Weekend edition: Australian pop stars twenty years later

Someone who was a modestly successful pop star (a number 1 or two and a dozen other chartings) can make a living off old glories for most their life in America. The market is sufficiently big.

But someone of that status has a much harder time making ends meet in music in Australia. You can be privileged to see them with very small (and in this case respectful) audiences.

Below is one of my favourites from my 20s - Angie Hart - who is somewhat younger than me - and was one of the first Australian stars to sing in a really strong Australian accent.



The song is Elvis Costello's (similarly dated) song Shipbuilding - a story about laid-off ship builders in the North of England looking at the loss of tonnage in the Falklands War and thinking they may get a job at the shipyards. "Within weeks they will be reopening the shipyards, and notifying the next of kin". (If you do not know the lyrics they are reproduced at the end of this post.)

When I was in my 20s I was not very conscious of Angie's Australian accent (and I had one this intense). 10 years of talking on phones internationally and listening to Americans in particular has changed the way I speak. I still sound Australian - but not like that.

Here - 20 something years ago - is the song for which Angie Hart is most famous - another cover - this time of a New Order song...



But what I find really strange is that 20 years later the Frente cover of the New Order song has become the way to do it - especially in Asia where it was featured on Indonesian Idol (no not kidding).

And all over YouTube you find Chinese teenage girls in Malaysia or the Philippines or Indonesia or even China singing New Order songs with a deliberate Australian accent. Here is one - there are hundreds of others.

Fame on the internet can be very strange.




John


Shipbuilding

Is it worth it
A new winter coat and shoes for the wife
And a bicycle on the boys birthday
Its just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children
Soon well be shipbuilding
Well I ask you
The boy said dad they're going to take me to task
But I'll be back by christmas
Its just a rumour that was spread around town
Somebody said that someone got filled in
For saying that people get killed in
The result of this shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
Its just a rumour that was spread around town
A telegram or a picture postcard
Within weeks they'll be re-opening the shipyards
And notifying the next of kin
Once again
Its all were skilled in
We will be shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/e/elvis