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The Wolverines

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Wolverines were an Australian country rock band from Tamworth in New South Wales. Darcy Leyear on guitar and vocals, John Clinton on drums and vocals and Chris Doyle on keyboards and vocals founded the group in 1994. They remained active until 2021 and were known to some as the Bad Boys of Country. The name comes from an encyclopedia, which described the wolverine as a nearly extinct, nocturnal animal regarded by some people as a pest.

Music and breakthrough

The group's albums are Feel the Need to Ride in 1999, Wolverines and Roses in 2002, Making Tracks in 2004 and Good Ol' Boys in 2010. Some songs have coarse and sexual lyrics, others are sincere tributes. One of their hits is 65 Roses, written by Lee J. Collier, about a boy who could not pronounce the words cystic fibrosis, his sister's illness. The Wolverines turned the original country waltz in three into a country rock song in four. The single was meant to raise awareness of the disease and money for Cystic Fibrosis Australia.

Influence

The group played at festivals all over Australia, for 40,000 people at the Gympie Muster, and for American marines in Okinawa. In 2003 and 2007 it sailed along the coast and gave a concert at every stop for underprivileged children, under the name Wolverines Sail for Kids. The first voyage raised more than 35,000 dollars for research into the disease.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to 65 Roses and notice how the song sounds like robust country rock in four-four time. Can you hear that the lyrics about a sick child stand in contrast to the robust sound?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Categories: Artists