Rod Coe


Make a list of the most important Australian music artists of the 20th century and The Saints and Slim Dusty would invariably be in the top 10. Though at opposite ends of the musical spectrum, The Saints’ prototype Australian punk and Slim’s bush ballad-style of country do have one thing in common – producer Rod Coe from Christchurch.

Despite being in the producer’s chair for close to 40 albums with Slim Dusty, it’s his work on The Saints’ debut LP (I’m) Stranded, released in 1977, that has brought him recognition outside of Australia and New Zealand. Bob Geldof is on record as saying, “Rock music in the 70s was changed by three bands – The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Saints.”

Slim Dusty and band performing at Radio JJ in Sydney. Left to right: Mike Kerin, Rod Coe, Slim Dusty, Ian Simpson. – Rod Coe collection
Photo credit: Rod Coe collection
The Revival pre-Craig Scott, late 1960s. Clockwise from top left: Rod Coe, Robbie Carpenter, Bruno Berens, Eddie Hansen. – Rod Coe collection
Photo credit: Rod Coe collection
Revival - Viva Bobby Joe (1969)
Claude Papesch's 1975 Australian single, Not The Way To Move Me, was produced by fellow expat New Zealander Rod Coe
Engineer Bruce Brown, Enrec Studios producer Ed Matzenik and Rod Coe during sessions for the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign charity single ‘The Garden’, Albert Studios, Sydney, 1985. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
Engineer Bruce Brown, Rod Coe, Enrec Studios producer Ed Matzenik and singer John Swan during sessions for the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign charity single ‘The Garden’, Albert Studios, Sydney, 1985. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
A gold record presentation for one of the many Rod Coe-produced Slim Dusty albums, mid-1970s. Left to right: Rod Coe, Slim Dusty, EMI Australia’s Bill Robertson and then EMI A&R man Peter Dawkins. – Rod Coe collection
Photo credit: Rod Coe collection
Slim Dusty’s Travelling Country Band backstage at the Harristown High School Auditorium, Toowoomba, in the 1990s. Left to right: Rod Coe, Robbie Souter, Mike Kerin, Slim, Ian Simpson, Alistair Jones. The photo was taken by Slim’s friend and preferred photographer John Elliott who shot 20 of Slim’s 100-plus album covers and wrote the book On The Road With Slim.
Photo credit: John Elliott
Rod Coe (left) and Rex Kelaher during a Mangrove Boogie Kings reunion in the mid-2010s. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell
The Mangrove Boogie Kings in the 1970s. Left to right: Rex Kelaher, Warren Nunn, Rod Coe, Chris Piper, Dennis Burke. – Photo by Don Crawford
Photo credit: Don Crawford
Engineer Bruce Brown, Rod Coe and singer John Swan during sessions for the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign charity single ‘The Garden’, Albert Studios, Sydney, 1985. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
The Mangrove Boogie Kings in the 1970s. Left to right: Rod Coe, Chris Piper, Dennis Burke, Warren Nunn, Rex Kelaher. – Photo Don Crawford
Photo credit: Don Crawford
The Revival and their mirror images pre-Craig Scott, late 1960s. Left to right: Eddie Hansen, Bruno Berens, Robbie Carpenter, Rod Coe. – Rob Carpenter collection
Photo credit: Rob Carpenter collection
Rod Coe (left) and Rex Kelaher during a Mangrove Boogie Kings reunion in the mid-2010s. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
Rod Coe (left) and Mike Vidale at EMI Studios, Sydney, 1975. – Rod Coe collection
Photo credit: Rod Coe collection
Rod Coe (centre) with Australian legends Laurie Allen (left) of Bobby & Laurie fame, and Doug Parkinson, 1985. 
Photo credit: Mike Bagnall
The Revival in 1968. Left to right: Robbie Carpenter, Rod Coe, Eddie Hansen, Craig Scott, Bruno Berens. – Rod Coe collection
Photo credit: Rod Coe collection
Jon English watches over as engineer Bruce Brown and Rod Coe sit at the desk during sessions for the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign charity single ‘The Garden’, Albert Studios, Sydney, 1985. - Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
Rod Coe looking very pleased with himself during sessions for the Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign charity single ‘The Garden’, Albert Studios, Sydney, 1985. – Dominic O’Donnell collection
Photo credit: Dominic O’Donnell collection
Slim Dusty - Duncan
Trivia:

Rod Coe appears in the video for Slim Dusty’s 1981 hit ‘Duncan’. The clip was filmed in Sydney at the Town and Country Hotel, which is mentioned in the lyric, whose publican’s surname was also Coe. The song reached No.7 on the NZ singles chart.

Rod Coe became a tutor at the inaugural Country Music Association of Australia’s Australian College of Country Music in 1998 and was the college’s music director from 2000 to 2003.

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