Supergroove


At the turn of the 90s, the sound of the moment was a fiery mix of funk, hip-hop, and metal guitars. Supergroove were ahead of the curve in this respect and forced their way into the local music scene with a seemingly unending run of explosive live shows.

The band members were still at high school when they started and they had energy to burn, so when Supergroove found commercial radio wouldn’t play their music, they simply booked more shows and reached out to their audience directly. They were rewarded with a string of hits and a debut album, Traction (1994), which stayed at the top of the charts for a month, eventually selling over 70,000 units.

The flyer for the opening of Stuart Broughton's Dog Club in Newton Road in February 1991
L to R: Ian Jones, Joe Lonie, Tim Stewart, Che-Fu, Nick Atkinson, Karl Steven, Ben Sciascia
Photo credit: Photo by Polly Walker
Supergroove on the cover of NZ Musician April 1994
Supergroove are presented with Album Of The Year for Traction by Herbs, at the 1995 NZ Music Awards
Can't Get Enough
Supergroove at Auckland's Civic Theatre, 5 September, 2008
Photo credit: Photo by Charlette Hannah. Courtesy of Auckland Live Music.
Supergroove 1996
Sitting Inside My Head
The Lowdown Dirty Blues Band with Karl Steven on harmonica and Che Ness on guitar
Paul Russell and Che Fu at the 1995 NZ Music Awards
Supergroove live at Tutukaka, 1995
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
You Freak Me
Supergroove's Here Comes The Supergroove show at Auckland's DTM in August 1992, with Projector Mix, Stinky Jim, The Mighty Asterix and more.
Supergroove circa. 1991/2
Ben Sciascia's art for Traction
Photo credit: Photo by Poly Walker, Art by Ben Sciascia
Ben Sciascia / Polly Walker outtake from the Traction album cover sessions
Photo credit: Photo by Polly Walker, Design by Ben Sciascia
Supergroove 1996
Poster for Funkage, a 1991 gig which was essentially a Stuart Broughton showcase for Supergroove
Photo credit: Stuart Broughton Collection
Supergroove manager Stuart Broughton with his 'You Gotta Know' platinum award, 1993
Photo credit: Stuart Broughton Collection
Next Time
A strong lineup for a 95bFM gig at the City Markets, Auckland, 12 November 1994 
1996 publicity shot
Supergroove (Ben and Tim) interviewed on NZOWN, 2007
The Lowdown Dirty Blues Band, August 1988
Photo credit: Photo by David Boak. Simon Grigg collection
Interview with Karl Steven, Joe Lonie & Tim Stewart from Supergroove. 1994. Directed by Ross Cunningham.
If I Had My Way
Supergroove in 1996
Here Comes the Supergroove
Supergroove split up ...
Photo credit: Murray Cammick Collection
Karl Steven
Supergroove filming the Next Time video
Supergroove post-Che, circa 1996
1994 platinum award time - Supergroove with BMG staffers at the back, Dave Jordan, Stuart Broughton (Supergroove manager), Diana Schnauer, Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Stuart Broughton Collection
Scorpio Girls
Rain (Live at the VZMA 2011) Dragon cover
You Gotta Know
Supergroove were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2014. The Hall of Fame is an initiative of Recorded Music NZ and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), whose support of AudioCulture enables the site to stream music content. https://www.musichall.co.nz/home/inductees/
Trivia:

Ben Sciascia began working with Stuart Broughton on graphics for the group during 1994 and later took over sole responsibility for this aspect of their marketing, designing both the group’s posters and their album covers.

When Karl Steven quit Supergroove, BMG NZ released a press release stating that he’d had a mental breakdown and he had to field a number of concerned phone calls from friends and family who’d read about it in the press.

Members:

Karl Steven - vocals, harmonica

Joe Lonie - bass

Nick Atkinson - saxophone, keyboards

Che Fu - vocals

Ben Sciascia - guitar

Tim Stewart - trumpet

Paul Russell - drums

Ian Jones - drums

Labels:

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