So it seems an Australian classic pop hit has reached the – er, “coveted Christmas No 1” spot.
Sadly, IMHO it’s not the best song by this great Australian band, who had several hits – I’ll post my favourite in the comments…
But also, tragically, this has happened almost a year to the day since the song’s composer and singer Andrew “Greedy” Smith passed away suddenly after a heart attack.
RIP Greedy, and please, if you love good songwriting, check out Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty’s project Dog Trumpet.
Again, see comments
Dog Trumpet (ie Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty) – “Bored Wife”
Starts about .50
Here’s a couple of Mental As Anything Songs to check out – “If You Leave Me Can I Come Too” – produced by Elvis Costello
And “The Nips Are Getting Bigger”
And my favourite – “Beserk Warriors” – a song about ABBA. Written by the bass player Peter O’Doherty who, in the interests of full disclosure, is a mate of mine…
Bjorn is just a viking
He is very a handy with a sword
He loves nothing better
Than to cut and slash right through a horde
Mutilation, jubilation
Friendly muscles, in a tussle
Anna’s a girl viking
She is very handy with a spear
She won’t wear silk stockings
Armour-plated garments are her sphere
In the fjords, you can hear them
Eerie horns blow, viking love show
Bjorn and Anna earn their leisure
They have each other for their pleasure
Bjorn is on his long ship
He and Anna fought it out today
He says it is their Waterloo
Vikings shouldn’t mix their work and play
All that blonde hair for them to share
So much plunder, Cut asunder
Now when Bjorn and Anna see each other
It’s on the battlefield, not as lovers
Those vikings love to fight and play
Fighting berserk warriors hey hey!
Those vikings love to fight and play
Fighting berserk warriors hey hey!
Those vikings love to fight and play
Fighting berserk warriors hey hey!
To my amusement, Berserk Warriors was not available in Sweden.
To say anything even slightly negative about the Fab Four will lead to a prison sentence or worse in these parts.
Thanks for the Mental and Trumpet suggestions. I will listen with interest.
“If You Leave Me Can I Come Too” is such a great lyric.
Why are Mental suddenly at the top of the Xmas charts??
Great band, classic Sydney band.
@Junior-Wells – what makes them “classic Sydney” vs “classic Melbourne”?
I ask from a neutral POV, being a Kiwi
I wondered whether you would ask that. To be clear, they are a great band – no qualifications. I saw em a few times, when living in Sydney as it happens.
What makes them a Sydney band? Well being a Melbourne boy they were always labelled as that down here. There is the Reg Mombassa/Mambo thing which is an iconic (I hate that word and here I am using it) ..an iconic Sydney brand. Greedy in his short sleeved shirts, the heat the video shots of Sydney.
Not a bad thing mind you. I just can’t see them having ever have come out of Melbourne.
What is the perceived “difference” between Melbourne and Sydney. Having been to both, Melbourne seems artier so is it Melbourne = Edinburgh and Sydney = Glasgow?
Nah, better weather there.
Melbourne is possibly over-represented on the ‘smug, pretentious wanker’ end of the music spectrum. I’m thinking of dire 90s bands such as Something for Kate and Things of Stone and Wood. And even ‘Australia’s Bard’ Paul Kelly, who I think is one of the most over-rated musicians in history (yes, I know he was born in Adelaide).
I always thought Perth punched well above its weight in Australian music. There’s some weird, isolated psychedelic rock current that has always run through the place.
We went to trivia last night.
They had a rank these things in order of popularity round.
The songs of Cold Chisel.
Who? I hear you ask. And well might you ask Apparently their best song was Khe Sanh.
It’s a very famous song in Australia. I don’t own any Cold Chisel, possibly due to overfamiliarity with their work, but they were an excellent band with at least a couple of top tier instrumentalists. Their best-of would be the envy of many bands far more famous.
How can it be the Christmas no. 1 when it is still 2 weeks and a bit until Christmas?
Christmas 2019. Don’t forget the time difference.
Ah