DEBORAH CONWAY

'Deborah Conway' (Deborah Ann Conway)^[1], born 8 August 1959^[2][3] in Melbourne, Australia, is an Australian rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, model and actor who became well known in the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi (1981-1988)^[4] with their surprise hit ''Man Overboard'' (on YouTube).
Conway attended Lauriston Girls' School and then University of Melbourne, modelling and singing her way through. Deborah Conway

Contents

Bands

Rose Amongst Thorns

Actor and Model

Solo and company

Mothers of Pearl

Ultrasound

City of Women

Patsy Clones

Conway and Zygier

Broad and more

Albums

References

External link

Bands

===The Benders===
Conway joined in 1979 whilst still at University. Other members included: Dorland Bray, Neville Aresca, Les Barker, John Campbell, Daniel Solowiej and Greg Thomas.^[5] They performed mostly in Melbourne and gigged around pubs playing original material (mostly written by Conway and Thomas) and Blondie and Devo covers.^[6] Conway also wrote songs with Bray.^[7]
===Do-Ré-Mi===
Do-Ré-Mi (1981-1988) included Conway, Bray, Helen Carter and Stephen Philip.^[5] They recorded two albums: ''Domestic Harmony'' (1985) and ''The Happiest Place in Town'' (1988) and a batch of singles.^[5] On YouTube are ''Warnings Moving Clockwise'' [1], ''Idiot Grin'' [2] and ''Adultery'' [3]. Their best performed hit, ''Man Overboard'', became the 8th highest positioned Australian song for 1985 End of Year Chart. (Oz Net Music Chart)
They disbanded not long after their second album was released. Conway had lived with Paul Hester (Deckchairs Overboard, Split Enz, Crowded House) in the early 1980s.^[7]
===Drawcards===
Briefly existing group from 1990 with Conway, Vika and Linda, Stephen Cummings, Dror Erez, Tim Finn, Ross Hannaford, Peter Jones, Shane O'Mara and Chris Wilson.^[5]

Rose Amongst Thorns

Formed by half of Drawcards, this 1990 - 1991 band had Conway, Hester, Erez, Jones and Wilson.^[5]

Actor and Model

When Do-Ré-Mi were working in England in 1988, Conway became involved in Pete Townshend's project . Shortly afterwards she recorded an album of dance music in Los Angeles. This album was never released except for a solo single ''Feel Like Makin' Love'' (1990).^[5]
In 1991, Conway played Juno in Peter Greenaway's ''Prospero's Books'', singing a setting of William Shakespeare's masque from ''The Tempest'' to music by Michael Nyman.


Conway played the role of "Julie", in an Australian teenage road movie called Running on Empty, which was released in 1982. Conway also had roles in ''Mallacoota Stampede'' (1979), ''Hard Knocks'' (1980), ''The Coca-Cola Kid'' (1985) and appeared as herself in ''Diana and Me'' (1997).^[14]
Conway had modelled in ads including for Bluegrass jeans (while still at University)^[7] and Crunchie. 1980s Crunchie ad YouTube

Conway supplied vocals for actor Tracy Mann's singing in the ABC TV series ''Sweet and Sour'' (1984) including the hit title song.^[16] Two soundtrack albums and three singles from the series were credited to ''The Takeaways''. (Australian Television Memorabilia & Collectables) Conway sang lead vocals on half the songs and backing vocals on almost all the rest.

During the mid-1980s, Conway was romantically linked with Hunters and Collectors lead singer Mark Seymour.

In 1996 a portrait of Conway as Medusa, painted by Rosemary Valadon was a finalist in the Archibald Prize. The prize is awarded for the "best portrait painting preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics". Archibald Prize 07
Conway performed a work called ''Dreaming Transportation: Voice Portraits of the First Women of White Settlement at Port Jackson'' scripted and directed by Andrée Greenwell Black Pepper Publishing - Dreaming Transportation . The performance premiered at the Sydney Festival in 2003 and in 2004 was staged again at the Sydney Opera House. Performing with Conway were Susan Prior, Christine Douglas, Amie McKenna and Jeannie Van de Velde and musicians, Hope Csuturos (violin), James Nightingale (clarinet, saxophone), Jane Williams (cello), Kim Poole (guitar/mandolin), Denise Papaluca (piano), Mardi Chillingworth (double bass) and Jared Underwood (percussion). The work was inspired by a series of poems by Jordie Albiston.

