History
For a period during the 1970s, the members of Ayers Rock were seen as `musician's musicians'. The band issued a series of technically proficient recordings, but in the long run any quest for commercial acceptance was marred by the seriousness of the music.

Ayers Rock evolved out of the trio Burton McGuire and Kennedy. The three musicians had all been members of the final version of Friends. They left singer Leo De Castro high and dry when they formed the eponymous trio in June 1973. With the arrival of Jimmy Doyle in August, Ayers Rock was born. Col Loughnan (sax, flute, clarinet, piano; ex-Crescents, Delltones, Kala) had been living in London for a few years, and he accepted the band's offer to join in October 1973. The band members had a wealth of experience in the industry. Ray Burton co-wrote Helen Reddy's international hit `I am Woman' while working in the USA. He returned to Australia in early 1973 and joined Friends. McGuire started out with The Phantoms in 1959.

Ayers Rock's first single, `Rock'n'Roll Fight (Going On)'/`Sorrowful Eyes', was one of the first releases on the Mushroom label (December 1973). Burton returned to the USA in March 1974 and Chris Brown (ex-Python Lee Jackson, Kala) joined. The band's sound took on a more jazz-rock edge as displayed on the live-in-the-studio album Big Red Rock and `Lady Montego'/`Going Home' single (November 1974). One of the band's showcase live songs included on the album was a cover of Weather Report's `Boogie Woogie Waltz'.

American label A&M; Records signed the band and issued the album in the USA. During September 1975, the label booked Ayers Rock into the Record Plant in Los Angeles to record its second album, Beyond. Kennedy left in February 1976 to join Marcia Hines' band. He was replaced initially by session drummer Doug Gallacher and then Russell Dunlop (ex-Aesop's Fables, Levi Smith's Clefs, SCRA, Mother Earth, Johnny Rocco Band) in May. Beyond (April 1976) gave rise to two unsuccessful singles, `Little Kings'/`Get Out to the Country' (October 1975) and `Song for Darwin'/`Place to Go' (May 1976).

That same month, Ayers Rock returned to the USA to promote Beyond. Ayers Rock was the first Australian band to play to massive crowds on the USA touring circuit (predating Little River Band, AC/DC, Air Supply, Men At Work and INXS). In the long run, however, the band only achieved limited success overseas.

Back in Australia during August 1976, McGuire, Loughnan and Dunlop all left. McGuire initially joined Windchase and then concentrated on production. He died in July 1989 after a long battle with cancer. Doyle and Brown put Ayers Rock on hold for a year until they recruited new players John Young (bass; ex-De Castro), Bermudian Keith Casey (percussion) and Joe Tattersall (drums; ex-Healing Force, Barry Leef Band). By 1978 the line-up had changed again to be Doyle, Brown, Casey, Andy Cowan (keyboards, vocals; ex-Madder Lake), Steve Hogg (bass; ex-Bakery) and Hamish Stewart (drums). The band toured constantly but did not appear on record again until `On the Avenue'/`Sister Feels' came out in March 1980. The final Ayers Rock album was Hot Spell (May 1980), followed by the single `Lies'/`Feel the Heat' (July 1981).