Decemberween

It's been a great year. A big thx to all our sponsors and supporters. Special snaps 4 Julie @ Subway and Jason @ Sportsweb for over 30kg's lost + KFC for helping out with Club Now.

Merry Freakin' Christmas, one and all!

Pet Shop Boys (Petshop): Go West

The first thing that springs to mind when anyone mentions the Pet Shop Boys is meeting I had an old school friend, back from London, and him telling me with a smile the size of W.A, “I was in this gay bar and I met Neil Tennant and that other guy.” Despite the manner of their meeting, you can’t deny they’re still relevant. Sure he couldn’t remember Chris Lowe’s name, but he does stand in the back in a ‘dunce hat meets Elton John kind of burqa.’

The Village People cover ‘Go West’ came about after a bungled performance at an AIDS benefit in ’92. Neil couldn’t remember the words to the classic, which brought unexpected laughs to The Haçienda nightclub gig in Manchester. Afterwards they couldn’t help but have another go, hence the single and popular Pet Shop Boys concert closer.

Smashing Pumpkins (The): 1979

Lead singer Billy Corgan says he wrote 1979 about a time somewhere between childhood and adulthood. He recalls a rainy night where he was waiting at the traffic lights in his bombed out car, still at school but with adult responsibilities. He described the feeling as ‘knowing your not quite there’, but success, or failure is just around the corner.

1979 made #12 in the U.S. and spawned a sillborn video where The Smashing Pumpkins play house band at a teen party. A member of the film crew left the tape (which took 3 days to film) on the roof of his car and drove off. Some say as punishment he had to stand in the city centre wearing a sandwich board advertising his incompetence. Either way, the last song to scrape on to ‘Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness’ made the album great.

Powderfinger: Passenger

Powderfinger, so named after the Neil Young song, came together in Brisbane (Australia) in 1989. After 10 years struggling in what lead singer (and more recently: solo artist) Bernard Fanning refers to as the ‘dark times,’ broke through with the album ‘Internationalist’ in 98.

‘Passenger’ was released in ’99 and featured out of tune guitars (by accident,) which guitarist Darren Middleton laughed off in an interview with Massive, saying they had no regrets. The single was nominated for an Aria which it didn’t win, and it only made #30 on the Aussie music charts. What it did do is linger on in radio play lists, where it remains today. How many top 10 songs lack that kind of staying power?

Radiohead: Creep

Back in 1993 I saved all my pocket money and bought the Triple J Hottest 100 on cassette. I’ll never forget the way I felt when I heard this song for the first time.

Thom Yorke wrote ‘Creep’ from Radiohead’s 'Pablo Honey' while he was in college. It’s based on the Albert Hammond song ‘The Air That I Breathe’ and it’s about that deep sinking awkwardness that tells you you’re on the outer. Thom said “There's the beautiful people and then there's the rest of us.” As a small boy, bowl cut equipped with eccentric parents, I totally understood that. Listen to the guitar feedback and the Joy Divsionesque deadpan delivery, can you believe they nailed it in just one take? Why they had to retract the F*bomb I’ll never know, it’s so poignant.

So, if you’re a bit goofy or just a little slow, you’re not alone.

Marcy Playground: Sex And Candy

There’s something about Grunge, lurking in the back of my mind that annoys me. It’s that whole “I’m miserable without my guitar” thing. On balance I’m glad they did because it gave us staying power like Nirvana. Another highlight, although not quite Grunge is Marcy Playground, sporting front man John Wozniak.

‘Sex And Candy’ hammered the U.S. Mod Rock Charts for a record 15 weeks, knocking Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ off the top spot. I like the lyrics “…there she was, like double cherry pie, yeah…” It’s got all the mumbling listlessness of it’s daddy genre without the depressing undertones. It’s lounge lazy to their angst. It’s John McCrea and Kurt Cobain’s love child.

Alice Deejay: Better Off Alone

I get happy in my pants every time somebody beats Jay Lo to a music award, which is why, in the late 90’s early 00’s I couldn’t get enough of Amsterdam outfit ‘Alice Deejay.’

The time was one of lifeless 90’s post-synth. The battleground was Eurotrance. Their breakout single ‘Better Off Alone’ went all the way to #2 in the U.K. and #4 in Aus. They even managed a respectable follow up with the single ‘Back In My Life.’ Producers Pronti, Kalmani and DJ Jurgen who made up Alice Deejay took out Best Chart Act defeating (The) Vengaboys, Eiffel 65, DJ Sonik and of course, Jennifer Lopez.

The problem with these dace troop outfits is one of changing trends, rather like everyone having yo-yo’s at school, until I bought one. They burst into the mainstream under the pop umbrella, but seem to get binned after a few singles as just another ‘Doof, Doof.’ So next time you see a dance track has-been in the street, tell them that they’re still welcome on the radio.

Stars On 54: If You Could Read My Mind (Lightfoot)

For the 1998 Mike Myers/Ryan Phillippe movie Studio ’54, 90’s sensations Amber, Ultra Naté and Jocelyn Enriquez came together as the supergroup ‘Stars on 54,’ to thrash ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ by Lightfoot, one more time. I think there are about 100 covers of this particular song and it’s not hard to see why. What baffles me is how such a competent composition didn’t ensure a solid career for Whatsitsfoot. I’ve never hear of him, have you?

Johnny Cash recorded his own monotone rendition shortly before he began pushing up the daisies. Rather than digging it up, let’s spin the new-ish one. If you haven’t seen the movie, it smells a little bit like this.

Hunters And Collectors: Holy Grail, (The)

Aussie lynch-pin Mark Seymour (Nick from Crowded House’s little brother) went though a number of bands before emerging in Hunters & Collectors. One lineup even included ABC journo Margot O'Neil on vocals, as ‘The Jetsonnes.’

While their debut album ‘The Jaws Of Life’ enjoyed marginal radio play, it was ‘Human Frailty’ that ‘jettisonned’ them into the charts.

One of my all time favorites comes from the 1992 album ‘Cut.’ This single chronicles Napoleon's march into Russia, with Moscow representing the unobtainable. ‘Holy Grail’ made #20 on the Aussie music charts, and remains a strong radio staple to this day.

John Lennon: Nobody Told Me

At just 5 years of age, John Winston Lennon, so named after WW2 Prime Minister Winston Churchill had to choose between his mother and father during a bitter separation.

‘Nobody Told Me’ was released in 1983, more than 2 years after John was shot dead. He wrote the song for Ringo's album ‘Stop And Smell The Roses.’ Out of respect, it wasn’t published until the leaves had settled, on Yoko’s compilation 'Milk And Honey. '

According to Songfacts contributor Ken from Kentucky U.S.A, the line "There's a UFO over New York and I ain't too surprised" was taken from an actual incident. In 1974, John and his lover May Pang (during his separation from Yoko) were living in an apartment overlooking New York's East River, when John saw what he thought was a UFO. According to Pang, John yelled out the window "come back - take me!"

John Lennon facts: Later in his life he changed his middle name to Ono in honor of Yoko, and is one of the only people ever to return an M.B.E. to The Queen.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, (The): Breaking The Girl

In his autobiography Scar Tissue, Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Anthony Kiedis talks about his turbulent relationship with ex-girlfriend Carmen Hawk. One positive thing to come from the breakup was the ’91 single ‘Breaking The Girl’ from ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik.’

The track uses a tricky 6/8 time signature and some pretty inventive percussion involving old junk and car parts. Guitarist John Frusciante came onboard during a dark time for the band, in ’88 Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose causing an exodus that saw a number of lineup changes. While John did all the work, it’s actually Arik Marshall, his replacement who appears in the music video.

‘Breaking The Girl’ climbed to #41 on the U.K charts and garanteed the mainstream success of ‘Blood Sugar.’

Roxette: Joyride

Before I can tell you anything about Roxette, you have to come to terms with their 'Swedishness.' Back when Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle came together in the late 70's, they both had music careers of their own in Sweden and much of Europe.

'Joyride,' the title track from their 1991 album kicks off with the instantly recognisable hook 'Hej din tok... jar alskar dig!' or "Hello, you fool, I love you!" for those of you who don't speak (or pretend to speak) Swedish. According to Songfacs contributor Ahus of Sweeden, Per Gessle, the male member of the duo wrote this for his girlfriend. He came home late and she had written a note that said, "Hello you fool I love you." So he used the line in the song.

The single went all the way to #1 in the U.S. and #4 in the U.K.

Madonna: Ray Of Light

‘Ray Of Light,’ from the album of the same name is based on the track ‘Sepheryn’ by Curtiss Muldoon and Dave Curtis. Some 30 year later D.J. William Orbit had the idea of composing new music for the existing lyrics when he bumped vocalist Christine Leach for veteran vixen Madonna, no wonder when you consider how difficult this song is to sing.

The music video was one of Madge’s better ideas, depicting a full day in just 4 minutes. Lasting 14 days, the shoot visited New York, Vegas and parts of Sweden.

The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #5 where it peaked, a record entry for a Madonna song. At home in the U.K. ‘Ray of Light’ failed to take the top spot, climbing all the way to #2. Madonna took out the 1998 Grammy for Best Pop Album and the MTV Europe award for Best Album.

The Wallflowers: One Headlight

‘One Headlight’ is the second single from The Wallflowers' 1996 album, 'Bringing Down the Horse.' Singer/Songwriter Jakob Dylan said "I tend to write with a lot of metaphors and images, so people take them literally."

The song's meaning is all in the first verse. It's about the death of ideas. The lyrics tell a fragmentary story about a fictional friend and her death. One of Jakob's battles revolved around the lack of emotional and creative support outside the team directly involved in the record. ‘with one headlight’ is a statement about his ability to get through, despite the missing pieces.

‘One Headlight’ won two Grammys in 1998, making #54 on the U.K. singles charts and #1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. Want an obscure fact? the bands self titled debut album sold just 40,000 copies following it's release in 1992, but sold an additional 1 million copies in the wake of this single.

Duran Duran: Girls On Film

Before MTV most music videos were concert clips (think REO Speedwagon, Survivor). Bands and artists credited with the invention of the modern music video include Queen, Michael Jackson and Duran Duran. The latter boys from the U.K. are most interesting because of one notorious video: that of their 1981 single Girls On Film. In a DVD interview, Simon Le Bon says the raunchiness of the video and subsequent outcry from prudes and thought-police all over the isles, drowned the songs anti-exploitation message for the fashion industry.

Think models, in two shades of nude. Lights, cameras and foam machines. There’s a clean version on Youtube for anyone who’s interested, and don’t worry, you're not missing anything, it's only a nipple or two away from the original.

