The Sports

The Sports were an Australian rock group formed in Melbourne in 1976 by singer and songwriter Stephen Cummings, following his time with the rockabilly group The Pelaco Brothers. The original line-up brought together Cummings on vocals, former Pelaco Brothers guitarist Ed Bates, bassist Robert Glover, pianist Jim Niven and drummer Paul Hitchins. Guitarist Andrew Pendlebury joined in 1977, adding another important songwriting voice to the group. 

Their early sound mixed rockabilly, straight-ahead rock & roll, country touches and the emerging new wave style. Their live sets included songs by Chuck Berry, Billy Emerson, Don Covay, Company Caine and Graham Parker alongside original material, much of it written by Cummings and Bates. The band's first recording was the four-track 'Fair Game' EP, released in 1977 on the small Zac Records label in an edition of only 500 copies. A copy was sent to London's New Musical Express, which picked it as its "Record of the Week", giving the Melbourne group some unexpected attention in Britain. 

The Sports signed with Mushroom Records and recorded their first album, 'Reckless', released in 1978 and produced by former Pelaco Brothers member Joe Camilleri. By this point Martin Armiger had replaced Ed Bates, bringing guitar, vocals and songwriting to the line-up, while Pendlebury remained on guitar and vocals. 'Reckless' reached number 43 on the Australian Kent Music Report, while singles such as "Boys! (What Did the Detective Say?)" and "When You Walk in the Room" established the group on Australian radio. 

Their breakthrough came with 'Don't Throw Stones', released in February 1979. Produced by Peter Solley and Dave Robinson, the album pushed the group toward a broader new wave and pop sound without completely abandoning its earlier rock & roll and rockabilly roots. It reached number 9 in Australia and was certified gold, while "Who Listens to the Radio?" reached number 35 and "Don't Throw Stones" reached number 26 on the Australian singles chart. "Who Listens to the Radio?", written by Cummings and Pendlebury, also became their only US Billboard Hot 100 entry, reaching number 45. 

The success of 'Don't Throw Stones' opened the door to overseas touring. After supporting Graham Parker in Australia, The Sports were invited to join him on his European and British tour in 1979. They also signed with Stiff Records in Britain, which issued the 'So Obvious' EP, while Mushroom released the 'O.K, U.K!' EP in August. Their records attracted interest in Britain and the United States, although the international impact remained considerably smaller than their success in Australia. 

Personnel changes became increasingly frequent around 1980. Paul Hitchins was replaced on drums by Iain McLennan, while Jim Niven left the keyboard position and was replaced by Red Symons, formerly of Skyhooks. McLennan subsequently became ill with hepatitis and Freddie Strauks, also a former Skyhooks member, took over on drums. The changing line-up coincided with a more polished production style on 'Suddenly', released in March 1980. The album reached number 13 in Australia and produced "Strangers on a Train", which peaked at number 22. 

The final studio album, 'Sondra', appeared in May 1981 and reached number 20 on the Australian chart. The single "How Come" gave the group another Top 30 hit, reaching number 21, while later releases included "When We Go Out Tonight" and "Sunshine Superman". The group also recorded 'The Sports Play Dylan (and Donovan)', a 1981 EP devoted to songs associated with Bob Dylan and Donovan. 

The Sports broke up late in 1981 after five years of recording and touring. Stephen Cummings moved into a long-running solo career, while Martin Armiger went on to work as a composer and producer for film and television after moving to Sydney. Andrew Pendlebury later joined The Dugites, Freddie Strauks became a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, and Robert Glover worked with Wilbur Wilde's backing band. 

The group's catalogue continued to be reissued after the split, including the compilation 'All Sports' and later anthologies such as 'This Is Really Something' and 'The Definitive Collection'. 'Don't Throw Stones' was included in the 2010 book 100 Best Australian Albums. The Sports also reunited for a one-off appearance at the Mushroom 25 concert in 1998, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mushroom Records. Keyboard player Jim Niven died of cancer in 2012.