Swoop (Australian band)

Swoop were an Australian seven-piece rock, funk and disco band established in 1991 by Joshua Beagley on guitar and keyboards, and Roland Kapferer on lead vocals, initially as a funk and rap duo. The duo were joined by Fiona Ta'akimoeaka on lead vocals, and in 1992 by Chris Brien on drums, Armando Gomez on percussion, Alex 'Gob' Hewettson on bass guitar, and Breadman St Ledger III on keyboards. Later members include drummer Calvin Welch and keyboard player Tetsushi Morita. After Ta'akimoeaka left the band, Rebekah Jane joined the group as lead vocalist.

Contents

• Albums
• Singles EPs
• Songs
• References

Swoop signed issued three studio albums, Thriller (October 1993), Woxo Principle (November 1995), and Be What You Is (January 1999). Their most popular single, 1995's "Apple Eyes", reached No. 9 in Australia on the ARIA Singles Chart, and was certified gold by ARIA. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994 Swoop were nominated for 'Best New Talent' for Thriller; at the 1996 awards they were nominated for 'Song of the Year' and 'Best Video' for "Apple Eyes", and for 'Best Pop Release' for Woxo Principle. Late in 1999 Swoop disbanded.

After Swoop, Beagley, Kapferer and Welch formed Professor Groove & the Booty Affair; with Sam Dixon on bass guitar and Robert Woolf on keyboards and vocals (later replaced by Richard Stanford on keyboards). They released their debut album, And so Funketh the Wise Man in 2001. Brien became a live and recording session musician, drum clinician and teacher; in November 2006 he relocated to Hong Kong.