It’s hard to imagine a time without music television, but it was so new it allowed Simon and the boys to sell records in the U.S. without any touring presence or market awareness beyond the one song. ‘Girls On Film’ made #5 in the U.K and remains one of their best singles. Want an obscure fact? The camera click at the beginning is a Nikon, thanks Eddy P from England.

Smash Mouth: All Star

To thrash an old saying: ‘She’s the village bicycle, everyone’s had a ride.’ Lead singer Steve Harwell actually said that his first instinct was to flog the thing to advertisers, which he did, many times over.

You’ll recognize this single from Shrek, Digiman The Movie and Inspector Gadget The Movie (a sad day for film in general, but I digress). The song in question is ‘All Star,’ from Smash Mouths 1999 album ‘Astro Lounge.’ It climbed to #24 on the U.K. charts, topping out at #4 in the U.S.

According to Wikipedia, the video included a cameo appearance by Ben Stiller and was used onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as a sort of musical alarm clock. Want an obscure fact? Unable to better the success of ‘Astro Lounge,’ Steve is currently working on a solo country album. Weird.

Lenny Kravitz: Always On The Run

What happens to a song written for an act like Guns ‘N’ Roses that doesn’t make the cut? They give it to somebody else of course. Recent breakout and former session musician Lenny Kravitz was the unconventional choice.

Slash from Guns 'N' Roses features on guitar, which isn’t a surprise as he wrote the song. ‘Always On The Run’ shot to #8 in the U.S. and #41 in the U.K, propelling Kravitz’s second album ‘Mama Said’ into stores on both sides of the Atlantic.

The song features in ‘The Waterboy’ and on ‘Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.’ It also pays to note that both Slash and Lenny went to Beverly Hills High School, nice if you live in Bev Hills. The music video was directed by Jesse Dylan. It typical Kravitz retro style, it featured a live performance in black & white.

Buggles, (The): Video Killed The Radio Star

Okay, let me introduce Trevor Horn. Trevor was a struggling U.K. record producer, the cut-price kind you find in the yellow pages. His artists included broke, moody Punk hopefuls, eager to become the next Ramones. Of the 4 years spent on these miscreants he said “Eventually I got so fed up…I decided that if I couldn't find a good artist and a good song then I'd write it myself and become the artist.” So he wrote 'Video Killed The Radio Star' with New Wave producer Bruce Wooley (The Camera Club).

‘The Age of Plastic’ hit shelves in the U.K. in ’79 with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ going all the way to #1. Trevor’s since admitted he regrets calling himself ‘Buggles.’ Aussie Duran Duran video man Russell Mulcahy pulled out a slick pop video which, poignantly, was the first video to air on MTV (b. 01/08/1981). It was a good thing too, as U.S. radio stations ignored the single, and any sales they enjoyed were solely due to MTV’s ability to sell records.

Rod Stewart: Maggie May

Back in 1971 a teenager named Robyn stood in a trendy boutique in Manuka. Wafting over the radio came an unfamiliar sound. “Who is that!?!” she exclaimed with excitement.

Maggie May was the song in question and it jettisoned Rod Stewart into superstardom. Flash forward to 1981 and he found himself about where Britney Spears is now. No, not a single mum with a muffin top, but a matured artist in no-man’s-land. By now his teenage fans had children, mortgages and worst of all, husbands. They weren’t interested in an old heart throb with an old sound.

Enter Carmine Appice, the drummer in Stewart's band. He said "Rod was always trying to be on the cutting edge at that time, so we did drum machine (and sequencer) stuff.” The album Young Turks marked the beginning of breakdancing on MTV. This sharp modernity both in sight and sound saw Rod back in the charts, reaching #11 in the U.K. and #5 in the U.S. And Robyn? She still dusts off a copy of Atlantic Crossing every once in a while. It’s the simple things, you know…

Green Day: When I Come Around

Green Day, that is Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool came together back in 1987. Hailing from the Punk hub of Berkeley California, they tasted success on the Indy circuit before moving to a major label. Their ‘94 breakout album ‘Dookie’ sold over 15 million copies worldwide making it one of the most successful albums of it’s genre.

You can’t talk about ‘Dookie’ without ‘When I Come Around.’ Yes, it’s a song about a teen relationship and yes, it’s simple as sin, but it’s good. This song has 2 videos: One of the infamous mud fight at Woodstock where a security guard knocked Mike’s teeth out, and the other, a typical concept video with all the trimmings. Guest guitarist Jason White can be spotted necking in the background. Weather you like Punk or not, this is a solid single.

Matchbox Twenty(20): 3AM

If you’ve ever been in a band you’ll know how hard it is to get noticed. Anyone can book a dingy bar in Newtown, but selling an album in numbers is much more difficult. Tabitha’s secret (think Tabitha from Bewitched) scored a record deal after 3 years touring the bars in Orlando. The demo tape included a track called ‘3 AM’ which became the second single for Matchbox 20, (Twenty) on their debut album ‘Yourself or Someone Like You.’

Lead singer Rob Thomas wrote about his experience as a teenager, caring for his dying mother. Doctors gave her 6 months to live as she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. 3 AM was about the time when the bars were all closed and there was nowhere to go but home, a home you dreaded because of the terminal illness within.

