page_title: The Delltones
section_title: Morphing
hierarchical_section_title: The Delltones / History / Morphing
caption_attribution_description: English: The Delltones performing at the Anti Nuclear Rally
context_page_description: The Delltones were an Australian rock 'n' roll band, which formed in 1958. They started as a doo-wop, harmony quartet with Warren Lucas, Brian Perkins, Noel Widerberg and Ian "Peewee" Wilson. In June 1962 Noel Widerberg died in a car accident in Brighton-le-Sands in Sydney, and three weeks later the group's single, "Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands", reached the top five on the local charts. Widerberg's position was filled by Col Loughnan. The group disbanded in 1973.
  Wilson, as the sole founding mainstay, reformed the group with new members in 1978 as a five-piece band. Along with stylistic changes, it led to their resurgence and a top 20 compilation album, Bop Til Ya Drop. The Delltones performed for five decades; although their most successful recording years were in the 1960s. They were consistent live entertainers in Australia before disbanding in 2016.
context_section_description: By the end of 1981, Wilson, the only surviving member, realised the limits of a harmony ensemble in a live environment dominated by tensile Oz Rock bands. So he set about reinventing the venerable entity, changing it from vocal group to vocal band. The line up changed but the essence continued on. Contributors to these changes included musicians and vocalists: Alan Freeman, who previously played bass with the jazz singer Kerrie Biddell; Johnny Charters, who played with Johnny Rebb’s Rebels in the 1960s; Alex Plavsic, an ex-member of the progressive rock group Sebastian Hardie; as well as Vic Schrier, Ralph Wilcock, Bob Cook, and Robert Kitney.
  Danny Mayers joined The Delltones after Wilson saw him perform at the Palais Royale in Newcastle. The Delltones went on to play a record sixteen-week run at Kinselas in Sydney's Taylor Square, Darlinghurst, including a memorable guest performance by Tiny Tim. They performed at the Anti Nuclear Rally, alongside Aboriginal band No Fixed Address, and then at the Tivoli with Mondo Rock. By the end of 1983 they had played 171 gigs. At this stage the Band was being managed by Carla Wilson; they touched a wider range of Australians than almost any other rock group.
caption: The Delltones performing at the Anti Nuclear Rally
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