Red McKelvie

Red McKelvie Collection

Red McKelvie  —  talented multi-instrumentalist with The Chelsea Beats, Dark Ages, Avengers, Starving Wild Dogs, Flying Circus, Sneaky Feelings, Quill, Lariat, Third Union Band, Cruise Lane, Richard Clapton Band, Al Hunter Band and The Coyotes

Bertram John (Red) McKelvie, singer-songwriter-instrumentalist and session musician who has been described as Australasia's greatest pop guitarist, was born in Christchurch but eventually moved to Sydney, Australia, where he featured in several famous bands including Quill and The Flying Circus being greatly influenced by their flirtations with country music.  McKelvie released several singles as a solo artist and as leader of The Third Union Band and was lead guitarist on the first two Richard Clapton albums, including playing all the multilayered electric guitar on the Australian number two hit Girls on the Avenue.  Red sadly passed away in April of 2022.

Red returned to New Zealand in 1975 where he became a highly sought-after session musician, performed on Television New Zealand's primetime That's Country show and produced recordings for the country's queen of country music Patsy Riggir.  He played in many bands around Auckland in the 1970s to the 1990s included Cruise Lane, with New Zealand's jingles king Murray Grindlay and Dragon songwriter Paul Hewson, The Al Hunter Band, The Glen Moffatt Band and his own cajun combo Mumbo Gumbo.  He returned to his home town of Christchurch in 1997, and in 2007 finally released his debut solo album, Ridin' On Trains - Songs of New Zealand and Australia.  If you had ears and lived in New Zealand or Australia through the 1970s to the 1990s chances are you would have heard Red's work.  He is a legend among musicians on both sides of the Tasman, and his performances are unwittingly planted deep in the psyches of the neighbouring nations.

On the Pedal Steel Guitar

Oxo Cubans

On the Pedal Steel Guitar

The Chelsea Beats
George Brownrigg, Peter Ford, Red McKelvie,
Peter Savidan and Graeme Regan

Red McKelvie's first band The Crescendoes
Graeme McNickel, Kevin Loughlin, Red McKelvie and Nicholas Keily

The Chelsea Beats
George Brownrigg, Peter Ford, Red McKelvie,
Peter Savidan andGraeme Regan

The Dark Ages
Mick Sibley, Clive Coulson, Vaughan Stephens,
Red McKelvie and Ian Thomson

Powederhorn
Ace Follington, Graham Lowndes, Bill Twyman
and Red McKelvie

Third Union Band
Red McKelvie, Harry Brus, Graeme Lister
and Dave Ovenden

Mumbo Gumbo - circa 1993
Alastair Dougal, Red McKelvie, Glen Moffatt,
Ian Thomson and Jono Lonie

Mumbo Gumbo at Kitty O'Brien's, Auckland, 1993.
Red McKelvie, Neil Hannan, Glen Moffatt, Jono Lonie. Out of shot Ian Thomson.

Mumbo Gumbo - circa 1993
Alastair Dougal, Red McKelvie, Glen Moffatt,
Jono Lonie andIan Thomson,

The Starving Wild Dogs - Sydney - circa late 1960s
Red McKelvie, Wally Wyld, Ace Follington and Paul Wyld

Quill at Adam's Apple - Sydney
Terry Wilkins, Keith Harr, Red McKelvie
and Daryl McKenzie

The Flying Circus
Terry Wilkins, Colin Walker, Doug Rowe, Red McKelvie and Jim Wynne

Lariat (to become Third Union Band)
Live on GTK for Australian ABC Television

Cruise Lane - De Bretts, High Street, Auckland - 1973
Red McKelvie, Brett Neilsen, Mike Wilson, Murray Grindlay
and Paul Hewson

The Richard Clapton Band
Ernie McInerney, Brian Bethell, Red McKelvie, Stuart West and Richard Clapton.

Late 1980s - The Al Hunter Band - Shakespeare Tavern, Auckland
Cath Newhook, Alastair Dougal, Al Hunter,and Red McKelvie (front)
(Drummer Bruce King is not shown)

The Al Hunter Band - Auckland circa 1994
Cath Newhook, Al Hunter, Glenn R Campbell, Alastair Dougal
Red McKelvie and Ian Thomson (front)

Red McKelvie - Ridin' On Trains - Songs of New Zealand and Australia
Released in 2007 on Neil Hannan's SDL Music Label

Possibly Red's most famous guitar industry contribution
Richard Clapton's "Girls On The Avenue"

Additional Red McKelvie and related groups information is available on the following pages, as well as the Audio Culture Website .....

http://www.glenmoffat.com/red_mckelvie3.htm

http://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/red-mckelvie

http://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/red-mckelvie-the-session-years