Harvey James Joins Mississippi
Mississippi became even more of a rock band when Russ Johnson left and was replaced ultimately by the crisp guitar lines of Harvey James – of later Ariel and Sherbet fame. Harvey’s knife-edge solos had an immediate impact on the group’s sound. Beeb started developing the dual guitar ideas used so effectively later in Little River Band.
Russ Johnson quit Mississippi to join Greg Quill’s Country Radio and Harvey James joined the band. Colin Deluca, Harvey James, Beeb Birtles, Derek Pellicci, John Mower and Graeham Goble. Harvey’s first gig in Mississippi was on 11/3/1973 at the La Trobe Valley Festival in Rosedale, Victoria.
Mississippi – Your Mama Don’t Dance
12th February 1973 – ABC GTK
Mississippi – Kings Of The World Sunbury 73′
In late 1972, Mississippi were joined by Beeb Birtles (ex-Zoot, Frieze) on guitar and vocals, Colin DeLuca (ex-Fugitives) on bass guitar and Derek Pellicci (ex-Ash) on drums. This line-up released a single, “Mr Moondog”, in December and toured Australia. Here is their appearance with a 37 piece orchestra at the Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973 ‘Kings Of The World’. Clip introduced by Ken Sparkes.
Mississippi Poster
Mississippi First Full Lineup
L To R: Russ Johnson, Graeham Goble, Derek Pellicci, Beeb Birtles, John Mower and Colin Deluca.
The promotion surrounding the whole Bootleg release of three albums – Mississippi’s, Brian Cadd’s, and one by an Adelaide singer/songwriter Stephen Foster – was just the right launching pad for a find single like “Kings Of The World”. It reached the national Top-10. With a hit record on their hands, Mississippi realised they had to find some musicians to complete the group. There was no use performing as just a trio.
Graeham Goble: “The only bass player I could think of was Beeb Birtles”, said Graeham. He called the top booking agency and asked the voice answering the phone whether he knew how to find the former Zoot bass player. It was Beeb himself on the other end. After the breakup of the Frieze duo, he had decided to keep himself busy by working at the agency.
Beeb Birtles: “I had to tell Graeham that I didn’t play bass anymore. I’d been playing guitar with Frieze, and I really didn’t want to go back to bass. But, I told him I’d like to have a listen to the album anyway. I loved the songs so much, I wanted to be part of that music. We had a sing and Graeham’s voice and mine sounded so good together. Graeham made a stand with the others about having me in the group”.
New Zealand Fantasy Band
Taken In Kew Street St Kilda – (Derek Pellicci is Second From Left)