Lori Balmer (born 1960) is an Australian pop singer, recording artist and worked as a session singer and model; and has appeared on TV in Australia, United States, Japan, Europe and Britain.
Lori Balmer | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Lori |
| Born | 1960 (age 63–64) |
| Origin | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, model, marketing executive |
| Instrument(s) |
|
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | |
Biography edit
Early recordings edit
Lori Balmer was born in 1960, and started singing professionally at an early age. Her debut single, "Banjo Boy", was issued early in 1966, under the name Lori, via RCA Records and includes an orchestra directed by Tommy Tycho.[1][2] She was reputed to be Australian RCA's youngest recording star at that time. Through her family connection to the Bee Gees members, she was offered two of Barry Gibb's songs, "Who's Been Writing on the Wall Again" and "In Your World",[2] which she recorded at EMI's Sydney Studio. These were issued as her debut singles.[1] All three Gibb brothers provided vocal backing,[1] and Barry Gibb was involved in the production. Lori was a model and was the face of "infanteen" as well as being the face to launch the Australian government's "wear a yellow raincoat" to protect children in the wet.
International career edit
In January 1968, following an invitation from Barry Gibb, Balmer travelled to England with her parents and they initially stayed with the Gibb family.[3] She worked regularly on children's TV and radio shows, including The BBC 1 Club. The British press dubbed her the "bush baby" and she occasionally appeared on shows alongside the Bee Gees.[3] In July 1968 she recorded two songs written by the Gibb brothers, "Treacle Brown" and "Four Faces West".[4][5] All backing and production was provided by the Bee Gees with Bill Shepherd doing the arrangements.[3] Balmer released it as a single via Polydor Records, in November 1968.[3] The record demonstrated a voice more powerful than expected from someone so young, but legal problems prevented her from following it up with further material.[3]
In 1971 Balmer signed to Pye Records, with Tony Atkins producing her single, "Here Before the Sun", which appeared in 1972. She continued working in the UK, including as a support to the Marmalade, the Hollies, Johnny Mathis, and various artists in UK and the rest of Europe.[2] In the mid- to late 1970s, she released singles in Australia, under the name Lori Balmer, where she also toured as a backing singer for Cold Chisel and for Richard Clapton.[2]She was a member of Dalvanius and the Fascinations, worked with the New Zealand funk band, Collision, and appeared regularly on TV. She sang the title song of the Australian movie, Melvin, Son of Alvin (1984).[6] In 1987 she provided backing vocals on the soundtracks of the Australian film, Sons of Steel and, in 1995, Billy's Holiday. She also worked as a print and fashion model, appearing in TV commercials.
In 1991, she released a cover of "Sometimes When We Touch" with Australian actor Chris Lloyds, this time credited as Laurin James. The song peaked at number 114 on the ARIA charts.[7]
She returned often to the UK and the USA, toured or recorded, under pseudonyms with other artists, Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Bryan Ferry, U2, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, Lionel Richie, Van Halen, Frankie Goes To Hollywood Richie Blackmore, Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Isaak and Johnny Rotten.[3] Through the 1990s to the present Balmer has worked as one of Australia's top session singers and owns a successful marketing company.
Discography edit
Singles edit
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [8][7] | ||
| Credited as Lori | ||
| "Banjo Boy" / "The Dickey Bird Song" | 1966 | - |
| "Who's Been Writing On the Wall" / "In Your World" | - | |
| Credited as Lori Balmer | ||
| "Treacle Brown" / "Four Faces West"[4] | 1968 | - |
| "Here Before the Sun" / "You're the Only Reason" | 1972 | - |
| "Itchy Itch Coo Coo" / "Sing a Happy Song" | 1974 | - |
| "Don't Throw It All Away" / "Shoes" | 1976 | 66 |
| "Postcard from Spain" / "Here's Some Love" | - | |
| "Are You Ready for Love" / "Love Ain't Easy" | 1978 | - |
| Credited as Lori Balmer & Short Notice | ||
| "La Booga Rooga" / "Call on Me" | 1979 | 83 |
| Credited as Chris Lloyds & Laurin James | ||
| "Sometimes When We Touch" | 1991 | 114 |
References edit
- ^ a b c Kimball, Duncan (2002). "Record Labels – RCA Records". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Lori Balmer". RareCollections. ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Bilyeu, Melinda; Cook, Hector; Hughes, Andrew Môn (2011). The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-894-2. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
those fortunate enough to have heard both songs have been able to establish that the powerful voice belongs to an 11 year old, and not a teenager as had previously been suspected.
- ^ a b Balmer, Lori; Gibb, Barry; Gibb, Maurice; Gibb, Robin (1968). "'Treacle Brown': 'Four Faces West'". England: Polydor. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1968". Columbia University. Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ Harris, Paul (1993), "Melvin: Son of Alvin", in Murray, Scott; Caputo, Raffaele (eds.), Australian Film 1978-1992: a Survey of Theatrical Features, Oxford University Press. Australian Film Commission. Cinema papers, p. 148, ISBN 978-0-19-553584-6
- ^ a b "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 21 October 1991". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
Bibliography edit
- An Australian Rock Discography 1960-1989 - Chris Spencer - Moonlight Publishers - 1990 - ISBN 0-7316-8343-9
External links edit
- Joseph Brennan's Bee Gees Discography 1968
- Lori Balmer at IMDb
- Reference to Melvin, Son of Alvin track