Powderfinger, Gurrumul, Goanna songs inducted to Sounds of Australia
Powderfinger’s ‘These Days’, Goanna’s ‘Solid Rock’ and the Gurrumul debut album were among those inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive’s 2018 Sounds of Australia.
‘These Days’, written after the band was asked by filmmaker Gregor Jordan to contribute to his Two Hands movie, ended up on their Odyssey Number Five album.
It topped the triple j Hottest 100 chart in 1999 and awarded Song of the Year at the 2000 Music Critic’s Awards.
‘Solid Rock’ was inspired after a 10-day camping trip by Shane Howard to Uluru about white invasion (“somewhere someone lied”) and recorded by his band Goanna.
It reached #1 in Australia and cracked the US Top 100, bringing the issue of First Australians injustices and land rights to the mainstream.
Gurrumul, the debut album by the late Northern Territory singer-songwriter, became a success after its Darwin label Skinnyfish broke through commercial media’s reluctance to play music in indigenous language by focussing on ABC Radio and major trend-setting music journalists to create waves.
It reached #3 on the ARIA chart, won a swag of accolades and sold 3 x platinum. It also broke into a number of European charts and made him a cult hero in North America.
It also put the focus on the importance of preserving local Indigenous dialect.
Australian country singer Geoff Mack wrote ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ in 1959 which listed 94 Australian towns at rapid speed.
It was made popular by Lucky Starr in 1962, and quickly had covers by artists from the US, Canada, British, European and New Zealand name-checking cities in their countries.
Among the 131 covers were by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Asleep At The Wheel and Lynn Anderson.
The 2018 Sounds of Australia
1905 ‘Caro Mio Ben’ — Ada Crossley: A prominent turn-of-the century opera singer from Victoria. She was considered such a talent that she was sent to Melbourne to study under the masters, later extending her tuition in Europe.
1926 ‘Freshie/After the Dawn’ — Sydney Simpson and his Wentworth Café Orchestra: the first Australian recording to be composed, performed, recorded and pressed by Australians.
1955-1967 Binny Lum Collection — Binny Lum and interviewees.
1959 ‘Come Closer to Me’ — Pilita Corrales: born in the Philippines and attended finishing school in Spain, she recorded the Spanish language track during an Australian visit,
She was first female artist to top the Australian pop music charts with a locally made record.
1962 ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ — Lucky Starr.
1976 ‘Girls in Our Town’ — Margret RoadKnight: a cover of a bleak song written by Newcastle singer-songwriter Bob Hudson about the trials and tribulations of Australian girls growing up in country towns.
1982 ‘Solid Rock’ — Goanna.
1992-2008 Songlines: Songs of the East Australian Humpback Whales — Mark Franklin.
1999 These Days — Powderfinger.
2008 Gurrumul — Gurrumul.