The New Zealand band Mother Goose formed in Dunedin in 1975, with an original line-up of Craig Johnston (Vocals), Marcel Rodeka (Drums), Pete Dickson (Lead Guitar), Kevin Collings (Rhythm Guitar), Steve Young (Keyboards), Denis Gibbins (Bass Guitar). The band mixed bizarre comedy pastiche with rock and roll (think Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band meets Frank Zappa, via The Goodies), and only eighteen months after forming, Mother Goose smashed all attendance records on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. The bands success rested on their talented musicianship and incredible live shows, which led to a music contract, a first album Stuffed, and a single Baked Beans

As drummer, Marcel Rodeka recalls on his website: 

What can you say about Mother Goose? The band really was one out of the bag on all counts. There was never anything like it before and there’ll never be anything like it again. It was a unique piece of rock’n roll, vaudeville, theatre that just seemed to hit the mark wherever it played.

The original concept of the way out costumes, a mad stage performance and pumping rock music was motivated by the desire to stand out from the rest, to make a point to be better than any other local/national band and hopefully take the world on.

At the first rehearsal every band member was asked to turn up with something ridiculous to wear. I went home and dug up a green and red pixie outfit complete with pointy hat that I wore when I was eight years old in a school play. I tried it on and, amazingly, it still fitted if a little tight in the chest!

The early photos of Mother Goose reveal some ridiculous looking outfits that made no sense whatsoever but looked hilarious on. Over time the outfits became a bit more identifiable, a sailor, a pixie, a baby in nappies, a ballerina, minnie mouse and a bumble bee. We also strived to make the music different to anything that was going on at that time. We had all come from local rock cover bands and the idea of creating our own music was really exciting. The early musical ideas came from keyboard player Steve Young, singer Craig Johnston and guitarist Peter Dickson.

For me, the whole thing was a blast. Really, the life and times of Mother Goose could fill a book. But this is not the place for a tell all, warts and all look at nine years of successes and failures, hits and flops, incredible highs and incredible lows, bad management and bad decisions, fantastic beaches, fantastic parties, great songs and not so great songs, band members leaving, record company hassles, wonderful band camaraderie, stadium shows and tiny clubs, relationships and bust ups, overseas tours, rip off managers, awesome gigs, funny gigs, rotten gigs, an enviable lifestyle and the one big adventure that this was. There’s too much to tell…..

 
With thanks to Graham Tarling