Happily, Rob’s mother pulled through and is alive and well. However, as with all record deals, there was a catch. Tabitha’s Secret was split half and the remaining members sued Rob Thomas’s new band over their use of the song. As a result, both groups released ‘3 AM’. One became a hit, the other became nothing. One good thing to come from the leftover remnants was the album name ‘Don’t Play With Matches.’ That’s a not-so-subtle dig.

Salt-n-Pepa (Salt and Pepper): Let's Talk About Sex, Shoop, Whatta Man

American Hip-Hoppers Salt-n-Pepa began when Cherry James AKA ‘Salt’ agreed to help her boyfriend with an assignment at the New York Center for Media Arts. Their single ‘The Show Stopper’ was released under the name ‘Super Nature’ in ’85. It appeared momentarily on the Hip-Hop charts which, if you ask me, is a success given their lack of funding.

Salt-n-Pepa’s first Grammy nomination came in 1989 to coincide with the album debut of a new member, K.K.B.T. personality DJ Spinderella. ‘Black's Magic’ was a huge success. The single "Expression" and “Let’s talk about sex” hung in the charts for months, they even released a spin-off called ‘Let's Talk About AIDS,’ necessary, but how retro.

In ‘93 the girls released ‘Very Necessary’ under London/Polygram, without Cherry’s now ex boyfriend. The album benefits from Run-D.M.C. and Isley Brothers influcences. The single ‘Shoop’ peaked at #4 in the U.S, with ‘Whatta Man’ achieving 5x Platinum status and climbing all the way to #3.

Fatcamp The Movie! (well, maybe not)

Nat, Jason & Jack take on the Fat Camp 'Imitation Biggest Loser' challenge. (read Walcha Mountain Bike Challenge). Nat lost 27.2kg in 10 months. Thanks Subway, Now FM, Sportsweb Personal Training, Simply Stuck, Bike in Byron/On Balo, A1 Auto Electrics Moree. Remember to rate it, even if you hate it.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=I_jsyHjEJ9g

Dire Straits: Heavy Fuel

Two things can be said for 70’s rock: It was big, and it had tight pants. Boston, Foreigner, Queen, Genesis and/or Phil Collins filled the worlds biggest venues with a clean, super produced sound we now know as Stadium Rock. Mark Knopfler (pron. Noff-ler) along with his brother Dave also had a band, but they had other ideas.

Dire Straits formed around the idea of classic rock without the frills. By the time they got started the 70’s were winding up and Punk was the new black. In stark contrast to early Punk rockers, the boys asked publicans to turn them down so the punters could talk amongst themselves. This humble approach paid off with their debut self titled album going multi-platinum.

Flash forward to 1991 and a single largely ignored in the U.S. but popular at home in the UK and Australia. Heavy Fuel from the album ‘On Every Street’ popularizes the phrase "You gotta run on heavy fuel (if you want to run cool)." It comes from the novel ‘Money’ by Martin Amis. I run on heavy fuel, how about you?

Things of Stone and Wood: Happy Birthday Helen

Aussie Top Gear isn’t the only thing that’s gratuitously Melbournian (despite being filmed in Sydney?). Things of Stone and Wood’s ‘Happy Birthday Helen’ mirrors its birthplace so much it spawned a sketch on The Late Show, ‘No More Melbourne Clichés.’

Released in 1992, the song is about Greg Arnold's then girlfriend and wife, Helen. The single earned them an ARIA in ’92 and a place on the Triple J Hottest 100 in '93. The problem with bands that cross over from folky waa-waa music is they have a tendency to go back. Things of Stone and Wood is no exception.

‘Junk Theatre’ broke the surface in ’94, yeilding one solid single, however their grass roots politics had crept back in and sales bombed. Sony jumped ship ahead of the subsiquent 5 albums that bring us to 2003. In ’07 Greg released his second solo album ‘Lost Marie.’ To date I haven’t heard anything from it. We know they can do great things. As it stands now he’s producing, let’s hope he can supress his folk roots… and Melbourne.

PS: It's easy to be a critic, but I must admit, I never wrote a song like that.

Rose Tattoo: We Can’t Be Beaten

Rose Tattoo was big player in the pioneering days of aussie rock. George Young & Harry Vanda of AC/DC fame came to the party to produce 4 albums. Angry Anderson stood front and centre; you can see him in action in Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome. When Rose Tattoo played London’s Marquee Club, pundits labeled them “the loudest band…since Led Zeppelin.” They’ve been covered by the likes of Guns N' Roses, L.A. Guns and Nashville Pussy. This should give you some idea of their place in the natural order of things.

The tragedy with Rose Tattoo can be found in more recent news. Peter Wells battled prostate cancer for 4 years until his death in 2006, the year the band entered the ARIA Hall of Fame, and Ian Rilen succumbed to bladder cancer in 2006.

In 1982 the boys gave us “We Can’t Be Beaten”. The single entered the aussie charts at #5 and went all the way to #1. The album of the same name faired suitably well, topping out at #14.

Fat Camp @ Walcha... oh the pain!

I'm not dead.... who knew. Results here:
http://www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/fatcamp.mp3

E.M.F. (EMF): Unbelievable

Coming from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, E.M.F. made #3 in the UK with ‘Unbelievable’ from their 1990 album Schubert Dip. An album so-called because songwriter Ian Dench liked to pilfer chord sequences from Schubert.

‘Unbelievable’ crossed the Atlantic one year later and made #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single features “Oh!” samples and other exclamations from a comedian called Dice, and the album version gets really dirty. On their American tour, they played 'Unbelievable' several times in the set as nobody had heard any of their other songs.

E.M.F. weren’t ones to shy away from controversy, either. The track ‘Lies’ from ‘Schubert Dip’ samples John Lennon’s murderer. Unfortunately, Yoko Ono succeeded in having it suppressed. In another track called ‘E.M.F. live at the Bilson,’ the lyrics include the phrase “Ecstasy mother f------ from us to you.” Could this be the true meaning of E.M.F?

Elton John: I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

Elton John famously described his singing career as a stop gap until he found his calling. Funny for a guy who has more hits than Anthony Mundine.

The John/Taupin partnership began in ’67 when A&R man Ray Williams advertised for a lyricist in the New Musical Express. Taupin, the successful candidate became Elton’s full time songwriter, a position he holds to this day.

"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" appeared on the 1983 album 'Too Low For Zero,' reaching #5 at home in the UK and #4 across the Atlantic. The video was filmed in London’s Rivoli Ballroom and features Elton sans-glasses for the first time in years. In pop culture Family Guy ads this track to an already lengthy list of Elton references, and Mary J. Blige often performs this song, with or without Elton.

"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" deserves to become a classic hits mainstay. It’s success is a result of Elton’s enormous talent and Bernie Taupin’s ability to churn out solid gold lyrics time after time. I can’t stress this part enough… Bernie could eat spinach and poop diamonds, he’s just that good.

Hunters and Collectors: Throw Your Arms Around Me (We May Never Meet Again)

Aussie outfit Hunters & Collectors formed in Melbourne in ’81 with singer/songwriter Mark Seymour at the helm. Mark is responsible for several cracking songs including ‘Holy Grail’ and today’s feature 'Throw Your Arms Around Me’

The song suffered a still birth in ’85 and was re-recorded for their 1986 album ‘Human Frailty.’ Tons of artists have covered this song, it’s kind of like the universal party sign off. The Doug Anthony All Stars*, Crowded House and Pearl Jam all had a go. Eddie Vedder substitutes the line “…kiss you in 4 places” with 155 places. Neil Finn recons’ he picked that up after hearing one of Crowded House’s covers in which they routinely change the number.

*Watch Paul's eyes... aint nothing sacred?

Prince: Little Red Corvette

Notorious for changing his name to a symbol, Prince paved the way for thousands of African American performing artists... but he wasn't first.

Michael Jackson broke the MTV colour barrier in ’83 with ‘Billie Jean’. Prince followed soon after with ‘Little Red Corvette’ from the album ‘1999’. It’s hard to believe it now but punters thought he was serious competition for Michael. Think of it as the black equivalent of the ‘Stones/Beatles’ debate. His breakout single made #6 in the US and #2 in the UK.

Little Red Corvette’s lyrics are among the dirtiest in the business, but not enough people ‘got it’ to have it censored. Such was its power that it inspired Sevie Nicks to write ‘Stand Back’. Prince even had a hand in the musical composition. My favorite Songfact comes from a Chevy poster. Picture a red 1963 Corvette Sting Ray that says "They don't write songs about Volvos."

Goanna: Solid Rock

How can you claim to have released an album if nobody can buy it? I looked. I spent hours (10 minutes actually) searching for ‘Spirit Returns’, Goanna’s long awaited follow up to Spirit of Place. I did find an obscure album review here, and despite his Geocities handicap, blogger Jake makes a keen observation: “It will..inevitably annoy with its manifest political baggage.”

So: if you’re going to combine social protest and pop rock you better be bloody good at the rock part. Guns and Roses did it, so did Silverchair, and they haven’t been shelved by their labels for being boring.

Back in the day, Goanna's début album Spirit of Place won the ARIA for Best Album of ‘82, with their first (and only) major hit "Solid Rock" winning Best Single. Solid Rock struck that magic balance, with a chronicle of Aboriginal displacement by European settlers. This song went down a treat at Oz for Africa (Live Aid) in ’85 and remains one of my all time favorites.

R.E.M. (REM): Shiny Happy People (Shining)

Peaking at #10 on the US Billboard chart, Shiny Happy People is the second single from the album Out of Time. It’s a recovery from their heavy first single "Losing My Religion.” Fellow Athens City Georgia resident Kate Pierson (B-52’s) sang backup vocals. She was hot currency as Love Shack had just become a hit.

In ‘99, R.E.M. performed "Furry Happy Monsters." on Sesame Street. The track also made the soundtrack of Fahrenheit 9/11, a conspiracy documentary by some deranged fat guy with a beard. It plays during footage of George Bush Jnr and Snr shaking hands with Saudi oil merchants.

Shiny Happy People evolved from a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" came about in a turbulent time for the Chinese Government. Students demonstrating in favor of liberalization and democracy were slaughtered in their hundreds* at Tiananmen Square in 1989. To this day hybrid Communism prevails in China. When choosing between imported goods, pick the one that says "Made in China." While it may contain traces of lead, persevere. It's amazing how financial success drowns political idealism.

*Official figures. Red Cross est. 2000+.

