most of the group's early hits including, "Cassandra" (December 1973), which peaked at No. 5 on the Go-Set National Top 40. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described it as "the first real indication of the Porter/Shakespeare-penned pop masterpieces that were to follow" and it "made extensive use of Porter's newly acquired Mellotron, which gave Sherbet a distinctive edge and sound over other Australian pop groups of the day." Porter and Shakespeare's co-written top 10 hits for Sherbet include "Slipstream" (June 1974), "Silvery Moon" (August) and, the group's first number-one hit, "Summer Love" (March 1975). Julie Kusko of The Australian Women's Weekly described Porter, in March 1975, as "Tall, and good-looking, he worked in an accountant's office before giving way to music." Tony Catterall of The Canberra Times reviewed their first live album, ... In Concert in April 1975, he praised Braithwaite's voice as their "one major strength" but found their major weaknesses were "an almost total lack of writing ability that, coupled with the band's extremely erratic musicianship, makes it hard to understand the frantic screams of adulation." He felt that Porter provides "some interesting mellotron and organ work... although his piano playing (on a Steinway Concert Grand!) is dreadfully pedestrian." Further Porter and Shakespeare co-written top 10 hits for Sherbet followed: "Life" (August 1975), "Only One You" (November) and "Child's Play (February 1976). While a member of Sherbet, Porter also worked as a session musician and producer. In 1974 he appeared on band mate, Braithwaite's solo single, a cover version of Cilla Black's recording of "You're My World". He also worked on The Mixtures album, The Mixtures, in that year. In 1975 Sherbet toured Australia to promote their fourth studio album, Life... Is for Living, their support act were Dalvanius and the Fascinations, a New Zealand-formed soul music band. Porter produced the group's single, "Canberra We're Watching You", which was a reworking of the Staple Singers' track "Washington We're Watching". After Shakespeare left Sherbet in January 1976, Porter co-wrote mostly with Tony Mitchell (Worrall's replacement on bass guitar) including the group's second number-one hit, "Howzat" (May 1976). In June Catterall approved of Shakespeare's replacement, Harvey James, on lead guitar as "It frees Garth Porter on organ from having to carry the leads, a job which he could handle well enough for a pop band but not for rock, and allows him to concentrate more on filling in the inevitable holes