Billy Karaitiana (Kristian) |
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John R Campbell Collection |
Billy Karaitiana aka Billy Kristian |
With Max Merritt and Peter Williams |
Billy (circa) 1964 |
Billy (circa) 1964 |
With Ray Columbus + Invaders |
In 1962 Ray Columbus and the Invaders presented an opportunity for Billy when Puni Solomon jumped off stage to confront a guy dancing with his girlfriend and got himself fired by Ray. Billy went to Australia with The Invaders and remained loyally with Ray until around 1965 when problems arose with denial of US Visas to The Invaders which caused the demise of the band. He then hooked up with Max Merritt again for a short time, but found the group's drinking culture distinctly unpleasant, and so moved on to join The Keil Isles. |
The Cmon Backing Group |
NZ Music Hall of Fame Induction 2009 |
NZM HOF Award |
With Peter Nelson + Rennaisance |
In 1969 Billy left for Hong Kong to join Renaissance with whom he worked for 2 years. On his return to New Zealand 1971, he was asked by his long time friend Tommy Adderley to join Headband, a band which played many tours throughout the country. 1973, post-Headband saw the forming of Kristian, Walker, Hamlet and Hill for Jock Ruddock's Tainui Tavern featuring Billy Kristian, Michael McLean Walker, Chris Hamlet Thompson and Ian James Hill (Jimmy Hill). Billy went to Australia in 1975 and joined Billy Thorpe's Million Dollar Bill. |
Billy Karaitiana - Pains Of Love (Festival FNZK-3a) |
Billy Karaitiana - Cool Jerk (Festival FNZK-3b) |
In 1976 he made his way overland to London from Kathmandu where he and some friends, Chris Thompson and Michael Walker formed Filthy McNasty, a blues band which played at the Bridgehouse in east Canning Town E16. This band featured Stevie Lange, Geoff Whitehorn, Clive Edwards and later Robbie McIntosh who went on to play with The Pretenders, Paul McCartney's Wings, Nora Jones and John Meyer. Pacific Eardrum was the next band Billy joined 1977. Billy performed with Nucleus at the 1st Jazz Yatra in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) India 1978. Filthy Mc Nasty signed a deal for 2 Albums for worldwide release with Richard Perry of Planet Records. Two songs off the 1st album went in to the Billboard Top Twenty. Hot Summer Night at 18 and If You Remember Me at 17. While recording the 1st album in Los Angeles, the name of the band was changed to Night, which also toured for 3 months as support for the Doobie Brothers' Summer Tour 1979. |
Headband |
Night |
The Keil Isles |
Billy returned home to New Zealand in 1983 and started the band Billboard which included Martin Winch guitar, Beaver and Barry Saunders on vocals. Billy next managed Mascot Recording Studios built by Doug Jane for Hugh Lynn, and while there he produced 2 albums for Pacific/Reggae band, Herbs. On leaving Mascot, Billy and his long time partner Tric Mateparae started their own studio in Kingsland, Auckland called Muscle Music. After 12 years in Kingsland they decided to head for the far north of NZ and so far Billy has produced 12 albums since living there, three of them being Tui Award Winners. Billy is also Ray Woolf's bassist of choice, and has recently been seen working with Georgie Fame. |
Additional Billy Kristian (Karaitiana) information is available on the Audio Culture Website ..... |
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