Backstreet Boys, (The): Backstreets Back

If you ever wanted to resurrect New Kids on the Block or Boyzone, you're probably sad and single with too many pets. That said, help is at hand. I have observed a clever strategy that will allow almost anyone to bring a boy band back from the dead*.

By the time the Backstreet Boys lineup was finalized in '93, talent scout Lou Pearlman had spent around three million dubiously-acquired dollars and had to put on brave face until his investors saw some kind of return. The Backstreet Boys debuted that year to a crowd of 3,000 teenagers at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. From there it was a blur of shopping centre and high school performances. No US album was forthcoming.

In desperation, record bosses Clive Calder and Barry Weiss pioneered a bold re-launch strategy to try and bring the band mainstream success. Changes involved facial hair, haircuts and one of those 90's guy "I cry when I'm upset" wardrobes. Max Martin and Denniz Pop were commissioned to write some new tunes for the planned US debut album. What they came up with was a Thriller for the next generation, something that becomes abundantly clear when you watch the video. Luck Michael Jackson wasn't broke at the time or he might have sued.

*Imagine trying to bring back Human Nature in the 00's, they'd need to wear nail polish and tights while singing about how miserable everything is. Come to think of it, their 'Labrador optimism' may have been the reason they flopped.

Michael Jackson: Thriller (and Indian Thriller)

Thriller’s distinctive 'Monster Mash' style video was directed by John Landis, who worked on 'An American Werewolf In London'. Vincent Price did the narration, evil laugh and rap, which borrows lines from 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. Vince took a paultry $20k for his part. Had he taken the percentage instead of the lump sum, he would have made millions. A sore point which saw him excluded from the 7” single in some markets.

All in all the video was a big hit, named the #1 video of all time in the ‘VH1 100 Greatest Videos’ countdown. But what of the song it's self? We all know Fall Out Boy and John Mayer covered Thriller for Jackson’s Greatest Hits (new/covers)... but nobody’s asking: what about the Indians? I picked this one up on YouTube. Be afraid, be very afraid: this is Indian Thriller.

Savage Garden: To The Moon And Back

House hubby Darren Hayes and producer-musician extraordinaire Daniel Jones came together thanks to a classified in a Brissy newspaper. After a short time with Red Edge, they broke away to form the duo we know as Savage Garden.

Their first offering came in the form of ‘I Want You’. Their follow-up, ‘To The Moon And Back’ is another take on an age old recipe: take a lonely, outcast girl who keeps her cards close to her chest, throw in inspirational lyrics and simmer for 70 minutes. The taste? Try 11 major music awards in ’97 alone, including Single of the Year and Album of the Year.

Here’s an obscure fact: The name Savage Garden refers to the Anne Rice Vampire doctrine “The mind of each man is a savage garden…” It also pays to note that Darren's departure from our shores (and therefore our tax coffers) may be due to our conservative stance on gay marriage. My suggestion: legalize gay marriage for the obscenely wealthy.

Spice Girls, (The): Wannabe (Want To Be My Lover)

Wannabe rocketed to #1 in the US, UK and 30 other countries, including Australia.

According to the girls, the lyrics are about the value of friendship. I, however, take a different point of view. As with all girl group songs, the lyrics are about you, whoever you are. Be honest, you find the lyrics drawing out your own memories and acting as a sort of soundtrack. Think about it: that girl you want but can’t have, those new shoes, that big fight you had with Whatsisname over something or other… you know what I’m talking about.

That’s both the beauty and the curse of this kind of music. The lyrics are so generic that almost anyone can relate. I could write one myself… but I haven’t.

East 17: It's Alright

Some songs were born cheesy, but it doesn’t stop them from becoming a big hit.

English boy bandits East 17 took their name from the U2 track Miss Sarajevo, that or it’s one of those silly UK postcodes. Wiki says they toyed with the idea of shortening it to E17 but decided not to, as the party drug ecstasy was prevalent at the time.

‘It’s Alright’ is a ballad-cum-dance track from the album Walthamstow. It climbed to #3 on the UK charts back in 1993. The following year we colonials did what we always do, and propelled England’s ‘nearly there’ to #1.

Curls get the girls: Nick Giannopoulos christens newcomer.

Allow me to introduce Drew. He's been called 'Frank' ever since The Wog Boy movie came out. Why? Because 'The curls get the girls' - as the character Frank says. Now he's getting ready to leave The Australian Institute of Music and enter showbiz..... but he needs a surname to go with Frank because the agencies won't sign two people with the same name. Who better to do the honors than Wog Boy star Nick Giannopoulos. We caught up with Nick for a chat.

What is Frank's new name? Listen to the interview here.

Random names generated by BabyNameGenie.com: Frank Kinnal, Frank Dayton or Daytone, Frank Dulton, Frank Ethan, Frank Perry and Frank Williams.
Listener suggestions: Frank McAndrews, a take on Andrew McWilliams, his real name, and Frankie Finch.

Always something there to remind me: Songfacts on Naked Eyes

‘Always something there to remind me’ was written by superstar Burt Bacharach and Hal David for a bloke called Lou Johnson.

Many talented artists had a crack at this one. Throughout the 60’s and 70’s the song lingered on the B list until synthpop outfit Naked Eyes made the top 10, with Bacharach himself naming this version as his personal favorite.

Naked Eyes were off to a flying start, but their subsequent hit "Promises, Promises" was also their last. Singer Pete Byrne ended up doing session work for Stevie Wonder, just to pay the bills, and even wrote "I’m the Cute One" for the Olsen Twins. Grim.

