Luude’s remix of Men At Work’s ‘Down Under’ is a U.K. Top 40 hit

Another chapter is written to the story of Men At Work’s ‘Down Under,’ as a banging remix of the ‘80s favorite cracks the U.K. Top 40.

Gold Coast producer Luude is behind the fresh cut of ‘Down Under,’ which starts at No. 32 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, narrowing missing out on the week’s top debut.

‘Down Under’ also enters the latest ARIA Singles Chart at No. 48.

The bass-stacked tune has enjoyed support on the BBC thanks to Radio 1 presenter & DJ Charlie Hedges, and is benefiting from the mass exodus of Christmas songs, all of which have vanished from the national singles survey.

The remix of ‘Down Under’ is listed as “Luude featuring Colin Hay,” and is released by Sydney label Sweat It Out, which, along with its sister label Central Station Records, is on the expansion path with several recent hires and promotions.

Stream Luude’s ‘Down Under’ featuring Colin Hay:

Almost 40 years after its release, ‘Down Under’ can now boast “unofficial” national anthem status.

Go anywhere in the world where Australians drink and where music is played, you’re bound to hear ‘Down Under.’

With the breakthrough hit in their pocket, Men At Work scaled rare heights for an Australian act.

The song and its parent album, Business As Usual, simultaneously ruled the charts in the U.K. and U.S., and the band went on to win a Grammy Award for New Artist.

The song was the subject of an ugly legal dispute in the late 2000s when Sydney-based Larrikin Music sued ‘Down Under’ songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, together with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony DADC Australia, EMI Songs Australia and EMI Music Publishing.

The case was launched on the claim that the song featured an unlicensed sample from the classic nursery rhyme, ‘Kookaburra.’

Larrikin had sought 60 percent of the song’s profits, but was initially awarded five per cent, though only from 2002 onwards.

The controversial (and costly) suit was explained in granular detail in Trevor Conomy’s Down Under: The Tune, The Times, The Tragedy.

Watch Men At Work’s ‘Down Under’:

It’s been a cool summer for Luude (real name Christian Benson), who hit the stage for the post-Christmas Wildlands Festival for a solo set and with Coomba, his side project with his cousin Tim Benson.

Choomba got shuffling in 2019 with a self-released debut EP, which culminated in a support slot with Claude Von Stroke and Unearthed Feature Artist status. The duo signed with EMI Music last year.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.