Chanteur Rock 'n' Roll Néo-Zélandais né Maxwell James Merritt, le 30 Avril 1941 à Christchurch. Max Merritt est décédé le 24 Septembre 2020 à Los Angeles (Californie).

One of the longest-lived and most popular New Zealand bands of the early rock & roll era, Max Merritt & the Meteors were a pioneering institution of the Kiwi scene.
Born in Christchurch on April 30, 1941, frontman Merritt quit school at the age of 15 to work as an apprentice bricklayer; rock music made its first impact at about the same time, and he eventually saved up enough money to buy an electric guitar. He soon formed the first Meteors lineup with bassist Ian Glass, pianist Peter Patene, saxophonist Ross Clancy, and drummer Pete Snowden. Upon establishing residency at the Teenage Club, the area's first teen venue, the band became a local phenomenon, with their success inspiring so many like-minded performers that before long the Christchurch rock & roll scene was matched only by the thriving musical community in Auckland spearheaded by teen idol Johnny Devlin.
With his gritty vocals and impressive guitar skills, Merritt immediately acquired a sizable fan base; the Meteors lineup changed constantly, but regardless, he remained the focal point, and was even beginning to write his own material. In late 1959, their debut single, the Merritt original "Get a Haircut," became a huge regional hit, as did its follow-ups "Kiss Curl" and "C'mon Let's Go" (the latter becoming the title track of their 1960 debut LP). Though remaining essentially a local phenomenon, Merritt & the Meteors did not suffer the same quick fade-out experienced by the likes of Johnny Devlin; they continued riding high as the unrivaled kings of the Christchurch scene, even as the popularity of rock & roll diminished throughout the nation. Finally, in 1962, they left their hometown to pursue fame in Auckland, only to find longtime rivals Ray Columbus & the Invaders had already beaten them to the punch and staked their own claim to the area's music fans.
The Meteors' tenure on the Auckland club circuit was largely unsuccessful -- though highly respected by other musicians, the all-important teen crowd had already adopted Columbus' band as their new idols du jour. That left Merritt and his band to hit the road, and in 1963 they traveled to Australia. After six grueling months in Sydney, they returned to Auckland, which the Invaders had by now exited for greener pastures. Signing to Viking Records, the Meteors soon issued their first record in some months, an EP titled Giddy Up Max!; it fared poorly on the charts, but the label was so taken by the Meteors that they were installed as the Viking house band, playing backup to a variety of acts. They returned to Sydney in late 1964, and early the next year their long-awaited sophomore album, Max Merritt's Meteors, was finally issued; again, however, the commercial reception was poor, its release overshadowed by the ascendancy of new acts including the Easybeats.
With the addition of new drummer Bruno Lawrence, the Meteors took a turn toward a more soulful, Motown-influenced sound. In mid-1965, they released a cover of the Sam Cooke classic "Shake," which became their biggest hit to date, even cracking the Australian charts. Their follow-up, a rollicking rendition of Buster Brown's "Fanny Mae," was also well-received. While the band's management continued to promote the Meteors as wholesome and clean-cut, in truth they were becoming increasingly rebellious, living the debauched rock lifestyle to the hilt. After Merritt became obsessed with the music of Otis Redding, the bandmembers immersed themselves completely in blue-eyed soul, further baffling audiences of the period. Despite assembling what many fans believed to be the best Meteors lineup ever -- saxophonist Bob Bertles, bassist Yuk Harrison, and drummer Stewie Speer -- Merritt still struggled for acceptance. They took whatever gigs were offered to them, playing the most remote areas of Australia just to remain afloat.
It was while traveling to the tiny town of Morwell on June 24, 1967, that the Meteors were involved in a horrific auto accident that left everyone but Harrison seriously injured; a series of benefit gigs was soon held in the band's honor. Ironically, the accident raised their visibility throughout Australia, and when they tentatively hit the comeback trail in early 1968, they began attracting real attention from the media and fans. Their fellow musicians continued waxing enthusiastically about the Meteors' musical prowess, and as times changed, their hedonistic lifestyle made them newly attractive to clubgoers. By the end of the year, Merritt & the Meteors were the highest-paid group in the land, the undisputed leaders of an Australian soul music renaissance. In 1969, they even took over their own Melbourne pub, dubbed Max's Place, and cut their first single in close to three years, a cover of Jerry Butler's "Western Union Man." In early 1970, they also issued the smash Max Merritt & the Meteors, widely regarded as among the finest Australian LPs of the era.
Soon after, Harrison left the Meteors and was replaced by bassist Dave Russell; this new lineup recorded the album Stray Cats, which did not fare nearly as well as its predecessor. After a few more unsuccessful singles, including the Merritt original "Good Feeling" and a cover of Delaney & Bonnie's "Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham," the Meteors were dropped from their contract with RCA in 1972. Still, they forged on, traveling to England for a series of live dates; alongside bands like Dr. Feelgood and Brinsley Schwarz, they became pioneers of the fledgling British pub rock scene. In the years to follow, London remained their base of operations, and they toured as an opener for acts including Slade, the Moody Blues, and Mountain; however, the other members of the Meteors all departed in 1974, leaving Merritt to scramble for work as a bricklayer. By the following year, though, he was back in action with a new, Nashville-inspired Meteors lineup, and in 1975 the group signed to Arista, debuting on the label with the single "A Little Easier."
An LP of the same name followed; the second single, the ballad "Slipping Away," reached the Top Five in both Australia and New Zealand -- some 16 years after first entering the studio, Merritt had scored the biggest hit of his career. A triumphant return to Australia heralded the release of the Meteors' second Arista LP, 1976's Out of the Blue; however, in Britain, the band remained a cult act, confined to the pub circuit and a handful of opening gigs. The initial emergence of punk had little negative effect on the Meteors -- indeed, they regularly performed in the company of groups including the Jam, the Stranglers, and the Vibrators; however, punk was the death knell for pub rock, and in December 1976 Merritt dissolved the group, bringing a 20-year run to an end. He soon relocated to Los Angeles, enjoying moderate success as a songwriter and solo performer. During the mid-'80s, Merritt often went back to Australia, occasionally returning to action fronting a procession of new Meteors lineups. Max Merritt died in Los Angeles on September 24, 2020, after several years of ill health; he was 79 years old.

