Remembering Roger McLachlan: Little River Band’s Founding Bassist Dies at 71
It’s another sad day for the music world. Roger McLachlan, who played bass for the Little River Band, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71 years old. The news was shared by his Late for Breakfast bandmate Michael Oliphant.
“Roger didn’t wish his struggle to be widely known and so chose to keep it just between family and a handful of friends,” he wrote. “Roger was a wonderful friend, collaborator, musical powerhouse, absolute monster bass player and all-round naughty boy. Life will never be the same.”
McLachlan was born in 1954 near Invercargill, New Zealand. He moved to Australia in 1974 to join the touring band for the musical Godspell. It was there he connected with musicians that would make up the Little River Band.
“I arrived for auditions and [early vocalist and songwriter] Graeham Goble said we’ve got this song called ‘It’s a Long Way There,’ we will play it and why don’t you just come in and we will see if something gels,” McLachlan said in an interview for Riveting Riffs. “They start playing and singing this and I am pinching myself, because I can’t believe how good these guys are. They played the groove and I start playing the groove. The rest is history. It just kind of clicked straightaway.”
McLachlan joined the band in 1975 and recorded on their first two albums: Little River Band and After Hours. He toured the world with the band until 1976, when he was replaced by George McArdle. He would rejoin in 1998 for a year, but the pressure of touring the U.S. led him to leave again.
In addition to his time in Little River Band, McLachlan played in the country-rock band Stars, the jazz fusion band Pyramid, and The Souldiggers. He released his own solo album, Roger This Roger That, in 2012.
In the last few years, he made some wonderful YouTube videos breaking down songs from his career. Check out this isolated bass and talk on “It’s a Long Way There.”
Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Roger McLachlan.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
