The central figure in Spectrum was singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Rudd, one of the many outstanding expatriate NZ performers who have contributed so much to the Australian music scene. Mike arrived in Australia in 1966 as rhythm guitarist for the NZ group Chants R&B.

Chants only lasted a short time after they arrived in Australia, but Mike remained in Melbourne, where he soon teamed up with young singer-songwriter Ross Wilson and guitarist Ross Hannaford. Their first band The Pink Finks (which had also just broken up) worked in a similar vein to Chants, and had some local chart success in Melbourne. Mike was invited to be the bass player in a later lineup of their next band, the short-lived but legendary Party Machine (1967-69). This was followed by the more experimentally-oriented Sons of The Vegetal Mother (1969-71).

When the two Rosses heading off to form their new band, Daddy Cool, Mike formed his own band - Spectrum. Although Mike later described the formation of the band as "incredibly haphazard", his choices were all fortunate ones. Bassist Bill Putt, from Melbourne bands Gallery and The Lost Souls formed a lasting friendship and musical partnership with Mike, and they have worked together ever since.

Their most commercially successful hit was the 1971 No.1 "I'll Be Gone" which stayed in the charts for an amazing twenty weeks.

Mike and Bill have since worked in a range of bands including The Indelible Murtceps (Spectrum spelt backwards), Ariel, Mike Rudd & The Heaters, WHY and Instant Replay. They continue to perform around Australia and overseas with a semi-regular Sunday afternoon gig at the St Andrews pub.

Mike came into the studio for an hour and entertained us brilliantly - hence we thought it only fair to play a few Spectrum / Indelible Murtceps tracks, both old and new.