Men at Work: Where Are They Now?

Australia’s INXS may need been a family identify throughout North America throughout the latter half of the ’80s, however the first portion of that decade decisively belonged to fellow Aussies Males at Work.

Shaped in Melbourne in 1979, the band rapidly earned a loyal viewers at dwelling, main the group to signal a document contract with CBS Data Australia, which in flip issued its debut effort, Enterprise as Typical, in 1981. Launched the next yr within the U.S., the album’s lead single, “Who Can It Be Now?”, hit the No. 1 place on the Billboard Scorching 100 on Oct. 30, 1982, and would spend a complete of 27 weeks on the chart.

Watch the Video for “Who Can It Be Now?”

Enterprise as Typical would prime the Billboard Albums Chart for 15 weeks, however regardless of scoring a second U.S. No. 1 single with “Down Below,” the group’s success would not final. The band’s sophomore effort, Cargo, arrived in shops on the finish of April 1983, however didn’t catch on with the general public on the identical degree because the band’s earlier full-length. Following inter-band turmoil that noticed the dismissal of the group’s rhythm part whereas making ready to document their third album, Two Hearts, Males at Work would splinter by early 1986.

Males at Work founder and vocalist-guitarist Colin Hay would reunite the band on a couple of completely different events following their break-up, however by no means with the whole lineup — Hay, multi-instrumentalist Greg Ham, guitarist Ron Strykert, drummer Jerry Speiser and bassist John Rees — from the group’s most profitable period. The present incarnation of the band touts Hay as the only unique member.

So no matter occurred to the members of Males at Work? Let’s have a look and discover out:

Colin Hay

Following the break-up of Males at Work, Hay dove head-first into a profession as a solo artist and has gone on to launch a dozen critically-acclaimed efforts, together with his most up-to-date full-length, Now and the Evermore.

Hay would additionally land plenty of roles on tv, particularly Scrubs, and extra lately, A Million Little Issues, whereas additionally making occasional movie appearances.

In 2109 Hay started touring with a very new lineup of Males at Work. Earlier this yr, they toured the U.S. with Rick Springfield and John Waite. Hay is slated to undertake a solo tour of the U.Okay. in early 2023. He is additionally stored busy touring as a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band alongside Toto’s Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter and others.

Greg Ham

Ham was undoubtedly some of the versatile members of Males at Work, having performed piano, saxophone, organ and flute. Following his retreat from the highlight, the rocker reportedly develop into a music trainer whereas persevering with to carry out with numerous acts. In 2010, an Australian court docket dominated that Ham’s iconic flute solo in “Down Below” had “reproduced a considerable half” of “Kookaburra,” an Australian youngsters’s nursery rhyme written within the Thirties. The rights of the songs had been bought by a music writer, which in flip sued Hay, Strykert and the band’s label, searching for backdated royalties together with a share of future earnings from the tune.

“I am terribly dissatisfied that that is the best way I will be remembered – for copying one thing,” Ham stated, following the decision. The choice took a very devastating toll on the musician, who reportedly slipped into drug and alcohol abuse. Ham subsequently died at his dwelling in 2012, on the age of 58. Colin Hay described his late bandmate as a “man with a golden coronary heart.”

Jerry Speiser

The Males at Work drummer, alongside along with his bandmate John Rees, was unceremoniously fired from the group simply previous to the making of the band’s third document following a reported dispute over their supervisor on the time, Russell Deppler.

“Russell was good for hustling gigs in Melbourne and Sydney however as soon as the band grew to become worldwide and multi-million, the sheep farmer from Warrnambool had no concept,” Speiser instructed the Australian Monetary Evaluation in 2016.

Having earned a serious in physics earlier than turning into a world rock star, Speiser continued taking part in in bands following his departure from Males at Work and would go on to function a administration guide.

John Rees

Little official data might be discovered for Rees’ post-Males at Work profession. The band’s former bassist reportedly lives in Gippsland, a rural space in Southern Victoria, the place he performs in native pubs along with his band Beggs2Differ.

As for Rees’ tumultuous departure from Males at Work, Hay admitted regrets about the best way the group’s rhythm part was dismissed.

“The rhythm part bought sacked as a result of they wished to sack the supervisor, who was my buddy,” Hay stated. “On reflection, I feel I might have finished issues so much otherwise. However on the time you’re coping with data you had and that’s what occurred.”

Hay stated that whereas he was near the group’s supervisor on the time, he acknowledges Deppler ought to have finished extra to attempt to stop the break up.

“What Russell might have, or ought to have finished higher, was to truly have been somebody who stored the band collectively versus being someone who was truly a part of the issue,” he added. “He didn’t have these social expertise or communications expertise.”

Ron Strykert

By the point Males at Work’s third album got here round, their guitarist appeared indifferent from the group.

“He [Strykert] was within the band however I don’t assume he notably cared for the band!” Hay instructed Begins at 60. “So in the midst of the third document, he stated to me at some point, ‘Oh I feel I’m going to go dwelling’, and I stated, ‘Oh yeah, are you going to come back again?’ and he stated, ‘No, I don’t assume so’. He by no means got here again.”

Issues went downhill for Strykert following his Males at Work stardom. The musician relocated to Montana and joined the Church Common and Triumphant, a corporation described by MTV as “a non secular cult.” In 1998 he was arrested and briefly jailed for failure to pay youngster assist.

Strykert was reportedly homeless for 2 years earlier than returning to music in an effort to get his life on monitor. The musician launched his solo debut, Paradise, in 2003.

4 years later, Strykert and Hay had a big falling out over tune royalties. And two years after that, Strykert was arrested after having made dying threats towards Hay, a cost the guitarist denied.

In an interview with Rock Cellar Journal in 2012, Hay did not instantly tackle the fees, however spoke fondly of his recollections of working with Strykert.

“Ron and me labored collectively as a duo for a few yr earlier than Males at Work had been shaped. After I knew Ron, he was a really inspirational man and was actually vital for the band and for me as a songwriter and musician…So once I consider Ron, I consider that stunning inspiring musician I knew who was so vital for me as a songwriter.”