Years before joining AC/DC, late drummer Colin Burgess, who died on December 15, 2023, at age 77, was already playing in bands around Sydney, Australia by the mid to late 1960s.
In 1967, Colin Burgess and his brother Denny formed the psyche-rock band Honeybunch, along with guitarist Joe Travers and bassist Bill Verbaan. They later renamed themselves The Haze and went on to play together in several bands together through the 2010s.
Here’s a closer look at four bands Burgess played in before and after his 1973-1974 run with AC/DC.
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1. The Masters Apprentices
Formed in 1965, The Masters Apprentices later connected with Colin and Denny Burgess after the Haze opened for them at a show in Sydney. When frontman Jim Keays reorganized the band, Colin joined as its drummer in early 1968 and played on the band’s 1970 album Masterpiece.
During Burgess’s time in the band, they released several top 20 singles, including “Turn Up Your Radio,” “Because I Love You,” “5:10 Man,” and “Think About Tomorrow.”
Burgess also co-wrote the track “Song for Joey,” from the band’s 1971 album Master’s Apprentices.
When Keays and bassist Glenn Wheatley later parted ways with The Masters Apprentices in the early ’70s, Burgess and guitarist Doug Ford kept the band going with Denny on lead vocals before disbanding in 1972.
In 1988, the band reunited and released their fifth album—and their first in 17 years since A Toast To Panama Red in 1972—Do What You Wanna Do, featuring original singer Keays, Wheatley, Burgess, and Ford. The album also features new recordings of the band’s “Because I Love You” and “Turn Up Your Radio.”
The Masters Apprentices were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998.
2. His Majesty/Good Time Charlie
By the early 1980s, Colin and Denny teamed up again forming His Majesty with Japanese singer Yukiko Davis. The band’s song “C Me Comin'” was used in Australia for the opening of Ivan Reitman’s 1985 film Ghostbusters. His Majesty stayed together through 1987 and later reformed in 1993 and played as the backing band for Tiny Tim and recorded two albums with him—Tiny Tim Rock (1992) and Tiny Tim’s Christmas Album (1993).
The band transformed into Good Time Charlie by the late ’90s and released the album Adults Only. In 1998, the Burgess brothers were injured in a car accident while traveling to a Good Time Charlie launch party. The brothers recovered and were featured in the 2005 Joel Peterson documentary, The Comeback Kings, and later formed the Burgess Brothers Band and Burgess Burgess.
3. Guitar Heroes
In the early 2000s, Colin also joined the band Guitar Heroes, a collective of veteran Australian guitarists playing within a more hard rock-blues setting. The band featured the Radiators’ Fess Parker, Choirboys’ Brad Carr, and Chain’s Phil Manning, among others.
4. Dead Singer Band
By the 2010s, the Burgess brothers performed around Australia with the Dead Singer Band. The tribute band also included bandmates of late Australian artist Stevie Wright of the ’60s group The Easybeats and performed shows dedicated to Australian performers who died.
Photo: Featured Image via The Independent on YouTube
