Peter Wells (Rose Tattoo guitarist)

Peter William "Pete" Wells (13 December 1946 – 27 March 2006) was the founder and slide guitarist in Australian hard rock band, Rose Tattoo, from 1976 to 1983. He was previously bass guitarist with the pioneering heavy metal outfit Buffalo from 1971 to 1976. Wells also had a solo career and issued albums, Everything You Like Tries to Kill You (1991), The Meaning of Life (1992), No Hard Feelings (1993), Orphans (1994), Go Ahead, Call the Cops (1996), It's All Fun and Games 'till Somebody Gets Hurt (1999), Hateball (2000) and Solo (2002). In 2002, he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and, on 27 March 2006, Wells died of the disease, aged 59. Rose Tattoo were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame on 16 August of that same year. Peter William Wells, was born on 31 December 1946. In 1966 he was the bass guitarist of The Odd Colours with Ronnie Hausert, Steve Jones, Eddy Staarink, and Dave Tice on lead vocals. His next group was Strange Brew (1966–67) with Tice and Ray Frost. In Brisbane in 1968 Wells, Jones on drums, and Tice formed a blues band, Head (1968–71), with Neil Jensen on guitar and Peter Leighton. By mid-1970 Wells, as a member of Head, had moved to Sydney. In early 1971 Jones was replaced in the group by Paul Balbi on drums and Jensen made way for John Baxter on guitar. In August 1971 Wells, Balbi, Baxter and Tice were joined by Alan Milano on co-lead vocals (ex-Mandala) to form Buffalo as a heavy rock group. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, describes Buffalo as "one of Australia's pioneering heavy rock outfits ... Alongside Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and Blackfeather, Buffalo was one of the loudest and heaviest bands of the day". Wells remained with Buffalo for their albums, Dead Forever... (June 1972), Volcanic Rock (July 1973), Only Want You for Your Body (June 1974) and Mother's Choice (March 1976). He also appeared on three tracks of their posthumous album, Average Rock 'n' Roller (July 1977). As a member of Buffalo Wells co-wrote the album tracks: "Leader" (1972), "Pound of Flesh" (1973), "On My Way" and "Essukay" (both 1976). In 1976, Wells, initially on bass guitar, formed another hard rock band, Rose Tattoo, with Leigh Johnston on rhythm guitar, Tony Lake on lead vocals and Michael Vandersluys on drums. They were soon joined by Ian Rilen on bass guitar so that Wells could focus on slide guitar. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, Wells had "decided to form the band that became Rose Tattoo, decided on their style of boogie and blues music, and their street look, united by their tattooed bodies". Further line-up changes resulted in Lake being replaced by Angry Anderson on lead vocals, Mick Cocks taking over from Johnston on rhythm guitar, and in 1977 Dallas Royall substituting for Vandersluys on drums. Their "peerless, street-level heavy blues with the emphasis on slide guitar" style had developed a strong following leading to Albert Productions offering them a record contract. Their debut single, "Bad Boy for Love" (October 1977), became a top 20 hit on the Kent Music Report. In November of the next year their self-titled debut album established their reputation with production by Alberts' in-house producers, George Young and Harry Vanda, formerly of The Easybeats. Rilen left the band to be replaced by former Buster Brown bass guitarist, Geordie Leach. After the release of their second album, Assault and Battery (September 1981), the group embarked on an international tour. They were the loudest band to play at the Marquee Club in London since Led Zeppelin. Upon their return to Australia Robin Riley replaced Cocks on guitar. After the release of their third album Scarred for Life (November 1982), the band supported Aerosmith and then ZZ Top for several dates while on a three-month tour of North America. Wells, Riley and Royall all left Rose Tattoo in early 1983. For Rose Tattoo, Wells co-wrote at least 17 tracks, including the single, "One of the Boys" (1978). In August 1983 Wells, on guitar, formed Scattered Aces (styled as $cattered Aces) with Paul De Marco aka Fred Zeppelin on drums (ex-Chris Turner Band); Ronnie Peel aka Rockwell T. James on bass guitar and lead vocals (ex-The Missing Links, Pleazers, Rockwell T. James & the Rhythm Aces, the La De Da's, John Paul Young & the All Stars, Cheetah); and former Buffalo bandmate, Chris Turner, on guitar and vocals (ex-Drain, Buffalo, Rockwell T. James & the Rhythm Aces). The group issued a six-track extended play, Six Pack, on Big Rock Records in April 1984. They followed with a cover version of Eddie Cochran's 1958 song, "C'mon Everybody", as a single but they had broken up by mid-1984. In November 1984 Wells established Illustrated Men, with former Rose Tattoo members, Cocks on guitar (ex-Heaven by then), Leach on bass guitar, Rilen on lead vocals (X), and Royall on drums. The group "played loud, barnstorming rock'n'roll" but was "designed to be a short-term touring venture". They toured into 1985 performing material largely written by Rilen before disbanding. Wells and Leach (aka Fast Eddie) joined a blues group, Lucy De Soto Band, with De Soto (aka Patricia Anne Clements) on lead vocals, piano and Hammond organ (ex-Living Daylights, Fat Time); and Ross Mercer on drums. Their debut album, Three Girls and a Sailor, appeared in 1985. They followed with a second album, Help Me Rhonda, My Boyfriend's Back, in August of the next year. By that time the line up was Wells, De Soto, Leach and Charlie Watts on drums. For the next three years, Wells and De Soto, lived "in the foothills behind the Gold Coast ... in semi-retirement". Wells, De Marco, Peel and Turner briefly performed as Slightly Shadey in 1987. In January 1990 Wells and De Soto established another group, Heart Attack, with Cocks, De Marco and Mick Strutt on bass guitar. In March they supported Hitmen DTK on a national tour, Kathryn Whitfield of The Canberra Times noted that Heart Attack "consists of well-known Australian musicians who simply refuse to take holidays (or in some cases, retire)" and Wells "takes centre stage also assuming the role of vocalist". By mid-1990 Wells began recording his debut solo album, Everything You Like Tries to Kill You (late 1990), which "gave full vent to Wells' wry, sardonic world-view". Wells and De Soto co-wrote eight of ten tracks. Wells supplied banjo, dobro, guitars (lead, acoustic, bass, electric, slide and steel), harmonica and lead vocals; while De Soto provided keyboards, organ (Hammond), percussion, piano, and both lead and background vocals. They used session musicians including Stuart Fraser on guitars, drums and vocals (from Noiseworks); Jim Hilbun on backing vocals (from The Angels); Mark Meyer on drums (ex-Richard Clapton Band, Moving Pictures, Mark Gillespie Band); Ted Pepper on saxophone; and Jon Stevens on backing vocals (from Noiseworks). It was produced by Fraser, Stevens and Kevin Shirley (Lime Spiders) for the Big Stars label and distributed by Mushroom Records. According to McFarlane the album had "mixed country, bluesy boogies and laid-back rock'n'roll". To support the release Wells and De Soto formed the Pete Wells Band in 1991 but "played raunchy, traditional Aussie pub rock". The early line-up included Wells on guitar, slide guitar and lead vocals; De Soto on piano, keyboards and backing vocals; Warwick Fraser on drums (ex-Feather, The Screaming Tribesmen); Tim Gaze on lead guitar (ex-Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Ariel, Rose Tattoo); and Michael Vidale on bass guitar (ex-Jimmy and the Boys). In August that year Wells produced the debut album, Nightstreet, by AOR band, Roxus. It peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His second solo album, The Meaning of Life, appeared in July of the following year, which was "more straight-up rock'n'blues". It was co-produced by Fraser and Stevens. In the studio he used De Soto, Gaze and Strutt with Bernie Bremond on saxophone (ex-Johnny Diesel and