Coloured Stone and No Fixed Address were practically unique
in that they incorporated reggae music into their sound. Indeed, No Fixed Address were one of the acts
that helped me appreciate reggae music and for a while in the early 80s were
popular among promoters who frequently used them as a local support act for
visiting overseas bands. I’m reasonably sure
they were the support act on The Clash’s only Australian Tour (or at least they
were in Melbourne) cementing the link between reggae and punk that had
developed in Britain. Their brilliant
song We Have Survived (from the From My Eyes mini album) is a tune that by all
rights should have been a massive worldwide hit especially with its infectious
hook “ We have survived the white man’s world/And you know, you can’t change
that.”
But for the most part, the great majority of Aborigines who
entered the Australian music industry did so via country and western
music. In his great book Buried Country –
The Story Of Aboriginal Country Music, Clinton Walker identified a number including
Herb Laughton, Dougie Young, Auriel Andrew, Vic Simms, Bob Randall, Bobby
McLeod, Isaac Yama and Roger Knox. I can’t
remember how well known these acts were to the general Australian population –
certainly they would have been reasonably well known on the Australian (bush)
country circuit – but I do remember world champion boxer Lionel Rose having a
top 10 hit via the country tune “I Thank You” and also the incomparable:
(# 404) Jimmy Little – Messenger (2002)
Although this is not a country album, Jimmy was taken on a
Johnny Cash journey and refashioned a number of well known, mostly alternative,
Australian tunes from the previous couple of decades. His aged yet honeyed to perfection voice sat
well with his reinterpretations of The Church’s Under The Milky Way, The Reels
Quasimodo’s Dream, Crowded House’s Into Temptation and The Sunnyboys' Alone With You. But the highlight is his take
of the Warumpi Band’s Blackfella/Whitefella
where its refrain “Stand up/Stand up and be counted” is rephrased from a call
to arms to a dignified request that daren’t not be missed.
(# 405) The Warumpi
Band – Big Name, No Blankets (1985)
Formed in the Northern Territory, The Warumpi Band
eventually moved to Sydney where they caught the eye of Midnight Oil. As a result of this association came this
debut album which, for the most part consists of straight ahead rock on aboriginal
themes. Fitzroy Crossing is a nod the
country music origins. But its big
selling point is as the home to Blackfella/Whitefella one of the finest and
catchiest calls to action. If you get a chance, try to find the documentary of
their tour of inland Australia with Midnight Oil. It ends
with the band playing Blackfella/Whitefella with members of the Oils singing to
one side. As the song proceeds each
member gives up his instrument to one of the Oils that by the end of the tune
the latter has already begun playing The Dead Heart.
(# 406) Kev Carmody –
Cannot Buy My Soul [disc 2 only] (2007)
Carmody is a singer songwriter from far north Queensland who
has released only a handful of albums.
But each of these contained enough gems for long-time advocate Paul
Kelly to put together this compilation.
(Disc 1 of this set consists of versions of the same songs as performed
by a range of present day [white] Australian acts.) Just the song titles should be sufficient to
alter listeners to the likely lyrical content – I’ve Been Moved, Thou Shalt Not
Steal [about the British colonists who insisted on instilling Christianity
and the 10 Commandments in the Aborigines whilst simultaneously stealing the country from them], River of Tears and the title track. Comrade Jesus Christ is a powerful spoken
word piece in which Carmody makes a convincing case that Christ would today be
regarded as a communist if he were to arrive and preach his basic messages. Naturally, it contains his best known and
frequently covered number From Little Things Big Things Grow.
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