Jimmy Sloggett
Jimmy Sloggett was born in Australia in 1940. He came from a musical family and before long was a very proficient musician.
By the age of 18 he was hired to play saxophone in Johnny Rebb's Rebels. He also played in the Australian version of The Modernaires. In 1960 he was a part of Johnny O'Keefe's backing band, the Dee Jays. It was while he was playing on one of Johnny O'Keefe's TV shows, "Six O’Clock Rock", that he met Auckland singer Carol Davies, who was also appearing on the show. They got married, and at the age of 23, in 1963 he decided to go and have a look at Carol's country, New Zealand, and he stayed until 1977. He only went back for a brief appearance in Ricky May's band in Sydney.
A good saxophone player was in high demand and before long he was playing in Auckland with Max Merritt and the Meteors and the Keil Isles. He was touring with many shows and supporting many other artists.
Also in 1963, he was signed by Viking Records and released the following singles, EP and album, all in the same year. He was also appointed Viking’s musical director and arranger at recording sessions. Jimmy also backed Jan Dalton, Anne Murphy and Little Joy Yates on their 1963 singles.
Members of the Combo included, John Blake, Bill Fleming, John Harrison and Doug Jerebine.
Sloggett played with jazz musicians such as Merv Thomas, Tony Hopkins and Mike Walker, at Auckland’s Peter Pan cabaret and Montmartre nightclub. By the mid-1960s, he was leading a band playing six nights a week at the Inn at the Park cabaret, part of the Logan Park motel complex. The Inn at the Park was a new concept in New Zealand entertainment, a floor show with a regular band and visiting singers, in a restaurant that served alcohol till almost midnight. They backed overseas singers, as well as locals such as Toni Williams, Eliza Keil and Tommy Adderley.
In 1964 he had switched to Zodiac for two singles.
In 1966 Jimmy Sloggett partnered with Phil Warren in the A&R and production company James Productions, with a roster that included Sandy Edmonds, The Chicks, The Keil Isles, Billy Kristian and Lew Pryme. Aside from the James Productions work, Sloggett was also in demand as a producer, working on albums by Howard Morrison, Ray Columbus, and Mr Lee Grant, as well as singles by Lindsay Marks, Herma Keil and others. You will see Jimmy's name on numerous singles as producer during 1966 to 1968.
In 1967 Sloggett was also MD for C’mon, the legendary NZBC-TV pop show. He still found time to release another single for HMV that year.
He was also a member of Sea Of Tranquility, who were around from the end of 1969 through to early 1970.
In 1970 he recorded his last single, again on Zodiac, with the band from the Inn.
By the mid-1970s, Sloggett was feeling drawn back to Australia, where he was offered production and session work. In 1977 he returned there permanently, setting up a Sydney studio to make commercials and soundtracks. He never abandoned live work, however, and in 2002 was the musical director for the very successful Australian 1960s revival tour "Long Way to the Top".
Jimmy Sloggett can also be found on the following compilations:-
