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Wellington’s 60’s scene: Cellophane

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[Transcript]

CELLOPHANE
1969-1970

Original line-up was:
DAVE WELLINGTON – lead guitar/vocals
PAM POTTER – organ
MICHAEL HILL – bass guitar/vocals
JOHN VAN DER RYDEN – drums
IAN HEWITTSON – lead vocals

Cellophane was formed from the remnants of two other bands, as is often the case. Dave and Mike came from The Intruders (who, incidentally, also had in the line-up Phil Hope, later to become a Kal-Q-Lated Risk). And from the late, lamented Sebastians Floral Array came John, Michael and Ian. Cellophane was Pam’s first, and as it turned out, her last band. During her time with them, she was a schoolteacher at Taita.

About eight months into their career, Cellophane entered and won the Wellington heats of Benny Levin’s Battle of The Bands at the Monaco, Hill Street. They did it with their slowed-down version of Arthur Brown’s Fire, which they subsequently released as their only single. They exhibited a predilection for long, drawn-out intro’s into songs; this was, after all, the psychedelic era.

Having secured a place in the national finals to be held in Auckland, Cellophane continued to play around the region and nervously wait out the interval. It was an unsettling period, and although they went on to win the national finals, several changes in the line-up took place soon afterwards. Although their prize was a trip to Australia, with gigs laid on, John decided to leave. His replacement was Dunedin drummer Dave Kirkland. And when Mike left, Robbie Mackie, also from Dunedin, joined. But, as they say, the writing was on the wall. It wasn’t long before the group disbanded, with Ian and Pam going to Australia anyway. Soon afterwards, Pam was killed in a car crash.

Dave Wellington kept his hand in by playing in a variety of social bands whilst pursuing a career as a schoolteacher. John works as a sound engineer in the film industry. Dave Kirkland and Robbie ended up as the rhythm section in Tapestry during the early seventies.

Release:
Fire/Mind Patterns Pye 7N -14009

Grateful acknowledgment to Roger Watkins for allowing us to use this material from his book When rock got rolling : the Wellington scene, 1958-1970.


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