"Jumping the Gap" was released in October 1983. Dempsey declared that lead singer "Loneragan gives a high-powered performance which is probably rivalled only by Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett". Henry Downes provided percussion at live shows with the band and created the artwork for "Jumping the Gap". Following the album's release, and an Australian tour supporting Joe Jackson, Machinations added Warren McLean on drums. Previously they had used a drum machine, Roland CR-78. The band recorded their second album, Big Music, at Rhinoceros Studios using Julian Mendelsohn as producer. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, declared that the group "[emerged] with the smoothest and most fully realised album of [their] career". Big Music was released in June 1985 and peaked at No. 20. Big Music provided three charting singles. The lead single, "No Say in It" was released in August 1984. The group found Mendelsohn "was really great to work with" on the single. They postponed working on the rest of the album until the producer was once again available. "No Say in It" is the band's highest charting single, it peaked at No. 14. The second single, "My Heart's On Fire" followed in May 1985 and reached No. 27. "You Got Me Going Again" was released in August and made No. 39. The album's fourth single, "Execution of Love", released in December failed to chart. Naomi Star provided backing vocals on most of the album, although Inez Lawson and Anne Redmond were featured on "No Say in It". 1985–1989: The Big Beat, Uptown and disbandment On 13 July 1985, Machinations performed three tracks, "Pressure Sway", "My Heart's On Fire" and "No Say in It", for the Oz for Africa concert (part of the global Live Aid program). It was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network and Nine Network) and on MTV in the US. The group developed a cult following in dance clubs during the mid-1980s. The Canberra Times Andrew Ferrington felt they "have to be one of the best dance bands in the country at present. And Big Music is one of the best Australian dance albums about. It captures beat, depth and harmony that could well have eluded the Machis. The second side is by far the better. Led by 'No Say', the four other songs combine to give an exhausting record of the band at its best". In May 1986 White Label released The Big Beat, a collection