Draft:Hoopsnake


Hoopsnake was an Australian band formed in Sydney, combining reggae, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz and rock influences. The group released music through rooArt and was published through Chris Murphy's MMA Music in the mid-1990s.

The Manly Daily reported in 1994 that Hoopsnake developed from Cat & Moose Productions, which it described as a songwriting and production team formed by musicians associated with The Allniters. The article noted Cat & Moose's earlier work and described Hoopsnake as a vehicle for the team's own songs.[1]

History

Origins

Hoopsnake formed around the Cat & Moose Productions team, comprising former Allniters members Troy Duncombe and Mickey Mahoney.[2]

Their early work included the Allniters' recording of "Still in Love", a cover of Dragon's 1978 hit "Still in Love with You". The track was included on Export Music Australia Presents Crocodile CD (EMACD1).[3] Billboard reported that Export Music Australia prepared the 18-song CD for international promotion at MIDEM 1989, with thousands of copies to be distributed.[4]

After securing publishing with EMI Songs Australia, Cat & Moose released "This World" (as The Magnificent VII) through Truetone/EMI in 1990. The track was later included on the soundtrack to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and featured a rap from Sound Unlimited's Rosano Martinez. The soundtrack credits list EMI Songs Australia among the song's publishers.[5]

Subsequently, the team played a significant role in the development of Sound Unlimited Posse as co-writers and producers of the group's first three singles.[1]

Cat & Moose also performed live on the Doug MulrayTriple M breakfast program during the period before Hoopsnake formed.

Formation

The group was formed around Mahoney and Duncombe on guitars and vocals, with John Kirk on bass, Hamish McLeod on drums and Andrew Funnell on keyboards. In her Time Out column for The Manly Daily, Anita Hawser described the band’s sound as drawing on groove, soul, funk, rock, reggae and percussion-based music.[1]

Hawser later reported that Hoopsnake had attracted early interest from rooArt. The group subsequently entered into a recording relationship with rooArt and a publishing relationship with MMA Music.[6]

"I'm a Believer"

Hoopsnake's first commercial single was its 1994 cover of the Neil Diamond song "I'm a Believer", previously a hit for The Monkees.

A contemporary review described the group as five Sydney musicians with ska, hip hop and jazz backgrounds and praised the single as "creative and talented", "fresh" and "damn funky".[7] The single also included "Hipnovista", an original track combining Latin and jazz influences.

Hoopsnake's "I'm a Believer" (Radio Edit) was also included on the 1995 Heartbreak High – Original Soundtrack, released by EastWest Records GmbH[8]. The track also appeared on Triple J's official voting list for the 1994 Hottest 100.[9]

"Outta My System"

Hoopsnake released the original single “Outta My System” through rooArt in 1995, with publishing through MMA Music. The single was launched with a performance at Mister Goodbar in Paddington on 27 April.

In 2007, ABC Radio National's The Night Air program featured Hoopsnake's track "Mellowsnake" in its episode "Out Of It". The program's archived music details identify the track as appearing on Outta My System and list the release as "Roo Art 0630101 292".[10]

The Manly Daily reported that the first batch of Outta My System CDs was affected by a manufacturing fault that impaired playback quality and that the faulty discs were recalled. The same article reported that plans for an album were subsequently placed on hold, but the group disbanded before an album was released.[6]

Music videos

The band placed considerable emphasis on visual presentation in its promotional videos. The promotional video for "I'm a Believer" used an Ames room set to create exaggerated in-camera perspective effects.[11]

The "Outta My System" video[12] featured a surreal miniature landscape with the band composited into the set using visual-effects techniques. Produced by ACME Production and Design, the video was selected as a finalist in the Music Video category of the 1996 Australian Effects and Animation Festival.[13]

Live activity

Hoopsnake performed regularly in Sydney and interstate during the mid-1990s. In October 1994, the band appeared at the General Bourke Hotel with Skunkhour and later that month at the Phoenician Club.[14]

In April 1994, Time Out previewed a performance by the band at the Narrabeen Sands Hotel on Sydney's Northern Beaches and described Hoopsnake as combining established Australian songwriting and production experience with musicians from several Sydney bands.[1]

In another profile published on 28 July 1995, Hawser reported that Hoopsnake had supported Christine Anu during the promotion of her debut album Stylin’ Up and performed again at the Narrabeen Sands Hotel.[6]

On 11 June 1995, Hoopsnake appeared at The Synagogue in Adelaide on a bill with Bliss.[15] The group also supported Silverchair at Brisbane nightclub Van Gogh's Earlobe.

