Alastair Riddell

Alastair Riddell (born 1952) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter.

Riddell is a musician and a film maker.

He has a singing style that was likened to a combination of Bryan Ferry and David Bowie.

In 1967, Original Sun Blues Band was formed by the original line-up consisting of Riddell on rhythm guitar and vocals, his brother Ron on drums, Peter Kershaw on bass guitar and vocals, and Henry Jackson on lead guitar.

The band was influenced by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and American blues, with the band's name a nod to Son House.

After Kershaw and Jackson left the band, the name was shortened to Original Sun and consisted of Alastair (guitar/vocals), Ron (drums), and Peter Cuddihy (bass).

The new line-up took on the more adventurous blues sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Cream.

There are no known recordings of the band.

In 1968, Riddell started a newsletter called "Bluesnews" and also organised the First National Blues Convention, held at Mollers Farm in Oratia, Auckland.

In 1971, while studying at Auckland University, Riddell formed the Psychedelic Art rock band Orb.

They played some of Riddell's original songs, including "Seabird" which would later feature on the Space Waltz album.

Orb consisted of Riddell on rhythm guitar, synthesizer, and vocals, Eddie Rayner on keyboards, Paul Emlyn Crowther on drums, Paul (Wally) Wilkinson on lead guitar, and Peter Kershaw on bass guitar.

They played the Art's Festival in 1972.

Prior to 1974, he was in a band called Orb with Eddie Rayner.

Then later, the two of them were in Space Waltz.

In 1974, Riddell formed the glam rock band Space Waltz.

The group appeared on the television talent quest New Faces and created a stir with their image.

They did not win the finals, but attracted attention from rock fans.

They were noticed by EMI and promptly signed to the label.

Their single "Out on the Street" was a number-one hit in New Zealand.

The album Space Waltz, which was released by EMI in 1975, featured Riddell, Eddie Rayner, Greg Clark, Peter Cuddihy, and Brent Eccles, with backing vocals from The Yandall Sisters.

He twice declined invitations to join Split Enz, the first time to replace guitarist Wally Wilkinson in 1975, and then again in 1977 when Phil Judd left the band, with Neil Finn subsequently taking the position.

In 1977, the single "Wonder Ones" / "Oh Ron" was released on the Mandrill label.

In 1978, the self titled album Alastair Riddell was also released on the Mandrill label.

Riddell toured with The Alastair Riddell Band until 1979.

The Alastair Riddell Band consisted of Riddell on lead guitar, synthesizer, and vocals, John Treseder on guitar, Gavin Beardsmore on bass, Noel Lamberton on drums and Ruth Hall on backing vocals.

Riddell married English model Vanessa in the 1980s.

The couple have four children and live in the West Auckland suburb of Titirangi.

In 1983, he contributed electronic drums to the number-one hit "Poi E" by Pātea Māori Club.

Incidentally, The Yandall Sisters who sang backup on the Space Waltz album appeared on another track of the album that the hit was on.

Both "Poi E" and "Out on the Street" appear on the soundtrack for Taika Waititi's 2010 film, Boy.

In 2012, Riddell directed The Last Stop, a short film set in 1950s New Zealand which featured his wife Vanessa.

Also that year he released a single, "Last Of The Golden Weather".

He joined a brief David Bowie tribute tour in 2016 with Jordan Luck, Finn Andrews, Eddie Rayner and others, the same year "Fraulein Love" featured in the trailer for Taika Waititi's 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople.