Chances are that even if you don’t know Air Supply by name, you’ve definitely heard one of their ballads crooning over the speakers in a bar or in a TV show or movie. The Australian soft rock duo, comprised of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, have come a long way since their original lineup. Russell, Hitchcock and Chrissie Hammond met in the mid-70s while performing in an Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Hammond left before the group fully debuted and was replaced by Jeremy Paul in 1976. Fortunately, this change in the band’s lineup didn’t deter them from releasing the group’s first single, Love and Other Bruises, that November, which broke into the top 10 of the Australian singles chart. The group have never looked back from there, releasing a succession of hits, including eight top 10 singles in the US and several gold and multi-platinum albums like Lost in Love and Greatest Hits. Even younger listeners not familiar with Russell and Hitchcock can probably discern the unique tune of All Out of Love and Even the Nights are Better, both chart-toppers at the time of their release.
Still together 40 years after their debut, Air Supply remain active. In December 2013, they were inducted in the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall of Fame, evidence of their right to be called ‘timeless’ and ‘classic’. Not an outfit to rest on their laurels, Air Supply continue to tour and occasionally release new material, with mixed success, such as last year’s I Adore You and 2010’s Dance With Me. To celebrate 40 years of success, they’re swinging by the city – where they recorded their 2013 live album – to grace us with their presence one more time. Playing Star Hall, Air Supply are clearly still in demand. Ashley Kung