piano and horn-based black music of circa. 1948-1966, which of course influenced white beat groups--but to be pure R&B would necessitate usual presence of piano and horns, and lesser role for guitars.)
  2. ^ Marks, Ian D. and McIntyre, Iain. Wild About You: The Sixties Beat Explosion in Australia and New Zealand. Verse Chorus Press. Portland, London. Melbourne. 2010 ISBN 978-1-891241-28-4 pg.87
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference McF was invoked but never defined (see the help page).