Solo and company

Conway's solo output included following an album release by touring with some of her session musicians, typically in groups called 'Deborah Conway and ...'

Mothers of Pearl

In 1991 Conway released her first solo album, the folky ''String of Pearls'', which won 1992 ARIA award for Best Female Artist.^[17] Videos of singles from this album include ''It's Only The Beginning'' (reached #19, August 1991)^[7], ''Under my Skin''[4] and ''Release Me''[5]. Conway and session musicians formed ''The Mothers of Pearl'' with Willy Zygier, Alan Harding, Peter Jones and Bill McDonald.^[5] Conway and Zygier became partners and have written and performed much of Conway's subsequent material.
Teaming up with partner Willy Zygier Conway released her second album ''Bitch Epic'' in 1993. A live set of songs were added to form 1994's ''Epic Theatre''.

Ultrasound

After making the experimental ''Ultrasound'' album (1995) (credited to Ultrasound with Conway, Zygier, McDonald and Paul Hester)

Conway went to live in England with Willy and their newborn daughter Syd. They returned to Australia in 1997 with a new album ''My Third Husband'', a dark and brooding album.

City of Women

In 2000 Conway released her fourth record, ''Exquisite Stereo'', with the band City of Women (Conway, Zygier, Cameron Reynolds, Edmond Ammendola and Dave Williams latter two are members of Augie March).^[5] This was much more of a rock record than previous releases.

Patsy Clones

Following ''Exquisite Stereo'', Conway played the lead in the Australian production of ''Always...Patsy Cline'' and recorded an album of 10 Patsy Cline songs, called ''PC'' (2001). "Patsy Clones" included Gerry Hale, Reynolds and Zygier.

Conway and Zygier

''Summertown'', her fifth album of her own music, was released in 2004 and has a 60s folk-pop sound to it. Conway and Zygier produced this album and supported sales by appearing in fan's homes.^[21]

Broad and more

Since 2005, Conway has collaborated with different females to tour Australia. Sara Storer, Katie Noonan, Ruby Hunter, Conway and Clare Bowditch were Broad 2005 They performed their own and each other's songs. Melinda Schneider, Mia Dyson, Kate Miller-Heidke, Conway and Ella Hooper were Broad 2006. Broad 2007 consists of: Anne McCue, Sally Seltman, Conway, Jade Macrae and Abbe May.
Brisbane band ''george'' recorded Do-Ré-Mi's hit single ''Man Overboard'' with Conway on their 2004 EP ''Still Real''.^[22] Noonan from ''goerge'' also performed with Conway in Broad 2005. In 2005, Conway provided vocals for Man Bites God's single ''Bride of the Dragon'' from their album ''The Popular Alternative'', the video is anime based and available on YouTube[6].

Albums

★ ''Feel Like Makin' Love'' 1990 (single release)^[5]

★ ''String Of Pearls'' 1991 toured by Deborah Conway and The Mothers of Pearl^[5]

★ ''Bitch Epic'' 1993

★ ''Epic Theatre'' 1994 (contains all of ''Bitch Epic'' and additional live versions of songs)^[5]

★ ''Ultrasound'' 1995 by band Ultrasound: Conway, Zygier, McDonald and Hester

★ ''My Third Husband'' 1997

★ ''Happy New Year'' 1999

★ ''Exquisite Stereo'' 2000 toured by Deborah Conway and City of Women

★ ''PC'' 2001

★ ''Only The Bones'' 2002 aka ''Definitive Collection'' 2004^[5]

★ ''Summertown'' 2004 by Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier

References

1. Australasian Performing Right Association: http://www.amcos.com.au/site/public/searchworks.stm
2. Anna Harris (30 January 2004), 'Deborah Conway - Still Alive and Brilliant - a biography by Anna Harris'
3. Bernard Zuel, 'Adult Themes'
4. Australian Rock Database
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6. Official Website: http://www.deborahconway.com
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14. IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0176668
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16. ''Sweet and Sour'' TV Soundtrack album insert
17. ARIA 1992 Awards: http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=1992
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22. http://www.george.net.au/index.php?module=Shop&func=itemview&KID=1185953750124.180.120.67&IID=33 ''george'' Official website
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External link

★ Official Site

★ Internet Movie Database

★ Broad website