Icehouse, originally called "Flowers", is an Australian group founded in 1977 in Sydney by Iva Davies, composer and singer, and Keith Welsh, bassist. Called "Icehouse" in 1981, the name of this group would be inspired by the cold and old apartment that Davies once occupied. This group will ultimately have placed 8 albums in the Top10 and 20 Singles in the Australian Top40. Beforehand, there is therefore the "Flowers" period which spans from 1977 to 1981, and which allows the release of the album "IceHouse" in 1980, a remarkable album which enjoyed great success as soon as it was released. It was in 1981, after the group signed with Chrysalis, that the record company asked to rename the group in order to avoid confusion with another Scottish group called "The Flowers". The group with its new name places its first hit at the end of 1981 with the Single "Love in motion". But this is also the moment Keith Welsh chooses to leave the group. The year 1982 saw the release of the album "Primitive man", considered almost a solo album by Davies. Album which contains the rare pearl of the moment namely "Hey little girl", which will quickly become a planetary hit, as well as the interesting "Great Southern land". 1984 saw the release of the album "Sidewalk" including the hit Single "Taking the town". The “Boxes” project will give birth in 1985 to the well-made Single “No promises”. But their best seller remains to this day the album “Man of colors”, released in 1987 and which contains the Single “Crazy” as well as “Electric blue”, co-written with John Oates, Single which will end at the top of sales . Album which can boast of being the first album in Australia to have placed 5 singles in the Top30. The years that followed will unfortunately be those of gradual decline. But we will remember for a long time this major group made in Australia, continent which will have marked its imprint in the musical universe of the 80s. To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
• Can’t help myself 1980
• We can get together 1980
• Walls 1981
• Love in motion 1981
• Icehouse 1981
• Great southern land 1982
• Hey little girl 1982
• Street café 1983
• Uniform 1983
• Taking the town 1984
• Don't believe anymore 1984
• Dusty pages 1984
• No promises 1985
• Baby you’re so strange 1986
• Mr Big 1986
• Cross the border 1986
• Paradise 1986
• Crazy 1987
• Electric blue 1987
• My obsession 1987
• Man of colours 1988
• Nothing to serious 1988
• Touch the fire 1989
90s Decade :
• Jimmy Dean 1990
• Big fun 1990
• Miss Divine 1990
• Anything is possible 1990
• Where the river meets the sea 1991
• Satellite 1993
• Big wheel 1993
• Invisible people 1994
• Heaven 1995
• Complicated game 1996
2000s Decade :
• Lay your hands on me 2002
• Heroes 2004
2010s Decade :
• Endless ocean 2015
Tracks :
1980 ... the promising beginnings of a small group which will soon become one of the largest Australian groups of the 1980s
1980 ... the ramp-up is linear and produces a second heavyweight title. An ideal career start ...
1981 ... the year 1981 will be slightly a notch below the year 1980. But when we see what is looming on the horizon, there is no reason to worry ...
1981 ... style and inspiration gain in power, the melodic quality evolves in a certain way. The positive signs are accumulating ...
1981 ... it won't be for this song yet but the huge sequel is fast approaching. Everything is now ready, it only remains to unroll !
1982 ... come on, a final break-in title to be sure not to miss the title that will consecrate them and make them enter One Shot in the musical legend of the 80s ...
1982...the HUGE title, here it is ! THE title that will literally explode the notoriety of the group and which consecrates them definitively as one of the major groups of the moment. The group here simply signs one of the biggest hits of the 80s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1983 ... a suite which cannot compete but which nevertheless benefits from the aspiration phenomenon generated by the previous jewel...
1983...a title which will only be released in the United States and England, hence a necessarily limited level of influence, to say the least...
1984 ... the group is now at cruising speed and aligns the hits impressively. Admittedly, the level of success has dropped somewhat but remains of a world class level !
1984 ... after the Dance titles, here comes the Intimist parenthesis. And my faith, in this area, they are not bad at all, to say the least...
1984...the 'little' hit of the year. It is clear that each new title cannot finish No.1 in the Charts so nothing to worry about at this stage...
1985 ... a single title year but what a title ! Another particularly inspired title which once again demonstrates the full extent of this group's extraordinary talent...
1986 ... a year of transition where we feel that the group is looking for...and looking for a new melodic breath. Right or wrong ? Only the future will tell ...
1986 ... the level and the melodic quality fluctuate from one title to another but the level remains high, that's the main thing. Beware of trivialization all the same ...
1986 ... the dropout in the Charts begins to accelerate despite an obvious quality of title. The great inspiration that brought the group to its beginnings is somewhat lacking ...
1986...another title with the most limited influence since it will only be released in the United States and England...
1987 ... the inspiration of high level returns in a smashing way in this year 1987 and will allow the group to obtain its last 2 famous mega hits. Starting with this one ...
1987 ... this one will be even stronger than its predecessor. The group is on a little cloud in this year 1987 and is progressing impressively. HU-GE !
1987 ... a truly exceptional vintage with a third top hit to end the year in style. An Olympic form that will not last unfortunately ...
1988 ... back to Intimist mode in this new year. And even if the dropout in the Charts is violent, it does not detract from the quality as it literally floats in the air...
1988...not sure that overspeeding is the best way for this title to get noticed. It will be, but necessarily in a moderate way...
1989 ... the last notorious hit. A title particularly inspired to end the decade in style and show once again that they are not there by chance...
1990 ... the adventure will continue during the decade 90 but the level of success will be incomparable compared to the decade 80. Hard law of the trade ...
1990...we're not going to lie, the best years are now behind them but what they continue to offer is not without interest, far from it...
1990...we will be largely content with it in any case and as in music everything is always possible, who knows if a return to the front of the stage is not possibly possible...
1990...this one will do a little better than its predecessors but the success is now limited to the southern hemisphere. An adventure that draws to an end at first sight...
1991...a single-title year with very limited success. Times are getting harder and harder for the group, it is clear...
1993...the level of success melts like snow in the sun but it has not yet been reduced to nothing, which still leaves a small glimmer of hope for the group about the future of events...
1993...the group continues to believe in it in any case and in principle they are absolutely right. Why throw in the towel when there is still room for a few small hits...
1994...new single-title year and this time without success. The fall continues to accelerate and the group can no longer stop it...
1995 ... return of success but very very limited success. The group finds a semblance of inspiration in this year 1995 with a nice title which literally floats in the air once again. Nothing better to end the adventure in style !
1996...come on, the adventure is not quite over but we are slowly but surely getting closer. So let's make the most of these latest titles...
2002...we thought we wouldn't see them again and yet here they are again almost 6 years later and we really wonder if we are dealing with the same group...
2004...a transition to the 2000s which looks more like a last stand than anything else. All these new titles are just a bonus as they say...
2015...once again we thought mass had been said but here they are again almost 11 years later. A return that delights the grassroots fans to the highest degree, of course...
2017...
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime...
Top Bonus : 2023...when 2 legendary groups have a little jam together...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :