Aussie Icons On Countdown – The ‘80s

Aussie Icons On Countdown – The ‘80s

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Last month we featured a bunch of the great local talent that Countdown revealed in the ‘70s. Now we move to the ‘80s. And in case you forgot, last night ABC-TV started its series of Countdown re-runs in the original Sunday 7PM timeslot.

Sharon O’Neill "Maxine"

New Zealander Sharon was one of our biggest female popstars of the early ‘80s. Although she got her original break at home on talent shows and in cover bands, she developed as a writer. “Maxine” was inspired by a prostitute, and she also wrote songs for the ABC's 1984 TV series Sweet and Sour including the title song performed by Deborah Conway.

 

 

Kids In the Kitchen “Change in Mood” 

Melbourne’s Kids were our own version of the likes of Simple Minds and Duran Duran, and “Change In Mood” stands with any songs of the era by like-minded artists. With a cooler or sexier name they might’ve got a bit further maybe?

 

Hunters & Collectors “Say Goodbye”

Never really thought of as Countdown types, Hunters & Collectors nonetheless benefited greatly from the exposure. One does wonder what the kids in the audience thought of Mark Seymour passionately cooing “You don’t make me feel like a woman anymore.”

 

Paul Kelly & The Dots “Alive & Well” 

Two albums on Mushroom with the Dots and a run of singles weren’t enough to help Paul really breakthrough at the time, but “Billy Baxter” was a bit of a hit and this one deserved better. Paul finally got his first #1 album last month – sadly the leather jacket (and dark curls) are long gone!

 

Mental as Anything “If You Leave Me Could I Come Too” 

The Mentals must surely have had a longer run of hits and near hit singles than any other Australian artist of the era. Think about it for a second – start with “The Nips Are Getting Bigger” in ‘79 and finish with “Mr Natural” in ’95 and fill in all the gaps. It’s a long list!

 

The Swingers “Counting The Beat” 

One of the most recognisable of all local hits was sadly the only hit for this band of NZ imports led by Split Enz co-founder Phil Judd. That’s later Midnight Oil man Bones Hillman on bass, and yep that’s Russell Morris intro’ing them.

 

INXS “Don’t Change” 

Like everyone else, even Australia’s most internationally successful artists owed so much to Countdown’s support. This is the song with which these fellas really found their songwriting chops we reckon, and it’s one that Bruce Springsteen chose to perform in Sydney a couple of tours back.

 

Divinyls “Boys in Town” 

Chrissie and the boys appeared out of nowhere in 1980 full formed as a great new wave hard rock outfit to rival the likes of the Angels. “Boys in Town” set the cat amongst the pigeons lyrically and musically and has grown massively in stature over the years.

 

Flowers “We Can Get Together” 

Iva and friends really found their feet with this, their great second single, and from the way he intro’s it, Molly sensed it right away. Did you know that Flowers/original Icehouse drummer John Lloyd had previously been in the original line-up of Paul Kelly’s Dots?

 

The Models “Out of Mind Out of Sight” 

One of the most enduring band’s of the era, the Models came from a genuinely alternative background and, in their peak period, incorporated one of Australia’s most tragic pop figures, James Freud. Countdown supported them through all their ups and downs, even when they weren’t doing themselves any favours.

 

Jane Clifton “The Girl In the Mirror” 

Jane was known to many as one of the stars of the women-in-prison weekly soapie Prisoner, but she first appeared on Countdown in 1978 as a member of forthright inner-city Melbourne band Stiletto. She also featured in Jo Jo Zep’s hit “Taxi Mary“. “The Girl in the Mirror” was an early warning to young girls about the dangers of comparing themselves to the fake beauty found in the media. Good stuff Jane.

 

Sunnyboys “Alone With You” 

The ‘60s revival was a big thing in the early ‘80s and Sydney’s Sunnyboys combined a bit of that with the enormous talent of teenaged Jeremy Oxley to come out of the gates with some great early records. “Alone With You” is an all-time classic.

 

Do Re Mi “Man Overboard” 

Deborah Conway’s edgy and artsy group in hindsight seem like the antithesis of what Countdown was about, but they did get a fair amount of support on the show. Not sure if any other song on Countdown mentioned pubic hair or penis envy?

 

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