Dave Dobbyn

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David Joseph Dobbyn (born 3 January 1957) is a New Zealand musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer.

He appeared in his youth as a founding member of Th' Dudes and was the primary creative force in pop band DD Smash.

Since then, he has released the majority of his albums as a solo performer.

Early life

Dave Dobbyn was born in Glen Innes, Auckland, third of five children to tour-bus driver Terry Dobbyn and Molly. He was influenced by music from a young age, from the Irish songs his father listened to,displayed, to the worship of the church across the road, to various radio stations where he was able to catch up on the family radiogram.

Although his family had a piano at home, he was the only one not to receive piano lessons, which was grateful for in retrospect because it meant he had to attend it without having recalls of rigorous lessons. He and his three brothers attended Sacred Heart College, where he would meet Ian Morris and Peter Urlich.

While Sacred Heart celebrated music, Dobbyn was too young to be concerned, and after graduating high school, she spent nine months as a bankteller and applied to teachers' college twice, she was accepted on the second attempt. He was asked by Morris and Urlich to join the band that would become Th' Dudes as he started teachers' college.

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Musical career

Dobbyn's first success came with the success of Th' Dudes, a rock band that he joined as a guitarist. Dobbyn left teachers' college to concentrate on the band full time after being involved with the band for a year. Dobbyn had a traumatic stage fright and appeared early in the back of a festival with his eyes closed. However, he played frontman for the 1980 hit "Be Mine Tonight" (1978). In 1979 in New Zealand, the song became the band's breakout star, with several commentators referring to him as the band's breakout star. "Bliss" (1980), the band's 1980 album, has become a staple New Zealand drinking song.

Dobbyn formed the DD Smash, a pop group that was disbanded in 1980. The band's first release, "Lipstick Power," followed by "Bull by the Horns (1981), which was supposed to be about Dobbyn's struggle with stage fright while performing with Th' Dudes. Cool Bananas (1982), their first album, debuted in the New Zealand charts at number one.

An album released live at Auckland's famous eighties venue Mainstreet after Treavaun, DD smash (1983). Their last album, The Optimist (1984), although cleaner looking production-wise than its predecessor, showed signs of compromise with the dominant commercial, blue-eyed soul inflected, synthpop sound of the post-modern wave era of British and Australian music, which was largely unknown in New Zealand charts at the time. Dobbyn seemed to be keeping an eye on the larger Australian market, and it wasn't long before he had a number one solo strike there.

DD Smash was playing an outdoor concert in Aotea Square in Auckland in December 1984. During their performance, a power failure caused sections of the audience to become restless. Some of the people began throwing beer bottles and police arrested them. The situation escalated, and the riot squad was sent. Dobbyn made derogatory remarks about the police, which allegedly triggered the throngs. The concert was interrupted by the police and sections of the crowd, who rioted, smashing store windows along Queen Street. Prime Minister David Lange ordered an inquiry, and as a result, Dobbyn was charged with inciting a rebellion. Dobbyn's criminal trial began in June 1985. His counsel defended him and was cleared of "behaving in a manner that might cause injury to a person or property, as well as using insulting terms."

When DD Smash eventually disbanded, partially to make room for Dobbyn's commercially expanding vision, they left behind them the hit singles "Outlook for Thursday" (1983) and the violin-ting, hi perennial classic "Whaling" (1984).

Dobbyn began a fruitful solo career by composing the soundtrack for the animated feature film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale in 1986. "You Oughta Be In Love" (1986) and the chart-topping "Slice of Heaven" (1986), both dated from the film. "Slice of Heaven" became one of Dobbyn's most popular songs, frequently used in tourism advertisements, urging viewers to visit New Zealand after the film's release. Dobbyn settled in Australia as a result of the song's success.

A re-worked version of Dobbyn's song "Slice of Heaven" appeared in a number of television commercials in Australia in April 1987. The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), a funding body, promoted the Devon meat product by substituting the word "Heaven" for "Devon" in the chorus.

In 1988, Dobbyn released his debut solo album Loyal, a personal tribute to love and admiration. The Mitchell Froom-produced Lament for the Numb (1993), which featured members of Elvis Costello's one-time backing band, was his sequel. At the time, Dobbyn's record label had dubbed the album "unreleasable" and was postponed for a year until its eventual release. Dobbyn, a ten-year resident in Australia, returned to Auckland in the early 1990s and performed the Twist in 1994 with fellow New Zealander and recently returned singer-songwriter Neil Finn, whose contribution, Dobbyn said, was "critical to the success of that song." Twist is also notable for its inclusion of Emma Paki, a Maori singer who was well-known in the region at the time of the album's debut.

Dobbyn was one of the first musical artists to broadcast a live streamed a performance on the internet in 1995. However, technological difficulties hampered it.

In his fourth solo album, The Islander, Dobbyn assumed the role of producer. The album received widespread attention and critical acclaim, debuting at number one on the New Zealand charts at number one.

Dobbyn co-authored "Read About It," the Duffy Books in Homes project's theme song, which is still being enjoyed by 100,000 children annually.

"Loyal" (1988), Dobbyn's debut solo album Loyal (1988), was used as an anthem for Team New Zealand's unsuccessful 2003 Cup defense of Team New Zealand. He has also produced albums for Australian singer Grant McLennan and contributed to Jenny Morris' album, Gyan Evans, Wayne Gillespie, and Bic Runga. Dobbyn and Runga Finn toured New Zealand in 2000. The tour was shot on tour and the live album Together in Concert: Live (2000) was released shortly after. The tour also included lead off song "Just Add Water" from his 2000 album Hopetown, which Dobbyn has since described as "a cartoon album."

Dobbyn's sixth solo album, Available Light, was released in 2005. The album has received acclaim for its popularity and critical acclaim. At the New Zealand Music Awards ceremony last year, Dobbyn performed the lead single from Available Light's "Welcome Home" (2005). Ahmed Zaoui, who was contesting a security certificate due to suspected links to terrorist organisations, appeared on stage with Dobbyn.

Dobbyn, a dobbyn family from Anotherland, was released in 2008. The album debuted on the NZ Top 40 Album Charts at Number 2 and stayed in the charts for six weeks before earning Gold status.

Dobbyn released a second greatest hits album in 2009, which included re-recorded versions of "Devil You Know," "Shaky Isles," and "Whaling." There are songs on the second disc that are less well known. A limited edition of his three decades of music, as well as interviews with former bandmates and collaborators.

Dobbyn appeared on the Flight of the Conchords' charity single Feel Inside in 2012. The album debuted at number one on the New Zealand charts and stayed there for two weeks.

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