Hogsnort Rupert

aka Hogsnort Rupert's Original Flagon Band, Dave And The Dynamos


There was no middle ground with Hogsnort Rupert, people either loved them or they hated them. But the Wellington pseudo skiffle pop band’s No.1 hit ‘Pretty Girl’ ensured everybody knew them. It outdid The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel to become the highest-selling single in New Zealand for 1970.

It sold more than 55,000 copies, spent three weeks in the top spot, won the band the Loxene Golden Disc group award, was released in Great Britain, declared a hit pick in both Melody Maker and New Musical Express and Top Of The Pops requested a copy of the film clip.

Dave and The Dynamos - Life Begins At 40
Hogsnort Rupert, 1982. Left to right, Dave Luther, Alec Wishart, Neil Worboys, Kevin Findlater, Bernie Reber
Hogsnort Rupert's Original Flagon Band posing at the 1968 Wellington Diamond United ball, Student Union Building, Wellington. Left to right, Ian Terry, Dave Luther, Frankie Boardman, Billy Such, Alec Wishart.
Photo credit: Ian Terry collection
Hognsort Rupert - Aunty Alice (Brought Us This) - live in Napier, 2010
Hogsnort Rupert in the early 1980s with Alec Wishart (front) in character as Trembling Teddy Boyes. Having just left the band and with no time for a photoshoot, Neil Worboys has been pasted over due to a tight advertising deadline. The rest of the band are Kevin Findlater (left), Bernie Reber (top) and Dave Luther (right).
Dave and the Dynamos - Kevin Findlater (top), Bernie Reber, Dave Luther (front)
Hogsnort Rupert's Original Flagon Band posing at the 1968 Wellington Diamond United ball, Student Union Building, Wellington. Left to right, Ian Terry, Dave Luther, Frankie Boardman, Billy Such, Alec Wishart.
Photo credit: Ian Terry
Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band performing through their homemade ‘Thunderbox’ amp at Caesar’s, Kilbirnie, Wellington, 1968. Left to right, Alec Wishart, Billy Such, Dave Luther, Frankie Boardman, Ian Terry.
Photo credit: Ian Terry collection
Hogsnort Rupert with the 1970 Loxene Gold Disc, the Loxene Group award and an APRA award at Wellington Opera House
The 1982 comeback album released on Dave Luther’s Mardi-Gras Music label
Ways Of Making You Laugh was the third Hogsnort Rupert album, once again produced by Peter Dawkins and released in 1971
Hogsnort Rupert, 1999. Left to right, Dave Luther, Graeme Luther, Alec Wishart, Dean Ruscoe (seated), Kevin Findlater, Neil Worboys.
All Our Own Work! was the debut album from Hogsnort Rupert's Original Flagon Band. The album was produced by Peter Dawkins and Howard Gable.
Flatmates and Chez Paree regulars Dave Luther (rear) and Ian Terry, 1966
Photo credit: Ian Terry collection
Backstage at the 25 Years of Television concert spectacular at the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, 1985. Left to right: Hogsnort Rupert’s Alec Wishart, Dave Luther and Kevin Findlater, John Grenell and Billy T. James.
Photo credit: Miles Reay collection
Hogsnort Rupert - Pretty Girl
The picture sleeve for the 1970 West German release of ‘Pretty Girl’ on Columbia
The back of the picture sleeve for the 1970 West German release of Gretel on Columbia, complete with German liner notes.
Hogsnort Rupert 1970. Left to right, Dave Luther, Alec Wishart, John Reilly
The original sheet music for Aunty Alice (Brought Us This)
Hogsnort Rupert performing at the Loxene Golden Disc Awards, October 1970. Left to right, Dave Luther, Alec Wishart, John Reilly.
Photo credit: National Library of New Zealand / The Dominion Post Collection
Ian Terry entertaining passengers on the Canberra, 1966
Photo credit: Ian Terry collection
Dave And The Dynamos, 1983. Left to right, Bernie Reber, Kevin Findlater, Dave Luther.

Hogsnort Rupert in HMV Studios, 1970. Left to right, Dave Luther, Alec Wishart, John Reilly
Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band in action. Left to right, Alec Wishart, Dave Luther, Billy Such, Ian Terry, Frankie Boardman.
Have A Hogsnort Rupert Summer, the second album, released on HMV in 1970
Dave Luther (left) and Billy Such at the Hungaria Association Football Club
Photo credit: Bill Such collection
The picture sleeve for the 1970 West German release of Gretel on Columbia
Dave and The Dynamos - Can't Spell Rhythm
Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band playing for free beer and goulash, Hungaria Association Football Club. Left to right, Frankie Boardman, Alec Wishart, Ian Terry, Dave Luther. Billy Such out of shot.
Photo credit: Ian Terry collection
An HMV poster for Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band’s debut LP All Our Own Work!
Alec Wishart and wife Kaye with Dave Luther and wife-to-be Margaret after the Joe Brown Country & Western show, November 1970
Photo credit: Horowhenua Historical Society Inc collection
Members:

Dave Luther - vocals, guitar, ukulele, harmonica

Alec Wishart - vocals, kazoo, washboard, percussion

Ian Terry - vocals, guitar

Frankie Boardman - tea-chest bass

Billy Such - drums

John Reilly - vocals, guitar

John Newton - bass, piano

Graeme Brown - drums, percussion

Kevin Findlater - vocals, bass

Neil Worboys - vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, kazoo, jug

Margaret Gill - piano

Bernie Reber - drums

Dennis Hole - guitar, ukulele

Dean Ruscoe - drums, percussion

Graeme Luther - keyboards

Geoff Duncan - vocals, guitar

Cary Baxter - keyboards

Max Watt - guitar

Trivia:

What sound like handclaps on the chorus of the Peter Dawkins-produced ‘Gretel’ are actually two women slapping their bare thighs - quite a distraction for Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band’s Ian Terry, who sang the song.

Hogsnort Rupert’s first gig for promoter Joe Brown was in New Plymouth in 1970 as a replacement for an injured Howard Morrison. A sore leg didn’t stop Morrison hobbling on behind the band to sing along, though.

Pretty Girl played just prior to the six o'clock news every night for three straight months in 1971. Dave Luther told Kapi-Mana News, “This kid came up to me once and said, 'if Mum sees you on the TV again she's going to smash it to pieces'."

Labels:

HMV


Epic


Mardi-Gras Music

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