Dave Dobbyn

Sir David Joseph Dobbyn (born 3 January 1957) is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then he has released the majority of his recordings as a solo performer.

Early life Dave Dobbyn was born on 3 January 1957 in the working class suburb of Glen Innes, Auckland, the third of five children to tour-bus driver Terry Dobbyn and Molly. He was influenced by music from a young age, ranging from the Irish songs his father listened to, to the music of the church across the road, to the various radio stations he was able to pick up on the family radiogram.

While his family had a piano at home, he was the only member to not receive piano lessons, something he was grateful for in retrospect as it meant he was able to come to it without memories of strict lessons. He and his three brothers attended local Catholic school Sacred Heart College, The band's 1980 song "Bliss" (1980) has become an iconic New Zealand drinking song.

DD Smash (1980–1986)

After Th' Dudes disbanded in 1980, Dobbyn formed a pop group DD Smash. The band's first release was the single "Lipstick Power", followed by "Bull by the Horns" (1981), thought to be about Dobbyn overcoming the stage fright he sometimes experienced while performing with Th' Dudes. Its first album Cool Bananas (1982) debuted in the New Zealand charts at number one.

After Cool Bananas, DD Smash released Deep in the Heart of Taxes (1983), an album recorded live at Auckland's popular eighties venue Mainstreet. Its final album, The Optimist (1984), although slicker sounding production-wise than its predecessor, showed signs of compromise with the dominant commercial, blue-eyed soul inflected, synth-pop sound of the post-new wave era of British and Australian music which was flooding the New Zealand charts at the time. Dobbyn apparently had his eye on the larger Australian market and it was not long before he had a number one solo hit there.

In December 1984, DD Smash was playing an outdoor concert in Aotea Square in Auckland. During their set, a power failure led sections of the crowd to become restless. Some of the crowd started throwing beer bottles and police arrested them. The situation escalated and the riot squad was called in. Dobbyn made negative remarks about the police which allegedly spurred on the crowd. The concert was stopped by the police and sections of the crowd rioted, smashing shop windows along Queen Street. Prime Minister David Lange called a commission of inquiry and as a result, Dobbyn was charged with inciting a riot. The criminal prosecution against Dobbyn began in June 1985. His lawyer successfully defended him and he was acquitted on the charge of "behaving in a manner likely to cause violence against person or property and using insulting language".

When DD Smash eventually disbanded, partially to make room for the commercially expanding vision of Dobbyn, they left behind them the hit singles "Outlook for Thursday" (1983) and the violin-tinged, hi perennial classic "Whaling" (1984).

Solo career (1986–present)

When DD Smash folded, Dobbyn began a successful solo career, by writing the soundtrack music for the animated feature film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale in 1986. The film yielded two hit singles: "You Oughta Be In Love" (1986) and the chart-topping "Slice of Heaven" (1986) recorded with the band Herbs. After the release of the film, "Slice of Heaven" became one of Dobbyn's best-known songs, frequently used in tourism advertisements aired on Australian television that encouraged people to visit New Zealand. With the success of the song in Australia, Dobbyn settled in Australia.

In April 1987, a re-worked version of Dobbyn's song "Slice of Heaven" featured in a number of television commercials in Australia. Funded by the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), the commercials promoted the Devon meat product by substituting the word "Heaven" for "Devon" in the chorus.

Dobbyn released his debut solo album Loyal, a personal celebration of love and loyalty, in 1988. His follow-up was the Mitchell Froom-produced Lament for the Numb (1993), which included members of Elvis Costello's one-time backing band. The album was called "un-releasable" by Dobbyn's record label at the time and was shelved for a year until its eventual release. After nearly a decade in Australia, Dobbyn moved back to Auckland in the early 1990s, and made 1994's Twist with fellow New Zealander and recently returned singer–songwriter Neil Finn, whose contribution Dobbyn stated "was crucial to the sound of that record". However, it was hindered by technical problems.

Dobbyn took on the role of producer in fourth solo album, The Islander. The album received widespread popular and critical acclaim, reaching number 1 on the New Zealand charts.

In 1999 Dobbyn joined Jan Hellriegel and Toi Iti to co-write "Read About It", the theme song of the Duffy Books in Homes programme which is still performed by 100,000 children annually.

Dobbyn's hit song "Loyal" (1988) from his debut solo album Loyal (1988) was used as an anthem for Team New Zealand's failed 2003 America's Cup defence. He has also produced albums for Australian singer Grant McLennan and contributed to albums by Jenny Morris, Gyan Evans, Wayne Gillespie and Bic Runga. In 2000 Dobbyn toured New Zealand with Runga and Tim Finn. The tour was recorded and the live album, Together in Concert: Live (2000) was released soon after. The tour also included the lead off song "Just Add Water" from his 2000 album Hopetown, a record Dobbyn has since referred to as "a cartoon album".

2008 saw Dobbyn release Anotherland. The album entered the NZ Top 40 Album Charts at Number 2 and remained in the charts for 6 weeks, eventually attaining Gold status.

In 2009 Dobbyn released a second greatest hits album, including re-recorded versions of "Devil You Know", "Shaky Isles" and "Whaling". The second CD includes less known songs.

Discography Solo studio albums Year Title Details Peak chartpositions Certifications NZ AUS 1986 Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale Various Artists Label: Sony BMG 5 22 NZ: 2× Platinum 1988 Loyal Label: CBS Records Catalogue no: 460655 2 9 75 NZ: Gold 1993 Lament for the Numb Label: Warner Music Group Catalogue no: 450992330-2 13 – 1994 Twist Label: Epic Records Catalogue no: 477792.2 8 – 1998 The Islander Label: Columbia Records Catalogue no: 491456.2 1 – NZ: Gold – "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Compilation albums Year Title Details Peak chartpositions Certifications NZ 1992 The Dave Dobbyn Collection Dave Dobbyn, Th' Dudes and DD Smash Label: Festival CD:D30733 4 1999 Overnight Success Dave Dobbyn, Th' Dudes and DD Smash Label: Columbia Records 15 NZ: 2× Platinum

Live albums Year Title Details Peak chartpositions Certification NZ 2000 Together in Concert: Live Tim Finn, Dave Dobbyn & Bic Runga Catalogue no: 5011402000 2 NZ: 3× Platinum

Singles Year Single Peak chart positions Album NZ AUS 50 2000 "Just Add Water" — — Hopetown "My Kinda People" — — 2005 "Welcome Home" 10 — Available Light "Pour the Wine" — — 2006 "You Got Heart" — — 2008 "Wild Kisses Like Rain" — — Anotherland 2012 "Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)" (Flight of the Conchords) 1 — 2014 "This Love" (Dave Dobbyn and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington) — — 2015 "Team, Ball, Player, Thing"(#KiwisCureBatten featuring Lorde, Kimbra, Brooke Fraser, et al.) 2 — 2017 "Nau Mai Rā (Welcome Home)" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.