Genevieve mcguckin biography

This is a guest post by Melbourne-based writer and musician Genevieve McGuckin. It was originally published at her Facebook page in 2018.

I watched Rage last night, the outpouring of memories and all the funny poignant stories have made Spencer seem so real, it’s impossible to believe he’s gone. So much has been said and so well, it’s a bit daunting to add to.

Aw, Spencer. I was lucky enough to know this charming funny and generous man who made incredible music, and who had a way of making me feel pretty damn special.

Spencer was like a kid with a lolly jar around music and I found that irresistible in a man who’d written and played some of my all time favourite songs.

Newly back in Melbourne after 15 years in Europe, Rowland [Howard] and I were both staying at Rowland’s dad’s place in Albert Park.

Rowland! Your drug dealer’s here

We must’ve been there for about 2 weeks when Jock shuffled into the kitchen one sunny afternoon to say:

Jock: “Rowland! Your drug dealer’s here.”
Rowland: “WHAT?! What on EARTH are you talking about Dad?”
Jock: “He’s here again… the one with the hat … and the leather jacket…”
Rowland: “WHAT???”
Jock: “…he comes nearly every single day.”

Nonplussed we peered into the stygian gloom of the hallway to find only Spencer, hat in hand, grinning sheepishly.

“I hate to disappoint!” he said quietly.

Ha! Jock seemed totally unable to imagine that anyone would visit Rowland so often for any other reason.

Of course there was a reason. Music. And friendship.

Even in 1994, Spencer seemed to have already played with everybody.

A chaotic way of working, but Spencer managed it.

In Europe being in more than one or two bands was viewed as suspicious, if not downright traitorous!

Yet here was Spencer with multiple bands and projects bubbling up and down around him.

It was differ

Australian post-punk band

These Immortal Souls were an Australianpost-punk band formed in London in 1987 by Harry Howard on bass guitar, his older brother Rowland S. Howard on guitar and vocals, Epic Soundtracks (a.k.a. Kevin Godfrey) on drums (all three ex-Crime & the City Solution) and Genevieve McGuckin on keyboards (Rowland's long time girlfriend). They issued two albums on Mute Records, Get Lost (Don't Lie) 1987 and I'm Never Gonna Die Again 1992. The group relocated to Australia in 1995 and played less frequently before disbanding there in mid-1998. Soundtracks died in November 1997 and Rowland S. Howard died in December 2009.

History

Late in 1986 Australian brothers Harry on bass guitar and Rowland S. Howard on guitar, and United Kingdom-born Epic Soundtracks (a.k.a. Kevin Godfrey) on drums were not invited to the recording sessions for Crime and the City Solution's album Shine. As they had already been rehearsing and recording with Genevieve McGuckin for what was seen at the time as a solo outlet for Rowland, they then became a permanent band. With Rowland's then-girlfriend, Genevieve McGuckin on keyboards, Harry, Rowland (on lead vocals and guitar) and Soundtracks formed another rock band, These Immortal Souls, in London in 1987. Rowland explained why he formed the group, "I had lots of songs I really liked... songs that would never have been done if I hadn't said, 'Right, I'm going to sing them,' because you can't give somebody a set of lyrics and tell them what to sing if you want any kind of sincerity."

The group's debut single, "Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)", was issued in September 1987. Melody Maker's reviewer asked "What possesses Rowland Howard when he writes an immaculate piece of music, something that might have qualified as the score for Romero's next film?... what spirit galvanizes this frail young man to bugger

Genevieve McGuckin is a musician and song-writer from Melbourne, Australia.
McGuckin was a founding member of These Immortal Souls and has been a long-time collaborator (musically and romantically speaking, at various points) of Rowland S. Howard. She co-wrote two tracks (Capers and Ho-Ho) from The Birthday Party's debut LP Prayers On Fire. She performed on the Rowland S. Howard and Lydia Lunchcover of Some Velvet Morning, and on Lunch's Honeymoon In Red LP, where she contributed the song Three Kings. While in These Immortal Souls (1984 to 1998) she played piano and organ, and wrote music and lyrics on both their albums and a single. She also played organ on, and wrote the music for, the song Silver Chain on Rowland S. Howard's solo album Teenage Snuff Film. She lived in London and Berlin from 1980 to 1994 and now lives in Melbourne, working in film graphics, web design, and animation. She was the graphic designer on the 2000 film Chopper.
Recently, she has been playing piano and organ in Luxedo and Vera Cruz. She has also played on the Coal LP by Devastations.

Musical artist

Genevieve McGuckin is an Australian musician, songwriter, film producer and graphic designer who was born in Brisbane. In 1986 she was a founder of These Immortal Souls on keyboards and has collaborated with fellow founder, and sometime domestic partner, Rowland S. Howard, and with his earlier band, the Birthday Party, on their album, Prayers on Fire (April 1981).

Biography

Genevieve McGuckin was born in Brisbane. She has been a long-time collaborator (both musically and romantically speaking, at various points) of rock musician, Rowland S. Howard. During 1980, in London, the pair co-wrote two tracks, "Capers" and "Ho-Ho", for his band, the Birthday Party's debut LP Prayers on Fire (April 1981).

In 1982 McGuckin provided piano and organ on Howard and Lydia Lunch's cover version of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra's "Some Velvet Morning" (1967), which later appeared on Lunch's album, Honeymoon in Red (1987). She also wrote the track, "Three Kings", for the album.

In 1984 both McGuckin, on keyboards, piano and organ, and Howard on guitar were founding members of a post-punk group, These Immortal Souls. Other founders were Rowland's brother, Harry on bass guitar and Epic Soundtracks (a.k.a. Kevin Godfrey) on drums. They issued two albums, Get Lost (Don't Lie) in October 1987 and I'm Never Gonna Die Again in October 1992, before relocating to Melbourne in 1994. While in the group she also wrote music and lyrics on both their albums and a single.

She also played organ on, and wrote the music for, the song "Silver Chain" on Howard's solo album Teenage Snuff Film. She lived in London and Berlin from 1980 to 1994 and now lives in Melbourne, working in film graphics, web design, and animation. She was the graphic designe