What's in a name: Songfacts on Sex Maggots... okay G.G. Dolls.

What a name for an 80’s band: The Sex Maggots. John Rzeznik, Robby Takac and George Tutuska propelled their music into the half-light under this moniker until a booking agent complained that the local newspaper wouldn’t print their name. In a snap decision, the name Goo Goo Dolls was lifted from a toy advertisement. John recalls “If I had five more minutes, I definitely would have picked a better name".

Their debut self titled album arrived in 1987 with 4 to follow. Unfortunately, poverty persisted for the band until Warner signed them for Dizzy Up The Girl in 1998. The album’s title is the subject of much conjecture. I think it reflects the usefulness of buying your date a stiff drink, that or it’s some kind of amusement ride run by people with small hands and beady eyes.

From that album comes an important piece of popular music. It’s not quite rock and it’s not grunge, it’s something wonderful: Iris.

Getting started: Songfacts on The Red Hot Chili Peppers

The singles Higher Ground and Knock Me Down catapulted The Chili Peppers into the mainstream.

Originally written by Stevie Wonder, Higher Ground is a favorite among two groups of people: Bass players love it for it’s stylized slap bass line, and regular people love it because it replaced New Kids on the Block’s ‘Hangin’ Tough’ as the cover song on the Chili’s breakout Album Mother’s Milk.

You’ll find this song in the game Guitar Hero. It also made an appearance in the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie. *Shudder*

Guns & Roses: November Rain

The original November Rain, based on a short story by Del James called Without You was 25 minutes long. The song was edited down to 8:59 for the album and subsequent single and amazingly, It’s still the longest ever Top 10 hit.

The video won best cinematography at the ‘92 MTV Music Awards, which is a bloody good thing to, as it cost US$1.5m! (a sore point for guitarist Slash, who said “it was all getting out of hand.”)

Following the dangerous joint release of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, both albums occupied the top 2 spots on the album charts for only the second time in history. If Britney Spears and Cold Play released back to back albums with long songs, they’d be sharing a bunk bed in the Poor House. This is the extent of the Guns 'N’ Roses effect.

From fatal car crash to new life: Songfacts on Live

Lightning Crashes takes it’s inspiration from car crash victim and high school friend of the band, Barbara Lewis. Barbara lost her life to an armed robber fleeing a crime scene.

The song clearly chronicles the circle of life. Her brother in-law explains: “Barb's life gave new life to many. The angel, the baby down the hall, (Barb’s) pale blue eyes. Our family’s close (to) the most genuine and caring man, who is still alive today, who has Barb's heart beating in his chest! Lightning Crashes literally lives on.”

Often dedicated to the Columbine High School massacre victims at concerts, Lightning Crashes is Live’s biggest hit to date.

#1 album in 5 easy steps: Songfacts on Killing Heidi

1. Recruit talent: Ella Hooper and her brother Jesse assembled a team of musicians from their High school in small town Victoria to form a band that later became known as Killing Heidi.

2. Make a demo: Local record store owner Jamie Durrant spotted the youngsters at a local arts festival in’96. With backing they headed into the recording studio and produced an untitled demo EP.

3. Get recognition: Now sporting a name derived from hard and soft word lists, Killing Heidi entered their demo in Triple J Unearthed. The track Kettle took out the regional finals.

4. Develop sound & skills: When producer Paul Kosky (Crowded House, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Ceberano) saw Killing Heidi live, he signed them to his label Wah Wah Records. Over the next 2 years he performed life giving A & R* on the band, focusing on their sound, performance and overall direction.

5. Get signed to a major label: Killing Heidi’s big break came in 1999 when Roadshow Music agreed to back the album Reflector (Weir, Mascara) which made #1 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart with over 350,000 copies sold.

*A & R refers to Aardvarks and Rulers, or something like that.

Fatcamp 29/09/08: Bike bent like a banana!

You can't go that fast over boulders! I've been saying that for weeks... and now my front wheel is bent like a banana. Bring on the Begathon: Fatcamp needs a 26" (adult) front wheel. (02) 6752 1155.

On the scales: 114.8kg to beat. It's been a struggle to shed the grams these last few weeks so I'm pleased to report a loss of 1.2kg down to 113.6 from 140 stout kegs.

Last but not least, I'm pleased to welcome the third and final member of our Walcha Mountain Bike Challenge team Don 'The Don' (who won't break your legs). This brings team Subway Fatcamp one step closer to the 76km off road assault in late October for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Listen to the latest Fatcamp here: www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/fatcamp.mp3

Songfacts on Anthony Head's brother: What the?

One day (today actually) you’ll be listening to the radio and they’ll play “One Night in Bangkok”. No doubt you’ll be asking yourself: What the?

Written by ABBA’s Benny & Björn with lyrics by song and dance man Tim Rice, Murray Head recorded vocals for the 1984 Chess musical soundtrack. This goes a long way to explaining the strange lyrics, revolving around a Chess game. While the double entendres are fun, One Night in Bangkok paints a pretty gritty picture of it’s setting. “That muddy old river” referring to the Chao Phraya. Oh, and Yul Brynner…. He played the King of Siam.

Murray’s younger brother is Buffy & Little Britain star, Anthony Head. Just so you know.
What the? Indeed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnqj31VPNoE

Songfacts on Gwen: How not to write a song.

