Axis of Awesome are an Aussie comedy singing trio - no further explanation required. Grab a cuppa, sit down and be amused for a few minutes.
OK - hope that put a whimsical smile on your face - We're off to the market now to buy some things to cook from a cook book that we bought recently - tell you more Monday.
One week ago, one of Australia's blues artists went on his journey. He passed away a little over a week ago from cancer. When I was in my teens I frequented a place in the back laneways of Melbourne called Frank Traynor's where you went to listen to Folk and Blues during the 60s. Dutch played there. Dutch wrote and recorded this song knowing he had a battle on his hands. One of my co-workers was close to Dutch and attended his funeral during the week. He brought a copy of this track in for me to listen to about a month ago. This is the clip of the song on You Tube.
As a young bloke I remember this big thing with Aussie bands doing their own thing. Writing songs about local themes and taking their own direction. The Dingoes and Broderick Smith was one of those bands and Brod was one of those guys. I saw him when I was a teenager at a concert. He wandered up on to the stage a suit, I thought he might have been a bank teller with the way he looked. He had a pocket full of harmonicas and played the meanest blues harp I had ever heard locally. Brod still plays around Melbourne, still writes and still records.
Vika and Linda Bull are from Tonga - It's not far from Australia and so we claim them for us on today's Saturday Song. They started as back up singers with the Black Sorrows, and then progessed on to solo, well duo singers really. .
Paul Kelly writes great lyrics - this is one of his songs.
And finally a Gospel Song - it suits their voices, don't you think?
Saturday song is from an Aussie - NO, I can't fib, he's a Kiwi really, just across the ditch. It's nothing new for Kiwis to infiltrate the Aussie music scene. And when they do, we claim them as our own when they become internationally successful. Both Tim and Neil Finn have written some of my favorite songs. Split Enz, Crowded House and the individual Cd's by both Tim and Neil. What about their collaborations together, just superb. Anyway, on this Saturday song, make a coffee, have some raisin toast and enjoy Tim's music.
Daryl Braithwaite was with one of Australia's most popular 70s bands. I never much liked Sherbert at the time, they were much too mainstream for me. I was into Dylan, blues and jazz. You never admitted to being into Top 40. (Music Nerd) Not quite sure how he and I met in the middle but I really liked his music over the last two decades. I really like his voice today, a little like Stevie Winwood. Enjoy. A true Love Lament
She came to us as a kid of 16, and she stayed. She was pregnant when she had this role in "Hair". I was there at the time but didn't really know she was. Marcia Hines has been part of the Australian music scene for all those years, and still is. Today she is a judge on Australian Idol and is so helpful to new and young talent here. Always positive. I think she is a nice person. Tell me what you think - I'd like to know.
The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen children) is a term used to describe the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals occurred in the period between approximately 1869 and 1969, although in some places children were still being taken in the 1970s.
With Saturday Song I try to make it about Aussie singers - Archie (born in 1956) certainly is that. He was one of the stolen children. At a very young age he was taken away from his parents near the banks of the Goulbourn River in Mooroopna, Victoria and put into a foster home in Melbourne. One of those foster homes was with a family that inspired him musically.
Previously I've posted Saturday Song with Paul Kelly. It was one of Paul's band members that suggested that they meet and possibly open for Kelly's band which he did. Later as his popularity grew, Archie Roach opened for names such as Joan Armatrading, Suzanne Vega and Bob Dylan when they toured Australia.
He's released several CDs and I only bought my first one last weekend. His lyrics tell of his anguish of being ripped away from his parents and the general plight of the Stolen Generation. It's only been in the recent past years when the Labor Opposition defeated the then Liberal Government that newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, officially apologised (saying sorry) for the pain the past governments caused the indigenous children and parents.
They Took the Children Away - Archie Roach
From little things, big things grow is a Paul Kelly song - it's about an aboriginal stockman that worked the land for a squatter and he couldn't understand why this man who was on his land, reaped the benefits. Listen to the words - the reference to the big man was Gough Whitlam, the Labor Prime Minister at the time. Writing this, I ask myself the question, why is it that the Labor Party have always championed the cause of our indigenous people?
If you have time, sing along...
Gather round people let me tell you're a story An eight year long story of power and pride British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiarri We're opposite men on opposite sides
Vestey was fat with money and muscle Beef was his business, broad was his door Vincent was lean and spoke very little He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor
From little things big things grow From little things big things grow
Gurindji were working for nothing but rations Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter Gurindju decided they must make a stand
They picked up their swags and started off walking At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking Back at the homestead and then in the town
Vestey man said I'll double your wages Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand Vincent said uhuh we're not talking about wages We're sitting right here till we get our land Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow Vince said if we fall others are rising
From little things big things grow From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiarri boarded an aeroplane Landed in Sydney, big city of lights And daily he went round softly speaking his story To all kinds of men from all walks of life
And Vincent sat down with big politicians This affair they told him is a matter of state Let us sort it out, your people are hungry Vincent said no thanks, we know how to wait
Then Vincent Lingiarri returned in an aeroplane Back to his country once more to sit down And he told his people let the stars keep on turning We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns
Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand
From little things big things grow From little things big things grow
That was the story of Vincent Lingairri But this is the story of something much more How power and privilege can not move a people Who know where they stand and stand in the law
From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow
Throw your arms around me, was written by Mark Seymour from the now defunct band, Hunters and Collectors. It has never been a top hit but has been picked up by many musicians and recorded on their albums. I heard the Irish Folk singer Luka Bloom saying that he was sent the song from a friend in Australia and decided to record it. In a concert in Perth, he decided to put it in his list of songs not realising how popular it was here in Australia. As he got to the chorus, the audience sang with him - he was gob-smacked. On You Tube there are many versions.
