Piri Prentice was a key member of The Shadracks. Photo / Piri Prentice
New Zealand’s 6pm closing for bars had ended in 1967. With extended hours at night, and with pent-up energy, music bands sprouted and unleashed themselves on hungry and appreciative audiences.
At the forefront of this entertainment were the Māori bands and solo acts — household names even today — Prince Tui Teka, Eddie Lowe, Howard Morrison, Billy T James, Māori Volcanics, Bunny Walters, and the list could go on.
Tom Greening had formed in 1969 a band in Hastings called The Shadracks with his wife Haromi, and three others. After a reshuffle, the band line-up in 1971 was Tom, Haromi, Lambeth Bennett, Abe Phillips, Riki Witoko, Kepa Toa and Bill (Piri) Prentice.
The band’s name came from a Robert McGimsey song called Shadrack. The group were rehearsing the song and, liking its title, they adopted it as their band name.
Band member Piri Prentice credits Will Franssen of the Mayfair Hotel, Hastings, for giving them their musical break, and for creating their image by advising them to dress smartly.
As well as backing visiting performers to the Mayfair Hotel, the group was an accomplished cover band and the Shadracks became a firm favourite.
A lot of hard work went into the band: “We either played or rehearsed seven days a week — a killer for the families”, recalled Piri Prentice of the effort required.
Abe Phillips, who joined in 1971 as vocalist of the Shadracks, was asked by visiting groups they were backing not to sing — well, at least not until they had left the stage — they didn’t want to be shown up by his powerful voice.
The Shadracks had their admirers within the music industry — Max Cryer was one who supported the band.
Before the song Banner Man — a hit by British band Blue Mink — was played on the radio here in 1971, Max said this would be a great song for them. There was much astonishment, recalls Piri, when the song got radio airplay.
Billy T James took them on tour with him to Taihape with the Yandall Sisters, where they played at a local bar. When a nearby marae wanted some help with fundraising, they performed a concert for them.
Prince Tui Teka wanted his first concert when he returned from Australia to be with his Tūhoe people at Ruatāhuna, and he took the Shadracks with him.
The Māori Volcanics were a big influence on the Shadracks and when they performed at the Mayfair, or on tour with Prince Tui Teka, they studied the group, even replicating their Guitar Boogie routine.
A big moment for the Shadracks came in July 1971 when they were selected to perform on the programme Studio One ‒ in the New Faces section on the only television channel New Zealand had then.
The Shadracks did two songs by the group Brotherhood of Man: Where Are You Going To My Love and United We Stand.
At the end of pre-recording done in Wellington, Haromi Greening checked in on her bandmate Riki Witoko: “He has pneumonia and should be in bed,” she told a reporter. “The band never squabbled — we were always there for one another,” said Piri, “and that was a large factor in our success.”
“Riki Witoko”, said Piri, “was a great musician — the rest of us weren’t in the same league, he was multi-talented.” What stood the band apart was the vocals — the harmonies. “A lot of time was put into that — the quality of the vocals — that was the secret of the band.”
During a performance of Have You Seen The Rain? when the whole band did the vocals, after they had finished there was silence in the audience — many were visibly moved by the sound.
The band played outside of Hawke’s Bay debuting at the R.C.A Ball in Wellington in 1971.
Paying for a beer was never a problem on tour. On one occasion during a sound check at the Jubilee Hotel in Ōtaki after Abe starting singing, “Jugs would start flying in our direction,” said Piri, with people appreciative of the music.
A music reviewer noted:
“The Shadracks’ appeal is power. Their music is simple and direct; their harmony rich and strong, every member can take a vocal solo and a warm Māori humour pervades their performance. Tom and Haromi Greening sing grand solos and Abe Phillips provides the big artillery. Abe is an instinctive entertainer who can hold an audience, whether whispering a love song, preaching a modern spiritual, or spurning the microphone to roar forth and fill a room with his magnificently rich, natural voice. When he has you spellbound, he’ll break the spell with a crazy wisecrack.
Another simply said:
“I’ve heard many New Zealand vocalists and all our ‘name’ ones. Abe Phillips has the voice to become one of our great ones.”
While Abe had received offers to sign him, and he had stated he was happy with the Shadracks and being with his mates at the Whakatū freezing works, such talent attracted relentless attention.
Abe would leave the Shadracks for a solo career late in 1971.
His life would be cut tragically short that December in a car crash between Waipawa and Waipukurau. Abe had just recorded his first single, Don’t Think You Remember Me, and Impossible Dream on the flip side.
The Shadracks reformed after Abe’s death, and Riki Witoki left to join the Prince Tui Teka Showband.
Tom and Haromi Greening remained with Piri Prentice, and were joined after “exhaustive auditions” by Taffy Otene, Don Hutana and Jim Williams. The band’s new residency was at the Leopard Inn in Hastings St, Napier.
Their routine included “Sweet songs, strong ballad, and music from the 1950s to April 1974″, said Tom Greening in 1974. They also performed a haka, various comedy routines and the lead guitarist “does a female impersonation”.
While they played at other hotels in Napier, they also did concerts at the Napier Prison.
After four years at the Leopard Inn, the band had become tired of performing and folded.
After the breakup, Piri Prentice and fellow Shadrack Jimmy Williams were joined by Russell Coulson to form The Manhattans — a three-piece band that performed in the late 1970s and early 1980s at the D B Heretaunga, Hastings.
Piri recalls proudly they challenged themselves to learn a whole album of Bee Gees music from Saturday Night Fever — and mastering the falsetto voices.
A Shadracks Reunion was held about 1980 in Napier’s Centennial Hall — 1200 people attended, including the man who had given them a break just over 10 years eaelier — Bill Franssen.
Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a Hawke’s Bay historian.
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