Television appearances

Hoopsnake received national television exposure during 1995. The band appeared on the Nine Network variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday during the program's 1995 season.[16]

Hoopsnake also appeared on Network Ten's Hard Yards, where the band performed "Outta My System" live.[17]

Musical style and reception

The Manly Daily described the group as combining groove, soul, funk, rock and reggae influences.[1]

A contemporary review of "I'm a Believer" praised the band's use of percussion, horns, keyboards and samples.[7]

European reception

Following its international release, Hoopsnake's “I’m a Believer” received documented radio airplay across several European markets. The European music-industry publication Music & Media listed the single at Gold-ranked Radio 7 in Ulm, Germany, in February 1995[18], and subsequently on the B-list of Platinum-ranked Austrian national station Ö3 in Vienna.

At Ö3, the Hoopsnake track appeared in station reports alongside current releases by artists including Robert Palmer, Massive Attack, M People and Stevie Wonder.[19] The publication also reported airplay in Denmark, including Radio Fredericia and ANR in Aalborg.[20][21]

The track was released in Germany as a CD maxi-single on rooArt and EastWest, catalogue number 4509-99303-2.[22] A later Manly Daily profile reported that “I’m a Believer” had reached No. 8 and No. 12 respectively on Austrian and German radio charts.[6]

Members

  • Mickey Mahoney – guitar, lead vocals, songwriting, production
  • Troy Duncombe – guitar, vocals, songwriting, production
  • John Kirk – bass guitar
  • Hamish McLeod – drums
  • Andrew Funnell – keyboards

Discography

Singles

  • "I'm a Believer" – rooArt, 1994
  • "Outta My System" – rooArt, 1995

Other tracks and appearances

  • "Hipnovista" – included on the 1994 CD single "I'm a Believer"
  • "Mellowsnake" – included on the 1995 CD single "Outta My System" [10]
  • Heartbreak High – Original Soundtrack – EastWest, 1995 [8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Hawser, Anita (22 April 1994). "Venom and blues with Hoopsnake". The Manly Daily (Page 10).
  2. ^ "Gigs – Tours & Media 1985–2015" (PDF). The Allniters. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  3. ^ "Rare Australian ska". Tone and Wave. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  4. ^ "Export Music Australia: Helping to Boost the Breakout Rate" (PDF). Billboard: A-8. 28 January 1989.
  5. ^ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d Hawser, Anita (28 July 1995). "Hoopsnake set for Sands". The Manly Daily.
  7. ^ a b "Hoopsnake – I'm a Believer". The Drum Media. October 1994.
  8. ^ a b "Heartbreak High – Original Soundtrack". Musik-Sammler.de. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  9. ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation / Triple J (1994). Triple J Hottest 100 1994 Voting List.
  10. ^ a b "Out Of It". ABC Listen. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  11. ^ "Hoopsnake – I'm A Believer". YouTube. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  12. ^ "Hoopsnake – Outta My System". YouTube. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  13. ^ "AEAF Finalists & Winners 1996–2013". Australian Effects and Animation Festival. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  14. ^ ""Hoopsnake" advertisement". The Drum Media: Page 33. 11 October 1994.
  15. ^ "Bliss archive".
  16. ^ "Hey Hey! It's Saturday – Season 1995". TheTVDB. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  17. ^ "Hoopsnake Live – Outta My System". YouTube. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  18. ^ "Airplay Station Reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 12 (6): Page 17. 11 February 1995.
  19. ^ "Airplay Station Reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 12 (7): Page 23. 18 February 1995.
  20. ^ "Airplay Station Reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 12 (8): Page 22. 25 February 1995.
  21. ^ "Airplay Station Reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 12 (10): Page 23. 11 March 1995.
  22. ^ "Hoopsnake – I'm a Believer" (PDF). Fun Records catalogue. Retrieved 20 August 2026.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.