Red McKelvie

Who is Red McKelvie?

Red McKelvie is a New Zealand singer-songwriter-instrumentalist and session musician who has been described as "Australasia's greatest pop guitarist".

He has appeared on albums by Richard Clapton and The Flying Circus in Australia and Hello Sailor, Dave Dobbyn's DD Smash, Al Hunter and Glen Moffatt in New Zealand.

McKelvie's early forays in the music scene were as lead guitarist for such Auckland, New Zealand, bands as The Chelsea Beats, The Dark Ages and The Avengers, but it was upon his arrival in Sydney, Australia, in 1967 that he became a much in-demand sideman and session player.

Sydney bands in which McKelvie featured included The Starving Wild Dogs, alongside future Blackfeather pianist Paul Wyld, and Quill before he joined The Flying Circus and greatly influenced their flirtation with country music.

Despite the first single from The Flying Circus's Prepared In Peace LP being McKelvie's "Israel", McKelvie was sacked from the band for "confusing the band's direction".

McKelvie released singles as a solo artist and as leader of The Third Union Band and was lead guitarist on the first two Richard Clapton albums, including playing all the multilayered electric guitar on the Australian number two hit "Girls On The Avenue".