Forming a prog-rock group in the year punk rock broke was probably not the greatest of timing, but Schtüng left a legacy of memorable shows, an under-appreciated album, and a name that lives on in a vastly successful global advertising music production company.
Careering along Paraparaumu Beach Road on his motorbike with a guitar strapped to his back in late 1972, Wellington College schoolboy Andrew Hagen recognised a pedestrian waving to him as fellow pupil Morton Wilson. The two struck up a friendship based on common tastes in music and before long they formed a duo. Thompson and Thomson, named after the two incompetent detectives from TinTin, soon scored themselves regular gigs at the Chez Paree coffee bar in Majoribanks Street, a popular haunt for folkies during the 60s and 70s.
Dave Bowater - woodwind, percussion
Geoff Bowdler - drums
Andrew Hagen - keyboards, vocals
Paul Jeffery - keyboards, vocals
Rob Sinclair - bass, vocals
Brian Waddell - drums
Morton Wilson - guitar
Polydor
2009 interview with Morton Wilson
Schtung at Gary Steel's Witchdoctor.co.nz
Schtung mock-signed their record contract with PolyGram underwater at the Titahi Bay diving pool in full scuba diving gear.
Schtung were named after a misheard line in a Monty Python sketch.
In the late 70s Dave Bowater ran an instrument repair shop opposite Wah Lee’s in Hobson Street, Auckland, called The Woodwind Schtop.
When The Police released their album Synchronicity, Schtung’s intended name for their aborted second album, the proposed title was quickly changed to “Once Bitten Twice Schtung”.
The music to which Limbs can be seen dancing in the TV documentary Nambassa Festival is actually a hastily written and recorded piece by Schtung, necessitated when the documentary makers could not afford the clearance fee demanded by Eno, whose music was used during the live performance.
Drummer Geoff Bowdler was a descendant of Dr Thomas Bowdler, after whom the expression "bowdlerism" – to edit or remove offensive text from written material - was named.
The album cover art contains visual clues to each of the LP’s eight tracks.
Schtung used an umlaut over the “u” in their name from time to time just to confuse people!