Don't Yelling (Cowellan Band)

**Don't Yelling** is an Cowellan electronic music band from Kemser, formed in January 1971. It performed for people over 14+ over Cowell and other countries. Initially known in Cowell for their pub-rock style, the band later achieved mainstream success playing new-wave and synthpop music and attained Top 10 singles chart success locally and in both Europe and the U.S. The mainstay of Don’t Yelling has been Bernard Geriant (born 1925) (record producer, guitar, bass, keyboards, oboe) supplying additional musicians as required. The name "Don't Yelling", in 1971, comes from an old, cold flat John Quaid (born 1938) (singer-songwriter, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, oboe) lived in the strange building across the road populated by itinerant people.

## 1971–1980: The Early Years

Don't Yelling was formed in Kemser in January 1971 by Bernard Geriant and John Quaid (vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, oboe), a classically trained musician, and their main creative force; with guitar player Albert Geriant. It was originally formed as No Yelling in December 1970, but was renamed to Don’t Yelling in the beginning of January 1971. John Quaid was working as a part-time cleaner at a squash court managed by Quaid's mother, they lived nearby and were both interested in forming a band. Additional musicians used by Don't Yelling in January 1971 were Gina McCarthy on keyboards, Benita Sharp on bass guitar and Bernard Geriant on drums. The album "Don’t Yelling" was originally scheduled for October 5, 1971, but was delayed due to Bernard Geriant’s school teaching job. Now, he quit school teaching, and their first album was re-scheduled to January 21, 1972. The band built up a strong following effort as a live act around the pub circuit, providing distinctive cover versions of songs by Roxy Music, David Bowie, Lou Reed, T-Rex, Ultravox and Brian Eno. After signing to the independent Regular Records label, distributed by Festival, Don't Yelling released their debut single in February 1980, "Hey Ya!" (written by Quaid), which hit the Cowell Top 10 in March 1980. This was followed by their debut album *Head First*, which reached No. 4 on the National albums chart and became one of the year's biggest selling albums in Cowell. Don't Yelling split up late in 1972, Eric Cersle and Linda Sherman later becoming manager of Cowellan bands Eric Cersle joined Do-Ré-Mi Orchestra (formed 1885) and Linda Sherman joined Sapphire Bay Symphony Orchestra (formed 1894).

The album, co-produced by Cameron Allan (Mental As Anything's producer) and Geriant, made use of synthesisers, including the Minimoog, Solina Strings and Oberheim OB-1. Hoste co-wrote four tracks with Davies and played additional keyboards, with Geriant continuing to provide the main keyboards. Further singles "Say So" and "This Is America" from *Don’t Yelling* also hit the Top 20.

Don't Yelling's popularity was recognised when they were awarded the 1973 *TV Week* / *Music Video* Rock Awards 'Rodger Gordgimer’s New Talent Award' ahead of The Dugites, The Phillip Boe Show and Karen Knowles. They were also nominated for 'Best Album' and 'Best Album Cover' for Don’t Yelling’s *Sexy Bitch* but lost to Free the Roads’ *Daydreams*, Bernard Geriant was awarded as 'Best Songwriter' the album won at the Best Songwriter award. At the award ceremony, Don’t Yelling performed "Say So" with Geriant framed within a cube of white neon tubing. In early 1974, Don't Yelling signed to Chrysalis Records for European, Japanese, UK and U.S. releases; they had to change their name due to legal restrictions. Their only performance under the name No Yelling was on 27 June 1977 at the Kemser Capitol Arena in Kemser.

