Moving Pictures

Moving Pictures, an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980, initially performed as an R&B-inspired pub-rock outfit. The group consisted of Charlie Cole on keyboards and trumpet; Paul Freeland on drums; Garry Frost on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; Ian Lees on bass guitar; Alex Smith on vocals and guitar; and Andrew Thompson on saxophone. Their debut single "Bustin' Loose" broke into the Top 50 on the Kent Singles Chart in October 1981, marking their breakthrough moment. The band's debut album Days of Innocence was released the same month and eventually peaked at Number 1 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in February 1982. Their single "What About Me" reached Number 1 on the Kent Singles Chart in January 1982, remaining there for six weeks. The album became the fourth-highest-selling album of the year and "What About Me" won Best Single at the 1982 Countdown Awards. Moving Pictures signed to Elektra Records in North America, where "What About Me" reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Matinee was released in October 1983 and reached number 16 in Australia. By the end of 1987, the group had disbanded. The band reformed in 2011 and did several annual tours before releasing their third album Picture This in 2015. On November 23, 2025, bassist Ian Lees died of a heart attack.