Band of Light were an Australian blues rock quartet formed in October 1972 by Tony Buettel on drums, Phil Key on lead vocals and guitar, Peter Roberts on bass guitar and Norm Roue on slide guitar. Roberts was soon replaced by Ian Rilen on bass guitar. They had a top 20 hit single, “The Destiny Song” (July 1973) on the Go-Set National Charts. The group released two albums, Total Union (August 1973) – which peaked at No. 13 – and The Archer (1974) before disbanding in late 1974. Phil Key died in May 1984 of a congenital heart condition; Ian Rilen died of bladder cancer in October 2006. Band of Light were an Australian blues-rock band formed in Sydney in October 1972 by New Zealand-born Phil Key (ex-the Mergers) on lead vocals and lead guitar from New Zealand-formed band, the La De Da’s, which had relocated to Sydney, in 1968. He recruited latter day bandmate, Peter Roberts (ex-Freshwater, the La De Da’s) on bass guitar. Norm Roue (ex-Gutbucket, Lotus, Wolfe) on slide guitar and Tony Buettel (ex-Bay City Union, Levi Smith’s Clefs, Fraternity, Band of Talabene) on drums joined to complete the line-up. Soon after Ian Rilen (ex-Space, Lotus) replaced Roberts on bass guitar. They appeared at the 1973 Sunbury Music Festival in January and their track, “Messin’ with the Kid”, was included on a live triple LP, Sunbury 1973 – The Great Australian Rock Festival. Their talent manager as Sebastian Chase.
The band was a vehicle for Key to develop his own songs, mostly co-written with his wife Pam Key, under the pseudonym of Wheel, using a quasi-religious philosophy which explored themes of racial equality, social justice, spiritual harmony and cosmic enlightenment. The music was energetic and funky with a heavy blues and boogie style interlaced with intense slide guitar work. In early 1973 they signed with WEA, which issued their debut single, “The Destiny Song”, in July. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described it as, “[an] infectious boogie rocker.” It peaked at No. 18 on the Go-Set Singles Chart.
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My First Home
Free Them From Hunger
Messin’ with the Kid (Live at Sunbury)
Destiny Song
Crossroads live
The Destiny Song
My Black Swan
Total Union 1973 Full Album