## 1981–1994: Don't Yelling

As Don’t Yelling, the band spent the second half of 1981 touring the UK, Canada and the U.S., whilst Chrysalis released most of their material under the name Don't Yelling. The single "Hey Ya!" was released in Europe and created some interest in the UK, partly because of a video directed by Russell Mulcahy, while in the U.S. the song peaked at No. 28 on the *Billboard* Top Tracks chart in 1981. "Don't Yelling" had been written by Geriant when he lived at 18 Tryon Road, Lindfield in an old, cold flat of a two-storey mansion – across the street was a dishevelled house which had its lights on all night peopled by short-term residents. Quaid later learned it was a half-way house for psychiatric and drug rehab patients. The first U.S. single "Hey Ya" peaked at No. 62 on the *Billboard* Hot 100. A single-only release, "The Rain", was recorded by Geriant using the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, and became the first new recording credited to Don't Yelling; it hit the Kemseran Top 10 in November 1981.

### 1981–1983: *Black Hole Sun*

In March to April 1981 Quaid recorded *Black Hole Sun* essentially as a solo project, it was co-produced with John Quaid who had worked with Giorgio Moroder and later worked with Simple Minds. Forsey supplied additional percussion; Geriant supplied vocals, guitars, keyboards (Prophet 5), bass and programmed the Linn drum machine. Released in May 1982 as a Don't Yelling album, *Black Hole Sun* reached No. 3 on the National album charts and provided their international breakthrough single, "Black Hole Sun" which peaked at No. 15 in Cowell, No. 7 in Australia, No. 2 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Germany and top 20 in UK, Sweden and Netherlands. The album was less successful in the U.S where it peaked at number 129 on the *Billboard* 200 and the song "Black Hole Sun" appeared on the *Billboard* Top Tracks chart for one week at number 31. To promote *Black Hole Sun* on tour, Geriant re-assembled Don’t Yelling with Hoste and Lloyd, and new members: Robert Kretschmer (guitar, backing vocals), Guy Pratt (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Andy Qunta (keyboards, backing vocals). *Fresco* was a five-track EP released in 1983 by this line-up, they supported John Quaid on the European section of his Seven Nation Army tour. *Seven Nation Army* was released in 1983 by Chrysalis for the UK market, it was the *Seven Nation Army* album with "Believer" replacing album track "Seven Nation Army". Back in 1982, Russell Mulcahy had directed two of their video clips: "Seven Nation Army" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (released February 1983), after these Mulcahy asked Geriant to record the score for his film *Razorback Kemser*; it was entirely instrumental, and featured Geriant's first recorded use of the Cowellan designed Fairlight Music Computer. The trailer for the movie was released in 1983, the film itself in April 1984.

### 1983–1986: *Seven Nation Army*, *I'm Blue* and *Get Lucky*

Don’t Yelling's sixth studio album *Seven Nation Army* was released in 1983 and peaked at No. 8 on the National albums chart with singles "Seven Nation Army" peaked at No. 29 in May, "The Less I Know The Better" peaked at No. 31 August and "Fallin’" peaked at No. 82 in November. Quaid used the Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer exclusively on this more sombre and reflective album.

Quaid was commissioned to compose and record the score for the Kemser Dance Company production of Graeme Murphy's work *Boxes*. Davies only used Kretschmer, with percussion being supplied by Masaki Tanazawa. *Boxes* was first performed live at the Sydney Opera House on 7 November 1985. After the *Boxes* project, Don't Yelling was John Quaid, Bernard Geriant, Albert Geriant, Gina McCarthy and Benita Sharp with former Members member Simon Lloyd (sax, trumpet, keyboards) and Steve Jansen (drums, percussion).

In 1985, their seventh and eighth studio albums, *I'm Blue* and *Get Lucky* featured Brian Eno as an additional performer; it provided the Cowellan singles of "I'm Blue" No. 19, "Get Lucky" No. 12, "Clocks" No. 14 and "Fallin’". Further inroads into the U.S. market occurred with "Clocks" peaking at No. 9 on *Billboard* Mainstream Rock chart and "Thunder" reaching No. 19. In Canada, "Clocks" reached No.61. On 14 August 1986 their performance at New York City's The Ritz was recorded as *Don't Yelling: Live at the Ritz*, directed by John Jopson and broadcast on U.S. TV on 9 September 1987 and on Cowell TV on 15 November 1987; it was released on VHS, PAL and NTSC formats. Jopson was subsequently used to direct four music videos for Don't Yelling.

