The Black Sorrows

The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues and roots band formed in Melbourne in 1983 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Camilleri. Initially a loose collective performing R&B, zydeco and soul covers, the group moved into original material and has released multiple studio albums across four decades, blending blues, rock, soul and roots influences. Over 40 musicians have played with the band, with Camilleri remaining the sole constant member throughout its history. The band achieved commercial success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with top-charting albums such as Hold On to Me (1988), Harley and Rose (1990) and Better Times (1992), and singles including “Chained to the Wheel,” “Harley + Rose” and “Never Let Me Go.” Several of these releases reached the top 20 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and the group won industry recognition during this period. Their extensive catalogue includes later albums such as Saint Georges Road (2021), The Way We Do Business (2024) and the retrospective The Quintessential Black Sorrows (2025). Despite frequent lineup changes, The Black Sorrows have maintained a strong live following and continue to tour and record. The band’s influence in Australian blues and roots music has endured, with its mix of styles and decades-long output contributing to its reputation as one of the country’s long-running and eclectic musical acts. The Black Sorrows began as a loose pick-up band in Melbourne in 1983. They played mostly covers of R&B, zydeco, soul and blues music. An early line-up was founding mainstay, Joe Camilleri (aka Joey Vincent) on vocals, saxophone and guitar (ex-The Pelaco Brothers, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons); with Jeff Burstin on guitar (ex-Company Caine, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons), Wayne Burt on guitar and vocals (ex-Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, the Fabulaires); George Butrumlis on piano accordion; Wayne Duncan on bass guitar (ex-Daddy Cool, Living Legends); Steve McTaggart on violin; Paul Williamson on clarinet and saxophone; and Gary Young on drums (ex-Daddy Cool, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons). Initially, Camilleri used the group to play gigs in local cafes after the dissolution of his previous band, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons. From 1983 to 1988 he used the name Joey Vincent for his work with the band. Membership in the band has been loose and fluid. Most of The Falcons, at one point or another, have been members; numerous other Australian musicians have drifted in and out of the line-ups. Aside from zydeco, their early style included Cajun music. Their first two albums, Sonola (June 1984) and Rockin' Zydeco (March 1985), were each recorded live-in-the-studio, in one day, with Camilleri producing. They consisted almost entirely of R&B covers of material from Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Arthur Alexander, Don Covay, and John Lee Hooker. A Place in the World followed in November 1985, again produced by Camilleri, it only had one cover track, the rest co-written by Camilleri with Nick Smith (ex-Millionaires, the Kevins, Stephen Cummings Band), who was also on guitar and backing vocals. Camilleri told Catherine Cook of The Canberra Times that they "had to exist on their own merit". She noted the songwriter was "taking all the best from the music he was playing and adding experiences and ideas". Also joining the group, just before recording, was Peter Luscombe (ex-Tinsley Waterhouse Band, Stephen Cummings Band) on drums and percussion. Camilleri, Burstin, Burt, Butrumlis, Luscombe, McTaggart, and Smith were joined in the studio by sessions musicians including Ed Bates (ex-The Sports) on guitar; Joe Creighton (ex-Billy T) on bass guitar; Ross Hannaford (ex-Daddy Cool, Billy T) on guitar; Andrew Pendlebury (ex-The Sports) on guitar; and The Blackberries on vocal harmonies. By November 1986 the Black Sorrows line-up was Camilleri, Burstin, Luscombe and Smith; with Johnny Charles on bass guitar. The group were playing mostly original material. The group released "Mystified" which gained radio play and peaked at number 24 on the Kent Music Report. The group's fourth studio album, Dear Children (April 1987), which was co-produced by Camilleri and Burstin, initially appeared on Camel Records. but CBS signed them to a distribution deal. With CBS promoting, it peaked at No. 22 the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart in June. In May that year, the single, "Daughters of Glory", had reached the top 50 on the related Kent Music Report singles chart. Additional session musicians used on Dear Children included: Butrumlis; Tony Faeshe on guitar and viola; Venetta Fields on backing vocals; Mick Girasole on bass guitar; Paul Grabowsky on piano; Sherlie Matthews on backing vocals; Mick O'Connor on keyboards and Hammond organ. The band often made use of session or touring musicians including Sam See on slide guitar, Tony Norris on trumpet, and Kerryn Tolhurst on guitar. During 1988 Smith left the performance line-up, however he continued writing lyrics for the Black Sorrows over the following two decades. By mid-year Burt had returned on guitar, Charles was replaced by Girasole on bass guitar, and Vika and Linda Bull joined on backing vocals and occasional lead vocals (ex-Sophisticated Boom Boom, The Sacred Hearts of Sweet Temptation, The Honeymooners). Australian journalist Ed Nimmervoll described the "classic line-up" of the group as Camilleri, Linda and Vika Bull, Burstin, Burt, Girasole and Luscombe. The Bull sisters' readily identifiable singing style became a big part of The Black Sorrows' sound. At live gigs each had their own "spots" showing different voices: "Vika strong and soulful. Linda soft and gentle." The group's fifth album, Hold on to Me, was issued in September 1988, which was co-produced by Burstin and Camilleri. As well as the standard version CBS released a limited edition 2× LP in Australia. AllMusic's Rudyard Kennedy felt the lead singer was able to "channel the voice and persona of" Van Morrison and while the group "borrow many of the same ingredients" however "the trick is in mixing those well-worn ingredients together and coming up with something new" such that the album "deserves to be heard and hailed by music fans the world over". The album peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 1989 and remained in the top 50 for 46 weeks. It provided two top 40 hits on the associated Singles Chart: "Chained to the Wheel" (March 1989 – their highest charting single at No. 9) and "The Crack-Up" (April). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1990 they won Best Group. Internationally Hold on to Me peaked at No. 6 on the Norwegian Albums Chart; No. 18 on the Swedish Albums Chart; and No. 35 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. Before recording their sixth album, Harley and Rose (August 1990), Jen Anderson was added on violin (ex-Kings of the World); and Richard Sega replaced Girasole on bass guitar. It was co-produced by Camilleri, Burstin and Luscombe; and the CD format has six bonus tracks compared with the LP version. It peaked at No. 3 in Australia and remained in the top 50 for 51 weeks; No. 5 in Norway; and No. 36 in Sweden. The album produced two top 30 singles; "Harley + Rose" and "Never Let Me Go". The Revelators—a band made up of members of the Black Sorrows—released their first album, Amazing Stories, in December 1991. The Revelators sound was a return to early The Black Sorrows material: playing largely R&B-oriented cover songs. Burt left the Black Sorrows before recording for their seventh album, Better Times (September 1992), and Stephen Hadley (ex-Kate Ceberano and the Ministry of Fun) replaced Sega on bass guitar. Also added to the line-up were Barker and James Black (on keyboards) of The Relevators. Finally, Laurie Polec took over as the band's primary lyricist, although Smith contributed to this and future releases. Better Times peaked at No. 13 in Australia. In March 1993 the group re-released Better Times as 2× CD pack with The Revelators' Amazing Stories as a bonus disc. The pack reached No. 14 in