David John "Dave" Graney is a musician, singer-songwriter and author from Melbourne. Since 1978, Graney has been accompanied by drummer, Clare Moore. The pair have fronted numerous bands including The Moodists (1980 to 1987), Dave Graney and The White Buffaloes (1989 to 1990), Dave Graney and Coral Snakes (1987 to 1989, 1991 to 1997), The Dave Graney Show (1998 to 2003) , Dave Graney and Clare Moore featuring the Lurid Yellow Mist or Dave Graney and the Lurid Yellow Mist (2004 to 2011). He was awarded 'Best Male Vocalist' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 for his work on The Soft 'n' Sexy Sound, while "Feelin' Kinda Sporty" won 'Best Video' in 1997 and he has received seven other ARIA Award nominations.
Graney and Moore formed Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes in late 1987 and played in London pubs and clubs. Other members were, Gordy Blair on bass guitar, Malcolm Ross (ex-Orange Juice, The Moodists) on guitar and Louis Vause on piano and keyboards. In 1988, with Barry Adamson (former member of Magazine, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) producing, they recorded enough material for an extended play, At His Stone Beach released in September on the Fire label. Graney had adopted a cowboy image, wearing snake skin and brown suede, sporting a curled moustache and waxed goatee. The band released My Life on the Plains in 1989 with Phil Vinall producing.
During June 1990, Graney, Hayward and Moore travelled to London and recorded I Was the Hunter... and I Was the Prey with Blair on bass guitar, Ross on guitar, and Vause on piano. The album was produced by Vinall at a Croydon home studio run by former Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher. For their April 1993 album, Night of the Wolverine, the band signed with PolyGram, Andrew Picouleau (ex-Sacred Cowboys) provided the bass guitar and Cohen co-produced. Graney adopted a new persona, "The Golden Wolverine", with the album described as "a certified Australian rock classic". It captured Graney at the peak of his songwriting powers "... [tracks were] full of elegant and eccentric detail". The band's next album, You Wanna Be There But You Don't Wanna Travel, which peaked at No. 10 on the ARIA Album Charts, was released in June 1994.
The group's July 1995 album, The Soft 'n' Sexy Sound, was produced by Victor Van Vugt. It reached the Top 40 and earned Graney the 'Best Male Artist' accolade at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996. In his acceptance speech, Graney wore a hot pink, crushed velvet suit and a wig to declare himself (under his breath) 'King of Pop'. The next album, The Devil Drives, (May 1997), reached the Top 20. It was recorded in Melbourne and mixed in London at Maison Rouge studios and co-produced by Graney, Moore and David Ruffy. It spawned the single, "Feelin' Kinda Sporty".
They released this compilation, The Baddest, in September 1999. It includes an unreleased version of "The Sheriff of Hell" from The Devil Drives which was re-recorded and remixed with Andrew Duffield (ex-Models) on keyboards, Phil Kenihan and Billy Miller (The Ferrets) on guitar and vocals. It also features an unreleased cover version of the AC/DC song "Show Business".
