The Exponents

aka Dance Exponents, Amplifier


The South Island town of Timaru gets rough press sometimes, especially in matters of culture.

But consider this. Over the decades Timaru has delivered a series of iconic figures by whom we define ourselves: Pioneer aviator Richard Pearse; the mysterious, storied runner Jack Lovelock; and the poet who glimpsed what it might mean to be a New Zealander, Allen Curnow.

The Dance Exponents in 1985 - Chris Sheehan, Jordan Luck, Dave Gent, Brian Jones
With Kerry Brown and Bruce Sheridan filming the Sink Like A Stone video
Whatever Happened to Tracey
Poland (Live in Christchurch Town Hall 1982)
Jordan Luck (with Harry behind) at Auckland's Gluepot on The Dance Exponents first visit to Auckland, mid-1982
Photo credit: Photo by Karen Stevens
Jordan Luck on Newsnight
DD Smash, Dance Exponents, and Daggy & the Dickheads - a triple bill in the key of D, Mainstreet Cabaret, Auckland, 21 October 1982 
Photo credit: Auckland Star
The Dance Exponents second album, Expectations, 1985
Jordan, Dave and Brian with the 1984 Album of The Year award at the NZ Music Awards
Chris Sheehan, Russell Brown, Jordan Luck, Brian Jones - October 1983
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
A mid-1983 Dance Exponents shot, taken before Chris Sheehan joined the band
Mandrill Studios, with producer Dave Marett, 1983
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
Rip It Up November 1983
Mount Maunganui Soundshell
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
The late Greg Carroll with Chris Sheehan, backstage Logan Campbell Centre. Carroll was later a roadie with U2 and was tragically killed in Dublin. U2 wrote 'One Tree Hill' for him.
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
Dance Exponents - Live at Mainstreet
Airway Spies
Jordan Luck
Dave Barraclough at the 1996 NZ Music Awards
Still from the video shoot for Why Does Love - 1992
Dave Gent - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
The Exponents, 1994
La La Lulu (1995)
The mid-1990s Exponents: Jordan Luck, Mike Harallambi, Dave Gent and Dave Barraclough
Dave Gent and somebody's motorbike - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Sink Like A Stone
I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)
A very early Dance Exponents lineup: Martin Morris, Jordan Luck, Dave Gent, Brian Jones, Michael Harallambi, taken in 1982. Martin Morris briefly replaced Steve Cowan in the band before leaving himself. 
Victoria
Like She Said
Russell Brown and Jordan Luck
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
Why Does Love Do This To Me
Sex and Agriculture
Steve Cowan, Jordan Luck, Brian Jones, Michael “Harry” Harallambi, Dave Gent
Dave Barraclough, Jordan Luck, Michael “Harry” Harallambi, Dave Gent - 1997
Only I Could Die (And Love You Still)
Dave, Brian, Jordan, Harry - 1992
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Michael “Harry” Harallambi, Jordan Luck, Chris Sheehan, Dave Gent, Brian Jones - 1984
House Of Love
Brian Jones relaxes - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Chris Sheehan - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Jordan Luck's mother with Sharon O'Neill at the 1984 New Zealand Music Awards receiving Jordan's award for top male vocalist.
A sight that was repeated over and over in the 1980s and the 1990s: The Dance Exponents get an award (this time in 1984). L to R: Brian Jones, Chris Sheehan, Dave Gent, Michael “Harry” Harallambi and Jordan Luck.
Chris Sheehan, Brian Jones, Jordan Luck
Photo credit: Photo by Derek Henderson
Rip It Up February 1992
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
The Exponents, 1994
Who Loves Who The Most
A 1985 CBS publicity shot for Amplifier: Chris Sheehan, Jordan Luck and Dave Gent
The renamed The Exponents' comeback album, Something Beginning With C, was a multi-platinum success in 1992
Brian Jones - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Dave Barraclough, Jordan Luck, Eddie Rayner, Harry, Dave Gent
1983
Jordan, Chris & Dave - recording Expectations at Mandrill Studios 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
The Dance Exponents debut album, Prayers Be Answered, released in 1983
With Dave Dobbyn, 1993
1992 - Jordan, Dave, Brian, Harry
Photo credit: Photo by Kerry Brown
Members:

Jordan Luck - vocals

Dave Gent - bass

Brian Jones - guitar

Mike "Harry" Harallambi - drums

Eddie Olsen - drums

Chris Sheehan - guitar

Steve Cowan - guitar

Dave Barraclough - guitar

Martin Morris - guitar

Trivia:

During the recording of Expectations, the Coca-Cola machine at Mandrill Studios famously offered Steinlager as an option.

The title of Something Beginning With C emerged from an in-joke, which saw the band vow to make the initial letters of their first five albums spell "PEACE". Hence, Prayers Be Answered, Expectations, Amplifier and … Something Beginning With C.

In 1992, Luck's fellow Exponents struck a wager with him. If he could stop drinking alcohol for a year, they'd chip in and pay him $12,000. He won the bet.

In 2012, Jordan Luck was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours.

Labels:

PolyGram


Mushroom Records


Zulu


Warner Music


Sony


Universal

The Exponents were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2015. 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.

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