Little River Band was formed in April 1975 in Melbourne, Australia. The first formation of the band included Glenn Shorrock, lead vocals, Beeb Birtles, guitar and vocals, Graeham Goble, guitar and vocals, Derek Pellicci, drums, Roger McLachlan, bass, Rick Formosa, lead guitar. This formation recorded the first two Little River Band albums, Little River Band and After Hours. Within a year of recording Little River Band, the band's manager, Glenn Wheatley, signed a deal with Capitol Records in the United States. In 1976 the band replaced Rick Formosa and Roger McLachlan with David Briggs and George McArdle. This lineup recorded Diamantina Cocktail, which yielded their first top 20 single, "Help Is On Its Way", written by Glenn Shorrock. Their second single from this album was "Happy Anniversary", written by Beeb Birtles and David Briggs.

In 1978 the same lineup recorded Sleeper Catcher, which produced the singles, "Reminiscing" and "Lady", both written by Graeham Goble. "Reminiscing" was the band's highest chart achiever, reaching number three on the Billboard Top 100 whereas "Lady" was the band's highest selling single, surpassing "Reminiscing" in sales. George McArdle left the band in 1978 to pursue his new found Christian faith. The band recorded First Under The Wire in 1979 with session bass players; and the album featured "Lonesome Loser", written by David Briggs, and "Cool Change", written by Glenn Shorrock, two of the band's most popular songs.

In 1980 they released a double live album called Backstage Pass which they hoped would buy them some time before having to step back into the studio to record another album of brand new songs. In 1981 the band decided to record outside of Australia for the first time, choosing to work with George Martin at Air Studios in Montserrat, West Indies. The album was Time Exposure and it produced the hits, "The Nightowls", "Take It Easy On Me", both written by Graeham Goble, and "Man On Your Mind", written by Glenn Shorrock and Kerryn Tolhurst. It was during the recording of this album that the band members started experiencing musical differences. After returning to Australia, David Briggs and Glenn Shorrock left the band leaving the remaining members to carry on.

Known for their soaring harmonies on every song they sang and recorded, the Little River Band has sold more than 25 million records worldwide.

This is the actual road sign in Geelong, Victoria from which Little River Band took its name.

How Did Little River Band Get Its Name?

In the beginning, we were known as Mississippi, and already had a following from the three years we played all over Australia. Some of our avid fans objected to us being an Australian band with an American name so we decided to find a new name for ourselves. We tossed around a few different options but it wasn't until Glenn Shorrock and I, sitting in the back seat of a car while being driven to one of our first gigs in Geelong, Victoria that we passed the Little River signpost. Glenn turned to me and said, "Little River--that would make a good song title," but within a split second he said, "hey, what about Little River Band?". When we mentioned it to the rest of the guys, they all agreed that it would be a perfect name for us. My personal take on the name was that I thought it was quite a humble move going from Mississippi, one of the largest rivers in the world, to simply, the Little River Band.

Unforgettable Moments!

Check out my ARIA Awards Scrapbook, where the Classic Lineup reunites after more than 25 years!

That's ME with the Prince and Princes of Wales! Read the story of that once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Little River Band Timeline -- Read a year-by-year account of the band's history, told from my point of view.

Days on the Road -- So you think touring is glamorous? You might be surprised! Read on...

Greetings from Montserrat! Recording 'Time Exposure' in magical surroundings is an experience I shall never forget. But there was trouble in paradise...