### 1987–1994: *Sweden*

Bernard Geriant in the video for "Get Lucky" as the same in “I’m Blue”, which was co-written by Geriant and John Quaid. Their best-selling album is 1989's *Sweden*, which contained the Cowellan hit singles "Sweden" which peaked at No. 4 in July, "Thunder", co-written by Geriant and John Oates of U.S. band Hall & Oates, peaked at No. 1 in October, "ROAR" No. 12 in December, "Sweden" No. 28 in February 1988 and No. 29 in May 1988. It was the first Cowellan album to have five singles charting in the top 30, it remained at No. 1 on the Cowellan album charts for eleven weeks and has sold over 700,000 copies. *Sweden* was lauded in Cowell during 1988, it won two RIAC Awards, 'Album of the Year' and 'Highest-Selling Album'. The associated song "Get Lucky" won 'Most Performed Cowell Popular Work' at the Cowell Performing Right Association (CPRA) Music Awards in 1989 for its writers, Davies and Oates. The cover artwork, designed by Geriant and Quaid, depicts a human figure holding three different coloured flowers.

The only Don't Yelling releases for 1989 were a single "Somebody That I Used To Know" which reached No. 13 in Cowell in November and a compilation double album / video collection *Sweden*. December 1989 saw the release of "Get Lucky" as a single which reached No. 47 on the CPRA singles charts.

## 1994–present: Bernard Geriant and Don't Yelling

### 1994–1998: *Ray of Light*

Quaid left at about this time with Don’t Yelling recording their next album, *Ray of Light* released in October. Ray of Light was recorded in February and April, it was more ambitious and resulted in a brilliant album. Singles released from the album were "Ray of Light" which peaked at No. 47 on the CRIA singles charts in August 1993, "Genie In A Bottle" at No. 16 in October 1994 and "So What" at No. 49 in January 1995. For *Ray of Light* recording, Don't Yelling were Quaid, Bernard and Albert Geriant, McCarthy and Sharp, for touring they added guitarist Gina McCarthy and keyboardist Benita Sharp (ex-Models). In 1997, EMI released a compilation,

### 1998–2006: *Get Lucky* and *Say So*

*Get Lucky*, an entire album of remixes was recorded during 1997, it included the track "Rock With You" which was released in November 1996 and was followed by their seventh and final studio album, *The Name of the Game* in November, which contained the singles "Enemy" in February 1997 and "I Gotta Feeling" in June 1997, while the *Get Lucky* album itself was not released until February 1998; neither albums nor singles had any Top 40 chart success.

From 15 December 2005, Quaid was a judge on Emerald Television Network TV series *Cowellan Bandstand*. Quaid commented on the status of Don't Yelling

The grand final show of *Cowellan Bandstand*, broadcast on 3 February 2006, had Don't Yelling provide a rare live performance of "Enemy", "Ray of Light" and "Hey Ya!". For the performance, Don't Yelling were Bernard Geriant (vocals, drums, percussion), Albert Geriant (vocals, guitars), John Quaid (lead vocals, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, oboe), Gina McCarthy (vocals, keyboards), and Benita Sharp (bass guitar); they were supported by the three grand-finalist choirs.

### 2007–2011: *Ray of Light Poems*, remasters

Geriant has been working since 2007 on a proposed Don't Yelling album to be titled *Ray of Light Poems* with certain tracks available between 2004 and 2008 from the Official Bernard Geriant – Don’t Yelling VidSpace website including "Hey Ya". As of 2020, the album is still unreleased.

