Rock Ayers

Ayers Rock were an Australian jazz fusion, progressive rock band which formed in 1973, based in Melbourne. They established a reputation for excellent musicianship, innovative music, and the ability to re-interpret their music in live performance. Through almost constant live appearances, coverage in the print media, and word of mouth, Ayers Rock established a national profile in Australia, even though they received very little radio airplay. Mark Kennedy, Duncan McGuire, and Ray Burton were members of Leo de Castro and Friends, before they left, as a unit, to form the eponymous trio, Burton, McGuire & Kennedy. Adding another guitarist, Jimmy Doyle, they changed their name to Ayers Rock, and invited Doyle's colleague Col Loughnan to join. All the members traced their origins to rock or pop bands from Sydney, except for Kennedy, who was from Melbourne. They signed to independent label Mushroom Records in its early days. Burton decided to leave in March 1974, and was replaced by Chris Brown who had played with Loughnan in London.