The Arch

aka The Marble Arch


The main claim to fame of Auckland club band The Arch is that it was the first band of Paul Hewson, the pianist who went on to be one of Australasia’s most acclaimed songwriters with Dragon in the late 1970s.

The Arch’s 1970 single ‘Sit By Your Window’ b/w ‘Dear Madeleine’ contained the first Hewson songs to be released on record, but the possibility that Zodiac pressed only 100 copies has made it highly collectable.

The Arch on stage at The Monaco, 1970. Left to right, Paul Hewson, Rangi Williams, DJ Keith Adams, Rob Maginley, Noddy Dawson, Peter Grattan.
The Marble Arch, briefly renamed The Saint Ludwig Group for Peter Grattan’s debut with them at the Mount Roskill War Memorial Hall, 1967. Left to right, David Pou, Rangi Williams, Peter Grattan, Paul Hewson, John Hewson.
The Arch, 1970. Left to right, Paul Hewson, Peter Grattan, Rob Maginley, Noddy Dawson, Rangi Williams.
Redwood 70 National Music Convention, with opening clip featuring The Arch
The cover of the 1970 Arch single Sit By Your Window.
Zodiac Records announce the release of The Arch’s Sit By Your Window, 1970
The Arch, 1970. Left to right, Rob Maginley, Paul Hewson, Rangi Williams, Peter Grattan, Noddy Dawson.
The Arch - Sit By Your Window
The Arch, 1970. Left to right, Rangi Williams, Paul Hewson with the Blind Faith inner sleeve, Ray Archer, Rob Maginley, Noddy Dawson.
Trivia:

Arch drummer Peter Grattan later produced Radio With Pictures and Shazam! before a stint as Head of Entertainment at Television New Zealand.

Labels:

Zodiac

Members:

Rangi Williams - vocals, keyboards, drums

Paul Hewson - keyboards, guitar

John Hewson - bass

Paneta Semu - drums

David Pou - guitar

Courtney Chapman - drums

Peter Grattan - drums

Martin Round - vocals

Rob Maginley - guitar

Ken Thomas - drums

Chris Dawson - bass

Ray Archer - drums

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