Wahanui Wynyard


New Zealand vinyl singles from the 1960s and 1970s are increasingly sought-after internationally, with many selling for over $1000 to global collectors. In a recent listing of these, the top three – from Auckland garage bands The Bluestars, The Smoke and The Principals – have one thing in common: Wahanui Wynyard is credited as engineer or producer.

Few names from the era are held in such regard by collectors and yet the man himself remains largely unknown to a wider public and, given his reputation, extremely unassuming and self-effacing.

Wahanui Wynyard recording at Alberts, Neutral Bay, Sydney, late 1980s
Photo credit: Wahanui Wynyard collection
Children of the Sun, featuring music by The Music Convention
Wahanui Wynyard's Ampex Golden Reel Award for Hooked On Swing
'Social End Product', The Bluestars' 1966 single on Allied International, has become a hugely collectable garage classic over the years and has appeared on over 20 compilations including the famed Nuggets
'I Can Take It' by The Blue Stars, recorded by Wahanui Wynyard at Astor in 1965 and released by Decca in the UK and New Zealand
The Smoke's Hendrix influenced 'Control Your Love', recorded by Wahanui Wynyard in 1968 at Astor
The Music Convention's 'Children Of The Sun', recorded by Wahanui Wynyard at Astor
Wahanui Wynyard's Ampex Golden Reel Award for the soundtrack to the movie Breaker Morant
The Bluestars' classic 'Social End Product', recorded at Astor by Wahanui Wynyard in September 1966
The Johnny Rocco Band's 'We're Gonna Have a Good Time' featured Leo de Castro on vocals and was recorded by Wahanui Wynyard in 1975 in Sydney. The album it was taken from was globally released.
Wahanui Wynyard at Alberts in the late 1970s
Photo credit: Wahanui Wynyard collection
Wahanui Wynyard recording at Alberts, Neutral Bay, Sydney, in the late 1980s
Photo credit: Wahanui Wynyard collection
Wahanui Wynyard and Mike Perjanik recording music for Home & Away at Alberts, Neutral Bay, Sydney. Behind Mike is bassist Phil Scorgie.
Photo credit: Wahanui Wynyard collection
The High Revving Tongues' debut single '(The Psychedelic) Illusion', recorded by Wahanui Wynyard at Astor Studios
Wahanui Wynyard recorded a string of singles for Ray Woolf & The Avengers at Astor, some of which have seen recent reissue on collectors' vinyl
Wahanui Wynyard with Peter Wall at Alberts in the late 1970s
Photo credit: Wahanui Wynyard collection
The Rebels album Madrigal, recorded by Wahanui Wynyard in two days
Labels:

Pye


RCA


Impact


Allied International

Trivia:

Wahanui translates to 'big mouth', and the name came from his grandfather, who was given it because he was a great orator. The late Canon Wi Huata, from Ngāti Kahungunu, told Wahanui that "whilst you are not a great orator you are a maker of great sound."

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