The Simple Image - Shy Boy (1968)

(Ken Burgess - Keith Hopkins [Keith West] - Mark Wirtz)
 New Zealand

B-side on HMV (NZ) May 1968 by popular New Zealand band from the Hutt Valley area, formed 1967, disbanded 1971. Produced by Howard Gable.

The Simple Image had five Top 20 records in New Zealand including Spinning, Spinning, Spinning (1968, #1) and The Grooviest Girl In The World (Shy Boy’s A-side, 1969, #3). The band adopted a very ‘mod’ image, with their stage uniform always consisting of navy blue capes with pink lining, floral shirts, bell-bottomed trousers and Cuban-heel boots. [Bruce Sergent].

In the core line-up were vocalist-guitarists Barry Leef, Ron “Cass” Gascoigne and Harry Lek. On drums was Alan Gordon, later replaced by Gordon Wylie (1968) then Wayne Allen (1969). In 1969 Doug Smith replaced Barry Leef who had left to work in Australia, and keyboardist Bruce Walker also joined.

The band worked in Australia from 1969, picking up a residency at prominent Sydney club the Whisky Au Go Go. Barry Leef, who had been with NZ band Retaliation in Sydney, rejoined The Simple Image.*

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Barry Leef followed a long and successful musical career in Australia. After The Simple Image disbanded he sang in Perth rock band Bakery (formed by ex-members of NZ’s Avengers). The Barry Leef Band, first formed in the 1970s, was still playing live classic rock gigs well into the 2020s. As a session singer, Leef has recorded many familiar jingles for TV and radio. His website is at barryleef.com.au and his Facebook page is active with posts of recent performance videos (2024).

*My brief summary of the band’s personnel is gleaned from Bruce Sergent’s Simple Image page and AudioCulture’s illustrated history of the band. Both are essential reading if you want to dig further.

See also Shy Boy at Second Hand Songs.

Thanks to Walter for suggestion and chronology.