https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/max-merritt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Merritt

Talents : Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter

Style musical : Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm 'n' Blues

https://youtu.be/DUnFjEiZ820

Get A Haircut (1959)

Dixieland Rock (1959)

Mister Loneliness (1962)

Soft Surfie (1963)

Little Bitty Pretty One (1964)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

Singles & EP

08/1959 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE 45-HR.131 (NZ) .

Max Merritt & The Meteors - Get A Haircut / Dixieland Rock

11/1959 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE HR.132 (NZ) .

Max Merritt & The Meteors - Kiss Curl / You Made Me Love You

1962 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE HR.161 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Mister Loneliness / If You Want My Lovin'
1962 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE HR.173 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Weekend / Easy To Dream
1963 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE HR.180 (NZ) .

Max Merritt - The Slow One / Cossack

1963 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE HR.195 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Valley Of The Souix / Laughing Girl
1963 SP ZODIAC Z45/1149 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Soft Surfie / She's Everything I Wanted You To Be
07/1964 EP VIKING VE. 148 (NZ)

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors - Don't You Know .. Dinah Lee - Don't You Know Yockomo / Reet Petite / Kansas City / Hallelujah, I Love Him So

1964 EP VIKING VE. 149 (NZ)

Max Merritt & His Meteors - Giddy Up Max! - Giddy Up A Ding Dong... Shake It Up / Almost Grown / Little Bitty Pretty One / Sweet And Tender Romance

09/1964 EP VIKING VE. 150 (NZ)

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors - Yeah, Yeah We Love... - Yeah, Yeah, We Love Them All / Rockin' Robin / The Nitty Gritty / You Don't Talk About Love

1964 EP VIKING VE. 151 (NZ)

Max Merritt & His Meteors - Good Golly Max Merritt - Good Golly Miss Molly / Everybody / Be My Baby / I Want To Hold Your Hand

1964 SP VIKING 151 (NZ) .

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors - Don't You Know Yockomo / You Don't Talk About Love

1964 SP VIKING 152 (NZ) . Max Merritt & His Meteors - Giddy - Up - A - Ding - Dong (....Shake - It - Up!) / Sweet And Tender Romance
09/1964 SP VIKING 153 (NZ) .

