When Australian Crawl first appeared on Countdown in August 1979 performing ‘Beautiful People’, no one knew what to make of them. Certainly not the TV crew, who thought the song was called ‘Beautiful Beach Ball’. The band was quirky, charismatic and unmistakably different. But they quickly proved they were no novelty act. Over the next seven years, this band of high school mates produced two of Australia’s bestselling albums, The Boys Light Up and Sirocco, and a string of major hits including ‘Downhearted’, ‘Errol’ and the timeless ‘Reckless’. Their success would launch the screen and solo career of heartthrob lead singer James Reyne. To the public, Australian Crawl were sun-kissed surfies from the Mornington Peninsula-though not all of them actually surfed. They toured relentlessly, partied hard and built a huge and loyal following. Yet behind the scenes, tensions simmered. Disputes over songwriting credits, musical direction, money and status gradually frayed the once tight-knit group. The tragic death of guitarist Guy McDonough in 1984 left what one member described as ‘a big hole in our lives, and in the band,’ a blow from which they never fully recovered. Decades later, Australian Crawl’s legacy remains tangled, yet their songs still command the airwaves and millions of streams. Reckless, featuring interviews with key band members and industry insiders, is bestselling music writer Jeff Apter’s poignant account of this legendary group.