Block out all noise. Focus. Remember to count syllables and watch your couplets. Stick to this simple song formula and you’re sure to fail. Why? Because that’s what we do. When was the last time you wrote a song? If a close friend asked you to sing a few bars, could you? I certainly couldn’t, they’re rubbish!

The one true path to songwriting success is conflict. Before Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani was dating No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. A breakup in the workplace is bad enough without friction amongst band members due to the media lavishing most of their attention on Gwen.

In December ’96 they performed Don’t Speak live on SNL. A chronicle of personal drama, Don’t Speak was an instant hit. While it was never released as a single, it propelled Tragic Kingdom to #1 for 9 weeks.

Are you going to eat that puppy?

In a restaurant somewhere in Bangkok, my dinner date leaned over and asked "Are you going to finish that puppy?" It got me thinking, Alicia Silverstone, what ever happened to her? She was in Batman & Robyn and that movie Clueless... Then I woke up.

Silverstone became a vegan in 1998 after attending an animal rights meeting. "I realized that I was the problem," she told InStyle Home Magazine, and in 2004 she was voted "Sexiest Female Vegetarian" by the Enviro-Nazis at PETA (you can see how a lawsuit would be good publicity for me).
I think I've managed to put my finger on the cause of this bizarre dream, that "Be green, save our planet" Ad running on TV at the moment. Methane and other waste products from livestock causing global warming? I've got to get in on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD_qgBDhLuI

Fat Camp Update 22/09/08

“Up the intensity, up the intensity!” This seems to be the stock standard response when a weight loss program starts to plateau. But what happens when you consistently up the intensity and things keep getting worse?
Latest Fat Camp: www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/fatcamp.mp3

The last three weeks have been a real battle for me with a string of disappointing results. Today I approached the scales with enthusiasm as I’d worked very hard all week. This exuberance was short lived as I only managed 300g, edging me down to 114.9kg from 140. It’s just a hunch but maybe, just maybe, trying a little less might be more effective. Think about it: Low intensity exercise gets the heart rate up, burning fat. Low intensity also means less tired bones, bouts of unstoppable hunger and generally being miserable.
I might be on to something here. I’ll try it out for a week and publish the results in the next Fat Camp.

Songfacts on Gary Newman: Driving on the footpath!

“A couple of blokes started peering in the window (of my car) and for whatever reason took a dislike to me”. At this point, Gary Newman swerved onto the pavement, scattering pedestrians and exacting his revenge on the gazing men. He didn’t go to jail, instead he wrote a song. It was released in ’79 on The Pleasure Principal. We know it as Cars.

Songfacts on Alannah: Rooted no more.

It's all fun and games getting screwed by a record company until someone loses and eye.

Alannah Myles is that chick rocker who wrote the song Black Velvet about B.B King, Elvis and others. Since 1989 she's been eating scraps and living in her shoe, but not this year. She's just received her first ever royalty cheque! It seems that all this time a record company (Powers won't let me say who) have deducted $7m from her take for 'expenses'. Like what? 3 albums and a little low key touring?
One thing is for sure, living on dregs does wonders for your figure.

Why am I always tired? - Dr Karl talks to Nat.

Have you ever wondered why some people feel like Death in the morning, and others are Mary Freakin' Sunshine by 6am? Did you know Dr. Karl thinks school should start at 11am? Listen here: http://www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/drkarl.mp3

When I heard Dr Karl Kruszelnicki was heading my way I thought I'd Youtube some of his TV series Sleek Geeks in preparation. The 'research' didn't do me any good as I found him to be far more precise and methodical in person, explaining each qualifying step before getting to the center of a problem. He made quite an effort to help me understand the science, even spending 10 minutes explaining and re-explaining the 'Even Horizon' of a black hole in layman's terms for the benefit of my ham sandwich intellect. My idea of throwaway questions was out, so I decided not to waste his time and ask two tricky listener’s questions: Why do I always wake up tired? And What’s inside a black hole?

Dr Karl’s website is http://www.drkarl.com/

Fat Camp Update 15/09/08

Given my training regime is a full on exercise in barbarism, not losing any weight last week was a big worry. That said, Ice Skating isn't particularly effective as a fat burning exercise, especially when you spend the whole time clutching the railing. This mornings weigh in revealed a loss of 600g, down to 115.2 with a total weight loss of 124.8kg.
Listen here: http://www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/fatcamp%2015-9-08.mp3
Lastly, we need a third rider for the Walcha event, October 26. To join or nominate: nowstudio @ northnet .com .au

Do I look like I give a !%&#? - Kevin Bloody Wilson

What ever happened to the days of satirizing current events? Allan Bond, MABO, Telecom becoming Telstra. I half expected a song about Belinda Neal riding Police Minister Matt Brown while reenacting the sacking of John Howard.
Yesterday I asked Kevin Bloody Wilson why he'd been so long between drinks? He fired right back, sighting his 12 studio albums and suggesting it was a lack of touring in the north west that was to blame for his absence, both from my library and from the pirate MP3 collections of so many teenage boys.
The album DILLIGAF is a sound piece of work, though it feels a bit tame compared to the episode of Southpark I watched on Monday night.

See Kev live in Lightning Ridge, October 4.
Now FM Interview: http://www.nowfm.com.au/stuff/kevin.mp3