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors - Reet Petite / Yeh Yeh We Love 'em All

09/1964 SP HIS MASTER'S VOICE EA-4648 (AUS) .

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors - Reet Petite / Do The Blue Beat (The Jamaica Ska) /

1964 SP VIKING 156 (NZ) .

Tommy Adderley with Max Merrit & His Meteors - I Just Don't Understand / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On

1964 SP VIKING 157 (NZ) .

Dinah Lee with Max Merritt & His Meteors Do The Blue Beat - The Jamaica Ska / Kansas City

1964 SP VIKING 159 (NZ) . Max Merritt & His Meteors - Many Things / Thinking Of You
1965 SP RCA VICTOR 60392 (NZ) .

Max Merritt & The Meteors - So Long Baby / You're Treatin' Me Bad

07/1965 SP PARLOPHONE NZP.3189 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah / I've Been Trying
11/1965 SP PARLOPHONE NZP.3198 (NZ) .

Max Merritt & The Meteors - You Deserve What You've Got / I Want So Much To Know You

06/1966 SP PARLOPHONE NZP.3206 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - I Can't Help Myself / Shake
10/1966 SP PARLOPHONE NZP.3213 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Fannie Mae / Baby, Come Home
1966 EP PARLOPHONE GEPO-70033 (AUS) Max Merritt & The Meteors - Shake - I Can't Help Myself (Sugarpie, Honeybunch) / I Want So Much To Know You / Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah / Shake
10/1969 SP RCA VICTOR 101875 (AUS) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Western Union Man / Home Is Where The Heart Is
1970 SP RCA VICTOR 60493 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Hey Western Union Man / Home Is Where The Heart Is
01/1971 SP RCA VICTOR 101908 (AUS) .

Max Merritt & The Meteors - Good Feelin' / I Can't Wait

1971 SP RCA VICTOR 101927 (AUS) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham / Live Levi's
04/1972 SP BELL BELL 1230 (UK) . Max Merritt with The Meteors - Let It Slide / Dedicated To A Friend
05/1972 SP PINK ELEPHANT PE 22.622-H (NL) Max Merritt with The Meteors - Let It Slide / Dedicated To A Friend
1972 SP FINGER / POLYDOR 2046 009 (GER) Max Merritt with The Meteors - Let It Slide / Dedicated To A Friend
09/1975 SP ARISTA BL 303 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - A Little Easier / Long Time Gone
1975 SP ARISTA 2C 010 96914 (F) Max Merritt - A Little Easier / Long Time Gone
1975 SP EMI 1C 006-96 914 (GER) Max Merritt & The Meteors - A Little Easier / Long Time Gone
1975 SP ARISTA 8E00696914 (POR) Max Merritt & The Meteors - A Little Easier / Long Time Gone
1975 SP ARISTA 1 J006-96.914 (S) Max Merritt & The Meteors - A Little Easier ((Ponme) Las Cosas Fáciles) / Long Time Gone (Después De Mucho Tiempo)
1975 SP ARISTA BL 308 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Slipping Away / I Keep Forgettin'
1975 SP ARISTA 8E 006-97273 F (POR) Max Merritt & The Meteors - Slipping Away / I Keep Forgettin'
1976 SP ARISTA BL 319 (NZ) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Let It Slide / Gotta Have Your Love
04/1976 SP ARISTA AR-11095 (AUS) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Let It Slide / Whisper In My Ear / Coming Back
09/1976 SP ARISTA AR-11223 (AUS) . Max Merritt & The Meteors - Take Part Of Me / Blame It On The Reggae
09/1976 SP ARISTA ARISTA 68 (UK) . Max Merritt - Whisper In My Ear / Blame It On The Reggae
1977 SP ARISTA 2C006-98612 (F) Max Merritt - Let It Slide / Gotta Have Your Love
1977 SP ARISTA 1C 006-99 497 (GER) Max Merritt & The Meteors - Slipping Away / A Little Easier
03/1978 SP POLYDOR 2059 006 (UK) . Max Merritt - Slipping Away / Rock And Roll Hobo
07/1978 SP POLYDOR 2059 044 (AUS) . Max Merritt - Draggin' Chains / Wish You'd Never Come Into My Life
09/1978 SP POLYDOR 2059 062 (UK) . Max Merritt - Draggin' Chains / Keeping In Touch
01/1979 SP POLYDOR 2059 077 (AUS) . Max Merritt - Dirty Work / Fat Man
05/1979 SP POLYDOR 2059 114 (AUS) . Max Merritt - It's Over / Keeping In Touch
11/1982 SP AVENUE BA 223008 (AUS) . Max Merritt - Growing Pains / Prove It
12/1986 SP MOJO K-196 (AUS) Max Merritt - Mean Green Fighting Machine / My Best Friend