This is the original Hunters and Collector's version from the 80s
Luka Bloom's version
Neil Finn from Crowded House pays tribute to Mark Seymour.
Red Gum, an Australian folk band came out with a song called "I was only nineteen" dealing with a young man who was called up for service in Vietnam. It was a number one national hit. The Liberal Government at the time introduced conscription and many 18 year olds were sent to fight with the American forces - "All the Way with LBJ" was the Government's catch-cry during the late 60s.
I had friends that went and some that didn't come back. Conscription wasn't for all - it was amarble pulled out of the bucket with your birthdate on it. Mine wasn't pulled out and sometimes I wonder if it ever went in! You see, I was born on April 1, April Fools Day.
The Labor Government siezed power and under Gough Whitlam, conscription was abolished. I remember having a party when the election was on and I can imagine many 18 year olds breathing a sigh of relief. Like many countries around the world and not only by the youth, but people of many ages marched in moritoriums denouncing involvement in the Vietnam war. It's hard to know if we should have been there or not, but those who were, despite either wanting or not wanting to be there should be respected for their commitment.
Back to Red Gum. They were out of Adelaide and gained national fame and travelled overseas. Their songs have been recorded by many other international singers, even Joan Baez.
I mentioned in a post earlier in the week of a fellow cyclist I met at out State Masters Track Titles. I didn't mention him or his wife by name but now I know that he is FAMOUS, I get the chance to introduce Anton Wurzer to you. His wife is Loris and they make a lovely couple. Anton sent me a rather obscure email to say he had something in the mail for me. I had no idea what this would be, but I thought it may be connected to our mutual passion for our sport. But no!!!!! He mentioned that besides cycling he had an interest in such things as racing motorcycles and playing the accordian. Yes, I agree with you, they do seem to have a connection, don't they? Both of these passions were passed down by his father.
This morning (Friday) I worked from home in the morning and Sue brought in the mail. Lo and behold, there was the package that Anton had promised. It had a very nice hand written letter with it - unusual in this age.
He's quite handsome, isn't he???????????
It was a CD recorded by him and Nicole Canham called "Live for Life". I wacked it in the CD stacker in my car and listened to it all the way to the office. I arrived there in a very happy mood. Thanks Anton - The favor will be returned very soon - There will be a return present on the way to you next week. (You're not no only famous person who rides a bike)
Yes, I know I've featured John Farnham previously but I've been looking at You Tubes and I can't get over how many people he's sung with. John ventured out of Australia a few times but would get homesick. He travelled with Little River Band in the USA for awhile. John has dueted with many international singers on their travels to Australia and they hold him in high regard. He's an average likable bloke with an incredible voice - untrained would you believe. I'll let him entertain you and go back to have my dinner -Sue is calling. Don't get excited, she's ordered in.. FISH and CHIPS tonight.
There is a time when you stop in your music evolution - I'm sure this true for most of us. For me, I think it was the 80s. I became responsible, bought a house, got married (again), started a family. I was still listening to Van Morrison, Rod Stewart and Phil Collins with a sprinkling of Blues and Jazz. We had a lot of great Aussie music which seemed a little off centre from the usual British and US music at the time. Maybe we realised we could do our own thing. Great Aussie bands emerged - Men at Work, Australian Crawl, and others. Australian Crawl were a local band from our Bay area. James Reyne had an unusual voice but the band wrote great songs of sun, beach, love and growing up. One of my faves was "Reckless", even people older than me (at the time) liked this song. Here's James Reyne doing Reckless after the demise of Australian Crawl (which incidentally is a swimming style) with some "Cobbers" of his in the music industry - just having a bit of a lark together.....
I’ve been on You Tube looking for a Saturday Song post and found one of my very favorite Australian singer/songwriters. He’s name is GLENN SHARROCK. As a teenager I remember piling into a Morrie Minor to go to the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds at Festival Hall in West Melbourne. The area was a bit of a “dive” back then but what did we care – we were invincible.
THE TWILIGHTS - a song about finding that allusive partner.
Glenn was then the lead singer of the Twilights and the band was basically a Beatles inspired band but grew from that to write and perform their own material. Terry Britten, a member of the band has become a song writer for many US singers such as Tina Turner. Back to Glenn – after the Twilights he became a member of what was then described as one of Australia’s super groups, Axiom with another great songwriter, Brian Cadd (more about him in another post). Axiom had a few hits and a time in the UK before disintegrating.
AXIOM - a song about a father's amazement of his daughter.