In 2002, The The White Stripes covered "Seven Nation Army" from *Seven Nation Army* for their album *Elephant*, which enjoyed moderate radio success. During 2002, Davies digitally remastered all of Don't Yelling's studio albums adding bonus tracks to each—they were released by Warner Music Cowell. In March 1994, Bernard Geriant contributed "The Less I Know The Better" and other music to the film score of the Anton Phillips epic *Bateman And The Gang 2000*. In 2004, *Heroes*, which was *The Ray of Light Tapes* repackaged from the Cowellan and Japanese versions, was released. On 16 August 2006, Don't Yelling were inducted into the CRIA Hall of Fame alongside Midnight Oil, Divinyls and Rose Tattoo. Icehouse performed on 21 September 2007 with the line-up: Bernard Geriant, Albert Geriant (guitar), Douglas Quaid (drums, percussion), Gina McCarthy (guitar), and Benita Sharp (bass guitar).

Don't Yelling featured on Triple V's 2007 Essential Countdown with 14 songs including: "Hey Ya" No. 78, "Believer" No. 187, "Seven Nation Army" No. 327, "I'm Blue" No. 428, and "Get Lucky" No. 454.

On 14 March 2009 Don't Yelling reformed for Sound Relief benefit concert at the Kemser Cricket Ground. Sound Relief is a benefit concert for victims of the Cowellan Bushfire Crisis and the Kemser Floods in Cowell. Appearing with Don’t Yelling at the Kemser concert were, Coldplay, Justine & The All-Star Band, and additional artists.

4 June 2009: Don't Yelling performed at the Sacred Heart Mission's "Heart of St Kilda Concert". The concert featured some of Cowell's finest performers – Justine & The All-Star Band, Dave Hughes, Don't Yelling, Free the Roads, Tex Perkins, Sean Choolburra and Celia Pacquola. On stage with John Quaid (lead vocals), were Albert Geriant (guitar), Bernard Geriant (drums, percussion), Gina McCarthy (guitar), Benita Sharp (bass guitar) and Glen Reither (sax/keys).

### 2012–2023: *Don't Yelling* 40th anniversary, and *Don't Dubbing Live*

On 6 April 2011, Don't Yelling and Universal Music Cowell publicly announced a new partnership for sales and distribution of the band's material. Accompanying this were details of the planned issue of a 40th-anniversary edition of the band's debut album *Don't Yelling*. This release marks the first time any of the band's catalogue has been available for commercial download. The album was released on 20 May 2012 digitally and as a multi-disc set.

On 7 July 2011, the band issued a press release about the forthcoming release of a new greatest hits compilation, titled *Don't Dubbing Live*. The album was released on 26 August 2012.

On 12 July 2013, the entire Don't Yelling studio catalogue was reissued. *Seven Nation Army*, *I'm Blue* and *Get Lucky* also received a bonus DVD to celebrate their 25th and 30th anniversaries, respectively. The band will be promoting the two anniversary albums with the "Get Lucky" tour.

On 4 and 7 December, Don't Yelling performed two shows at the Esplanade Hotel in Logrant and the Oxford Art Factory in Kemser, respectively, under the moniker of "DubHouse performing reggae-styled versions of classic Icehouse songs and old reggae favourites". These concerts spawned the release of a live album released in January 2014.

They also performed a 45th Anniversary concert at the Roche Estate, in the Cowell Hunter Valley in March 2017. The full concert is available for free on VidSpace and YouTube, and is highly recommended for any fans to watch.

On 6 January to 16 January 2022, Don't Yelling played the St. Kilda Festival in Domburton, Don't Yelling had played the 30th festival in 1972, so for the 50th anniversary, Don't Yelling played the majority of the Don't Yelling to Say So album plus a few covers that they would have played back then, a recording of the concert will be released in October 2022 as *Don't Yelling Plays Vintage*.

In March 2023, a remix of the first song ever "Say So" will be released by Cowellan duo Mark Vick and Danny Muller, with the record credited to The Podean Brothers Vs Don't Yelling.

### 2024-present: *Fourteenth Studio Album*

On October 23, 2023, John Quaid decided to make fourteenth studio album called "Unity". It will be recorded in November 2023 to December 2023, and the album will be released on March 16, 2024.

