Cruise Lane
One Of Many Line-Ups:
Murray Grindley (Vocals)
Red McKelvie (Guitar)
Paul Hewson (Keyboards)
Mike Wilson (Drums)
Alan Hunter (Guitar/Vocals)
There were quite a few different combinations of Cruise Lane during their time. The original line-up was formed around 1971 by bass player Gerry Biggs. Gerry had previously played in Roger Skinner's Motivation. Others in Cruise Lane at that time were Alan Hunter on guitar and vocals, Paul Lee on keyboards and saxophone, a guy named Tui on guitar, and Claude Radics on drums. Tui was soon replaced by Tony Pilcher and Gerry Biggs by Peter Kershaw. Kaye Wolfgramm, previously from the Fair Sect, was added as vocalist. They were the first band in Auckland to hook onto the whole Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Leon Russell, Southern Rock thing, and gigged regularly at the Embers Night Club.
Another combination in 1972, included Murray Grindley, after he had worked with the Underdogs and the Brew. Other people to have been in the group were Red McKelvie who had spent his earlier days with the Dark Ages and Chelsea Beats from 1965 to 1966, before joining Ray Woolf's Avengers, but was gone before Ray actually arrived. Mike Wilson had been with the Apple and the Layabouts, before leaving to have a small stint with the Action in its dying stages in Australia. Al Hunter was the vocalist in Killing Floor from 1968 to 1970. Bruno Behrens from the Layabouts also had a go.
A combination that played at a downstairs club in High St opposite Le Brett's included Steve Wilson on guitar, Kaye Wilson (nee Wolfgramm), Tony "Eddie" Rayner, later of Split Enz, Mike Wilson and Dennis Ryan on drums. Tony was replaced by Paul Hewson on keyboards. Paul Hewson had begun his career with Marble Arch. He was in my class at Blockhouse Bay Intermediate school and his exceptional music and keyboard talents were already evident at that young age. His greatest success was still to come, when he went on to join Dragon. This combination played a lot of Rufus and Steely Dan music. Brett Neilsen was also a member of the group for a while. He had previously been with the La De Da's and the Action.
Cruise Lane were not known for their recordings, even though they did a couple of singles, but more for their live spots around Auckland, where they received quite a good following.
Their only released singles were "Death Is In The Air"/"Ego" on the Family label in 1972 as Kaye Wolfgramm and Cruise Lane. In 1973 "We All Have To Find Our Own Way Home" as Cruise Lane, with a Lou Rawnsley recording "Waiheke" on the reverse and finally "School"/"Ain't No Need", also in 1973 on the Shoestring label.