Ray Columbus & the Invaders
{{Short description|New Zealand rock band}}
{{sources|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ray Columbus & the Invaders
| image =
| image_size =
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = Christchurch, New Zealand
| genre = Garage rock
| years_active = {{start date|1964}}–{{end date|1966}}
| label = Zodiac
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members = Ray Columbus
Dave Russell (guitar)
Wally Scott (guitar)
Peter Ward (drums)
Puni Solomon (bass guitar)
Billy Kristian (bass guitar)
Jimmy Hill (drums)
}}
Ray Columbus & the Invaders were a New Zealand rock group from Christchurch that was active from 1964 to 1966. It was fronted by the lead vocalist, Ray Columbus. Part of the new surf music craze, they were the first New Zealand band to have a number 1 in another country, Australia, with their cover of The Senators' song "She's a Mod".
History
Influenced by the early 1960s work of Cliff Richard and The Beatles, Ray Columbus & the Invaders had a #1 hit in Australia and New Zealand with "She's a Mod" in 1964, a cover version of a song by The Senators. Ray Columbus and the Invaders were included in a package tour "Big Beat '65" with Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones and The Newbeats that toured New Zealand and Australia. During the tour, the Invaders performed as Orbison's backing band as well as performing as Ray Columbus and the Invaders.
They had several more hits in New Zealand before disbanding in late 1965. Leader Ray Columbus later moved to the US where he founded a California psychedelic band, Newcastle Five, which he renamed as The Art Collection. As a band, Ray Columbus and The Art Collection released four singles for the Colstar label, including the psychedelic rocker "Kick Me", before The Art Collection split with Columbus. During his time in California (1966–68), Columbus was offered an audition with The Monkees but turned it down{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}}. He also turned down the chance to play with David Crosby or Gene Clark after these musicians left The Byrds. Columbus went on to become a band manager.
Wally Scott, one of the guitarists for the band, died of cancer in January 1980 in his 30s.
Billy Kristian played bass guitar for the Invaders; he later joined the Keil Isles, The Jimmy Sloggett Band, Headband and Night and produced Herbs' first full album Long Ago.
Jimmy Hill, the drummer for the band, died on 7 November 2000 of a heart ailment at the age of 56.
The band were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2009.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10601821 |title=The Ray Columbus story |first=Scott |last=Kara |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |publisher=APN News & Media |date=8 October 2009 |accessdate=25 October 2010}}
Columbus died in November 2016 after four years of ill health.{{cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319209/nz-pop-pioneer-ray-columbus-dies |title=NZ pop pioneer Ray Columbus dies |website=Radionz.co.nz |accessdate=2016-11-29}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Details |
| scope="row"| Every Nite
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Original Numbers
|
|
=Compilation albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Details |
| scope="row"| Till We Kissed (The Greatest Hits of)
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Anthology
|
|
| scope="row"| Greatest Numbers
|
|
| scope="row"| The Definitive Collection
|
|
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:17em;"| Details |
| scope="row"| Now You Shake
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Till We Kissed
|
|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Chart positions |
|---|
| AU{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=71}}
! NZ{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Ray+Columbus+%26+The+Invaders&titel=She%27s+A+Mod&cat=s |title=Ray Columbus & The Invaders - She's A Mod |website=charts.nz |accessdate=2016-11-29}} |
| rowspan="3"|1963
|"Ku-Pow" | style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| "Money Lover"
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| "I Saw Her Standing There"
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="4"|1964
|"Cat's Eyes" | style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| "On My Mind"
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| "She's a Mod"
| style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;" |
| "Yo-Yo"
| style="text-align:center;"|72 | style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="4"|1965
| style="text-align:center;"|71 | style="text-align:center;" |
| "Till We Kissed"
| style="text-align:center;"|29 | style="text-align:center;"|26 |
| "All Through Pride"
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| "The Cruel Sea"
| style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| |1966
|"We Want a Beat" | style="text-align:center;" |
| style="text-align:center;" |
| |1981
|"She's a Mod" (Reissue) | style="text-align:center;"|91 | style="text-align:center;"|2 |
Awards
=Aotearoa Music Awards=
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
{{awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 2009 || Ray Columbus & the Invaders || New Zealand Music Hall of Fame || {{yes2|inductee}} || {{cite web|url=https://www.musichall.co.nz/home/inductees/|title=HOME INDUCTEES|website=musichall.co.nz|access-date=16 August 2021}}
|-
{{end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Richie Unterberger, [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p142000/biography|pure_url=yes}} Ray Columbus & the Invaders] at Allmusic
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus, Ray}}
Category:New Zealand garage rock groups
Category:Musical groups established in 1964
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1965
Category:1964 establishments in New Zealand
Category:1965 disestablishments in New Zealand
{{NewZealand-band-stub}}