Glenn Shorrock was the first lead singer and one of the founding members of Little River Band in 1975. In January of 1982, Shorrock asked that the band take a year off so he could fulfill his goal to record a solo album. The band had been touring and recording non-stop since its inception.
Shorrock wanted some time to himself to write and record his own music – away from the heavy touring schedule, not to mention the constant and sometimes heated discussions and negotiations inherent in band life. The rest of the band, however, were eager to start work on a new album, which had been the usual procedure since the band’s creation. Little River Band was very prolific, and all the members wanted to start fresh on a new project.
During a meeting convened to discuss the situation, the other founding members of the band took the opportunity to voice their displeasure with Shorrock’s plan, and to encourage him to step out of the way so that they could proceed without him. He was basically asked to leave, which he did. He was replaced by John Farnham, who sang lead for the band until 1986.
Farnham left LRB later that year, after recording No Reins, the band’s last album under the Capitol Records contract. The management contract with Glenn Wheatley was also about to expire, and new management stepped in. A new deal was struck with MCA to record 2 albums. The deal was dependent on Shorrock coming back to Little River Band, which he did in 1987. The two records enjoyed little success internationally, but Monsoon did spawn a song called Love Is A Bridge, which became Little River Band’s last top 10 hit in Australia.
Shorrock continued to tour with Little River Band until 1995, the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation. In early 1996, he chose to leave the band and pursue his solo career. He still performs in Australia on a regular basis with his own band, and as a guest artist in many reunions and festivals that feature his contemporaries.