Albums

1960 LP 12" HIS MASTER'S VOICE MCLP 6079 (NZ)

C'mon Let's Go - Max Merritt & His Meteors - I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen / Sea Cruise / I Was The One / The Way I Walk / Shine That Ring / Diamond Ring / Little Angel / Tennessee Waltz / Too Much Tequila / Hallelujah, I Love Her So / C'mon Everybody / Teen Beat

1965 LP 12" RCA RPL-3400 (NZ)

Max Merritt's Meteors - So Long Baby / Little Queenie / You,re Treating Me Bad / Rockin' Robin / I Believe / Heatwave / Without You / I Wish You Love / I'm Not A Bad Guy / Sticks And Things / You Don't Know Baby / The Work Song

1970 LP 12" RCA SL-101891 (AUS)

Max Merritt And The Meteors - Hey,Western Union Man / Fannie May / To Be A Lover / Louisiana Anna / You Touch Me / I've Been Away Too Long / Home Is Where The Heart Is / It's Just Wasting Time / Turkish Bath / Lay A Little Love On Me / You Can't Come Back

1971 LP 12" RCA SL-101906 (AUS)

Stray Cats - Max Merritt & The Meteors - Good Feelin' / Peace Brother Peace / I Can't Wait / Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham / Twenty Four And A Half / Hey Jude / Proud Mary / Now It's Up To You / Hush / Medley : Wichita Lineman - Do What You Gotta Do / G-Goooood Fee-Feelin'

1975 LP 12" ARISTA ARTY 108 (AUS)

A Little Easier - Max Merritt & The Meteors - King Size Rosewood Bed / Mr. Horizontal / Wrong Turn / Coming Back / A Little Easier / Find A Home / Long Time Gone / Slipping Away

1975 LP 12" ARISTA SBLL 6108 (NZ) A Little Easier - Max Merritt & The Meteors - King Size Rosewood Bed / Mr. Horizontal / Wrong Turn / Coming Back / A Little Easier / Find A Home / Long Time Gone / Slipping Away
1976 LP 12" ARISTA ARTY.134 (AUS)

Out Of The Blue - Max Merritt - Let It Slide / Whisper In My Ear / Monopoly / Blame It On The Reggae / Midnight Man / Rosie / Gotta Have Your Love / Tell Me Mama / Take Part Of Me / Ain't You Glad You Came

1977 LP 12" ARISTA ARTY.149 (AUS)

Back Home Live - Max Merritt & The Meteors - A Little Easier / Wrong Turn / Coming Back / Ain't You Glad You Came / Try A Little Tenderness / Slipping Away / Find A Home / Long Time Gone / Let It Slide / Fannie Mae

1978 LP 12" Polydor 2383 514 (AUS) (NZ) (UK)

Keeping In Touch - Max Merritt - Fat Man / Little Miss Demeaner / Draggin' Chains / Slipping Away / Keeping In Touch / Sure Got A Lot Of Blues / Lay Me Down Easy / Wish You'd Never Come Into My Life / It's Over / Dirty Work / Rock And Roll Hobo

1979 LP 12" Polydor 2383 558 (AUS)

Black Plastic Max - Max Merritt - Rocks In My Head / Red Pig / A Lovers Question / I Could Have Told You So / Someone Touched Me / Rock 'n Roll Mole / Tryin' Too Hard / More To Life Than This / Touch And Go / Last Train To Clarksville

1986 LP 12" Raven RVLP24 (AUS)

17 Trax Of Max - Max Merritt & The Meteors - Fannie May / Shake / I Can't Help Myself / Respect / Louisiana Anna / Good Feelin' / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Live Levis / Western Union Man / Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham / Let It Slide / To Be A Lover / Try A Little Tenderness / Slipping Away / A Lover's Question / Dirty Work

2000 CD Raven RVCD-15 (AUS)

23 Trax Of Max (1965 - 1982) -Max Merritt & The Meteors - Fannie May / Shake / I Can't Help Myself / I Want So Much To Know You / Respect / Louisiana Anna / Good Feelin' / I've Been Away Too Long / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Western Union Man / Live Levis / Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham / Let It Slide / To Be A Lover / Try A Little Tenderness (live) / Slipping Away / A Little Easier / Whisper In My Ear / Midnight Man / Ain't You Glad You Came? (live) / A Lover's Question / Dirty Work / Prove It

2001 CD EMI 534711 2 (NZ)

The Very Best Of Max Merritt & The Meteors - Get A Haircut / Kiss Curl / Weekend / C'mon Everybody / Sea Cruise / Tennessee Waltz / Diamond Ring / The Way I Walk / Mister Loneliness / Giddy Up A Ding Dong / Good Golly Miss Molly / Little Bitty Pretty One / Everybody / Little Queenie / Soft Surfie / So Long Baby / I Want So Much To Know You / Shake / I Can't Help Myself / Fannie Mae / Western Union Man / Louisiana Anna / Good Feelin' / A Little Easier / Slippin' Away

2007 2 CD Sony / BMG 88697177952 (AUS) The Essential Max Merritt & The Meteors - ESSENTIAL SOUL : THE RCA RECORDINGS 1969-70 :
CD 1 : MAX MERRITT & THE METEORS, 1969 : Hey, Western Union Man / Fannie May / To Be A Lover / Louisiana Anna / You Touch Me / Been Away Too Long / (Home) Is Where The Heart Is / It's Just Wasting Time / Turkish Bath / Lay A Little Love On Me / You Can't Come Back / BUNUS TRACKS : Respect (live)
CD 2 : STRAY CATS, 1970 : Good Feelin' / Peace Brother, Peace / I Can't Wait / Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham / Twenty Four And A Half / Hey Jude / Proud Mary / Now It's Up To You / Hush / Jim Webb Medley : Wichita Lineman - Do What You Gotta Do / G-Gooood Fee-Feeeelin' / BONUS TRACKS : Live Levis / Let It Slide (early version)
04/2012 CD LosTraxx LTR001 (AUS)

Been Away Too Long - Max Merritt & The Meteors - Been Away Too Long [live] / I'm So Happy [live] / Gonna Send You Back [live] / Kush [live] / Louisiana Ana [live] / Western Union Man [live] / The House Will Rock [live] / Otis Redding Medley [live]

11/2020 CD Fanfare FANFARE388 (AUS) (NZ)

I Can Dream - Max Merritt - I Can Dream Can't I / Heart Have Mercy / Stay With Me / Medicine Man / Failing Light / The Closer I Get To You / Sunbury / Tempted / I Don't Wanna Loose You / Candy Row

© Rocky Productions 11/12/2020