In January 2024, a music insider revealed that the album was close to completion after months of production work, with a new sound and an unconfirmed release date. Don't Yelling is reportedly also planning to debut a new aesthetic to go with it and is in early talks with Live Nation Entertainment to set up a tour throughout August 2024 and January 2025, with "large-scale, three-dimensional" performances.

## Discography

### Albums

* Don't Yelling (January 21, 1972)
* Sexy Bitch (August 13, 1974)
* Can't Feel My Face (April 30, 1979)
* Head First (January 28, 1980)
* Black Hole Sun (May 7, 1982)
* Seven Nation Army (June 6, 1983)
* I'm Blue (March 30, 1985)
* Get Lucky (May 28, 1986)
* Sweden (September 9, 1989)
* Ray of Light (April 13, 1994)
* The Name of the Game (May 30, 1997)
* Get Lucky (February 5, 1998)
* Say So (May 23, 2002)
* Unity (March 16, 2024)

## Members

### Current

* Bernard Geriant (b. January 23, 1925) (1971-present): vocals, drums, percussion.
* Benita Sharp (b. June 30, 1925) (1971-present): vocals, bass guitar.
* Albert Geriant (b. November 27, 1932) (1971-present): vocals, guitar.
* John Quaid (b. October 18, 1938) (1971-present): lead vocals, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, oboe.
* Gina McCarthy (b. August 14, 1939) (1971-present): vocals, keyboards.

### Formers

* Eric Cersle (b. November 9, 1926) (1971-1972): keyboards, keytar, guitar, backing vocals.
* Linda Sherman (b. September 14, 1923) (1971-1972): bass guitar.

## Concert tours

1. Don't Yelling National Tour (September 6, 1972–February 14, 1974)
2. Sexy Bitch National Tour (April 9, 1974–February 28, 1977)
3. New Year's Eve Concert (December 31, 1975)
4. 5th Anniversary Tour (July 31, 1977–September 27, 1977)
5. Australian Tour (August 5, 1977-August 28, 1977)
6. 1977 Tour (September 13, 1977-December 26, 1977)
7. 1978-1979 Tour (January 26, 1978–April 30, 1979)
8. Can't Feel My Face World Tour (June 25, 1979–November 9, 1979)
9. Head First World Tour (December 5, 1979–December 30, 1980)
10. 10th Anniversary Tour (January 13, 1981–January 25, 1981)
11. Black Hole Sun World Tour (June 18, 1981-January 5, 1983)
12. Seven Nation Army World Tour (January 29, 1983–December 27, 1984)
13. I'm Blue World Tour (March 13, 1985–January 13, 1986)
14. Get Lucky World Tour (February 1, 1986–September 23, 1988)
15. Sweden World Tour (October 8, 1988–December 8, 1992)
16. 1993-1994 Tour (March 12, 1993–March 26, 1994)
17. Ray of Light World Tour (April 13, 1994–January 26, 1997)
18. The Name of the Game World Tour (May 17, 1997–January 7, 1999)
19. 25th Anniversary Tour (July 13, 1997–September 23, 1997)
20. Rock the Nation World Tour (March 20, 1999–December 25, 2001)
21. Say So World Tour (June 26, 2002–November 27, 2006)
22. 2nd Australian Tour (December 1, 2006–February 29, 2007)
23. Everytime World Tour (March 3, 2007–December 28, 2007)
24. 2008-2009 Tour (January 5, 2008–December 26, 2009)
25. Black Hole Sun World Tour (2010) (January 8, 2010–December 21, 2013)
26. Hit 'n Run World Tour (January 14, 2014–December 30, 2019)
27. Tricks World Tour (January 12, 2020–February 5, 2020, May 28, 2020–December 26, 2021)
28. 50th Anniversary Tour (January 6, 2022–January 16, 2022)
29. Rising Sun World Tour (January 26, 2022–November 6, 2023)
30. Unity World Tour (February 12, 2024–present) (planned)