Anderson and Wise (musical duo)

Lore & Background

Anderson and Wise were a duo from Wellington, New Zealand, comprising Chris Anderson and John Wise. In 1973, their single 'Quiet Song' was released on the Ode label, featuring different tracks on each side (though the exact B-side title is unconfirmed). Their song 'Epistolary' was an APRA Silver Scroll nominee in 1975.

Reader's Guide

Anderson and Wise are significant for their songwriting contributions in New Zealand during the early 1970s. Their composition 'The Boy From Dundee', performed by Kamahl, entered the charts in August 1973, staying for four weeks and peaking at number 12. Another composition, 'Epistolary', was the B-side of a single by Quincy Conserve and received an APRA Silver Scroll nomination in 1975. Their song 'Anderson And Wise' was covered by Nash Chase and was an APRA Silver Scroll nominee in 1972. Their work appeared on the compilation '20 Studio One Hits Volume 2'. In later years, Tony Kaye recorded with a group called Jonahs, and Ted Taptiklis formed Storymaker Partners in the United Kingdom, authoring a book on organizational knowledge.

Origins and the Songwriting Breakthrough

Anderson and Wise emerged from Wellington, New Zealand, as a creative pairing of Ted Taptiklis and Tony Kaye. Rather than positioning themselves solely as performers, the duo carved out a distinctive identity as songwriters whose compositions would go on to be interpreted by a range of other artists across the national music scene. Their breakthrough came in late 1972, when they navigated a grueling selection process: six weeks of semi-finals narrowed the field until, in November, they were named among just seven contestants advancing to the finals, alongside names like Andy Waretini, Steve Gilpin, and Shona Laing. The following year solidified their presence in the industry. Their single "Quiet Song" was issued on the Ode label in 1973. Then, in July of that same year, they claimed victory in the second songwriting section of a competition with their composition "The Boy From Dundee," a moment that announced them as serious composers in the national landscape.

The Commonwealth Games Pop Tune Competition

In 1973, Anderson and Wise found themselves at the center of a high-profile national event: the Commonwealth Games pop tune competition. Their composition "The Boy From Dundee," performed by Kamahl, appeared on Programme 4 of the competition, going head-to-head with entries such as "Country Spring" by Larry Philip, "Take My Life" by Desna Sisarich, "Natural Man" by Bunny Walters, "What Do You Do" by Lutha, and "Games Spirit" by Nash Chase. On Programme 6, their other entry "Quiet Song," this time in the hands of The Rumour, faced off against songs by Ray Columbus, Deane Waretini, Steve Allen, and Steve Gilpin. Ultimately, it was Steve Allen's "Join Together" that took the overall prize. Despite not winning the competition, both tracks earned a place on the 20 Studio One Hits Volume 2 various-artists compilation. Kamahl's rendition of "The Boy From Dundee" also found commercial traction, entering the charts in August 1973. It remained on the chart for four weeks, reaching a peak position of number twelve, where it held steady for two consecutive weeks.

A Catalogue Interpreted by Others

One of the most remarkable aspects of Anderson and Wise's career was the breadth of artists who chose to record their songs. Nash Chase took on their track "Anderson And Wise," a composition that earned an APRA Silver Scroll nomination in 1972. In 1974, Quincy Conserve released "Epistolary" as the B-side of a single on the Ode label, with Tony Kaye producing both sides of the record. That same composition was subsequently issued in Australia on Warner Brothers in 1975 and received another APRA Silver Scroll nomination for that year. The Rumour's version of "Quiet Song" and Kamahl's "The Boy From Dundee" both landed on the 20 Studio One Hits Volume 2 compilation, cementing the duo's presence in New Zealand's recorded music history. Decades later, in 2015, the Whanganui-based blues band Blues Buffett included "Yo Yo Mac" on their third album, Reality Show. Notably, it was the sole track on that record not written by the band's own members, a testament to the enduring appeal of Anderson and Wise's songwriting well into the twenty-first century.

Paths Diverged: Life After the Duo

After the creative partnership of Anderson and Wise eventually wound down, Taptiklis and Kaye pursued markedly different trajectories. Around the mid-1980s, Kaye channeled his musical energy into recording material with a group called Jonahs, continuing his involvement in the New Zealand music scene under a different banner. Taptiklis, by contrast, made a significant geographical and professional shift, relocating to the United Kingdom where he established Storymaker Partners. His work there moved firmly into the realm of organizational development and management theory. In 2008, Palgrave Macmillan published his book Unmanaging: Opening up the Organization to its Own Unspoken Knowledge (ISBN 978-1-349-36470-1), a text that reflected his accumulated insights into how organizations can tap into the tacit knowledge of their people. The arc from Wellington songwriting duo to a UK-based management thinker illustrates just how far Taptiklis's career traveled, while Kaye's continued work with Jonahs kept the musical thread alive in a different form.

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