Hot Ash

aka Cimeron


With three young children to feed, musician and songwriter Rod McAuley taught his wife Pauline to play the bass guitar and they formed Hot Ash in 1972. The move immediately doubled the money he was bringing in each week from gigging around South Auckland and meant they could spend the days with their kids.

Two weeks after her first lesson, Pauline was on stage with Hot Ash for one set, with an experienced bass player doing the other three. By the following week, she did two sets, the week after three and the week after that she played the entire night.

Hot Ash as a trio. Left to right: Gordon Joll, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1973. Clockwise from top left: Gordon Joll, Rod McAuley, Pauline McAuley, Marcia Howearth.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash's 1974 single, What A Day, the last 7-inch released on Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac label
Early Hot Ash at the Papakura Tavern, 1973. Left to right: Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll, Marcia Howearth.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
The second, and final, single on Kontact, On Your Way Home, was recorded at Stebbing studios in Jervois Rd, Auckland, with engineer Tony Moan
Hot Ash in band T-shirts, 1973. Left to right: Gordon Joll, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Marcia Howearth.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1975. Left to right: Rod McAuley, Ritchie Pickett, Gordon Joll (front), Pauline McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash on tour
Hot Ash, 1977. Left to right: Brendon “Zak” Harper, Rod McAuley, Pauline McAuley, Mark Town-Treweek.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1977. Clockwise from left: Pauline McAuley, Mark Town-Treweek, Brendon “Zak” Harper, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1975. Clockwise from top left: Ritchie Pickett, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash as a trio. Left to right: Gordon Joll, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron, 1978. Rod and Pauline McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
The best-known Summer Wine line-up, pre-Hot Ash. Left to right: Brian Stewart, Leo Tritto, Rod McAuley, Willie Galletly.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash in the mid-1970s. Left to right: Gordon Joll, Ritchie Pickett, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod McAuley collection
Final Hot Ash drummer Jon Drinkwater with roadie Jedson Grylls, 1978
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron and backing musicians, 1978. Left to right: Lance Bentley, Pauline McAuley, Peter Howearth, Barry Welsh, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1977. Clockwise from top left: Rod McAuley, Pauline McAuley, Zak Harper, Mark Town-Treweek.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Gordon Joll on drums with Methylated Sandwich at the East Tamaki Tavern, pre-Hot Ash. Left to right: Sid Wilson, John Arrol, Joll, Steve Sutcliffe​.
Photo credit: Gordon Joll collection
The best-known Summer Wine line-up, pre-Hot Ash. Left to right: Willie Galletly, Brian Stewart, Rod McAuley, Leo Tritto.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Summer Wine at the Papatoetoe Town Hall, 1968. Left to right: Zak Harper, Leo Tritto, Rod McAuley, Willie Galletly, John Burns. The band was the last to play at the Papatoetoe Town Hall dances, which ceased late that year because of fighting youths.
Photo credit: Rod and Paulinen McAuley collection
Despite EMI's enthusiasm for the single Sherry, it was the band's only release on EMI
The Hot Ash backdrop, 1977
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash precursor Tramp, who competed on Studio One in 1972. Left to right: Mark Town-Treweek, Paul Town-Treweek, Tony King, Paul Nickless, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll.
Photo credit: Rod McAuley collection
Mark Town-Treweek tuning up before a Hot Ash gig, 1977
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Early Hot Ash at the Papakura Tavern, 1973. Left to right: Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll, Marcia Howearth.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron's 1978 single It's So Easy, released on Eldred Stebbing's successor label to Zodiac, Key
Rod McAuley on keys with Joe Allen (left) and Larry Patuwai, playing at Patuwai’s mate’s 21st on a Hot Ash night off from the Thoroughbred Tavern in Takanini.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash sign to EMI, 1975
Hot Ash, 1975. Clockwise from top left: Gordon Joll, Ritchie Pickett, Rod McAuley, Pauline McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron, 1978. Rod and Pauline McAuley with Eldred Stebbing’s Rolls-Royce
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Rod and Pauline McAuley with Summer Wine and partners, late 1960s. Left to right: Lesley Stewart, Brian Stewart, Julie, Rod McAuley, Kathryn Tritto, Leo Tritto, Pauline McAuley, Willie Galletly and the McAuleys’ daughter Claudette.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
The final Hot Ash single was a cover of The Four Seasons' Sherry, produced by Rod McAuley and Ritchie Pickett. Released via EMI, the single was a radio hit.
Hot Ash in the mid-1970s. Clockwise from top left, Ritchie Pickett, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll.
Photo credit: Rod McAuley collection
Hot Ash on stage, 1977. Left to right: Mark Town-Treweek, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron, 1978. Rod and Pauline McAuley inside Eldred Stebbing’s Rolls-Royce.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron and backing musicians with Eldred Stebbing’s Rolls-Royce, 1978. Left to right: Lance Bentley, Barry Welsh, Peter Howearth, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley. 
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash in band T-shirts, 1973. Clockwise from top left: Marcia Howearth, Pauline McAuley, Gordon Joll, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash in band T-shirts, 1973. Clockwise from top left: Marcia Howearth, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley, Gordon Joll.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron, 1978. Rod and Pauline McAuley with Eldred Stebbing’s Rolls-Royce.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1975. Left to right: Rod McAuley, Pauline McAuley, Gordon Joll, Ritchie Pickett. Joll’s arm is bandaged due to an accident with a window.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Cimeron, 1978. Pauline and Rod McAuley on stage.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
Hot Ash, 1975. Left to right: Gordon Joll, Ritchie Pickett, Pauline McAuley, Rod McAuley.
Photo credit: Rod and Pauline McAuley collection
The first Hot Ash single on David McKee's Kontact label, Where's It Leading To, recorded at Mascot Studios
Labels:

Kontact


Zodiac


EMI


Key

Members:

Rod McAuley - vocals, guitar

Pauline McAuley - vocals, bass

Lance Bentley - drums

Gordon Joll - drums

Marcia Howearth - vocals, keyboards

Larry Patuwai - guitar

Ritchie Pickett - vocals, keyboards, guitar

Paul Ewing - drums

Brendon "Zak" Harper - drums

Mark Town-Treweek - vocals, guitar

Jon Drinkwater - drums

Trivia:

Before taking up the bass guitar and forming Hot Ash, Pauline McAuley was a go-go dancer in competitions.

Rod and Pauline McAuley wrote their own rock opera called Colours Of The Spectrum in the 1970s. Although it was never performed, several of the songs were used when Cimeron were recording with Rob Aickin.

Hot Ash drummer Gordon Joll went on to a successful career as a session musician as well as recording and touring with Satellite Spies, Herbs and Hello Sailor. In 2012, he was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall Of Fame as part of Herbs.

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