We knew we were getting ripped off with these contracts (and still are 50 years later), but having never cared about making $$$s out of our recordings or live performances, to be in a movie, playing ourselves, seemed like a fun idea at the time.
The movie did help keep the name and music of the Primitive Calculators alive over the years, so thank you Richard Lowenstein.
Unfortunately, the recording of the Calculators doing Pumping Ugly Muscle wasn’t very good and we weren’t allowed to have much say in it, and the Calculators were then thought of as being a Little Band, rather than the band that helped create Little Bands. The recording of Diseases by Thrush and the C unts in 1986 was much better than the original band ever was, thanks to Dave Light and Arne Hanna.
Contract info from February 1986 for Thrush and the C unts recording for film and soundtrack album.
Movie notes:
Frank and Marisa were living in Europe during the making of Dogs in Space. Stuart was living in Sydney and he travelled down to Melbourne to be involved in the movie.
In the Primitive Calculators scene, Terry Doolan played Frank on the drum machine.
In the Thrush and the C unts scene Marisa’s sister Danila played Marisa’s role on guitar. Marie Hoy played the role of the drummer in this movie as the original drummer Marion Brown, could not be found. Marie did not play in the original 1979 band.
Watch a clip of the Primitive Calculators from the movie.
Listen to Thrush and the C unts from movie (no movie clips online).
Watch Making of Dogs in Space (2019) by Richard Lowenstein.
Article from Smash Hits magazine (15th December, 1986) which incorrectly calls the Calculators and Whirlywirld “Little Bands”.
Dogs in Space soundtrack album Two versions were released by Chase Records, one censored (White cover) and one R rated version (Black cover). It was recorded at Richmond Recorders in 1986 on Chase Records. Produced by Ollie Olsen.
Side Two, Track Two:
Pumping Ugly Muscle” by Primitive Calculators (no vocals on censored version)
Stuart Grant: Guitar, Drum machine, vocals
Dave Light: Bass guitar
Denise Rosenberg: Keyboards
Marie Hoy and Terry Doolan on backing screams
Side Two, Track One:
“Diseases” by Thrush and the C unts (no vocals on the censored version)
Jules Taylor: Vocals
Denise Rosenberg: Bass guitar, vocals
Dave Light: Drums
Arne Hanna: Guitar
Ollie Olsen: Piano