Glenn then met up with Mississippi (that’s the band name) songwriter/singers Goble and Birtles. Mississippi recorded one only album. I have it. Did I hear you say, “I’m not surprised.” These two guys had lovely melodic voices.
MISSISSIPPI
Not sure how Glenn met these two but what happened next was Little River Band.
LITTLE RIVER BAND - A Love Lost
Sure the band was middle of the road and very FM but I now listen to them and I float on their great music and fantastic lyrics.
The songs written by Glenn showed his enthusiasm for the band, the traveling, the countries where the played and later the jaded feeling and the homesickness he felt.
GLENN with BIRTLES and GOBLE from LRB and MISSISSIPPI
Home on a Monday – Listen to Glenn’s homesickness – the changes of rhythm, it’s one of my favorites. You can tell that Glenn is a bit of a homebody. Glenn now plays around Melbourne and Australia. He hasn’t lost his love of music or his voice.
GLENN wrote and performed the title song for AMERICAN FLYERS, a film with Kevin Costner about cycling - now you know Glenn is a favorite of mine.
You ask - what does a "baby boomer" know about opera singers. Well, I can tell you, very little but as I get older, there's not much being released by my old 60s/70s favourites so I look elsewhere. Its also a learning experience and a history lesson sometimes. So lets start by saying I have no real knowledge of these three famous Australian Divas. Well maybe one, the third on the list.
Dame Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba came to my attention many years ago as I rode through a hamlet in outer Melbourne called Coldstream. I know why it is called Coldstream as it was always one of the coldest parts of the far outreaches of the city. The Dame, or Nelli owned a home of several acres on the fork of the road in the Yarra valley where we trained. There's not much film footage of Nellie these days, but I did find this on You Tube.
Not only was she famous as an operatic artist but also for her many farewell performances. The term as many farewells as Dame Nellie refers to someone that can't quite retire. She also had a desert named after her, the Peach Melba.
The Peach Melba
A statue of Dame Nellie on the waterfront in Melbourne's Docklands
Dame Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Sutherland grew up in the Sydney suburb of Waverley and in 1947 she had her debut starting a career that took her to many countries and meeting many people. Her last performance was in 1985. She passed away last October at her home in Switzerland.
Dame Edna Australia incidentally has several Dames but one self appointed Dame is famous all over the World. Accepted by many other true dignitaries despite her rather dubious title, she is the most well known Australian Dame. I of course mean Dame Edna.
Now that's something I can't improve on so let's leave it there. Well except for this one - very funny.
John Farnham may not have been heard a great deal out of Australia. He started his singing career with a novelty song in the very late 60s or maybe the early 70s called "Sadie the Cleaning Lady" and its come back to haunt him over the years. Back then he was known as Johnny Farnham but over the years it became John.
After the Little River Band became very popular in the USA and toured throughout, the lead singer Glenn Sharrock decided to leave the band and John Farnham filled the spot. This lasted a couple of albums before John left the band to continue his solo career and he took on the persona of Whispering Jack. In a long Outback jacket and Drover's hat, he belted out some of his best songs.
Close to his retirement, John did concerts with stage show stars such as Anthony Warlow who had the lead in Phantom of the Opera in Australia. John also sang with Olivier Newton John at the opening of the Sydney Olympics. John has retired a few times but comes out of retirement and has gained a reputation of the "Dame Nellie Melba" of the pop world. Now there is a subject for a future Saturday Song - Anyone out there familiar with our Dame Nellie?
Although his fame didn't travel outside Australia except for the period in the US with Little River Band, he has given Australians many years of musical pleasure. He loves Australia, and is a true homebody. I don't believe he had any desire to have International fame. Just the same he has sung with many Internationally famous singers when they have visited Australia and they hold our John in high regard.
Jumat, 24 Desember 2010
Today is Christmas day and our home is the gathering place for the family this year. Typically it will be warm and the BBQ will be in action, well the Weber actually which reminds me I need to start the coals going soon.
Usually being Saturday I would post an Australian song so here we have Jingle Bells Australian style and Olivier Newton John from 1966 sing "Christmas Down Under"and probably one of her first TV appearances.
Have a happy and safe festive season to all our readers. Merry Christmas.
Tina Arena I posted about Tina last Saturday and she is the first feature of Saturday Song.
She's an Australian Diva - she started on a TV show called Johnny Young's Young Talent Time. Her family came out from Italy, well her father did and then married her mother by proxy while she was still at home in Sicily. Tina is a most incredibly talented person who is well recieved in France - her life partner is French. I have a few of her CDs but only recently have I discovered her history - watch this marvelous clip from our local program - Rock Wiz. If you follow the links you may find more duets from Australian artists, OR you can wait until I post more on Saturdays. Enjoy....
Our local ethnic station SBS broadcasts programs from all over Europe and Asia as well as local. They recently have produced an Australian series on "Who do you think you are" and last Sunday they featured Tina Arena. It was incredibly moving. If after watching Tina sing and you would like to know more about her ancestory (it explains a lot about who she and her family is) then go and get a cup of tea, sit down and enjoy the program, but have a box of tissues beside you. http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/whodoyouthinkyouare/episodes/detail/episode/3531/season/3
