Peter Brideoake


Peter Brideoake is an Australian musician, composer, singer, songwriter and lecturer. He has been a member of the pop group The Twilights as well as being a solo performer and composer. The Twilights had eight consecutive national hit singles including "Needle in a Haystack" and "What's Wrong with the Way I Live". After The Twilights, Peter Brideoake formally studied music and established himself as a multi-talented musician, composer and university lecturer.
Brideoake was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame on 10 April 2015.

Career

Peter Brideoake was born and educated in Adelaide, South Australia on 23 April 1945. His musical career began as a rhythm guitarist and vocalist in a popular Australian pop group. At times, Peter Brideoake co-wrote with Terry Britten and Glenn Shorrock. The Twilights officially broke up in 1969. However, they played at reunion or special concerts in 2000, 2002, 2011 and 2015.
In 1969, Brideoake commenced studies in music composition at the University of Adelaide. Following his graduation with a Bachelor of Music he began teaching harmony and modern composition techniques. From 1975, Peter Brideoake was a career lecturer at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide.
After several periods of study in China, Brideoake became a proficient performer on the ancient Chinese zither instrument. In 1978, Brideoake was awarded the John Bishop Memorial Commission; other commissioned works have been composed for the Sydney String Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Seymour Group, the Victorian String Quartet and, more recently, by percussionist Ryszard Pusz.

The Twilights

The musical career of Peter Brideoake began in Adelaide, South Australia as a rhythm guitarist and vocalist in a popular Australian pop group which reached the peak of its success in 1966. The Twilights consisted of Frank Barnard, Peter Brideoake, Terry Britten, John Bywaters, Clem "Paddy" McCartney, Laurie Pryor and Glenn Shorrock. The Twilights have earned acclaim and respect for their formidable body of recorded work, coupled with their legendary status as arguably the most polished and accomplished Australian live act of the era. Glenn Shorrock himself remembers "Twilight Time" as the happiest and most fulfilling experience in his long and distinguished musical career. As he told an online group of Little River Band fans in 1997 ''"... my first band, The Twilights, is the band I remember most fondly; we were very close then in a very exciting period of pop."

Twilight Discography

Singles produced by: David Mackay


Engineers: Roger Savage and David Page

Studios: Armstrong's Melbourne; AWA and EMI Sydney except:

First three singles self-produced in Adelaide *

Produced by Norman Smith at Abbey Road Studios London **

Produced by Howard Gable at Armstrong's Studios Melbourne ***

Super Group Project

"Super Group" project issued a one time studio release, which was executive-produced by Jimmy Stewart and produced by Geoffrey Edelsten. A substantial hit upon its initial release, it was re-released in barely noticeable US remix form in 1977. Pastoral Symphony comprised the full Twilights lineup, augmented by Terry Walker on lead vocals, Ronnie Charles doing backup vocals; and The Johnny Hawker Orchestra.
After The Twilights peak period, which included many recordings and performances around Australia, in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the group disbanded and Peter Brideoake returned to Adelaide in 1969.

The Beatles Tribute

The Twilights reunited for a special The Beatles tribute concert in Adelaide in 2000.

Long Way To The Top

The Twilights reformed again for the hugely successful "Long Way To The Top" Australian concert tour in 2002.

Rock of Ages Concert

The surviving Twilights reunited for the all-star "Rock of Ages" concert promoted by Aztec Music at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda, Melbourne in 2011.

Yesterday's Heroes

Peter Brideoake and two other original members of The Twilights were joined by guest singer / guitarist Peter Tilbrook to perform one of The Twilights' biggest hits "Needle In A Haystack" at "Yesterday's Heroes", a various artists' show promoted by the Adelaide Music Collective in the Mortlock Chamber of the State Library on Feb 9 2015, to coincide with a collection of Adelaide music memorabilia at the library.

Education

Elder Conservatorium

After The Twilights main period, the band broke up and Peter Brideoake returned to Adelaide. In 1969, he began studies in composition with Richard Meale at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide. Following his graduation with a Bachelor of Music he began teaching harmony and modern composition techniques at the Elder Conservatorium.

Academia

From 1975, Brideoake was a career lecturer at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide for the next 27 years. As well as teaching in composition studies, he introduced a course in Chinese music as the result of an interest in the music, theatre and language of China. A special interest in an ancient Chinese zither meant that after several periods of study in China, he became a proficient performer on this instrument. In 1978 he was awarded the John Bishop Memorial Commission; other commissioned works have been composed for the Sydney String Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Seymour Group, the Victorian String Quartet and, more recently, by percussionist Ryszard Pusz.

Music Compositions

Brideoake co-wrote some songs with Terry Britten and Glenn Shorrock during The Twilights era. In 2015, Peter Brideoake co-wrote " Situation Not Normal", a song based on the kidnap for ransom of fellow Australian Warren Rodwell.

Background

Brideoake lived in Chengdu Sichuan Province south west China from 2002 - 2009, before returning to his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia.