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[gentle, pensive music playing]
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00:01:08,318 --> 00:01:10,529
[wrenches and drills whirring]
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{\an8}[Olivia] Australian society in the 1960s
was sheltered.
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00:01:21,039 --> 00:01:23,959
We were very isolated
from the rest of the world.
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It was like we were sleepwalking.
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{\an8}[Jimmy] Music woke us up.
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00:01:51,028 --> 00:01:55,073
The big question was,
who was gonna be our big star?
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00:01:55,157 --> 00:01:56,867
Who were we gonna worship?
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00:02:02,039 --> 00:02:04,416
[John] I was born in London,
in the heart of London.
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00:02:06,001 --> 00:02:08,628
I came to Australia,
I was about 10, I think.
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{\an8}[Rose] There was always music going on.
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00:02:17,012 --> 00:02:19,473
{\an8}There's just two years
between Jean and John,
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00:02:19,556 --> 00:02:24,228
{\an8}and they used to go around
entertaining the old people in England.
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At one stage there,
Jean and John did "Tin Soldier,"
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and Jean had to sit on Johnny's lap.
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She fell off
and John just carried on with the show.
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From that moment, my father-in-law said
he's gonna be a showman.
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[gentle, pensive music continues]
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00:03:01,306 --> 00:03:03,350
{\an8}["Don't Let the Sun
Catch You Crying" playing]
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00:03:03,433 --> 00:03:06,436
{\an8}♪ And it can always come again... ♪
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{\an8}[John] We played at a country dance,
a place called Cohuna.
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00:03:10,148 --> 00:03:11,984
{\an8}I joined a group called Strings Unlimited.
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00:03:12,067 --> 00:03:14,820
{\an8}We used to work the local discos,
and dances, and things.
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{\an8}We backed Bev Harrell,
who was an Adelaide singer.
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{\an8}She was very big at the time.
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{\an8}♪ What am I doing here with you ♪
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♪ When I promised that I'd be true? ♪
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[Bev]
I arrived and I've done my rehearsal,
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00:03:28,375 --> 00:03:30,878
the band has started to play,
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00:03:30,961 --> 00:03:33,630
{\an8}and I had no idea who the singer was.
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♪ ...birds sing ♪
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♪ It may be hard to discover... ♪
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And I peeked round the corner,
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to have a look at this boy,
and just thought, "Wow."
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Wow. [chuckles] Wow.
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In all ways.
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I was there with Darryl,
who was my boyfriend.
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I think he probably thought
the same as me.
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00:04:02,492 --> 00:04:04,703
This is a star in the making.
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[reporter] What was it that told you
he had the potential it needed?
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{\an8}[Darryl] His looks.
The way he worked to the public.
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{\an8}And, uh, we took it from there.
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[Bev] Darryl went up to John and said:
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00:04:14,963 --> 00:04:19,091
"Look, can I have your number?
I'm really interested in managing you."
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[John]
He rang about seven weeks later and said:
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00:04:21,637 --> 00:04:23,680
"I've got you some work in Adelaide.
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00:04:23,764 --> 00:04:26,016
Got you $30 for the three jobs."
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00:04:26,099 --> 00:04:29,186
I was still a plumber's apprentice,
and I was on 22 a week.
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00:04:29,269 --> 00:04:31,271
I went over to Adelaide
and worked three dances.
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00:04:31,355 --> 00:04:33,732
That was the first time
anybody had ever screamed at me.
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00:04:34,775 --> 00:04:39,029
[David] I was doing a TV show with Bev,
and I met Darryl Sambell.
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00:04:39,112 --> 00:04:42,658
She said, "This guy does my hair
and he's a friend of mine."
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00:04:42,741 --> 00:04:45,244
{\an8}We chatted while doing the TV show.
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{\an8}He said, "There's a guy you've gotta hear.
His name's Johnny Farnham."
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I was in the studio,
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and Peter Best, he had written
a jingle for Ansett-ANA.
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They said, "We're looking
for a great voice for this jingle.
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Do you know anybody?"
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00:05:02,302 --> 00:05:05,556
I said, "Listen to this boy."
They said, "That's the voice."
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00:05:05,639 --> 00:05:07,140
[John] ♪ Susan Jones ♪
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00:05:07,224 --> 00:05:08,058
Hello there.
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♪ The happiest girl
With the friendliest smile ♪
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[David] He hadn't had this experience
in the studio,
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he hadn't been
a professional session singer,
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but he took direction
straight off the top.
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He was just floating through these notes,
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which, not many,
even professional jingle singers would do.
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I just walked into the studio and said:
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00:05:27,202 --> 00:05:29,955
"I'd really like to sign you to EMI."
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And he said, "Well, yeah,
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you'd have to come
and talk to my mom and dad."
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[upbeat music playing]
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The next day, I went out
and met his mom and dad.
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{\an8}We wondered what he was going into.
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{\an8}Um, you know,
he was giving up an apprenticeship.
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[John] I went to my parents and said,
"Look, I've got a chance here.
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I can either stay at plumbing,
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and work at that for the rest of my life,"
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so it was either do one or the other.
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So I thought, "I'm only gonna get
one chance in my life
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00:06:01,195 --> 00:06:03,363
to really get stuck into singing."
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So they said, "All right,
you do that if you want to do it,
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00:06:06,533 --> 00:06:08,869
and we'll be right behind you
all the way."
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00:06:08,952 --> 00:06:12,080
[David] When I went out to the house
with him and I said, "Do you write songs?"
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And he sang this "In My Room."
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[John] ♪ In my room there is heartache ♪
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♪ In my room there is sorrow ♪
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♪ In my room there's no happiness
Only pain ♪
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[David] And I said, "That's a great song.
That's a lovely song."
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[Bev] It was an era
when people didn't write their own songs,
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00:06:34,269 --> 00:06:37,648
so the record producers would get demos
from overseas.
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[DJ 1] What's going on? Who's this?
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-[DJ 2] You can't clean now.
-[DJ 1] Who is it?
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[DJ 2] I've told them repeatedly
not to clean while we're on the air.
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[David] I was writing to every publisher
around the world to get songs.
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They're only gonna send the songs
that weren't making it to the big artists
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in America and in England.
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-[DJ 2] What is your name?
-Sadie, the cleaning lady.
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00:06:58,627 --> 00:07:01,630
And "Sadie" was one of those songs
that no one was interested in.
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00:07:01,713 --> 00:07:03,340
[John] He played it to me and I said,
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00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:05,843
"Oh, no,
I want to be a rock 'n' roll singer."
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[Bev] David really tried
to convince him to do it
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00:07:08,554 --> 00:07:11,431
because he just knew it'd be number one.
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I did indeed.
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[Bev] That's a pretty big thing
to convince someone,
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to say, "Next time,
then you can do what you want to do."
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[DJ 1] Looks like Phyllis Diller to me.
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-[DJ 2] Madam, madam.
-[Sadie] This boy sings the song about me.
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It did the job.
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He started singing
with groups around Melbourne
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{\an8}and is now being groomed
as one of pop music's young hopefuls.
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{\an8}Ladies and gentlemen,
a Bandstand start for Johnny Farnham.
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["Sadie the Cleaning Lady" playing]
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♪ Sadie, the cleaning lady ♪
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♪ With trusty scrubbing brush
And pail of water ♪
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♪ Worked her fingers to the bone ♪
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♪ For the life she had at home ♪
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[Darryl] We released that
on November the 19th, 1967.
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♪ Sadie, the cleaning lady ♪
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00:08:02,274 --> 00:08:06,445
[Darryl] And by the 21st,
it was number one in Victoria.
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It was incredible. It was unbelievable.
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It broke him immediately, really,
and he became a heartthrob overnight.
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♪ So she could spend the night
By TV napping ♪
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[Bev] He must have been 17. A baby.
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Johnny Farnham was the cool thing,
and he was a little pop idol.
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♪ Oh, Sadie, the cleaning lady ♪
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{\an8}I went to see, with my girlfriends,
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{\an8}a concert in Perth,
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and I can remember
girls were just screaming.
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♪ Well, her red-detergent hands ♪
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And he only had "Sadie."
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♪ Have for years not held a man's ♪
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♪ And time would find her heart
Expired of hunger ♪
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♪ Scrub your floors, do your chores
Dear old Sadie ♪
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I liked hard rock when I was young.
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{\an8}Even as a young fella,
I liked it 'cause my brother was in bands.
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00:09:02,793 --> 00:09:05,796
{\an8}But John's voice,
as much as it was a novelty song,
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00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:07,548
and it was like vaudeville almost.
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00:09:07,631 --> 00:09:09,967
There was something about his voice
that was so appealing.
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00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:13,011
You'd find yourself whistling it,
singing it, as you walk.
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00:09:13,095 --> 00:09:15,639
[Peter]
When he brought out "Sadie," I laughed.
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00:09:15,722 --> 00:09:17,099
{\an8}"What's he doing?"
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00:09:17,182 --> 00:09:20,102
{\an8}He wanted to be a rock 'n' roll singer
and he's doing this "Sadie"?
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{\an8}[Olivia] It's not my kind of song.
A lot of people liked it.
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{\an8}[Cherie] It's hard to believe now,
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00:09:27,526 --> 00:09:30,654
{\an8}but "Sadie" was
the biggest hit of the '60s.
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00:09:30,737 --> 00:09:33,323
In Australia,
the biggest hit of the decade.
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♪ Dear old Sadie ♪
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{\an8}[David] Unfortunately,
with the success of "Sadie,"
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00:09:37,995 --> 00:09:42,082
{\an8}he didn't have a lot of time to write
because he was so busy doing television
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00:09:42,165 --> 00:09:43,458
and everything else.
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So we never got to record
a lot of his songs.
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[girls screaming]
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00:09:51,300 --> 00:09:54,386
♪ Raindrops are falling on my head ♪
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00:09:55,554 --> 00:10:01,018
♪ I'm just like a guy
Whose feet are too big for his bed ♪
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00:10:01,101 --> 00:10:02,811
♪ Nothing seems to fit ♪
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00:10:02,895 --> 00:10:05,939
{\an8}[Darryl] I remember at the time,
I was image-hunting.
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00:10:06,607 --> 00:10:09,359
{\an8}There were people that wore boots
to the knees and tight pants,
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00:10:09,443 --> 00:10:11,945
and very loose shirts and a lot of beads.
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00:10:12,029 --> 00:10:14,990
I thought I'd dress him
in a similar thing,
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00:10:15,073 --> 00:10:17,951
like the dude
on the Johnnie Walker bottle.
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00:10:19,411 --> 00:10:20,913
Minus the hat, of course.
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00:10:22,164 --> 00:10:25,209
♪ 'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain ♪
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00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:29,213
{\an8}[Olivia] Johnny's version of "Raindrops,"
again, straight to number one.
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00:10:29,296 --> 00:10:32,674
{\an8}♪ Because I'm free ♪
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00:10:32,758 --> 00:10:35,010
♪ Nothing's worrying me ♪
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He was loveable Johnny.
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00:10:36,553 --> 00:10:38,764
He looked great, he had hits.
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00:10:38,847 --> 00:10:42,059
♪ Walking the floor
On my hands over you, girl ♪
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00:10:42,142 --> 00:10:44,019
♪ I can't believe
What you're trying to do ♪
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00:10:44,102 --> 00:10:46,104
[Cherie]
And so the crown went on the head.
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00:10:46,188 --> 00:10:48,440
-[presenter] Good on you, king!
-[screaming]
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00:10:48,524 --> 00:10:50,192
There's a big king for you.
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00:10:52,528 --> 00:10:55,948
♪ Walking the floor
On my hands over you, girl ♪
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00:10:56,031 --> 00:10:58,617
♪ I can't believe
What you're trying to do ♪
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00:10:58,700 --> 00:11:01,286
-Johnny Farnham.
-[audience cheering and applauding]
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00:11:03,830 --> 00:11:05,874
I want it. I want it.
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00:11:06,917 --> 00:11:09,336
I've got an outfit that'll just match it.
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00:11:13,924 --> 00:11:17,427
{\an8}King of Pop
is something I look at very fondly.
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00:11:18,512 --> 00:11:22,307
'Cause I won it three times
and John won it five times in a row.
181
00:11:22,391 --> 00:11:24,893
Congratulations, you really deserve it.
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00:11:24,977 --> 00:11:27,229
I think you're marvellous, just great.
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00:11:28,188 --> 00:11:29,773
I hope it fits.
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00:11:29,857 --> 00:11:32,901
[Jimmy] John was definitely worthy
of being on top of the pile,
185
00:11:32,985 --> 00:11:34,278
and people just worshipped him.
186
00:11:34,361 --> 00:11:36,363
[audience applauding]
187
00:11:38,073 --> 00:11:43,912
♪ One is the loneliest number
That you'll ever do ♪
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00:11:43,996 --> 00:11:48,250
[David] Every TV company wanted him.
Every newspaper wanted him.
189
00:11:48,333 --> 00:11:51,128
6KY Perth, and we're gonna get Johnny
to read an ad.
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00:11:51,211 --> 00:11:52,504
-Johnny.
-Now?
191
00:11:52,588 --> 00:11:53,881
-[Perth DJ] Yes, now.
-Now, now.
192
00:11:53,964 --> 00:11:57,176
$1.85 is all you pay
when you rent General Electric TV...
193
00:11:57,259 --> 00:12:00,387
John'd be good,
he'd do whatever you asked him to do.
194
00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:02,306
[John]
Either I was working or I was asleep.
195
00:12:02,389 --> 00:12:05,601
-[young John] Thanks, Mark.
-I did work an enormous amount of hours.
196
00:12:05,684 --> 00:12:07,978
So when I was awake, I was vulnerable.
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00:12:08,061 --> 00:12:10,314
♪ Yes, it's the saddest thing ♪
198
00:12:10,397 --> 00:12:12,274
[David] It was a game to Darryl.
199
00:12:12,357 --> 00:12:15,152
He'd had no experience at all
in this business.
200
00:12:15,235 --> 00:12:17,571
He was a hairdresser,
and suddenly here he is,
201
00:12:17,654 --> 00:12:20,407
managing the hottest property
in the country.
202
00:12:20,490 --> 00:12:23,076
[Darryl]
I would always set the songs he sang.
203
00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:26,205
I would also rehearse the bands.
204
00:12:26,288 --> 00:12:29,833
I knew nothing about music,
but I knew what it sounded like.
205
00:12:31,210 --> 00:12:33,295
Darryl was definitely different.
206
00:12:33,378 --> 00:12:36,215
He was terribly focused,
and if he'd chosen John,
207
00:12:36,298 --> 00:12:38,717
he's gonna put everything into John.
208
00:12:40,010 --> 00:12:42,095
{\an8}[Jill] Well, Darryl was in love with him.
209
00:12:42,179 --> 00:12:45,349
{\an8}He wasn't a nice man.
He was quite evil, actually.
210
00:12:45,432 --> 00:12:47,518
♪ One is the loneliest... ♪
211
00:12:47,601 --> 00:12:50,062
[Jill]
He used to give John uppers and downers.
212
00:12:50,145 --> 00:12:53,815
John'd sleep all day and think,
"Why am I sleeping so long?"
213
00:12:53,899 --> 00:12:55,692
[reporter] He have any time for girls?
214
00:12:55,776 --> 00:12:57,486
[Darryl] Very little. He's...
215
00:12:57,569 --> 00:12:59,530
Hasn't got a girlfriend.
216
00:12:59,613 --> 00:13:02,908
{\an8}[reporter] Is he at the mercy of his fans,
or is he at the mercy of his manager?
217
00:13:02,991 --> 00:13:07,454
Is he just somebody who's pushed
from here to there and turned on?
218
00:13:07,538 --> 00:13:11,542
[Darryl] Well, John and myself,
we are more friends, I'd say,
219
00:13:11,625 --> 00:13:13,710
than manager and artist.
220
00:13:15,170 --> 00:13:17,548
[reporter]
Has yours been maybe a fatherly role?
221
00:13:17,631 --> 00:13:18,715
{\an8}I don't know.
222
00:13:18,799 --> 00:13:21,844
{\an8}I think looking after my interests,
I suppose.
223
00:13:21,927 --> 00:13:24,930
{\an8}["One" continues]
224
00:13:28,517 --> 00:13:29,518
♪ One ♪
225
00:13:32,020 --> 00:13:34,439
-[song ends]
-[audience cheering and applauding]
226
00:13:34,523 --> 00:13:36,441
["Banks of the Ohio" playing]
227
00:13:36,525 --> 00:13:41,613
♪ I asked my love to take a walk ♪
228
00:13:41,697 --> 00:13:44,616
{\an8}[Cherie] Everyone wanted to go to London
to be a star.
229
00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:48,704
{\an8}Olivia Newton-John was taking off.
She was huge at the time.
230
00:13:48,787 --> 00:13:52,249
She was having the kind of career
that John should have been having.
231
00:13:52,332 --> 00:13:55,794
[Olivia] London was full of music
and all these amazing people.
232
00:13:56,378 --> 00:13:57,713
Yeah, incredible time.
233
00:13:58,380 --> 00:14:03,886
♪ Down by the banks of the Ohio ♪
234
00:14:03,969 --> 00:14:06,013
[lively rock music playing]
235
00:14:06,096 --> 00:14:10,475
[Jimmy] Every band that was worth anything
would work their way to London.
236
00:14:11,351 --> 00:14:13,353
America was still a closed shop,
237
00:14:13,437 --> 00:14:15,772
whereas, I think
because we all came from Britain,
238
00:14:15,856 --> 00:14:19,026
{\an8}and to try and get success there,
you know,
239
00:14:19,109 --> 00:14:20,819
{\an8}was sort of like Mecca for us.
240
00:14:25,032 --> 00:14:26,742
[reporter] Can he be a star overseas?
241
00:14:26,825 --> 00:14:29,578
-Of course. Of course.
-[reporter] How easily?
242
00:14:30,245 --> 00:14:32,789
Very easily. We've just gotta find
the right channel.
243
00:14:32,873 --> 00:14:34,708
[reporter] Can you be a star overseas too?
244
00:14:35,501 --> 00:14:38,295
I don't know,
but I'll give it a damn good go.
245
00:14:42,716 --> 00:14:46,470
[David] Because of "Sadie,"
EMI offered me a job at Abbey Road,
246
00:14:46,553 --> 00:14:48,514
{\an8}and John was still signed to EMI.
247
00:14:48,597 --> 00:14:50,807
{\an8}So I thought, if I'm gonna be
at EMI in England,
248
00:14:50,891 --> 00:14:55,229
at least I've got a chance of getting them
interested in John for the U.K.
249
00:14:56,605 --> 00:14:58,190
Darryl flew over with John
250
00:14:58,273 --> 00:15:00,567
and was an embarrassment
from the start.
251
00:15:00,651 --> 00:15:03,028
He didn't hold his alcohol too well,
252
00:15:03,111 --> 00:15:06,323
and he was supposed to be coming
and introducing Johnny
253
00:15:06,406 --> 00:15:08,116
to the people at EMI.
254
00:15:09,243 --> 00:15:11,286
I couldn't get them interested in John.
255
00:15:11,370 --> 00:15:15,123
I took him in to EMI,
I took him around to publishers,
256
00:15:15,207 --> 00:15:18,961
but EMI said, "We've got Cliff Richard.
We don't need this guy."
257
00:15:19,044 --> 00:15:23,006
♪ Congratulations and jubilations ♪
258
00:15:23,090 --> 00:15:26,301
♪ I want the world to know
I'm happy as can be ♪
259
00:15:26,385 --> 00:15:30,013
[David] So John just got on the plane
and went back to Melbourne,
260
00:15:30,097 --> 00:15:31,890
which was a heartbreak for me.
261
00:15:31,974 --> 00:15:35,561
[Cliff] ♪ I'm happy as can be ♪
262
00:15:36,270 --> 00:15:38,689
-[song ends]
-[audience cheering and applauding]
263
00:15:40,524 --> 00:15:43,277
["Because I Love You" playing]
264
00:15:54,746 --> 00:15:57,165
{\an8}[Cherie]
Everything was changing in Australia.
265
00:15:58,542 --> 00:16:00,085
{\an8}We were at war in Vietnam.
266
00:16:00,169 --> 00:16:02,254
♪ It's because I love you ♪
267
00:16:02,337 --> 00:16:05,257
♪ Not because we're far apart ♪
268
00:16:06,425 --> 00:16:09,011
♪ It's because I miss you ♪
269
00:16:09,803 --> 00:16:12,764
♪ Thoughts of you come back to me ♪
270
00:16:13,724 --> 00:16:16,560
[Cherie] At home, the music world
was just going crazy
271
00:16:16,643 --> 00:16:18,520
with events like Sunbury.
272
00:16:18,604 --> 00:16:22,482
♪ Do what you wanna do
Be what you wanna be, yeah ♪
273
00:16:28,155 --> 00:16:32,201
♪ Do what you wanna do
Be what you wanna be, yeah ♪
274
00:16:40,709 --> 00:16:42,252
♪ Once we walked together... ♪
275
00:16:42,336 --> 00:16:46,131
[Jimmy] The whole manufactured pop stars
became a thing of the past,
276
00:16:46,215 --> 00:16:48,425
and it wasn't about one person anymore.
277
00:16:48,509 --> 00:16:49,801
It became bands.
278
00:16:52,262 --> 00:16:56,433
♪ Do what you wanna do
Be what you wanna be, yeah ♪
279
00:16:56,517 --> 00:16:59,144
[Glenn] I was in The Masters Apprentices,
and we were always dubbed
280
00:16:59,228 --> 00:17:01,271
as the "bad boys of rock."
281
00:17:01,355 --> 00:17:03,357
{\an8}And John was the pop star.
282
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:05,901
{\an8}So we were chalk and cheese
in that respect,
283
00:17:05,983 --> 00:17:08,737
but that didn't stop us
becoming great mates.
284
00:17:08,819 --> 00:17:11,073
[Gaynor] My sister was four years younger,
285
00:17:11,156 --> 00:17:15,035
and she had every John Farnham poster
in her bedroom.
286
00:17:15,117 --> 00:17:19,580
{\an8}I was next door with every
Masters Apprentices poster on my walls,
287
00:17:19,665 --> 00:17:23,042
and the two collided
somewhere in the hallway.
288
00:17:23,126 --> 00:17:25,838
♪ Be what you wanna be
Yeah ♪
289
00:17:25,921 --> 00:17:29,174
[Glenn] We used to go out on the weekends
shooting bunny rabbits together.
290
00:17:29,258 --> 00:17:32,177
Go out to Wangaratta
and sleep in the Masters van.
291
00:17:32,261 --> 00:17:34,388
We did silly things together.
292
00:17:35,556 --> 00:17:37,933
[Gaynor] John and Glenn became friends
293
00:17:38,016 --> 00:17:42,688
through their mutual experiences
in the industry at that particular time.
294
00:17:43,522 --> 00:17:47,985
Yes, Glenn was very rock 'n' roll,
but he was very sweet at heart.
295
00:17:48,068 --> 00:17:50,696
And I think John was really sweet,
296
00:17:50,779 --> 00:17:53,031
but perhaps there was
a bit of rock 'n' roll in there
297
00:17:53,115 --> 00:17:54,116
that wanted to come out.
298
00:17:54,199 --> 00:17:58,203
And they just found a beautiful plateau
where they both...
299
00:17:58,287 --> 00:18:03,000
not sought solace in each other
but definitely companionship.
300
00:18:03,083 --> 00:18:05,502
[pensive music playing]
301
00:18:05,586 --> 00:18:08,589
[Glenn] We actually shared
the same manager, Darryl Sambell.
302
00:18:09,548 --> 00:18:11,466
We were flatting together in St. Kilda
303
00:18:11,550 --> 00:18:15,387
in what Darryl liked to say always
that we were staying at his penthouse.
304
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,349
It was just the top floor
of a block of flats.
305
00:18:20,517 --> 00:18:24,021
The penthouse
was full of Darryl's friends.
306
00:18:26,773 --> 00:18:28,901
And here's this two little blond boys.
307
00:18:29,693 --> 00:18:31,695
[playing "Turn Up Your Radio"]
308
00:18:34,656 --> 00:18:36,992
[Glenn]
My life changed dramatically one night
309
00:18:37,075 --> 00:18:40,537
after a Festival Hall show
with The Masters Apprentices.
310
00:18:40,621 --> 00:18:43,332
The show was sold out,
we were the headline attraction.
311
00:18:43,415 --> 00:18:47,211
There was chaos that night
and I remember being pulled off the stage.
312
00:18:47,294 --> 00:18:50,088
My velvet suit was ripped to shreds.
313
00:18:50,172 --> 00:18:53,884
My guitar did a lap around Festival Hall
before it came back to me.
314
00:18:54,510 --> 00:18:57,721
All I can remember was
the promoter running around, going:
315
00:18:57,804 --> 00:18:59,848
"We had a bigger crowd
than the Beatles."
316
00:19:00,807 --> 00:19:03,477
I'm sitting here.
"A bigger crowd than the Beatles."
317
00:19:04,895 --> 00:19:07,523
That was the night
the penny dropped for me.
318
00:19:07,606 --> 00:19:09,566
We only got paid $200.
319
00:19:09,650 --> 00:19:13,529
So by the time the four people divided
into 200, it cost me that night,
320
00:19:13,612 --> 00:19:16,740
because my suit that I had to replace
cost me $70.
321
00:19:16,823 --> 00:19:19,493
I started to think,
"Something's wrong with this management,
322
00:19:19,576 --> 00:19:21,328
this doesn't add up."
323
00:19:21,411 --> 00:19:24,706
So that day, I decided to move on
from Darryl Sambell.
324
00:19:24,790 --> 00:19:27,209
I took over management
of The Masters Apprentices
325
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,087
and changed the way we did business.
326
00:19:31,922 --> 00:19:34,174
[young Glenn] Good afternoon.
We are the Little River Band.
327
00:19:34,258 --> 00:19:37,261
[Gaynor] Glenn went from playing bass
to full-time music management.
328
00:19:37,344 --> 00:19:41,181
He put a couple of very fine singers,
songwriters together,
329
00:19:41,265 --> 00:19:43,600
who became the Little River Band.
330
00:19:43,684 --> 00:19:46,019
Boy, did they absolutely take off.
331
00:19:46,103 --> 00:19:48,272
♪ Why are you in so much hurry? ♪
332
00:19:48,355 --> 00:19:50,566
♪ Is it really worth the worry? ♪
333
00:19:50,649 --> 00:19:54,361
♪ Look around, then slow down ♪
334
00:19:55,070 --> 00:19:57,072
♪ What's it like inside the bubble? ♪
335
00:19:57,155 --> 00:19:59,366
♪ Does your head ever give you trouble? ♪
336
00:19:59,449 --> 00:20:01,451
♪ It's no sin ♪
337
00:20:01,535 --> 00:20:03,287
♪ Trade it in ♪
338
00:20:03,370 --> 00:20:07,624
♪ Hang on, help is on its way ♪
339
00:20:07,708 --> 00:20:10,878
♪ I'll be there as fast as I can ♪
340
00:20:12,796 --> 00:20:14,464
My God, how good are they?
341
00:20:15,048 --> 00:20:17,342
There wasn't a note out of place.
342
00:20:17,426 --> 00:20:20,637
There wasn't a voice
that wasn't perfectly in tune.
343
00:20:20,721 --> 00:20:23,265
{\an8}Everything was so perfectly scripted.
344
00:20:25,100 --> 00:20:29,646
{\an8}We looked at LRB as being like
they're gonna take over from the Eagles.
345
00:20:29,730 --> 00:20:33,066
♪ Don't you forget
Who'll take care of you ♪
346
00:20:33,150 --> 00:20:35,402
[Tommy]
They were having the overseas success
347
00:20:35,485 --> 00:20:37,863
that people like us only dream of.
348
00:20:41,909 --> 00:20:45,871
[George] In Australia, there are rumours
of enormous multimillion-dollar deals
349
00:20:45,954 --> 00:20:48,373
between yourselves and Capitol Records.
350
00:20:48,457 --> 00:20:52,336
Um... I'm afraid they're not rumours.
[laughs]
351
00:20:52,419 --> 00:20:56,507
It is a substantial deal that we've done
with Capitol Records here in America.
352
00:20:56,590 --> 00:20:58,091
♪ Hang on ♪
353
00:20:58,175 --> 00:21:00,594
-[song ends]
-[audience cheering and applauding]
354
00:21:03,222 --> 00:21:06,225
["Summer Swinging Groove" playing]
355
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,439
[Cherie] By the mid-'70s,
Johnny's star was fading
356
00:21:12,523 --> 00:21:14,149
and the hits were drying up.
357
00:21:18,362 --> 00:21:19,947
[man] Slate 11, take 1.
358
00:21:20,781 --> 00:21:22,449
[reporter]
Do you ever get depressed at all?
359
00:21:22,533 --> 00:21:24,868
Yeah, a lot.
I don't like the word "depressed."
360
00:21:25,494 --> 00:21:28,080
I'm funny with words, I think, but I...
361
00:21:29,873 --> 00:21:33,001
I get thinking about, uh...
362
00:21:35,587 --> 00:21:37,673
where I'd like to go,
what would I like to do,
363
00:21:37,756 --> 00:21:39,049
and I don't really...
364
00:21:39,883 --> 00:21:42,636
get anywhere with what I'm thinking about.
365
00:21:43,470 --> 00:21:45,180
And it's a really funny way.
366
00:21:52,312 --> 00:21:55,858
[Cherie] Darryl was grabbing at anything,
and he even put Johnny in a musical.
367
00:21:57,150 --> 00:21:59,486
It's where he met his strongest ally.
368
00:22:01,238 --> 00:22:04,908
{\an8}[Jill] He was very funny
and very happy to be around.
369
00:22:04,992 --> 00:22:10,414
{\an8}He was very easy to get along with,
very cute, very cute. [chuckles]
370
00:22:11,331 --> 00:22:13,333
[audience cheering and applauding]
371
00:22:15,794 --> 00:22:20,424
[Gaynor] Jill at that time was probably
the best modern dancer of her era.
372
00:22:22,551 --> 00:22:24,595
She was absolutely fantastic,
373
00:22:24,678 --> 00:22:28,223
and it didn't take long
for John to notice her in the chorus.
374
00:22:28,765 --> 00:22:33,270
I think once his heart was set
and his eyes were on her, that was it.
375
00:22:33,353 --> 00:22:34,396
It was a done deal.
376
00:22:34,479 --> 00:22:38,525
[John]
♪ Where she comes, from nobody knows ♪
377
00:22:39,109 --> 00:22:41,820
♪ Now that you ask me... ♪
378
00:22:41,904 --> 00:22:46,366
[Bev] Perhaps Darryl felt he was
losing John because John fell in love.
379
00:22:46,450 --> 00:22:49,036
♪ The way she smiles at him ♪
380
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:50,996
♪ His heart just swells... ♪
381
00:22:51,079 --> 00:22:52,581
[Gaynor] Darryl wanted Jill gone,
382
00:22:52,664 --> 00:22:56,210
and he did everything he could
to try and destroy that relationship,
383
00:22:56,293 --> 00:22:58,295
which only made it stronger.
384
00:22:58,712 --> 00:23:00,881
{\an8}♪ Don't you know it's magic? ♪
385
00:23:01,965 --> 00:23:04,134
♪ Ah, baby, it's magic ♪
386
00:23:05,219 --> 00:23:08,639
♪ Look in her eyes
They're a little bit hazy ♪
387
00:23:08,722 --> 00:23:12,601
♪ Paradise coming to a sweet little lady ♪
388
00:23:12,684 --> 00:23:14,436
♪ Don't you know it's magic? ♪
389
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,146
♪ Baby ♪
390
00:23:16,230 --> 00:23:18,732
♪ Oh, baby, it's magic ♪
391
00:23:19,399 --> 00:23:23,320
♪ Magic carpet ride for a woman in love ♪
392
00:23:23,403 --> 00:23:25,614
♪ Don't you know it's magic? ♪
393
00:23:25,697 --> 00:23:29,576
[Cherie] After a nine-year partnership,
Johnny sacked Darryl.
394
00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:32,746
A few months later, EMI dropped Johnny.
395
00:23:32,829 --> 00:23:39,253
♪ Magic carpet ride for you and me ♪
396
00:23:39,336 --> 00:23:42,631
It's a tough business
because you can become very disposable.
397
00:23:45,467 --> 00:23:49,096
[Gaynor] There was a period in the '70s
where I don't know where he went.
398
00:23:49,179 --> 00:23:52,349
This spectacular voice
was missing in action.
399
00:23:52,432 --> 00:23:56,520
♪ 'Cause I'm never
Gonna stop the rain... ♪
400
00:23:56,603 --> 00:24:00,357
We lost track of John.
He may have floundered as well.
401
00:24:01,775 --> 00:24:03,735
[Glenn] I got back to Australia,
on the Gold Coast,
402
00:24:03,819 --> 00:24:07,155
John's on at Twin Town,
so I went down to see him perform.
403
00:24:07,239 --> 00:24:08,490
Thank you, everybody.
404
00:24:09,074 --> 00:24:11,702
Do you like the old songs?
Do you like old songs?
405
00:24:11,785 --> 00:24:14,121
-[audience cheering]
-Can I have a C, please, fellas?
406
00:24:14,204 --> 00:24:15,205
♪ C ♪
407
00:24:15,289 --> 00:24:17,040
I think... Yup. It goes...
408
00:24:17,124 --> 00:24:20,043
[scatting]
-[guitar playing melody]
409
00:24:21,044 --> 00:24:23,547
[Glenn] He had a band that could not play.
410
00:24:23,630 --> 00:24:25,757
And at one point,
halfway through one of the songs,
411
00:24:25,841 --> 00:24:28,594
he puts his hand up
and says, "I can't go on."
412
00:24:28,677 --> 00:24:30,846
Then he said to the band,
"Okay, guys, it's here.
413
00:24:30,929 --> 00:24:34,433
{\an8}It's one, two, three, four."
414
00:24:34,516 --> 00:24:35,934
{\an8}He had to count the band in.
415
00:24:37,811 --> 00:24:40,355
I'm sitting there,
going, "This is the worst--
416
00:24:40,439 --> 00:24:45,527
How can this be John Farnham,
the best singer I'd ever heard,
417
00:24:45,611 --> 00:24:47,237
and he's got a band that can't play?"
418
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,618
{\an8}[Jill]
Some nights there was only 15 people.
419
00:24:52,701 --> 00:24:55,120
{\an8}We were on the bones of our ass.
420
00:24:56,371 --> 00:24:59,374
[Glenn] I got his black tie,
threw it in the slops bin.
421
00:24:59,458 --> 00:25:04,004
I said, "Mate, you singing with a band
that couldn't even play in time.
422
00:25:04,963 --> 00:25:06,340
How bad is that?"
423
00:25:08,509 --> 00:25:09,510
[song ends]
424
00:25:09,593 --> 00:25:12,304
-[audience cheering and applauding]
-[John] Good night. God bless you.
425
00:25:15,724 --> 00:25:17,309
{\an8}♪ Look around you... ♪
426
00:25:17,392 --> 00:25:20,187
{\an8}[Glenn] The fateful night
was when John came to Vegas.
427
00:25:20,270 --> 00:25:23,065
[Gaynor] Glenn invited John and Jill
to come and see Little River Band
428
00:25:23,148 --> 00:25:24,358
at the height of their fame.
429
00:25:24,441 --> 00:25:27,486
♪ Take time to make time
Make time to be there... ♪
430
00:25:27,569 --> 00:25:29,780
[Glenn] John couldn't believe
that this little Aussie band
431
00:25:29,863 --> 00:25:31,865
playing to a sold-out house
and people going crazy.
432
00:25:31,949 --> 00:25:33,659
♪ Look around... ♪
433
00:25:33,742 --> 00:25:35,160
[John] And it blew me away.
434
00:25:35,244 --> 00:25:37,579
Afterwards, we had beers together
and he said:
435
00:25:37,663 --> 00:25:40,499
{\an8}"What are you doing?"
I said, "I'm not doing terribly much."
436
00:25:40,582 --> 00:25:43,877
{\an8}♪ Feel for the winter
But don't have a cold heart... ♪
437
00:25:43,961 --> 00:25:45,754
{\an8}[Glenn] He was financially in trouble.
438
00:25:45,838 --> 00:25:47,756
{\an8}Invested in a restaurant which went bad.
439
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:49,925
♪ And I love you best ♪
440
00:25:51,718 --> 00:25:53,929
♪ You're not like the rest ♪
441
00:25:54,012 --> 00:25:55,973
[Glenn] He was pretty much broke.
442
00:25:56,056 --> 00:25:58,725
♪ You're there when I need you ♪
443
00:25:58,809 --> 00:26:01,645
[Glenn] I said, "Listen, mate,
why don't I start to manage you?"
444
00:26:01,728 --> 00:26:05,107
♪ I'm gonna need you ♪
445
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:07,818
When John signed with Glenn,
446
00:26:07,901 --> 00:26:11,488
I think he finally found somebody
that totally believed in him
447
00:26:11,572 --> 00:26:13,282
and had a vision for him.
448
00:26:13,365 --> 00:26:16,034
John was the creative.
He wasn't the businessman.
449
00:26:16,118 --> 00:26:20,038
He needed the support
so that he could do what he did best.
450
00:26:20,122 --> 00:26:23,292
[Glenn] I basically suggested,
"Mate, you're not Johnny anymore.
451
00:26:23,375 --> 00:26:26,920
{\an8}Johnny Farnham's synonymous
with 'Sadie, The Cleaning Lady.'
452
00:26:27,004 --> 00:26:28,714
{\an8}You're John. John Farnham."
453
00:26:28,797 --> 00:26:32,092
[Cherie] Once he changed to John,
it said, "I'm serious.
454
00:26:32,176 --> 00:26:35,053
I'm a grown-up artist,
and this is where I'm going to go."
455
00:26:36,555 --> 00:26:38,515
[John]
I was a bit frustrated there for a while.
456
00:26:38,599 --> 00:26:40,726
I wasn't being stimulated
by what I was doing.
457
00:26:40,809 --> 00:26:42,603
I don't think
the people I was working to
458
00:26:42,686 --> 00:26:44,855
were being stimulated by what I was doing.
459
00:26:44,938 --> 00:26:48,817
I decided to stick me neck out
and go in a different direction.
460
00:26:49,735 --> 00:26:52,779
[Tommy] His version of "Help" came
from singing it at home,
461
00:26:52,863 --> 00:26:54,531
playing the piano himself.
462
00:26:54,615 --> 00:27:00,913
♪ When I was young
So much younger than today ♪
463
00:27:01,997 --> 00:27:03,916
{\an8}[Jill]
"Help" was when he finally realised,
464
00:27:03,999 --> 00:27:05,083
{\an8}"Oh, I can do this."
465
00:27:05,167 --> 00:27:07,085
{\an8}That was when the penny dropped.
466
00:27:07,169 --> 00:27:12,341
{\an8}He did it in a way that really served
his gift and his range.
467
00:27:12,966 --> 00:27:15,552
♪ Help me if you can ♪
468
00:27:15,636 --> 00:27:18,055
♪ I'm feeling down ♪
469
00:27:20,474 --> 00:27:26,939
♪ And I do appreciate you being 'round ♪
470
00:27:27,022 --> 00:27:29,858
This was him doing something
that was John Farnham,
471
00:27:29,942 --> 00:27:31,068
his own arrangement.
472
00:27:31,151 --> 00:27:33,445
Heart on his sleeve, "This is me."
473
00:27:34,238 --> 00:27:38,825
♪ And now my life has changed
In oh so many ways ♪
474
00:27:38,909 --> 00:27:40,911
[Cherie] The emotion that came through,
475
00:27:40,994 --> 00:27:45,582
that's when I started to think,
"Oh, my gosh, Johnny Farnham can sing."
476
00:27:45,666 --> 00:27:48,126
♪ Help me if you can ♪
477
00:27:48,210 --> 00:27:50,838
♪ I'm feeling down ♪
478
00:27:52,923 --> 00:27:57,219
♪ And I do appreciate you ♪
479
00:27:57,302 --> 00:28:01,014
[Richard] When John did it,
it became a power ballad anthem.
480
00:28:01,098 --> 00:28:03,934
It's a vocal master class. Just that song.
481
00:28:04,017 --> 00:28:10,566
♪ Please, please help me ♪
482
00:28:10,649 --> 00:28:13,402
[Gaynor] I wouldn't call it desperation
behind the song,
483
00:28:13,485 --> 00:28:15,529
but there was definitely--
484
00:28:15,612 --> 00:28:19,533
This was John's almost audition
to the world again.
485
00:28:19,616 --> 00:28:22,619
[playing "Too Much Too Soon"]
486
00:28:24,037 --> 00:28:25,539
♪ How can I reach you... ♪
487
00:28:25,622 --> 00:28:27,165
[Graeham] John's an incredible musician.
488
00:28:27,249 --> 00:28:28,667
♪ With so many words in the way... ♪
489
00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:32,171
[Graeham] The thing that surprised me was,
he can just sing anything.
490
00:28:32,254 --> 00:28:34,882
♪ And there's something
I've just got to say ♪
491
00:28:34,965 --> 00:28:38,677
{\an8}I set up a meeting. I said,
"I would like to offer to produce."
492
00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:40,220
♪ You know that I want you ♪
493
00:28:40,304 --> 00:28:43,891
[Gaynor] I believe Glenn
approached Graeham to produce John,
494
00:28:43,974 --> 00:28:45,559
to give him a fresh start.
495
00:28:45,642 --> 00:28:47,811
New songs, new album.
496
00:28:47,895 --> 00:28:50,189
"Let's get John's voice back out there."
497
00:28:50,272 --> 00:28:53,692
♪ Let's make it last ♪
498
00:28:55,194 --> 00:28:58,113
[Gaynor] Graeham Goble
was a founding member of Little River Band
499
00:28:58,197 --> 00:29:00,699
and the writer of some
of the most extraordinary--
500
00:29:00,782 --> 00:29:01,909
Most of their hits.
501
00:29:01,992 --> 00:29:04,536
♪ Friday night, it was late
I was walking you home ♪
502
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:08,582
♪ We got down to the gate
I was dreaming of the night ♪
503
00:29:08,665 --> 00:29:11,001
[Graeham] In Little River Band,
we had other writers.
504
00:29:11,084 --> 00:29:12,669
♪ Would it turn out right? ♪
505
00:29:12,753 --> 00:29:14,546
[Graeham]
You might get three songs a year.
506
00:29:16,381 --> 00:29:19,843
{\an8}I thought this is a great opportunity
for John and myself.
507
00:29:19,927 --> 00:29:22,763
♪ I want to build my world around you ♪
508
00:29:22,846 --> 00:29:25,057
[Gaynor]
Glenn knew how tricky Graeham was.
509
00:29:25,891 --> 00:29:30,020
But he also knew
how obsessed he was with John's voice
510
00:29:30,103 --> 00:29:33,023
and how he also had fantastic songs.
511
00:29:33,106 --> 00:29:36,693
So it was just the great voice,
the great songs. "Let's do it."
512
00:29:36,777 --> 00:29:39,154
[Graeham]
John had a kit bag full of cassettes.
513
00:29:39,238 --> 00:29:42,658
He said, "These are songs that people
have written for me or given to me."
514
00:29:42,741 --> 00:29:44,618
There would've been 100 songs.
515
00:29:44,701 --> 00:29:47,788
I was honest
and I said, "I don't really hear anything
516
00:29:47,871 --> 00:29:49,957
other than an arrangement of 'Help.'"
517
00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,961
And "Jilly's Song" that he'd half-written
about his wife Jilly.
518
00:29:54,044 --> 00:29:58,257
He said, "Do you have any songs?"
I said, "Of course. Lots of songs."
519
00:29:58,340 --> 00:30:01,134
Graeham is a total control freak.
520
00:30:02,177 --> 00:30:05,931
Graeham would have known
what songs he wanted John to sing
521
00:30:06,014 --> 00:30:09,059
before they even purported
to have an album.
522
00:30:11,770 --> 00:30:15,315
I think the Uncovered album was some
of the best singing that he's ever done.
523
00:30:17,025 --> 00:30:20,612
[Gaynor] Uncovered could have been
John's signature album.
524
00:30:20,696 --> 00:30:22,656
However, Graeham was the producer,
525
00:30:22,739 --> 00:30:25,701
and once again,
John was reined in very much.
526
00:30:25,784 --> 00:30:29,913
I ended up writing eight of the ten songs,
as well as producing it.
527
00:30:30,497 --> 00:30:32,916
[Mike] A lot of people might
not appreciate the gamble you took
528
00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,254
when you decided to change image,
to go to a more sophisticated rock style.
529
00:30:37,337 --> 00:30:39,548
{\an8}It's not just saying,
"Let's do new songs."
530
00:30:39,631 --> 00:30:42,926
{\an8}-It's almost a lifestyle change.
-Yeah. Total change.
531
00:30:43,010 --> 00:30:45,053
{\an8}I don't sing "Sadie"
or "Raindrops" anymore.
532
00:30:45,137 --> 00:30:47,389
I wanna move forward.
Took a long time to decide that.
533
00:30:47,472 --> 00:30:50,309
"You're John, best singer in the country,
534
00:30:50,392 --> 00:30:52,644
I'll get you out and be doing
what you should be doing."
535
00:30:52,728 --> 00:30:55,314
♪ Too much too soon ♪
536
00:30:55,397 --> 00:30:57,691
[Glenn] I put together
the best band in the country.
537
00:30:57,774 --> 00:31:00,944
People like Tommy Emmanuel.
I mean, it was a hot band.
538
00:31:01,028 --> 00:31:02,279
[Tommy] John was loving it.
539
00:31:02,362 --> 00:31:05,032
{\an8}When we started rehearsing,
we fine-tuned it.
540
00:31:05,115 --> 00:31:09,203
{\an8}The sound was really great,
he had a great team around him.
541
00:31:09,286 --> 00:31:11,455
Then we took that band out on the road.
542
00:31:11,538 --> 00:31:12,998
♪ I don't really want you to leave ♪
543
00:31:13,081 --> 00:31:16,084
I remember the opening night.
It was the night I met Glenn.
544
00:31:16,168 --> 00:31:19,505
He had John performing
with his hot new band,
545
00:31:19,588 --> 00:31:22,925
and they were singing the songs
from the Uncovered album,
546
00:31:23,008 --> 00:31:25,928
which for the first time
did not include "Sadie."
547
00:31:28,013 --> 00:31:32,476
{\an8}[Cherie] The Australian music scene
in the '80s was absolutely exploding
548
00:31:32,559 --> 00:31:34,937
{\an8}with all this new and edgy sound.
549
00:31:36,772 --> 00:31:41,818
Everybody would just go to the pub
just to rock out with these great bands.
550
00:31:41,902 --> 00:31:44,988
Midnight Oil. Cold Chisel with Jimmy.
551
00:31:45,364 --> 00:31:49,076
♪ All last night we were learning ♪
552
00:31:49,159 --> 00:31:52,621
[Jimmy] When you're in the thick of a pub
and knee-deep in beer,
553
00:31:52,704 --> 00:31:55,415
and there's people grabbing your arse,
it's tribal.
554
00:31:56,083 --> 00:31:57,751
It's not the place for the faint-hearted.
555
00:31:57,835 --> 00:32:00,170
♪ Somewhere bridges were burning ♪
556
00:32:00,254 --> 00:32:04,591
[Jimmy] If you're too nice, too polished,
or you miss that primal connection,
557
00:32:04,675 --> 00:32:06,301
it doesn't matter how good you are.
558
00:32:08,846 --> 00:32:11,181
John's natural environment is not a pub.
559
00:32:12,933 --> 00:32:15,060
You can put a pair of leather pants
on that man,
560
00:32:15,143 --> 00:32:17,646
but it does not make him a Jimmy Barnes.
561
00:32:19,940 --> 00:32:21,275
{\an8}[Cherie] He was not that.
562
00:32:21,358 --> 00:32:25,696
{\an8}And it was a whole scene.
Johnny did not fit into that at all.
563
00:32:25,779 --> 00:32:28,949
[Tommy] I remember coming off the stage
and we're in the dressing room,
564
00:32:29,032 --> 00:32:31,410
{\an8}and he punched the locker door.
565
00:32:31,493 --> 00:32:33,954
{\an8}And it was metal and he smashed it in.
566
00:32:34,037 --> 00:32:36,081
{\an8}And I said to him, "Hey, singer.
567
00:32:36,164 --> 00:32:38,792
Your turn's coming. Don't worry.
568
00:32:38,876 --> 00:32:40,377
Your turn is coming."
569
00:32:40,460 --> 00:32:42,921
♪ Happy anniversary, baby ♪
570
00:32:43,005 --> 00:32:45,299
♪ Got you on my mind ♪
571
00:32:45,382 --> 00:32:48,510
LRB to the public and LRB in private.
572
00:32:48,594 --> 00:32:50,262
I don't know how Glenn did it.
573
00:32:50,345 --> 00:32:54,183
I don't know how he managed
these very strong personalities.
574
00:32:54,266 --> 00:32:55,726
♪ I see it in your eyes ♪
575
00:32:55,809 --> 00:32:58,520
Managing Little River Band was
like managing World War II.
576
00:32:59,897 --> 00:33:03,150
It was a firecracker,
always ready to go off.
577
00:33:04,610 --> 00:33:05,569
Skid marks.
578
00:33:05,652 --> 00:33:08,071
[Graeham] We had played with
both Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles,
579
00:33:08,155 --> 00:33:11,658
{\an8}and to be frank, we thought
we were every bit as good as them.
580
00:33:11,742 --> 00:33:14,786
Graeham sacrificed Shorrock to get John.
581
00:33:15,787 --> 00:33:18,916
[Graeham] It got to the point with Glenn
where it had broken down,
582
00:33:18,999 --> 00:33:21,210
and I'd sort of had enough of him.
583
00:33:22,377 --> 00:33:26,173
I think Glenn had enough of us as well.
It was a two-way street.
584
00:33:26,256 --> 00:33:29,968
{\an8}[Glenn] I didn't make a decision to leave.
It was made for me.
585
00:33:30,052 --> 00:33:31,470
Glenn was asked to leave.
586
00:33:31,553 --> 00:33:35,891
{\an8}They're both amazing vocalists,
but Glenn would interpret my songs
587
00:33:35,974 --> 00:33:38,352
and John would sing what I had written.
588
00:33:38,435 --> 00:33:42,564
That was the big difference
and the big appeal for me as a songwriter.
589
00:33:42,648 --> 00:33:47,986
♪ There's a lesson here to learn
When your baby ups and leaves you ♪
590
00:33:48,070 --> 00:33:51,198
[Gaynor] Glenn and I were just married
at that very point.
591
00:33:51,281 --> 00:33:54,034
First of all,
Glenn Shorrock and John Farnham
592
00:33:54,117 --> 00:33:56,495
were both best men at our wedding,
593
00:33:56,578 --> 00:33:58,038
so we loved them both.
594
00:33:58,747 --> 00:34:00,916
John was the only call
that we wanted to make.
595
00:34:00,999 --> 00:34:03,168
♪ Happy anniversary ♪
596
00:34:05,754 --> 00:34:07,464
{\an8}[Jill]
John said to me, "What do you think?"
597
00:34:07,548 --> 00:34:09,174
{\an8}I said, "What are you gonna lose?"
598
00:34:11,092 --> 00:34:14,388
[Cherie] I thought that move of John
as a front man to LRB
599
00:34:14,471 --> 00:34:17,599
was a really important transition
to mainstream pop.
600
00:34:18,266 --> 00:34:20,351
It would be just perfect for him.
601
00:34:21,270 --> 00:34:24,022
[Jimmy] Suddenly people went,
"Oh, I can see John in a band.
602
00:34:24,106 --> 00:34:27,860
I can see John doing Apollo Stadium,"
or whatever the theatres are.
603
00:34:28,694 --> 00:34:29,945
[John] When I was asked to join,
604
00:34:30,027 --> 00:34:32,406
I said "Look, if you want me
to sing like Glenn Shorrock,
605
00:34:32,489 --> 00:34:34,949
we've got a problem because I can't.
606
00:34:35,033 --> 00:34:36,827
I can only sing how I sing."
607
00:34:38,829 --> 00:34:39,705
{\an8}Well...
608
00:34:39,788 --> 00:34:41,998
{\an8}[audience applauding]
609
00:34:42,081 --> 00:34:45,668
{\an8}This is all-- It was all very exciting
for us all in here.
610
00:34:45,752 --> 00:34:47,212
How did it affect the band?
611
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:49,882
Going with a new lead singer,
612
00:34:49,965 --> 00:34:53,844
and especially someone of John's stature
because he's such an individualist?
613
00:34:53,927 --> 00:34:57,347
The nervous part for us, Don,
is that we don't know yet.
614
00:34:57,431 --> 00:35:01,518
This is officially our first engagement
since John has joined the band.
615
00:35:01,602 --> 00:35:03,437
We've basically been in the studio.
616
00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,441
Time will tell. We're all confident.
We feel that it's going to work.
617
00:35:07,524 --> 00:35:09,026
John has to sing old material as well.
618
00:35:09,109 --> 00:35:11,069
That's what Little River Band
is famous for.
619
00:35:11,153 --> 00:35:13,071
[Don] It's not John Farnham
and Little River Band?
620
00:35:13,155 --> 00:35:14,114
It's Little River Band.
621
00:35:14,198 --> 00:35:18,577
I remember John being so excited
about touring with Little River Band.
622
00:35:18,660 --> 00:35:22,998
I know the appeal for John was
to finally be not a pub singer,
623
00:35:23,081 --> 00:35:25,542
not a cabaret singer,
624
00:35:25,626 --> 00:35:28,086
he was finally where he should be.
625
00:35:28,170 --> 00:35:31,381
On a huge stage, with a huge crew,
626
00:35:31,465 --> 00:35:32,966
fabulous lighting,
627
00:35:33,050 --> 00:35:37,554
full production,
in front of tens of thousands of people.
628
00:35:37,638 --> 00:35:39,681
-[John] Fantastic!
-[audience cheering]
629
00:35:39,765 --> 00:35:41,058
Thank you very much.
630
00:35:42,518 --> 00:35:47,314
♪ If there's one thing in my life
That's missing ♪
631
00:35:47,397 --> 00:35:50,651
♪ It's the time that I spend alone ♪
632
00:35:51,777 --> 00:35:58,033
♪ Sailing on the cool
And bright clear water ♪
633
00:35:59,743 --> 00:36:01,787
♪ There's lots of
Those friendly people... ♪
634
00:36:01,870 --> 00:36:04,581
[David] John and I being the newcomers
to the Little River Band,
635
00:36:04,665 --> 00:36:10,838
{\an8}I think both of us were keen to imprint
our personality in the band.
636
00:36:10,921 --> 00:36:12,506
Oh, yeah. Come on!
637
00:36:12,589 --> 00:36:14,216
-[Tommy] He's a front man.
-Come on!
638
00:36:14,299 --> 00:36:18,929
John's much more adventurous on-stage
than all those guys.
639
00:36:20,556 --> 00:36:22,099
He immediately comes forward
640
00:36:22,182 --> 00:36:24,393
and is singing to people
and engaging the crowd.
641
00:36:24,476 --> 00:36:26,270
He's the one in the spotlight.
642
00:36:26,353 --> 00:36:28,188
♪ Just say that you love me... ♪
643
00:36:29,273 --> 00:36:33,569
{\an8}The spotlight would always be on John,
and we felt like, "Why are we even here?"
644
00:36:33,652 --> 00:36:36,905
Because there was no attention to us.
645
00:36:37,781 --> 00:36:40,868
And we felt we were a backing band
to a solo artist.
646
00:36:42,536 --> 00:36:45,956
[Glenn] At one stage, Graeham had
the crew gaffer-tape his mic stand
647
00:36:46,039 --> 00:36:48,125
and lead to the stage.
648
00:36:48,208 --> 00:36:50,711
He fucking ripped
that thing off the floor.
649
00:36:50,794 --> 00:36:53,964
He went on, "You fucking tied me
to the fucking stage."
650
00:36:56,633 --> 00:36:58,927
I don't remember completely.
651
00:36:59,011 --> 00:37:00,929
Sounds like something I'd do
back in the day.
652
00:37:02,723 --> 00:37:04,516
I wouldn't do that today.
653
00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:06,602
[audience cheering and applauding]
654
00:37:10,314 --> 00:37:11,857
I think he assumed
655
00:37:11,940 --> 00:37:15,986
he would be going in there
with a little bit of input
656
00:37:16,069 --> 00:37:18,405
into what he would be singing.
657
00:37:20,199 --> 00:37:21,575
But that was not to be the case.
658
00:37:22,451 --> 00:37:28,332
He was singing somebody else's catalogue
on somebody else, "Graeham's," stage.
659
00:37:29,499 --> 00:37:32,920
[John] All I was was the singer
singing the hits that were already there.
660
00:37:33,504 --> 00:37:35,339
I was never really in the band.
661
00:37:35,422 --> 00:37:38,550
[Jimmy] I think he probably
felt trapped in LRB after a while.
662
00:37:38,634 --> 00:37:40,719
He wasn't in control
of what he was singing.
663
00:37:40,802 --> 00:37:43,013
It was like "Sadie" all over again.
664
00:37:43,096 --> 00:37:44,765
[John] I found it a real challenge.
665
00:37:45,724 --> 00:37:48,977
[Gaynor] Once again,
John found himself being controlled.
666
00:37:49,686 --> 00:37:51,897
I'm not gonna take my shirt off. Nah.
667
00:37:53,607 --> 00:37:55,984
{\an8}-I don't wanna ruin my cashmere, mate.
-Take 6.
668
00:37:56,068 --> 00:37:57,611
[John] ♪ When you make your move... ♪
669
00:37:57,694 --> 00:38:00,030
I remember
when John wrote "Playing to Win"
670
00:38:00,113 --> 00:38:01,740
and how proud he was of that song.
671
00:38:01,823 --> 00:38:03,283
♪ You can be too late ♪
672
00:38:03,367 --> 00:38:05,369
[Gaynor] That was his coming-of-age song.
673
00:38:06,119 --> 00:38:08,038
"Playing to Win."
674
00:38:08,121 --> 00:38:09,790
Definitely my motto, for sure.
675
00:38:09,873 --> 00:38:12,543
Song I wrote while with Little River Band.
"Playing to Win."
676
00:38:12,626 --> 00:38:17,714
{\an8}[Jill] "Playing to Win," John wrote that,
and that was a message to LRB.
677
00:38:17,798 --> 00:38:21,093
[Gaynor] The night at the
Universal Amphitheatre was very important.
678
00:38:21,176 --> 00:38:23,887
Everybody was in the audience
to see Little River Band.
679
00:38:23,971 --> 00:38:25,722
♪ You can be too late ♪
680
00:38:27,307 --> 00:38:29,601
♪ This time I'm playing to win ♪
681
00:38:29,685 --> 00:38:30,811
[Gaynor] It was star-studded.
682
00:38:30,894 --> 00:38:34,690
A lot of famous people
in the audience. Frank Sinatra...
683
00:38:34,773 --> 00:38:39,111
And Glenn was absolutely
watching the band implode.
684
00:38:39,194 --> 00:38:41,697
♪ Playing to win this time ♪
685
00:38:42,406 --> 00:38:44,283
[Glenn]
I was running like a headless chook,
686
00:38:44,366 --> 00:38:46,952
trying to pacify everybody,
"Just keep it together," you know?
687
00:38:47,786 --> 00:38:49,329
♪ If you take too long... ♪
688
00:38:49,413 --> 00:38:52,833
So I got Glenn's drink
and crushed a Valium into it.
689
00:38:52,916 --> 00:38:54,918
♪ This time I'm playing to win ♪
690
00:38:55,002 --> 00:38:56,920
I think it was two Valium.
691
00:38:57,004 --> 00:38:59,548
I shouldn't have put the second Valium in
692
00:38:59,631 --> 00:39:04,344
because as everybody is tearing
each other's hair apart,
693
00:39:04,428 --> 00:39:07,806
we walked into the promoter's room
and Glenn's asleep on the couch.
694
00:39:07,890 --> 00:39:11,059
♪ I didn't see
That was not what I needed ♪
695
00:39:11,143 --> 00:39:13,312
♪ Oh, I was a fool ♪
696
00:39:13,937 --> 00:39:14,938
[Glenn] That was the end.
697
00:39:15,022 --> 00:39:17,191
That night, John came up to Graeham
and Beeb, and said:
698
00:39:17,274 --> 00:39:21,111
"You're stopping me.
I want you guys to get out of my way."
699
00:39:22,237 --> 00:39:25,574
[John] I was the one in the spotlight,
and it put a lot of pressure on me.
700
00:39:25,657 --> 00:39:27,868
I thought, if I'm gonna put myself
under this kind of pressure,
701
00:39:27,951 --> 00:39:31,413
then I'll do it for all of the reasons,
and stand or fall on my decisions.
702
00:39:32,915 --> 00:39:35,459
[Gaynor]
He played to all those fantastic numbers,
703
00:39:35,542 --> 00:39:38,337
and you'd think
he'd be earning a lot of money.
704
00:39:38,420 --> 00:39:40,631
The debt that LRB had
705
00:39:40,714 --> 00:39:43,884
against previous albums
that were not successful
706
00:39:43,967 --> 00:39:46,929
were put across to John's earnings.
707
00:39:47,804 --> 00:39:49,723
John, by the time he did leave,
708
00:39:49,806 --> 00:39:52,684
LRB actually had substantial debt.
709
00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:02,486
♪ 'Twas grace that taught ♪
710
00:40:02,569 --> 00:40:07,783
♪ My heart to fear ♪
711
00:40:08,951 --> 00:40:12,079
♪ And grace ♪
712
00:40:12,162 --> 00:40:19,169
♪ My fears relieved... ♪
713
00:40:19,253 --> 00:40:22,089
[John] That was very difficult.
I had to sell my house, my cars and stuff.
714
00:40:22,172 --> 00:40:23,841
My mother-in-law was sitting there,
715
00:40:23,924 --> 00:40:25,968
and she said,
"Let's take Robert to McDonald's."
716
00:40:26,051 --> 00:40:27,845
I actually couldn't take them.
717
00:40:27,928 --> 00:40:30,889
I turned to my wife. "I can't. We can't."
We didn't have the money.
718
00:40:30,973 --> 00:40:37,229
♪ Through many dangers ♪
719
00:40:37,312 --> 00:40:41,316
♪ Toils and snares ♪
720
00:40:42,192 --> 00:40:44,695
[Gaynor]
John left LRB in debt but a total man.
721
00:40:44,778 --> 00:40:51,785
♪ I have already come ♪
722
00:40:52,828 --> 00:40:56,957
♪ 'Twas grace that led... ♪
723
00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:00,002
I tried to get him a record deal
and couldn't.
724
00:41:00,085 --> 00:41:03,046
The problem was, this was the curse
of "Sadie, The Cleaning Lady,"
725
00:41:03,130 --> 00:41:07,217
because every record company is going,
"I won't sign Johnny Farnham."
726
00:41:07,301 --> 00:41:09,219
I mean, everybody passed.
727
00:41:09,303 --> 00:41:13,974
♪ Will lead me home ♪
728
00:41:15,058 --> 00:41:18,937
♪ Amazing Grace... ♪
729
00:41:19,021 --> 00:41:21,023
Well, he nailed everything he sang.
730
00:41:21,106 --> 00:41:23,483
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
731
00:41:23,567 --> 00:41:26,778
[Venetta] For him to sing "Amazing Grace,"
how he carried it,
732
00:41:26,862 --> 00:41:31,742
{\an8}his participation in it,
was really so truthful and so clear.
733
00:41:31,825 --> 00:41:36,747
♪ Wretch like me ♪
734
00:41:37,456 --> 00:41:42,920
♪ I once was lost... ♪
735
00:41:43,003 --> 00:41:44,463
[Glenn] I made him a promise.
736
00:41:44,546 --> 00:41:49,676
"I promise you a chance to do the album
that defines what John Farnham is."
737
00:41:51,345 --> 00:41:53,931
[Gaynor] It would've been very easy
for John to pull the covers up
738
00:41:54,014 --> 00:41:56,350
and just feel crushed.
739
00:41:58,101 --> 00:42:02,231
But between Glenn and Jill,
and with John's voice,
740
00:42:02,314 --> 00:42:05,067
they came together and formulated a plan.
741
00:42:05,859 --> 00:42:11,073
♪ I see, yes, I see ♪
742
00:42:11,156 --> 00:42:18,163
♪ Yes, I see ♪
743
00:42:20,707 --> 00:42:23,460
Good evening, here is the news.
744
00:42:26,547 --> 00:42:28,632
[Glenn]
There was a few questions from Gaynor
745
00:42:28,715 --> 00:42:31,844
{\an8}when I said we've had to take a mortgage
on the house to borrow the money.
746
00:42:31,927 --> 00:42:36,181
{\an8}'Cause I needed cash, I mean,
we needed to pay the studio,
747
00:42:36,265 --> 00:42:37,558
to pay the musicians.
748
00:42:37,641 --> 00:42:41,061
We didn't have a mortgage in those days.
They were the good days.
749
00:42:41,144 --> 00:42:44,439
God, now we re-mortgage
the mortgages of the mortgage.
750
00:42:44,523 --> 00:42:48,360
{\an8}I was not consulted, but, gosh,
I would've put two houses on John
751
00:42:48,443 --> 00:42:50,362
{\an8}at that particular point in time.
752
00:42:50,445 --> 00:42:52,114
{\an8}In hindsight. Probably.
753
00:42:53,782 --> 00:42:58,161
[Glenn] I desperately tried to get
all the superstar producers to come out.
754
00:42:58,245 --> 00:42:59,746
[Ross] Quincy Jones, right?
755
00:42:59,830 --> 00:43:02,541
Glenn was trying to get Quincy
to do the next Farnham album,
756
00:43:02,624 --> 00:43:04,501
and he couldn't get it.
757
00:43:04,585 --> 00:43:07,963
[David] Ross was a music producer
who doubled as a stage manager
758
00:43:08,046 --> 00:43:10,966
on tour in America back in the LRB days.
759
00:43:11,049 --> 00:43:12,676
Ross said, "Pick me."
760
00:43:12,759 --> 00:43:16,513
And for some reason, Glenn did.
761
00:43:16,597 --> 00:43:17,931
John liked Ross,
762
00:43:18,015 --> 00:43:21,018
'cause Ross was pretty quiet
and easy-going.
763
00:43:21,852 --> 00:43:24,021
I think John felt comfortable with Ross.
764
00:43:24,104 --> 00:43:27,608
[Glenn] I set him up, he was
renting a house in Manningham Road.
765
00:43:27,691 --> 00:43:29,151
Soul-destroying.
766
00:43:29,234 --> 00:43:30,944
But he had a garage.
767
00:43:31,028 --> 00:43:33,906
[Gaynor]
So the old garage band came to be.
768
00:43:33,989 --> 00:43:35,115
Jill was upstairs.
769
00:43:35,699 --> 00:43:37,034
{\an8}[Jill] I didn't hear a thing.
770
00:43:37,117 --> 00:43:39,369
{\an8}I would take them down biscuits
every now and again.
771
00:43:39,453 --> 00:43:42,956
{\an8}John said, "We should get Hirschy up,
let's get this going."
772
00:43:43,916 --> 00:43:45,542
So I rang Hirschy and said:
773
00:43:45,626 --> 00:43:48,545
"Interested in coming up and working
with John and I to do a record?"
774
00:43:48,629 --> 00:43:50,005
He said, "Yeah."
775
00:43:50,088 --> 00:43:51,840
I'd just invested a lot of money
776
00:43:51,924 --> 00:43:55,385
in a very expensive piece of equipment
called a Fairlight,
777
00:43:55,469 --> 00:43:59,306
which costs $35,000 in 1984.
778
00:44:00,307 --> 00:44:02,059
Which I think is insane.
779
00:44:02,142 --> 00:44:05,103
I can't believe I spent all that
on one piece of equipment.
780
00:44:05,187 --> 00:44:08,440
So I got the Kombi,
I filled it up with all my gear.
781
00:44:08,524 --> 00:44:12,027
I had the Fairlight, I had a DX7,
782
00:44:12,110 --> 00:44:14,905
I had a Prophet-5 synthesiser,
783
00:44:14,988 --> 00:44:16,782
{\an8}a QX1 sequencer
784
00:44:16,865 --> 00:44:21,703
{\an8}hooked up to a bank of eight DX7s,
which were in modules.
785
00:44:21,787 --> 00:44:24,081
John had a eight-track recorder.
786
00:44:24,164 --> 00:44:27,876
We could record his voice
onto analogue tape.
787
00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,128
And then we combined that with Ross.
788
00:44:30,212 --> 00:44:32,589
He had this new drum machine,
a sampling drum machine,
789
00:44:32,673 --> 00:44:36,009
so that was our orchestra, if you like,
in John's garage.
790
00:44:36,593 --> 00:44:38,720
That was our palette for Whispering Jack.
791
00:44:39,346 --> 00:44:42,057
The digital world was only just starting
when we were doing this.
792
00:44:42,140 --> 00:44:44,810
And sampling. This was really early.
793
00:44:44,893 --> 00:44:48,564
So I think the sampler we had,
the drum machine,
794
00:44:48,647 --> 00:44:50,649
was one of the first ones in the country.
795
00:44:50,732 --> 00:44:54,152
And what you find with John,
he loves trying things out.
796
00:44:54,236 --> 00:44:56,572
He's up for anything as he said.
"Yep, I'm up for that."
797
00:44:59,700 --> 00:45:02,119
[David] We were all on this funny,
little boat together,
798
00:45:02,202 --> 00:45:04,454
three wacky, different personalities.
799
00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:10,752
John and I were, I guess,
the primary creative forces.
800
00:45:10,836 --> 00:45:14,173
And Ross was there to observe,
and to guide,
801
00:45:14,256 --> 00:45:16,216
and to help choose the best moments.
802
00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:18,302
It was a pretty good team, I think.
803
00:45:18,385 --> 00:45:20,637
[Ross]
This album was really important for him
804
00:45:20,721 --> 00:45:22,931
'cause there was so much riding on it.
805
00:45:23,849 --> 00:45:25,517
So much riding on it.
806
00:45:27,019 --> 00:45:29,271
[John]
Looking for the songs is the basic start,
807
00:45:29,354 --> 00:45:32,441
and I must have listened
to 2000 songs, easy.
808
00:45:32,524 --> 00:45:34,401
Demo tapes, I listened to everything.
809
00:45:34,484 --> 00:45:36,528
And I had to listen to the songs
in their entirety
810
00:45:36,612 --> 00:45:38,864
because being a budding songwriter myself,
811
00:45:38,947 --> 00:45:41,325
I understand how much work
these people put into it,
812
00:45:41,408 --> 00:45:44,328
so I had to do at least that,
give them that courtesy.
813
00:45:44,411 --> 00:45:47,206
I was ringing publishers
and saying, "Send songs, send songs."
814
00:45:47,289 --> 00:45:48,999
{\an8}And a lot a people couldn't be bothered.
815
00:45:49,082 --> 00:45:53,295
{\an8}"John? What are you...? John Farnham?
Not really, no. Johnny? No."
816
00:45:55,506 --> 00:45:58,592
[Gaynor] Despite all the pressure,
he was, for the first time,
817
00:45:58,675 --> 00:46:00,677
in control of his career.
818
00:46:00,761 --> 00:46:02,846
And really, he couldn't be happier.
819
00:46:03,847 --> 00:46:05,557
[David] John is very fussy.
820
00:46:05,641 --> 00:46:08,060
He rejected some big songs.
821
00:46:08,143 --> 00:46:11,730
The one I remember is,
we got a demo of "We Built This City."
822
00:46:11,813 --> 00:46:12,689
On rock 'n' roll.
823
00:46:12,773 --> 00:46:14,358
♪ We built this city ♪
824
00:46:15,901 --> 00:46:20,489
♪ We built this city on rock 'n' roll ♪
825
00:46:20,572 --> 00:46:22,449
Ross and I looked at each other
and thought:
826
00:46:22,533 --> 00:46:24,701
"Wow, that's such a pop anthem."
827
00:46:24,785 --> 00:46:28,747
And John said, "Nah. I don't like it.
It's too twee. It's like..."
828
00:46:28,830 --> 00:46:30,415
♪ We built this city ♪
829
00:46:30,499 --> 00:46:32,501
He started mocking it, so... Next.
830
00:46:32,584 --> 00:46:35,587
["Love to Shine" playing]
831
00:46:36,797 --> 00:46:39,216
[John]
We put a lot of effort into the sounds
832
00:46:39,299 --> 00:46:41,051
and the arrangements of the songs.
833
00:46:41,134 --> 00:46:42,719
It was a very important album for me.
834
00:46:42,803 --> 00:46:44,930
I wanted to walk away from it and say:
835
00:46:45,013 --> 00:46:47,307
"This is the best album I have ever made."
836
00:46:47,391 --> 00:46:52,020
♪ You have no cause
To doubt what you see ♪
837
00:46:52,104 --> 00:46:56,400
♪ Close your eyes
And set your feelings free ♪
838
00:46:56,483 --> 00:46:58,902
["Pressure Down" playing]
839
00:46:58,986 --> 00:47:01,572
♪ Set the wheels in motion ♪
840
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:05,284
♪ And watch them turning round ♪
841
00:47:06,952 --> 00:47:10,122
♪ I want to sail across the ocean ♪
842
00:47:10,205 --> 00:47:13,083
♪ I've grown weary of this town ♪
843
00:47:13,166 --> 00:47:16,044
[Gaynor] I think they'd listened
to absolutely every song,
844
00:47:16,128 --> 00:47:18,964
every demo that had been sent,
and there were deadlines,
845
00:47:19,047 --> 00:47:20,799
we had to put this album out.
846
00:47:21,550 --> 00:47:23,760
♪ A little closer to you ♪
847
00:47:23,844 --> 00:47:26,054
[David]
We had eight songs that were really good,
848
00:47:26,138 --> 00:47:28,098
and we needed one more song.
849
00:47:28,182 --> 00:47:31,518
I'll never forget the morning
when we pulled out a cassette,
850
00:47:31,602 --> 00:47:34,104
put it on and it was "You're the Voice."
851
00:47:36,356 --> 00:47:38,984
And by this songwriter of Manfred Mann.
852
00:47:39,067 --> 00:47:42,696
He'd done this and I thought,
"Oh, yeah. Well, he's a good songwriter."
853
00:47:42,779 --> 00:47:44,823
A nuclear war cannot be won.
854
00:47:44,907 --> 00:47:47,326
[reporter] You can't talk to the
Soviet Union the way you can speak
855
00:47:47,409 --> 00:47:49,286
to other governments and states.
856
00:47:49,369 --> 00:47:54,374
{\an8}[Ross] It was at a time when the fear
of nuclear weapons was at its height.
857
00:47:54,458 --> 00:47:58,462
{\an8}I was with some friends,
and we were gonna go to the CND march,
858
00:47:58,545 --> 00:48:01,465
{\an8}which started at 6:00 in the morning and--
859
00:48:01,548 --> 00:48:02,758
Yeah, we overslept.
860
00:48:06,470 --> 00:48:09,556
I think there was 150,000 people
or something.
861
00:48:10,557 --> 00:48:13,602
I was pretty upset with myself
for not being there
862
00:48:13,685 --> 00:48:16,897
and it just gave me the idea for a song.
863
00:48:16,980 --> 00:48:21,902
I had a session booked in with two other
writers that I'd worked with a lot before,
864
00:48:21,985 --> 00:48:24,196
Andy Qunta and Maggie Ryder.
865
00:48:25,531 --> 00:48:29,368
Now, within an hour or something,
we had what we liked as a verse.
866
00:48:30,077 --> 00:48:32,079
♪ Whoa ♪
867
00:48:32,162 --> 00:48:34,873
I came up with that as an idea
and she went:
868
00:48:34,957 --> 00:48:37,251
♪ Da-da-da, da-da, da-da-da ♪
869
00:48:37,334 --> 00:48:38,710
♪ Da-da-da, da-da, da-da-da ♪
870
00:48:38,794 --> 00:48:39,628
And I sang:
871
00:48:39,711 --> 00:48:42,256
♪ Whoa ♪
872
00:48:42,339 --> 00:48:43,757
And we went, "Fantastic."
873
00:48:44,508 --> 00:48:47,678
[Chris] Keith Reid, who was
the great lyricist for Procul Harum,
874
00:48:48,220 --> 00:48:51,056
I went around to his place the next day
and within about four hours,
875
00:48:51,139 --> 00:48:54,059
we had written the lyric
that is what it is today.
876
00:48:55,769 --> 00:48:58,939
[Ross] Doris Tyler worked for Glenn
as a publisher.
877
00:48:59,731 --> 00:49:00,858
She gave it to me.
878
00:49:00,941 --> 00:49:03,193
I got in the car
to drive out to John's place,
879
00:49:03,277 --> 00:49:06,613
and I went, "Holy shit, this is good."
880
00:49:06,697 --> 00:49:08,490
Get to John's place, I said, "Play this."
881
00:49:09,908 --> 00:49:12,786
We listened to it and we all looked
at each other and thought, "Wow."
882
00:49:12,870 --> 00:49:14,955
And he went, "That's fucking great."
883
00:49:15,038 --> 00:49:17,040
[John] And "You're the Voice" came in
about two weeks
884
00:49:17,124 --> 00:49:19,084
before we finished recording the album.
885
00:49:19,168 --> 00:49:22,212
And I just arced up.
I said, "That's mine. I want that song."
886
00:49:23,297 --> 00:49:26,049
We gotta have the songs now.
This is a killer.
887
00:49:26,133 --> 00:49:29,011
[Chris] Well, I got a call
from my publishing company.
888
00:49:29,094 --> 00:49:32,806
They said, "John Farnham has
recorded 'You're the Voice.'
889
00:49:32,890 --> 00:49:34,808
Is it okay to give him permission?"
890
00:49:34,892 --> 00:49:38,437
And I said, "No. No."
891
00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:40,355
The only thing I knew about John Farnham
892
00:49:40,439 --> 00:49:42,482
was a song called
"Sadie, The Cleaning Lady."
893
00:49:42,566 --> 00:49:47,112
♪ Oh, Sadie, the cleaning lady ♪
894
00:49:47,196 --> 00:49:50,824
[Gaynor] We couldn't take no.
We went ahead and did it anyway.
895
00:49:50,908 --> 00:49:52,242
[Chris] And they recorded it.
896
00:49:52,326 --> 00:49:56,538
They weren't supposed to,
without getting permission, but they did.
897
00:49:56,622 --> 00:50:00,209
We decided to go for the machine gun,
sort of hand-clap effect
898
00:50:00,292 --> 00:50:05,714
as a sort of militaristic
but also celebratory tribalism.
899
00:50:05,797 --> 00:50:08,550
I don't know what we were doing,
but it just-- That--
900
00:50:08,634 --> 00:50:12,262
All that sort of stuff seemed
to feel right for the lyric of the song.
901
00:50:13,597 --> 00:50:17,434
But in the solo section,
my idea was pan pipes.
902
00:50:18,352 --> 00:50:22,731
All these pan pipes of the Andes,
and I simulated them all on synthesisers
903
00:50:22,814 --> 00:50:26,026
and samples of actual pan pipes as well.
904
00:50:26,109 --> 00:50:30,656
But John said, "There's something missing.
It's just not quite lifting enough.
905
00:50:31,532 --> 00:50:33,450
I know, bagpipes."
906
00:50:37,913 --> 00:50:40,707
I went, "Really? Really?" You know?
907
00:50:40,791 --> 00:50:43,085
"Yeah, I can hear them."
I said, "Okay, your call."
908
00:50:43,168 --> 00:50:47,256
[David] We contacted one of the best
bagpipe exponents in Melbourne.
909
00:50:47,339 --> 00:50:51,260
He said, "Bagpipes can only play
in one key, B flat."
910
00:50:51,343 --> 00:50:52,970
And I said, "Oh, well, we're in F."
911
00:50:53,053 --> 00:50:55,764
[playing "You're the Voice"]
912
00:51:00,018 --> 00:51:05,023
When I had to change the whole arrangement
to go up to that key for the bagpipes,
913
00:51:05,107 --> 00:51:07,442
the amazing thing was
that the song sounded better
914
00:51:07,526 --> 00:51:10,195
even before we put the bagpipes on there.
915
00:51:11,029 --> 00:51:16,118
Sometimes the limitation of an instrument
is the very thing that you need
916
00:51:16,201 --> 00:51:17,619
to make something great.
917
00:51:18,412 --> 00:51:22,082
For me, the lay down misère
of all the songs was "You're the Voice,"
918
00:51:22,165 --> 00:51:26,295
and I said to Glenn I wanted to be
in the studio when they recorded it.
919
00:51:27,713 --> 00:51:30,382
"Okay, we're ready.
We're gonna play the song down."
920
00:51:30,465 --> 00:51:33,260
'Cause they wouldn't let me in
while they're doing the whole mix.
921
00:51:33,343 --> 00:51:36,305
Gaynor and Glenn came in, they're off
to some restaurant or something.
922
00:51:36,388 --> 00:51:38,140
They had their nice clothes on.
923
00:51:38,223 --> 00:51:39,850
[Glenn] We had a bottle of champagne.
924
00:51:39,933 --> 00:51:42,644
We'll go into the studio,
get ready to hear it.
925
00:51:42,728 --> 00:51:47,691
"Okay, hit me. Play it to me."
And it left me flat.
926
00:51:47,774 --> 00:51:51,320
Glenn and I looked at each other,
and it was like, "That's not--"
927
00:51:52,196 --> 00:51:54,865
It wasn't quite-- And John looked at us--
928
00:51:54,948 --> 00:51:56,283
Said, "You don't like it, do you?"
929
00:51:56,366 --> 00:51:58,535
I said, "It wasn't like the demo."
930
00:51:58,619 --> 00:52:00,829
And he said,
"No, but we've recorded it properly."
931
00:52:00,913 --> 00:52:03,957
I said, "My problem is, I thought
that your vocal on the demo was better
932
00:52:04,041 --> 00:52:05,501
than the vocal you've done on this."
933
00:52:05,584 --> 00:52:07,544
And he was angry.
934
00:52:07,628 --> 00:52:09,171
So he got very angry with me.
935
00:52:09,254 --> 00:52:13,091
He said, "Okay," to Ross Fraser.
"I'm going out and sing it again.
936
00:52:13,175 --> 00:52:15,719
So turn the lights out, turn the cans up."
937
00:52:15,802 --> 00:52:18,722
[John] I hate it when there are people
in the studio when I'm trying to sing
938
00:52:18,805 --> 00:52:19,806
because I get paranoid.
939
00:52:19,890 --> 00:52:22,267
I think they're laughing at me.
They're talking about me.
940
00:52:22,351 --> 00:52:25,437
♪ You're the voice
Try and understand it ♪
941
00:52:25,521 --> 00:52:28,357
♪ Make a noise and make it clear ♪
942
00:52:29,983 --> 00:52:34,071
And he sang
the living hell out of that song.
943
00:52:34,154 --> 00:52:38,450
And the hairs on our arms
and the back of our necks came up,
944
00:52:38,534 --> 00:52:40,536
and it was like, "That's the song."
945
00:52:40,619 --> 00:52:41,787
It was awesome.
946
00:52:44,331 --> 00:52:46,041
And that became the one.
947
00:52:47,751 --> 00:52:53,549
[John] That was the first time
that I'd really put 110% into it.
948
00:52:53,632 --> 00:52:55,926
I was in every beat of every bar.
949
00:52:56,009 --> 00:52:59,763
After all the elation,
knowing that we had a great product,
950
00:52:59,847 --> 00:53:04,852
it was then I think John sort of plummeted
because we were back in the unknown.
951
00:53:04,935 --> 00:53:07,354
Would it be well received? We didn't know.
952
00:53:08,397 --> 00:53:11,191
[John] I went through the floor
after I finished this record.
953
00:53:11,275 --> 00:53:14,486
It mattered to me, I think,
more than anything else.
954
00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:17,573
[Glenn]
We had a launch for Whispering Jack,
955
00:53:17,656 --> 00:53:21,159
and it was just to the people
involved in it, just friends.
956
00:53:21,243 --> 00:53:22,744
It wasn't a media event.
957
00:53:23,453 --> 00:53:25,789
[Gaynor]
John wasn't there. John wasn't coming.
958
00:53:25,873 --> 00:53:27,165
John wouldn't come.
959
00:53:27,249 --> 00:53:29,668
I know John doesn't like parties
and gatherings,
960
00:53:29,751 --> 00:53:32,671
but this was his moment.
This was his celebration.
961
00:53:32,754 --> 00:53:36,133
Glenn spoke to Jill and said,
"You have to bring him here,
962
00:53:36,216 --> 00:53:37,217
he has to be here.
963
00:53:37,301 --> 00:53:38,844
This is a great moment for him."
964
00:53:38,927 --> 00:53:40,846
[Glenn] Jill said he couldn't face it.
965
00:53:40,929 --> 00:53:43,891
She had to drag him out of the home
'cause he was in the foetal position.
966
00:53:43,974 --> 00:53:45,684
She said he was a mess.
967
00:53:45,767 --> 00:53:48,145
{\an8}[Jill] So we had a little blue Corolla.
968
00:53:48,228 --> 00:53:52,816
{\an8}I drove in and John was
in the passenger seat, curled up, crying.
969
00:53:52,900 --> 00:53:53,984
I just said to him:
970
00:53:54,067 --> 00:53:58,155
"Listen, if you don't get out of this car
when we get there and walk in,
971
00:53:58,238 --> 00:53:59,698
it's not gonna happen."
972
00:54:00,908 --> 00:54:04,828
[Glenn] In those days, we didn't know
much what the word depression was,
973
00:54:04,912 --> 00:54:08,957
but I think that John was going
through the stages of that,
974
00:54:09,041 --> 00:54:11,460
with this album,
particularly when he'd finished it.
975
00:54:13,003 --> 00:54:15,923
I knew we'd made something interesting,
and John was--
976
00:54:16,006 --> 00:54:17,633
Voice sounded amazing.
977
00:54:17,716 --> 00:54:20,135
But you never know
whether people are gonna get it or not.
978
00:54:20,219 --> 00:54:22,971
And then I remember Glenn thinking,
"Now, what do I do with it?"
979
00:54:24,348 --> 00:54:26,391
[Ross] Glenn started going around
the radio stations
980
00:54:26,475 --> 00:54:29,061
and trying to get them to play it,
and no one would play it.
981
00:54:29,144 --> 00:54:31,396
"Nah. Johnny Farnham, nah. Don't want it."
982
00:54:32,105 --> 00:54:33,440
Probably didn't even listen.
983
00:54:33,524 --> 00:54:35,901
I couldn't get the majors
to distribute me.
984
00:54:37,361 --> 00:54:40,822
In the end,
decided that I'm gonna go this alone
985
00:54:40,906 --> 00:54:43,825
and set up my own little record label.
986
00:54:43,909 --> 00:54:45,160
{\an8}Wheatley Records.
987
00:54:47,663 --> 00:54:49,456
I took the white labels
around to Triple M.
988
00:54:49,540 --> 00:54:52,084
And he's going,
"Glenn, this is fucking Johnny.
989
00:54:52,167 --> 00:54:54,253
As long as my ass is facing the ground,
990
00:54:54,336 --> 00:54:57,047
we're never gonna be playing
Johnny Farnham on Triple M."
991
00:54:57,130 --> 00:55:00,425
[Cherie] Glenn had rung
and said he was popping in
992
00:55:00,509 --> 00:55:03,846
with John's new album,
and he wanted to play it to me.
993
00:55:03,929 --> 00:55:08,100
{\an8}What I did know is that Glenn had been
to several radio stations
994
00:55:08,183 --> 00:55:09,184
{\an8}and got knock backs.
995
00:55:09,268 --> 00:55:12,729
{\an8}So I was a little bit worried
that it was another "Sadie"
996
00:55:12,813 --> 00:55:14,356
or something crappy.
997
00:55:14,857 --> 00:55:18,652
Glenn bounced in,
like he always does, over the desk,
998
00:55:18,735 --> 00:55:20,571
with the album, "Let's put this on."
999
00:55:20,654 --> 00:55:22,739
And he said, "Now, this is the single."
1000
00:55:22,823 --> 00:55:25,617
And I heard this intro.
1001
00:55:25,701 --> 00:55:27,703
[imitating clapping]
1002
00:55:28,579 --> 00:55:32,833
And I thought, "Oh, that's unusual."
And it kept building and building.
1003
00:55:32,916 --> 00:55:34,918
["You're the Voice" playing]
1004
00:55:37,004 --> 00:55:38,922
And the instruments came in.
1005
00:55:48,515 --> 00:55:49,892
And then John came in.
1006
00:55:49,975 --> 00:55:51,852
♪ We have ♪
1007
00:55:52,853 --> 00:55:57,024
♪ The chance to turn the pages over ♪
1008
00:55:57,107 --> 00:56:01,778
And I thought, "Holy moly.
This is exquisite. It's great."
1009
00:56:01,862 --> 00:56:03,947
And I didn't wait
till the end of the song...
1010
00:56:04,031 --> 00:56:05,365
I'm getting a bit emotional.
1011
00:56:05,449 --> 00:56:10,495
I didn't wait, and I waltzed up
the corridor into the on-air studio
1012
00:56:10,579 --> 00:56:13,165
and I said to the announcer,
"Please play this song."
1013
00:56:13,248 --> 00:56:15,334
He said, "Who is it?"
I said, "It's John Farnham."
1014
00:56:15,417 --> 00:56:18,086
And he said, "Oh, what?"
And I said, "Play it."
1015
00:56:18,795 --> 00:56:21,548
♪ You're the voice
Try and understand it ♪
1016
00:56:21,632 --> 00:56:24,510
♪ Make a noise and make it clear ♪
1017
00:56:28,639 --> 00:56:30,933
[Cherie] I said, "Where's John?"
"He's in the boardroom.
1018
00:56:31,016 --> 00:56:35,312
Probably curled up in a foetal position
under the boardroom table by now."
1019
00:56:35,896 --> 00:56:38,232
John came in
and they just hugged each other.
1020
00:56:38,315 --> 00:56:40,901
And Glenn looked over at me
and just said, "Thank you."
1021
00:56:40,984 --> 00:56:43,820
I said, "You don't have to thank me.
This is brilliant."
1022
00:56:43,904 --> 00:56:48,116
It was just one of those magical moments
in your career, where you--
1023
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:49,701
You just don't forget it.
1024
00:56:51,870 --> 00:56:54,623
♪ With the power to be powerful ♪
1025
00:56:55,249 --> 00:56:57,084
{\an8}[Tommy] I was driving around in Sydney,
1026
00:56:57,167 --> 00:57:01,213
{\an8}and it just leapt out of the speaker like,
"Holy hell, who's this? Look out."
1027
00:57:01,296 --> 00:57:03,882
{\an8}I went to pick up a songwriting friend,
1028
00:57:03,966 --> 00:57:07,261
and he came out
of the house with tears, and I said:
1029
00:57:07,344 --> 00:57:10,889
"Bobby, you all right?"
He said, "I heard the singer's new song."
1030
00:57:10,973 --> 00:57:13,475
And he cried, you know. He was so--
1031
00:57:13,559 --> 00:57:17,521
He knew, as I did,
we knew it was gonna be a hit.
1032
00:57:17,604 --> 00:57:19,064
We knew it. This is it.
1033
00:57:19,147 --> 00:57:20,315
He's off.
1034
00:57:20,399 --> 00:57:23,277
It sounded to me like,
"Oh, my God, he's found his voice.
1035
00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:25,112
This is dangerous.
He's gonna be really big."
1036
00:57:25,195 --> 00:57:28,282
Of course, as soon as I heard it,
I realised it was a great record
1037
00:57:28,365 --> 00:57:29,992
and he sang it fantastically well.
1038
00:57:30,075 --> 00:57:32,160
Having the bagpipes in it
was very special.
1039
00:57:32,244 --> 00:57:34,872
I was like, "Who the hell is this guy?"
1040
00:57:34,955 --> 00:57:37,249
{\an8}It was so powerful.
1041
00:57:38,250 --> 00:57:40,043
{\an8}His voice was incredible.
1042
00:57:40,127 --> 00:57:44,798
{\an8}It's religious without being religious,
and I like that.
1043
00:57:44,882 --> 00:57:46,216
{\an8}It fills in the gap
1044
00:57:46,300 --> 00:57:49,219
{\an8}where religion should be,
if you don't have religion.
1045
00:57:49,303 --> 00:57:50,929
First of all, the song is amazing.
1046
00:57:51,013 --> 00:57:56,435
But John's performance,
his vocal on that song, is what makes it.
1047
00:57:56,518 --> 00:58:00,147
So emotional. I loved it so much.
1048
00:58:00,230 --> 00:58:02,608
John loved the sentiment, he really did.
1049
00:58:02,691 --> 00:58:05,611
All I am is a singer and I can make
the comments that I make
1050
00:58:05,694 --> 00:58:07,487
and hopefully capture
someone's imagination
1051
00:58:07,571 --> 00:58:08,906
and make them think about it.
1052
00:58:08,989 --> 00:58:12,743
{\an8}[Olivia] It's such an incredible song,
and John's interpretation is incredible.
1053
00:58:13,827 --> 00:58:17,039
{\an8}We are the voice,
and sometimes I think we all forget that,
1054
00:58:17,122 --> 00:58:20,167
that we do have a say,
if we stand up for what we believe in.
1055
00:58:22,085 --> 00:58:25,214
[John] My whole reason for making records,
for doing the interviews,
1056
00:58:25,297 --> 00:58:29,218
for being involved in this,
is so I can go out and play music live.
1057
00:58:29,301 --> 00:58:30,302
That's it.
1058
00:58:35,224 --> 00:58:36,975
[electric guitar playing classical scales]
1059
00:58:37,059 --> 00:58:39,603
[David]
So we had created this amazing album,
1060
00:58:39,686 --> 00:58:41,855
now John wanted to take it on the road.
1061
00:58:41,939 --> 00:58:46,109
We talked about it and John decided
we needed some fresh young players
1062
00:58:46,193 --> 00:58:48,111
who could play like no one else.
1063
00:58:48,195 --> 00:58:50,572
Yeah, if you needed 32 bars
of face-melting guitar,
1064
00:58:50,656 --> 00:58:53,951
then you've come to the right place,
that's kind of what I was qualified to do.
1065
00:58:56,161 --> 00:58:58,080
Very raw, high energy.
1066
00:59:00,958 --> 00:59:02,835
Started bashing out demos
for the fun of it.
1067
00:59:02,918 --> 00:59:05,170
Sent out cassettes
to any management companies
1068
00:59:05,254 --> 00:59:06,672
or record companies I could find.
1069
00:59:06,755 --> 00:59:08,340
{\an8}[playing jazz melody]
1070
00:59:10,509 --> 00:59:12,678
{\an8}One of the addresses I found
was the Wheatley Organisation.
1071
00:59:12,761 --> 00:59:15,430
[Glenn]
Brett was living in Central Victoria.
1072
00:59:15,514 --> 00:59:17,599
He sent a cassette in the mail.
1073
00:59:17,683 --> 00:59:19,685
The Wheatley letterhead.
Isn't that fantastic?
1074
00:59:19,768 --> 00:59:22,938
"Dear Brett, just received
your tape and letter. Please phone me."
1075
00:59:23,021 --> 00:59:26,024
Brett Garsed, he just got into the band.
1076
00:59:26,108 --> 00:59:29,194
That's a good letter right there.
That's the one you want. [chuckles]
1077
00:59:29,278 --> 00:59:30,821
From his cassette tape, that was it.
1078
00:59:30,904 --> 00:59:34,449
One of the most astounding guitar players
you could imagine
1079
00:59:34,533 --> 00:59:38,704
and just the style that John wanted,
sophisticated and dexterous,
1080
00:59:38,787 --> 00:59:40,581
but also had heavy power chords.
1081
00:59:40,664 --> 00:59:44,835
There's only one step left to overcome
in your quest for success.
1082
00:59:45,669 --> 00:59:46,670
Pressure.
1083
00:59:46,753 --> 00:59:49,047
["Pressure Down" playing]
1084
00:59:49,131 --> 00:59:52,467
[Angus] They'd given me a tape of four
or five songs off the album.
1085
00:59:52,551 --> 00:59:56,054
{\an8}I studied them religiously for a week.
1086
00:59:56,138 --> 00:59:58,348
We could have picked
the finest veteran drummers,
1087
00:59:58,432 --> 01:00:00,350
but there was something
about Angus's energy.
1088
01:00:00,434 --> 01:00:01,393
Just turned 20, I think.
1089
01:00:01,476 --> 01:00:05,355
He had this lovely smile,
not only on his face but in his drumming.
1090
01:00:05,439 --> 01:00:09,318
But he could also lay into the drums.
Like the drumming version of John.
1091
01:00:09,401 --> 01:00:11,987
They rang me that night and said,
"Can you start tomorrow?"
1092
01:00:12,070 --> 01:00:13,530
I said, "Yep." [chuckles]
1093
01:00:15,073 --> 01:00:19,036
[John] I have two young guys in the band,
Brett Garsed on guitar, who's red-hot,
1094
01:00:19,119 --> 01:00:20,579
and our drummer, Angus Burchall.
1095
01:00:22,414 --> 01:00:25,000
Wasn't even born when I started,
so there's no preconceptions.
1096
01:00:25,083 --> 01:00:26,084
It's great.
1097
01:00:30,005 --> 01:00:33,425
I really wanna get out there.
I'm hoping that we can do plenty of dates.
1098
01:00:33,509 --> 01:00:38,263
John was ready to go out and sing
his heart out with these fabulous songs.
1099
01:00:40,849 --> 01:00:43,644
We couldn't actually get many gigs.
1100
01:00:43,727 --> 01:00:46,563
♪ Pressure down ♪
1101
01:00:46,647 --> 01:00:48,774
[John] I think what did become
a problem was people
1102
01:00:48,857 --> 01:00:50,734
never really saw me as a credible singer.
1103
01:00:50,817 --> 01:00:53,779
♪ 'Cause I can feel it
It's rising like a storm ♪
1104
01:00:53,862 --> 01:00:56,240
Being tagged with soft music,
like "Sadie."
1105
01:00:56,323 --> 01:00:59,201
That was 19 years ago
and I don't do that in the set anymore.
1106
01:00:59,284 --> 01:01:01,995
♪ Take the pressure down ♪
1107
01:01:02,079 --> 01:01:06,542
Booking agents who had politely
given John some gigs just to be nice.
1108
01:01:06,625 --> 01:01:08,168
The gigs they booked John...
1109
01:01:09,878 --> 01:01:12,297
the shittiest pub gigs.
1110
01:01:13,340 --> 01:01:15,884
♪ Take hold of the wheels
And turn them... ♪
1111
01:01:15,968 --> 01:01:18,428
{\an8}I remember him saying, "I don't wanna
go back into the Leagues Club."
1112
01:01:18,512 --> 01:01:21,515
{\an8}"If I have to do that,"
he said, "it's all over."
1113
01:01:25,018 --> 01:01:28,146
[Angus] We'd get in the car and drive
to Bendigo and Ballarat and do them,
1114
01:01:28,230 --> 01:01:30,649
and then off to Adelaide, all in Taragos.
1115
01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:32,693
At least six nights a week.
1116
01:01:32,776 --> 01:01:37,406
♪ Things have changed
Since we met you... ♪
1117
01:01:37,489 --> 01:01:41,535
[David] The early shows in the pubs
were fun because they were so grungy.
1118
01:01:42,452 --> 01:01:45,956
The audience that walked in the door
were such a mixture
1119
01:01:46,039 --> 01:01:48,250
and to see them so close...
1120
01:01:48,333 --> 01:01:50,294
♪ It's not the same ♪
1121
01:01:50,377 --> 01:01:54,381
...and to feel their energy so close
was really exciting.
1122
01:01:56,049 --> 01:01:59,720
♪ Don't you know ♪
1123
01:01:59,803 --> 01:02:02,306
♪ What it's all about ♪
1124
01:02:02,389 --> 01:02:05,475
It affirmed that we've got
something pretty good going on.
1125
01:02:05,559 --> 01:02:08,645
♪ Going, going, gone
Don't wait too long ♪
1126
01:02:08,729 --> 01:02:10,981
[John] You end up being like a coal miner
in this business,
1127
01:02:11,064 --> 01:02:14,026
particularly at the stage that I'm at,
with this record starting to break
1128
01:02:14,109 --> 01:02:16,862
in different places,
you just have to follow the grain.
1129
01:02:16,945 --> 01:02:18,780
♪ Don't wait too long ♪
1130
01:02:18,864 --> 01:02:22,326
At every stage, we got better,
and he had the ideas about
1131
01:02:22,409 --> 01:02:24,870
how he wanted it to go
once it started moving.
1132
01:02:24,953 --> 01:02:25,954
He knew what he wanted.
1133
01:02:26,038 --> 01:02:27,915
♪ How they run your world ♪
1134
01:02:27,998 --> 01:02:31,084
It was like a domino effect
across the country.
1135
01:02:31,168 --> 01:02:33,962
Everyone went,
"Oh, my God, this is amazing."
1136
01:02:35,172 --> 01:02:36,757
It was great to see.
1137
01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:38,926
[Brett]
I remember my mother yelling out to me:
1138
01:02:39,009 --> 01:02:41,261
"Come on, you're on the telly.
You're on the telly."
1139
01:02:41,345 --> 01:02:42,471
I came running down
1140
01:02:42,554 --> 01:02:45,516
and "You're the Voice" video clip
was on all the morning shows.
1141
01:02:45,599 --> 01:02:48,769
And they just kept choosing this clip
with me in my tank top.
1142
01:02:50,395 --> 01:02:51,605
Oh, man.
1143
01:02:52,606 --> 01:02:55,067
So I thought,
"He's getting it. Getting recognition.
1144
01:02:55,150 --> 01:02:57,945
It's finally happening for him.
It's beautiful. It's gonna work."
1145
01:02:58,028 --> 01:03:00,447
♪ You're just a name ♪
1146
01:03:01,365 --> 01:03:02,699
♪ Just a flag unfurled ♪
1147
01:03:02,783 --> 01:03:05,619
[Gaynor] Once the album was heard,
it just resonated.
1148
01:03:05,702 --> 01:03:08,747
♪ What they say ♪
1149
01:03:09,581 --> 01:03:11,917
♪ Is what you do ♪
1150
01:03:13,752 --> 01:03:16,171
[Gaynor] And touring became extensive.
1151
01:03:17,089 --> 01:03:20,968
The venues were huge and then
we couldn't get venues big enough.
1152
01:03:23,971 --> 01:03:26,515
[Paul] Every show,
they would get in a circle, the band,
1153
01:03:26,598 --> 01:03:29,518
{\an8}backup singers, Farnham, Glenn, Gaynor.
1154
01:03:29,601 --> 01:03:32,813
Like a family moment at Christmas
before you hit the stage,
1155
01:03:32,896 --> 01:03:36,191
and have a little tipple
as they went out on-stage.
1156
01:03:36,275 --> 01:03:39,152
Big family, everyone loved John.
1157
01:03:39,236 --> 01:03:40,904
♪ Going, going, gone ♪
1158
01:03:40,988 --> 01:03:42,072
[audience cheering]
1159
01:03:42,155 --> 01:03:45,158
[pensive music playing]
1160
01:03:47,578 --> 01:03:50,372
[Glenn] I remember the day
the album went to number one.
1161
01:03:50,455 --> 01:03:53,792
{\an8}We were driving to a function,
I looked around and I said:
1162
01:03:53,876 --> 01:03:57,671
{\an8}"John, do you realise that we have
the number one album in the country?
1163
01:03:57,754 --> 01:03:59,047
Can you believe it?"
1164
01:04:02,259 --> 01:04:03,760
He just exploded.
1165
01:04:05,512 --> 01:04:08,932
He just-- Tears just came out of him.
1166
01:04:11,977 --> 01:04:15,564
I always thought we had something special,
but gee whiz, I mean, to be number one
1167
01:04:15,647 --> 01:04:19,067
for 26 weeks, no one anticipated that.
1168
01:04:20,319 --> 01:04:23,989
[John] It was the most amazing thing
because we'd had so much resistance.
1169
01:04:24,072 --> 01:04:27,534
I wasn't given much credibility
or credence at all as a musician
1170
01:04:27,618 --> 01:04:29,369
or particularly a singer.
1171
01:04:30,621 --> 01:04:32,122
[Glenn] He gave me a little cassette,
1172
01:04:32,206 --> 01:04:35,042
{\an8}a little handwritten note saying,
"Thank you, mate, for this.
1173
01:04:35,125 --> 01:04:38,253
{\an8}Thank you for giving me the chance.
Love, Johnny."
1174
01:04:38,337 --> 01:04:40,797
{\an8}It's a very treasured memento.
1175
01:04:40,881 --> 01:04:43,258
{\an8}It always has been very significant
for Glenn.
1176
01:04:44,301 --> 01:04:47,221
[David] He'd went from being a guy
who was having his--
1177
01:04:47,304 --> 01:04:50,182
Was it an early-midlife-crisis
musical moment?
1178
01:04:50,265 --> 01:04:52,643
Was he trying to be a rock guy?
1179
01:04:52,726 --> 01:04:56,104
Whatever people's perception was,
was blown out of the water
1180
01:04:56,188 --> 01:04:58,941
by the public acceptance,
which none of us expected.
1181
01:05:00,150 --> 01:05:06,031
[Tommy] A whole generation of people
discovered this new act, this new singer,
1182
01:05:06,114 --> 01:05:08,992
these amazing songs, and this amazing guy,
1183
01:05:09,618 --> 01:05:12,371
{\an8}and he'd been right under their noses
the whole time.
1184
01:05:12,454 --> 01:05:15,040
I think the bigger the crowd,
the happier he got.
1185
01:05:15,123 --> 01:05:18,877
Singer John Farnham's record-breaking tour
of Australia moves to Sydney tonight
1186
01:05:18,961 --> 01:05:21,880
with five concerts scheduled
for the Entertainment Centre.
1187
01:05:21,964 --> 01:05:23,966
[reporter]
John Farnham's Whispering Jack Tour
1188
01:05:24,049 --> 01:05:26,301
is the biggest ever
by an Australian artist.
1189
01:05:26,385 --> 01:05:28,595
Told we're working to about
a quarter of a million people.
1190
01:05:28,679 --> 01:05:31,390
And I've got all their names,
and I'm gonna write and thank them.
1191
01:05:31,473 --> 01:05:33,642
Number one in West Germany,
number one in Sweden,
1192
01:05:33,725 --> 01:05:35,477
roaring up the French and Italian charts,
1193
01:05:35,561 --> 01:05:38,730
in England he broke into the charts
at number 66 in the top 100,
1194
01:05:38,814 --> 01:05:40,691
and they're really keen for him
in America,
1195
01:05:40,774 --> 01:05:43,735
so congratulations, John,
give him a wish, yeah.
1196
01:05:43,819 --> 01:05:46,864
Number one in Sweden
and Norway and Denmark.
1197
01:05:46,947 --> 01:05:48,490
He was the King of Pop in Sweden.
1198
01:05:48,574 --> 01:05:51,118
[band playing "You're the Voice"]
1199
01:05:51,785 --> 01:05:55,080
{\an8}And to see those German fans,
that was pretty special.
1200
01:06:07,843 --> 01:06:11,263
The Berlin Wall was still up.
The people, they'd had enough.
1201
01:06:12,139 --> 01:06:14,766
That's why "You're the Voice"
was a success there,
1202
01:06:14,850 --> 01:06:17,186
was because they were ready for change.
1203
01:06:18,020 --> 01:06:19,813
Ready for people's change.
1204
01:06:19,897 --> 01:06:23,275
♪ We have the chance ♪
1205
01:06:23,358 --> 01:06:27,529
♪ To turn the pages over ♪
1206
01:06:29,823 --> 01:06:32,492
♪ We can write what we want to write ♪
1207
01:06:32,576 --> 01:06:39,249
♪ We gotta make ends meet
Before we get much older ♪
1208
01:06:39,833 --> 01:06:41,710
[Angus] And it was over 100,000 people.
1209
01:06:42,252 --> 01:06:44,880
By the time we hit the stage,
they were going nuts.
1210
01:06:44,963 --> 01:06:47,382
♪ We're all someone's daughter ♪
1211
01:06:48,008 --> 01:06:50,719
♪ We're all someone's son ♪
1212
01:06:51,553 --> 01:06:57,518
♪ How long can we look at each other ♪
1213
01:06:59,228 --> 01:07:02,689
♪ Down the barrel of a gun? ♪
1214
01:07:02,773 --> 01:07:03,982
Sing it!
1215
01:07:04,066 --> 01:07:06,902
♪ You're the voice
Try and understand it ♪
1216
01:07:06,985 --> 01:07:09,446
♪Make a noise and make it clear ♪
1217
01:07:09,530 --> 01:07:14,618
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
1218
01:07:15,702 --> 01:07:18,247
♪ We're not gonna sit in silence ♪
1219
01:07:18,330 --> 01:07:20,707
♪ We're not gonna live with fear ♪
1220
01:07:20,791 --> 01:07:26,171
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
1221
01:07:26,880 --> 01:07:28,632
[Angus] We didn't have bagpipe players,
1222
01:07:28,715 --> 01:07:31,218
so one of our roadies who,
at least he was Scottish,
1223
01:07:31,301 --> 01:07:33,303
he held the bagpipes
and walked out there,
1224
01:07:33,387 --> 01:07:34,847
and he nearly collapsed.
1225
01:07:36,473 --> 01:07:39,017
I could see the back of him,
and as he turned around,
1226
01:07:39,101 --> 01:07:40,519
he was white, he was ashen.
1227
01:07:41,186 --> 01:07:43,272
♪ We're all someone's daughter ♪
1228
01:07:44,231 --> 01:07:46,775
♪ We're all someone's son ♪
1229
01:07:47,484 --> 01:07:53,991
♪ How long can we look at each other ♪
1230
01:07:56,034 --> 01:08:00,122
♪ Down the barrel of a gun? ♪
1231
01:08:02,875 --> 01:08:05,586
♪ You're the voice
Try and understand it ♪
1232
01:08:05,669 --> 01:08:08,297
♪ Make a noise and make it clear ♪
1233
01:08:08,380 --> 01:08:13,802
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
1234
01:08:13,886 --> 01:08:16,930
♪ We're not gonna sit in silence ♪
1235
01:08:17,014 --> 01:08:19,390
♪ We're not gonna live with fear ♪
1236
01:08:19,474 --> 01:08:24,897
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
1237
01:08:24,979 --> 01:08:28,149
♪ You're the voice
Try and understand it ♪
1238
01:08:28,233 --> 01:08:29,984
♪ Make a noise and make it... ♪
1239
01:08:30,068 --> 01:08:32,904
It's all right. Take your time.
I got all night.
1240
01:08:32,988 --> 01:08:34,948
[audience] ♪ Whoa ♪
1241
01:08:35,032 --> 01:08:39,786
John loves his fans, but to actually
have acceptance from his peers
1242
01:08:39,870 --> 01:08:41,412
meant the world to him.
1243
01:08:41,496 --> 01:08:42,956
[Elton] The winner is--
1244
01:08:43,040 --> 01:08:45,042
{\an8}Darling, I hope you're gonna buy
a bigger house.
1245
01:08:45,125 --> 01:08:46,752
{\an8}John Farnham, "You're the Voice."
1246
01:08:46,835 --> 01:08:47,961
{\an8}[audience cheering]
1247
01:08:48,045 --> 01:08:50,881
{\an8}Most of all,
would like to thank my manager
1248
01:08:50,964 --> 01:08:53,634
{\an8}and very close friend, Glenn Wheatley.
1249
01:08:54,635 --> 01:08:57,970
{\an8}He put his money where my mouth is,
and I thank him for that.
1250
01:08:58,055 --> 01:09:00,140
{\an8}Thanks, Glenn. Thank you very much.
1251
01:09:00,224 --> 01:09:03,935
{\an8}[Gaynor]
We won seven ARIA awards that night.
1252
01:09:04,019 --> 01:09:07,939
Whispering Jack became
the highest-selling album of the year.
1253
01:09:08,023 --> 01:09:13,569
It remains the highest-selling album
by a local artist in Australia.
1254
01:09:13,654 --> 01:09:14,988
[playing "You're the Voice"]
1255
01:09:15,072 --> 01:09:18,200
♪ We're not gonna live with fear ♪
1256
01:09:18,283 --> 01:09:23,872
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
1257
01:09:23,956 --> 01:09:26,959
-[song ends]
-[audience cheering and applauding]
1258
01:09:32,214 --> 01:09:33,674
[John speaks in German]
1259
01:09:33,756 --> 01:09:36,385
[in English] Good night,
and thank you very much. Goodbye.
1260
01:09:37,928 --> 01:09:41,180
[Elton] It's really nice to see someone
like John come back after 20 years
1261
01:09:41,265 --> 01:09:42,850
{\an8}and make better records than he ever has.
1262
01:09:42,933 --> 01:09:45,685
{\an8}I think it's tremendous.
An inspiration to everybody.
1263
01:09:45,769 --> 01:09:47,312
{\an8}[guests cheering]
1264
01:09:47,395 --> 01:09:51,441
["As the Days Go By" playing]
1265
01:09:51,524 --> 01:09:54,361
{\an8}[Daryl] Hearing "You're the Voice"
was so motivational.
1266
01:09:54,444 --> 01:09:56,655
{\an8}I just thought, "God."
1267
01:09:56,738 --> 01:09:59,116
{\an8}I was working on the roads with council,
1268
01:09:59,199 --> 01:10:02,744
trying to get together songs
to do an album.
1269
01:10:02,828 --> 01:10:07,165
♪ My love of life just gets stronger ♪
1270
01:10:07,249 --> 01:10:10,335
♪ As the days go by ♪
1271
01:10:12,129 --> 01:10:16,592
Not even his success,
but just him doing something that was...
1272
01:10:18,093 --> 01:10:19,344
so, so good.
1273
01:10:20,095 --> 01:10:21,180
That you just--
1274
01:10:21,263 --> 01:10:24,057
You couldn't help
but listen to it and to him...
1275
01:10:24,600 --> 01:10:26,852
and feel affected by it, which I was.
1276
01:10:26,935 --> 01:10:30,147
♪ Some things don't look to me ♪
1277
01:10:30,647 --> 01:10:33,817
♪ Like they used to be, no ♪
1278
01:10:33,901 --> 01:10:36,361
That sort of pushed my career along.
1279
01:10:36,445 --> 01:10:38,780
♪ I get a little closer ♪
1280
01:10:38,864 --> 01:10:40,490
I pulled my finger out.
1281
01:10:40,574 --> 01:10:46,205
John came in and he sang on "As The Days,"
and he sang on four or five other tracks.
1282
01:10:46,288 --> 01:10:49,208
♪ As the days go by ♪
1283
01:10:49,291 --> 01:10:51,835
♪ I get a little closer to ♪
1284
01:10:51,919 --> 01:10:53,545
You need that motivation,
1285
01:10:53,629 --> 01:10:57,966
and he was most definitely
the big part of completing that album.
1286
01:10:58,759 --> 01:11:01,887
♪ As the days go by... ♪
1287
01:11:01,970 --> 01:11:03,639
You know, thank you, John.
1288
01:11:04,598 --> 01:11:09,520
♪ I'm coming back to you ♪
1289
01:11:17,945 --> 01:11:22,324
[John] I still had a real problem with
what I thought was my lack of credibility.
1290
01:11:23,659 --> 01:11:26,828
"Sadie" came out and just took off,
and I left my plumbing job
1291
01:11:26,912 --> 01:11:29,456
two days before it was released,
and it was a hit.
1292
01:11:29,540 --> 01:11:32,459
♪ From the day that we were born ♪
1293
01:11:32,543 --> 01:11:34,545
♪ We've been heading down the tracks ♪
1294
01:11:34,628 --> 01:11:37,673
I felt that I never had to work for it,
and it was given to me for nothing.
1295
01:11:37,756 --> 01:11:40,676
♪ Sometimes it's made for good ♪
1296
01:11:40,759 --> 01:11:43,470
I feel a lot better about it now
because I've worked my ass off.
1297
01:11:45,556 --> 01:11:48,392
♪ And if we look behind us ♪
1298
01:11:49,101 --> 01:11:51,478
♪ There's a wind coming down ♪
1299
01:11:53,939 --> 01:11:59,862
♪ Carrying us forward to a new age ♪
1300
01:11:59,945 --> 01:12:01,989
♪ What about the world? ♪
1301
01:12:02,072 --> 01:12:06,660
♪ What about the world around us? ♪
1302
01:12:06,743 --> 01:12:09,037
♪ What about the world? ♪
1303
01:12:09,121 --> 01:12:13,000
[Gaynor] After scrounging around for songs
from unknown writers,
1304
01:12:13,083 --> 01:12:15,919
after Whispering Jack, we were inundated.
1305
01:12:16,003 --> 01:12:17,713
♪ Oh ♪
1306
01:12:17,796 --> 01:12:19,590
♪ And now that our fathers... ♪
1307
01:12:19,673 --> 01:12:23,051
[Gaynor] Everyone was offering us
their latest and their best.
1308
01:12:23,135 --> 01:12:26,138
Unless it resonated with John,
he wouldn't sing it.
1309
01:12:26,221 --> 01:12:31,977
♪ What about the age of reason ♪
1310
01:12:32,060 --> 01:12:34,813
David Hirschfelder on the keys,
folks, please.
1311
01:12:35,314 --> 01:12:37,733
[John] The luck I have is now,
I have a working unit,
1312
01:12:37,816 --> 01:12:40,903
who are all great players
and want the best for the project.
1313
01:12:46,700 --> 01:12:49,703
[Cherie] John's follow-up album,
the Age of Reason,
1314
01:12:49,786 --> 01:12:53,916
was a brilliant record
and debuted at number one in Australia.
1315
01:12:54,708 --> 01:12:57,544
[Ross] Well, I think it just affirmed
this is not a one-hit wonder,
1316
01:12:57,628 --> 01:12:59,379
that he's made a second album
and it's just as good.
1317
01:13:05,761 --> 01:13:07,721
[audience cheering and applauding]
1318
01:13:09,681 --> 01:13:11,850
[Angus] I remember he told me once,
in his early days,
1319
01:13:11,934 --> 01:13:15,354
whoever was the producer would pick
the songs, pick the keys,
1320
01:13:15,437 --> 01:13:17,773
record them, and then he'd come in
and do the vocals.
1321
01:13:17,856 --> 01:13:21,193
So it's totally, totally different.
1322
01:13:21,276 --> 01:13:23,612
By the third album,
we were writing the songs ourselves.
1323
01:13:23,695 --> 01:13:27,824
♪ I got myself into some trouble tonight ♪
1324
01:13:28,617 --> 01:13:31,745
♪ Guess I'm just feeling blue ♪
1325
01:13:32,829 --> 01:13:34,164
♪ It's been so... ♪
1326
01:13:34,248 --> 01:13:36,041
[Tommy] When I first heard "Burn for You,"
1327
01:13:36,124 --> 01:13:39,044
I thought,
"Oh, my God, he's outdone himself.
1328
01:13:39,127 --> 01:13:41,797
He keeps upping the ante," you know?
1329
01:13:43,340 --> 01:13:45,175
♪ But I burn... ♪
1330
01:13:45,259 --> 01:13:48,554
[Gaynor]
"Burn for You," what a cracker of a song.
1331
01:13:48,637 --> 01:13:52,975
I know all the backstories
to a lot of these songs. Um...
1332
01:13:53,058 --> 01:13:56,186
Yeah, I think he did get himself
into some trouble one night.
1333
01:13:56,270 --> 01:13:57,980
Not bad trouble but, yes,
1334
01:13:58,063 --> 01:14:02,985
I know "Burn for You" was definitely
one of those "dig your way out of a hole."
1335
01:14:03,068 --> 01:14:06,488
♪ I guess it feels
Like you're always alone ♪
1336
01:14:06,572 --> 01:14:10,993
[Tommy] I remember when I had to tell him
that I had addiction problems.
1337
01:14:11,076 --> 01:14:15,998
{\an8}He was shocked and he was hurt
because I hadn't told him before.
1338
01:14:16,582 --> 01:14:20,752
{\an8}But he was still kind
and loving towards me,
1339
01:14:20,836 --> 01:14:23,130
and said,
"Come on, do something about it."
1340
01:14:23,213 --> 01:14:24,381
You know. And I did.
1341
01:14:24,464 --> 01:14:28,802
♪ I burn for you ♪
1342
01:14:29,636 --> 01:14:33,765
♪ What am I gonna do ♪
1343
01:14:33,849 --> 01:14:37,019
♪ I burn... ♪
1344
01:14:37,102 --> 01:14:39,313
[Gaynor] There's a point
where he felt confident enough
1345
01:14:39,396 --> 01:14:44,318
to share his voice in the written form
and he wanted to sing his songs.
1346
01:14:44,401 --> 01:14:46,320
He's written some fine songs.
1347
01:14:47,070 --> 01:14:49,907
{\an8}[Olivia] Think that was
an important transition for an artist,
1348
01:14:49,990 --> 01:14:53,160
{\an8}to be able to express
their feelings on their own
1349
01:14:53,243 --> 01:14:55,954
and not relying on other people
to write their music.
1350
01:14:56,038 --> 01:15:03,045
♪ Burn for ♪
1351
01:15:04,087 --> 01:15:10,052
♪ You ♪
1352
01:15:11,094 --> 01:15:13,096
[audience applauding]
1353
01:15:14,515 --> 01:15:17,184
[David] He'd get asked
to sing "Sadie" occasionally,
1354
01:15:17,267 --> 01:15:19,603
{\an8}-and he refused for years and years.
-[John] No!
1355
01:15:20,437 --> 01:15:21,813
Never!
1356
01:15:21,897 --> 01:15:25,025
[David] And so, eventually,
not only did he sing it live...
1357
01:15:25,108 --> 01:15:26,276
Oh, all right, then.
1358
01:15:28,403 --> 01:15:32,616
...I did an arrangement
for a 96-piece orchestra to accompany it.
1359
01:15:32,699 --> 01:15:34,743
"Here's fucking Sadie,
right in your face."
1360
01:15:34,826 --> 01:15:39,081
♪ Oh, Sadie, the cleaning lady ♪
1361
01:15:39,164 --> 01:15:40,541
And we're all playing ukuleles.
1362
01:15:40,624 --> 01:15:43,252
♪ With the trusty scrubbing brush
And pail ♪
1363
01:15:43,335 --> 01:15:45,295
I can't believe I'm doing this.
1364
01:15:45,379 --> 01:15:51,301
♪ Works her fingers to the bone
For the life she had at home ♪
1365
01:15:51,385 --> 01:15:55,097
[David] He sang it confidently
and with warmth and spirit and good heart.
1366
01:15:55,180 --> 01:15:56,348
Come on!
1367
01:15:56,431 --> 01:15:58,058
♪ Oh, Sadie... ♪
1368
01:15:59,059 --> 01:16:02,104
[David] At that moment, I observed
a John Farnham that said:
1369
01:16:02,688 --> 01:16:05,023
"I don't care what people think anymore."
1370
01:16:08,402 --> 01:16:11,655
[John] I never set out to portray
any kind of image, that's just me.
1371
01:16:12,155 --> 01:16:14,449
Other people put names and tags on it.
1372
01:16:14,533 --> 01:16:16,952
It doesn't worry me one way or the other.
1373
01:16:19,329 --> 01:16:22,624
[Gaynor] It was a fantastic time
for both Glenn and John.
1374
01:16:24,501 --> 01:16:27,713
Seeing John shine on every level.
1375
01:16:30,549 --> 01:16:34,595
[Richard] The story of Glenn's belief
in John is pretty legendary.
1376
01:16:34,678 --> 01:16:38,015
It's unlike almost anything
I've ever heard of before.
1377
01:16:38,098 --> 01:16:43,729
I mean, if you really wanna find good,
quality, loyal, compassionate people,
1378
01:16:44,396 --> 01:16:45,939
{\an8}the entertainment business
1379
01:16:46,023 --> 01:16:50,068
{\an8}is probably not the first industry
you wanna look for that.
1380
01:16:50,152 --> 01:16:54,281
Which is why they-- The ones
who are really good people stand out.
1381
01:16:54,364 --> 01:16:57,326
They're kind of joined at the hip
in a lot of ways.
1382
01:16:57,409 --> 01:16:59,119
There's not many gigs I can't remember
1383
01:16:59,203 --> 01:17:01,663
not seeing Glenn
on the side of stage, you know?
1384
01:17:02,289 --> 01:17:05,167
[John] We're like brothers.
We're really that close.
1385
01:17:05,250 --> 01:17:07,878
[Glenn] He's godfather of one
of my children, best man at my wedding.
1386
01:17:07,961 --> 01:17:09,296
[John] We've never had a contract.
1387
01:17:09,379 --> 01:17:12,049
That's not something
that we've ever deemed necessary.
1388
01:17:12,132 --> 01:17:13,592
Glenn was there for John,
1389
01:17:13,675 --> 01:17:17,346
but John's been there for Glenn
on more than one occasion.
1390
01:17:19,097 --> 01:17:22,851
He's been there with us
for many ups and downs.
1391
01:17:22,935 --> 01:17:24,811
[Glenn] I was managing John Farnham,
1392
01:17:24,895 --> 01:17:27,064
I got myself into sport management.
1393
01:17:27,147 --> 01:17:30,651
My company, Wheatley Organisation,
ended up floating on the stock exchange.
1394
01:17:30,734 --> 01:17:33,862
I'd love you to do me a favour
and be a chalkie, up on the board.
1395
01:17:33,946 --> 01:17:35,239
You know what those guys are?
1396
01:17:35,322 --> 01:17:38,033
[John] I can use chalk,
but I don't know what I have to write.
1397
01:17:38,116 --> 01:17:40,160
-[Glenn] Ever been to the stock exchange?
-[John] No, I haven't.
1398
01:17:40,244 --> 01:17:41,995
-They're worse than rock concerts.
-[John] Yeah?
1399
01:17:42,079 --> 01:17:43,413
-Vicious.
-[John] Okay.
1400
01:17:44,414 --> 01:17:48,460
[Glenn] I was very much at the beginning
of the launch of FM radio in Australia.
1401
01:17:48,544 --> 01:17:53,215
Hubris got in the way with me.
I felt I was, you know, undefeatable.
1402
01:17:53,298 --> 01:17:56,051
[ominous music playing]
1403
01:17:56,134 --> 01:17:57,970
{\an8}[Brett] Glenn got mixed up in a tax scam.
1404
01:17:58,053 --> 01:18:01,515
{\an8}Lots of big names were involved,
many for much bigger sums of money.
1405
01:18:01,598 --> 01:18:03,600
[reporter] Wheatley was the first person
to be convicted
1406
01:18:03,684 --> 01:18:05,394
under the government's Operation Wickenby.
1407
01:18:05,477 --> 01:18:08,355
[Brett] The Australian Tax Department
wanted to make an example out of him,
1408
01:18:08,438 --> 01:18:09,648
and they certainly did.
1409
01:18:09,731 --> 01:18:12,359
[reporter] He was sentenced
to a minimum of 15 months jail
1410
01:18:12,442 --> 01:18:14,903
for a $320,000 tax fraud.
1411
01:18:14,987 --> 01:18:18,073
[Brett] Glenn ended up serving 15 months.
1412
01:18:18,156 --> 01:18:20,951
Ten months in prison,
then five months home detention.
1413
01:18:21,034 --> 01:18:22,828
He did the time and paid it all back.
1414
01:18:22,911 --> 01:18:24,288
He's gonna get back to work
1415
01:18:24,371 --> 01:18:27,457
and, um, he's gonna spend
a lot of time redeeming himself,
1416
01:18:27,541 --> 01:18:28,876
in everybody's eyes.
1417
01:18:28,959 --> 01:18:31,670
I'm gonna help him
as much as I can to do that.
1418
01:18:31,753 --> 01:18:34,923
A lot of our friends didn't know
what to do when Glenn went to prison.
1419
01:18:35,007 --> 01:18:39,344
It was a very hard social situation,
but John always seemed to know what to do.
1420
01:18:40,179 --> 01:18:43,015
{\an8}A lot of people would have
walked away. Right?
1421
01:18:43,098 --> 01:18:44,683
{\an8}In this industry, right?
1422
01:18:44,766 --> 01:18:46,977
{\an8}It would have been
a great excuse to walk away.
1423
01:18:47,060 --> 01:18:48,061
Not Farnham.
1424
01:18:50,522 --> 01:18:51,982
Capital L for loyalty.
1425
01:18:52,065 --> 01:18:55,110
Of course I felt for him. It was hard,
and I wasn't gonna desert him
1426
01:18:55,194 --> 01:18:56,445
under those circumstances,
1427
01:18:56,528 --> 01:18:59,156
and he wouldn't have deserted me
under the same circumstances.
1428
01:18:59,239 --> 01:19:02,576
I love the man. He's my friend.
He's part of my family.
1429
01:19:04,286 --> 01:19:07,080
[Glenn] All he said was,
"I'm just returning the favour.
1430
01:19:09,249 --> 01:19:10,459
You saved my ass.
1431
01:19:11,418 --> 01:19:13,462
Coughed up cash when I needed it.
1432
01:19:14,254 --> 01:19:15,714
You gave me the album.
1433
01:19:16,924 --> 01:19:19,176
Mate, I'm just repaying the favour,
that's all."
1434
01:19:21,303 --> 01:19:24,598
[John] Something that I believe in
very, very strongly is,
1435
01:19:24,681 --> 01:19:26,266
what you give is what you get.
1436
01:19:30,395 --> 01:19:34,149
♪ When the war is over ♪
1437
01:19:35,317 --> 01:19:37,402
♪ Got to get away ♪
1438
01:19:37,486 --> 01:19:40,030
[audience cheering and applauding]
1439
01:19:40,113 --> 01:19:41,615
[Brett] After Glenn got out of prison,
1440
01:19:41,698 --> 01:19:43,617
it all kicked off again,
and we did amazing shows.
1441
01:19:43,700 --> 01:19:49,456
♪ You and I
We used each other's shoulder ♪
1442
01:19:49,540 --> 01:19:55,504
♪ Still so young
But somehow so much older ♪
1443
01:19:56,421 --> 01:20:02,678
♪ How can I go home
And not get blown away ♪
1444
01:20:09,059 --> 01:20:16,066
♪ Ain't nobody
Gonna steal this heart away ♪
1445
01:20:18,485 --> 01:20:21,822
First and foremost, I'm a fan,
and I remember I was a bit sort of--
1446
01:20:21,905 --> 01:20:23,490
"Hey, John, would you sing with me?"
1447
01:20:23,574 --> 01:20:25,951
And he said, "Yeah, no worries, mate.
You're a bloody beauty."
1448
01:20:27,744 --> 01:20:30,789
[John] I've been lucky, I've worked with
a lot of fantastically talented people
1449
01:20:30,873 --> 01:20:32,040
over the years.
1450
01:20:33,584 --> 01:20:36,712
♪ When the war is over ♪
1451
01:20:37,713 --> 01:20:40,757
♪ Got to start again ♪
1452
01:20:40,841 --> 01:20:43,635
[Angus] All those years,
years and years of working, doing gigs.
1453
01:20:45,637 --> 01:20:46,889
Little crappy ones.
1454
01:20:49,349 --> 01:20:51,393
Great big-- Great ones,
you know, all in between.
1455
01:20:57,900 --> 01:21:03,989
♪ You and I
We sent each other stories ♪
1456
01:21:04,072 --> 01:21:09,995
♪ Just a page
I'm lost in all its glories ♪
1457
01:21:10,078 --> 01:21:16,919
♪ How can I go home
And not get blown away ♪
1458
01:21:17,002 --> 01:21:18,212
[Angus] He's got the spirit.
1459
01:21:19,463 --> 01:21:21,256
He won't surrender.
1460
01:21:21,340 --> 01:21:23,592
The audience has to have
the time of their life.
1461
01:21:24,218 --> 01:21:26,136
Otherwise, you know,
he'll just keep going.
1462
01:21:26,720 --> 01:21:28,514
♪ And not get blown away ♪
1463
01:21:28,597 --> 01:21:31,016
♪ Ain't nobody gonna steal... ♪
1464
01:21:31,099 --> 01:21:33,101
[John] I can't explain
how much I love it, you know?
1465
01:21:33,185 --> 01:21:35,395
I can't explain
how much pleasure I get out of it,
1466
01:21:35,479 --> 01:21:37,606
particularly when it engages people.
1467
01:21:38,232 --> 01:21:41,777
[Gaynor] To this day,
I think he fears nobody will come.
1468
01:21:42,986 --> 01:21:47,366
That comes from a time when there was
only a handful of family and friends
1469
01:21:47,449 --> 01:21:49,284
during the '70s.
1470
01:21:49,993 --> 01:21:52,996
And that is the one promise
Glenn has always made to him.
1471
01:21:53,080 --> 01:21:55,374
"Mate, if it's not full,
you're not going on."
1472
01:21:55,999 --> 01:22:00,379
Glenn has been very passionate about
making sure every show is a sell-out.
1473
01:22:03,006 --> 01:22:05,801
[Angus] The last lot of gigs we did
before the pandemic,
1474
01:22:05,884 --> 01:22:07,845
a lot of them were outdoor shows.
1475
01:22:07,928 --> 01:22:10,514
The young kids, he absolutely killed it.
1476
01:22:11,682 --> 01:22:13,183
They just loved him.
1477
01:22:13,267 --> 01:22:15,936
They're going nuts,
and he sang beautifully.
1478
01:22:29,783 --> 01:22:31,410
[John] Brett Garsed on the guitar.
1479
01:22:31,493 --> 01:22:32,995
[audience cheering and applauding]
1480
01:22:33,078 --> 01:22:34,079
Yeah!
1481
01:22:35,497 --> 01:22:38,041
[playing "When Something is Wrong
with My Baby"]
1482
01:22:38,125 --> 01:22:40,085
♪ When something is wrong ♪
1483
01:22:41,587 --> 01:22:45,424
♪ With my baby ♪
1484
01:22:46,884 --> 01:22:50,929
[Gaynor] Olivia adored John,
and John adored Olivia too.
1485
01:22:52,472 --> 01:22:54,933
It was really lovely
to watch them together.
1486
01:22:55,017 --> 01:22:59,897
They were so daggy
and so fun and so utterly adorable.
1487
01:22:59,980 --> 01:23:04,776
♪ We've been through so much together ♪
1488
01:23:04,860 --> 01:23:08,030
[Olivia] He's my favourite singer,
and I've worked with a lot of singers
1489
01:23:08,113 --> 01:23:10,365
and listened to thousands, probably.
1490
01:23:10,449 --> 01:23:13,410
♪ We spoke as one ♪
1491
01:23:13,493 --> 01:23:15,078
[Olivia] He is The Voice, right?
1492
01:23:15,162 --> 01:23:16,997
♪ That's what makes it better ♪
1493
01:23:17,080 --> 01:23:19,124
[Paul] That was the last time
they performed together.
1494
01:23:20,042 --> 01:23:22,377
I'm getting quite emotional
thinking about it, you know?
1495
01:23:22,461 --> 01:23:26,256
{\an8}Good evening. Generations of Australians
grew up loving her music
1496
01:23:26,340 --> 01:23:28,509
as she rose to Hollywood stardom.
1497
01:23:28,592 --> 01:23:31,261
Tonight, they're united
with celebrities around the world
1498
01:23:31,345 --> 01:23:33,931
in tribute to Olivia Newton-John.
1499
01:23:34,014 --> 01:23:37,601
Australia's darling of the '70s and '80s
is being remembered
1500
01:23:37,684 --> 01:23:40,729
for her talent
and equally her charity work
1501
01:23:40,812 --> 01:23:43,065
and brave fight against cancer.
1502
01:23:43,148 --> 01:23:49,947
Jill said he just cried uncontrollably,
which I completely understand.
1503
01:23:50,030 --> 01:23:53,116
I think that really,
really kicked Dad in the guts.
1504
01:23:53,742 --> 01:23:55,369
He loved and respected her.
1505
01:23:56,995 --> 01:23:58,664
[Gaynor] We all knew it was coming.
1506
01:23:59,206 --> 01:24:02,584
I reached out to her 'cause I thought,
you know, she's a tonic...
1507
01:24:04,086 --> 01:24:05,879
and she was a tonic.
1508
01:24:06,880 --> 01:24:12,344
She knew all the right things to say
and was, you know, very comforting.
1509
01:24:12,427 --> 01:24:15,097
And, um, a week later she was gone.
1510
01:24:15,639 --> 01:24:17,182
I'll treasure that.
1511
01:24:17,266 --> 01:24:21,645
Yeah, she's a warm,
wonderful, beautiful lady.
1512
01:24:21,728 --> 01:24:24,731
[poignant music playing]
1513
01:24:27,401 --> 01:24:30,362
I remember when Glenn was
in the ICU with COVID,
1514
01:24:30,445 --> 01:24:33,740
one of the nurses came in and said,
"When we get these people home,
1515
01:24:33,824 --> 01:24:37,661
how are they going
to actually live with COVID
1516
01:24:37,744 --> 01:24:39,955
and the destruction to their bodies?"
1517
01:24:40,038 --> 01:24:43,834
And I remember thinking,
"Why is she telling me this?" You know.
1518
01:24:43,917 --> 01:24:45,586
"I'm just gonna take Glenn home.
1519
01:24:45,669 --> 01:24:51,258
It's Glenn, he's indestructible
and he just keeps going."
1520
01:24:51,341 --> 01:24:55,220
But I think she was telling me
to prepare me.
1521
01:24:55,304 --> 01:24:58,640
It was definitely for a reason.
I just didn't hear it.
1522
01:24:58,724 --> 01:25:02,853
The Australian music industry is
paying tribute to Glenn Wheatley.
1523
01:25:02,936 --> 01:25:05,856
The celebrated promoter
and manager died yesterday
1524
01:25:05,939 --> 01:25:08,025
from complications caused by COVID.
1525
01:25:08,108 --> 01:25:09,151
He was 74.
1526
01:25:09,234 --> 01:25:13,614
[reporter] The death of Glenn Wheatley
has broken the man known as The Voice.
1527
01:25:13,697 --> 01:25:17,618
Last night, John Farnham had
the dreaded task of informing friends
1528
01:25:17,701 --> 01:25:18,827
their mate had died.
1529
01:25:18,911 --> 01:25:22,414
{\an8}He didn't really cope for a while,
which is understandable.
1530
01:25:22,497 --> 01:25:23,707
The loss of your best friend
1531
01:25:23,790 --> 01:25:26,585
and someone that's been there
his whole life, basically.
1532
01:25:26,668 --> 01:25:30,172
[John] Uh, I'm still feeling the grief.
1533
01:25:30,255 --> 01:25:32,633
Um, we were very, very close.
1534
01:25:32,716 --> 01:25:34,176
Very, very close indeed.
1535
01:25:35,302 --> 01:25:38,430
And I didn't want that to happen.
1536
01:25:44,561 --> 01:25:49,107
[Olivia] Glenn was so responsible
for John, took care of him so well.
1537
01:25:49,191 --> 01:25:51,443
Oh, boy, like brothers, you know?
1538
01:25:52,194 --> 01:25:53,237
Sorry.
1539
01:25:55,447 --> 01:25:58,534
I don't think Dad'll ever heal properly,
which is sad,
1540
01:25:58,617 --> 01:26:00,702
but that's what love is, really.
1541
01:26:00,786 --> 01:26:04,998
I was on the phone to John to say that
Glenn wasn't gonna be with us much longer,
1542
01:26:05,082 --> 01:26:11,046
so I had the phone up to Glenn's ear,
and one of the last voices he heard
1543
01:26:11,129 --> 01:26:12,589
was John's.
1544
01:26:13,841 --> 01:26:14,925
And I'm very...
1545
01:26:15,634 --> 01:26:17,636
I'm glad about that.
1546
01:26:18,887 --> 01:26:21,849
[Glenn] I've gotta be able to say to him,
"You're a legend.
1547
01:26:22,683 --> 01:26:26,979
You don't like to think of yourself
as a legend, but you are."
1548
01:26:27,062 --> 01:26:30,107
[uplifting music playing]
1549
01:26:30,816 --> 01:26:33,151
His career's had so many ups and downs,
1550
01:26:33,235 --> 01:26:36,196
and he had to fight
through so much to keep going,
1551
01:26:36,280 --> 01:26:39,199
and then to have success,
great success again--
1552
01:26:39,283 --> 01:26:42,995
Well, that's why
the public love him so much too.
1553
01:26:44,705 --> 01:26:46,206
It is a heroic story.
1554
01:26:46,290 --> 01:26:50,127
-[crowd cheering]
-[band playing "Touch of Paradise"]
1555
01:26:50,210 --> 01:26:52,462
♪ Flamingos walk ♪
1556
01:26:52,546 --> 01:26:55,174
♪ And sway in peace ♪
1557
01:26:56,925 --> 01:27:00,429
♪ Seeing this
It makes my troubles cease ♪
1558
01:27:00,512 --> 01:27:02,306
[Robert]
There's definitely some great artists,
1559
01:27:02,389 --> 01:27:05,184
but I think that there's not too many
that's had a career like that.
1560
01:27:05,267 --> 01:27:07,811
♪ Leaving a pink scar ♪
1561
01:27:07,895 --> 01:27:12,316
[Gaynor] I have been very privileged
in being afforded a front-row seat
1562
01:27:12,399 --> 01:27:15,485
to not only watching
Glenn and John perform,
1563
01:27:15,569 --> 01:27:17,571
but watching John sing.
1564
01:27:17,654 --> 01:27:22,326
♪ And all I do is look into your eyes ♪
1565
01:27:23,285 --> 01:27:28,790
[Gaynor] John invited us in, the band in,
crew in, ultimately all his fans in.
1566
01:27:28,874 --> 01:27:33,045
{\an8}And I think everyone in his audience
felt they had a front-row seat.
1567
01:27:33,128 --> 01:27:34,838
♪ Paradise ♪
1568
01:27:36,507 --> 01:27:42,638
♪ Just a special touch of paradise ♪
1569
01:27:42,721 --> 01:27:46,433
♪ You hold my hand
That's when we kiss ♪
1570
01:27:46,517 --> 01:27:48,435
[Olivia] Music is so important to us.
1571
01:27:48,519 --> 01:27:51,563
♪ And it doesn't take long, no, no, no ♪
1572
01:27:51,647 --> 01:27:54,024
{\an8}[Olivia]
It can go straight to somebody's heart.
1573
01:27:55,234 --> 01:27:56,360
You feel their voice.
1574
01:27:56,443 --> 01:27:59,154
♪ Of this love that stretches out... ♪
1575
01:27:59,238 --> 01:28:01,323
[Olivia]
It can heal you, it can help you...
1576
01:28:02,699 --> 01:28:04,701
and it can reach so many people.
1577
01:28:04,785 --> 01:28:07,037
♪ As we're walking in the sand ♪
1578
01:28:07,120 --> 01:28:10,040
[Olivia] I feel very lucky
to have worked with him so much.
1579
01:28:10,123 --> 01:28:13,001
♪ And all I do is look into your eyes ♪
1580
01:28:13,085 --> 01:28:15,254
[reporter]
The 73-year-old Australian legend
1581
01:28:15,337 --> 01:28:17,214
is believed to have only been diagnosed
1582
01:28:17,297 --> 01:28:19,633
as recently as two weeks ago.
The family decided to go...
1583
01:28:19,716 --> 01:28:23,679
It's kind of a sick joke
that The Voice gets mouth cancer.
1584
01:28:23,762 --> 01:28:25,973
It's just brutal.
1585
01:28:26,056 --> 01:28:28,809
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
himself has been leading
1586
01:28:28,892 --> 01:28:31,645
the outpouring of support,
saying the nation's thoughts
1587
01:28:31,728 --> 01:28:33,689
are with Farnham and his family.
1588
01:28:34,439 --> 01:28:38,068
Lucky for us, John found his voice,
he shared it with us,
1589
01:28:38,151 --> 01:28:41,071
and whether he sings or not,
1590
01:28:41,154 --> 01:28:45,450
that music will be part of people's lives
for-- I wanna say forever.
1591
01:28:45,534 --> 01:28:48,495
♪ When our eyes meet ♪
1592
01:28:49,288 --> 01:28:52,249
I don't know what else he'd wanna do.
I think he's done it.
1593
01:28:53,000 --> 01:28:56,879
He climbed the mountain, that's for sure,
and his flag's still on the top.
1594
01:28:57,880 --> 01:29:01,675
[audience] ♪ And I walk off shaking ♪
1595
01:29:01,758 --> 01:29:05,971
I don't think he will ever be forgotten,
and I think that there will always be
1596
01:29:06,054 --> 01:29:07,639
an audience for John Farnham.
1597
01:29:09,808 --> 01:29:10,976
[John] Pretty incredible.
1598
01:29:11,059 --> 01:29:13,353
I'm glad to have affected
people's lives with music.
1599
01:29:14,605 --> 01:29:16,481
It's nice that you can do
that sort of thing.
1600
01:29:16,565 --> 01:29:22,654
{\an8}It affected me greatly, so I would hope
that it affected other people great too.
1601
01:29:22,738 --> 01:29:27,117
{\an8}♪ And all I do is look into your eyes ♪
1602
01:29:28,493 --> 01:29:32,998
{\an8}♪ For that special touch of paradise ♪
1603
01:29:33,081 --> 01:29:35,000
♪ Oh, darling ♪
1604
01:29:35,083 --> 01:29:39,880
♪ Just a touch
A touch of paradise ♪
1605
01:29:41,590 --> 01:29:46,136
♪ Just a special touch of paradise ♪
1606
01:29:46,220 --> 01:29:48,096
♪ Show me, show me ♪
1607
01:29:48,180 --> 01:29:52,935
♪ Just a touch
A touch of paradise ♪
1608
01:29:53,018 --> 01:29:54,728
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
1609
01:29:54,811 --> 01:29:59,566
♪ Just a special touch of paradise ♪
1610
01:30:00,108 --> 01:30:01,235
♪ Oh, show me ♪
1611
01:30:01,318 --> 01:30:06,823
♪ Just a touch
A touch of paradise ♪
1612
01:30:07,908 --> 01:30:12,371
♪ Just a touch
A touch of paradise ♪
1613
01:30:12,454 --> 01:30:14,623
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
1614
01:30:14,706 --> 01:30:18,252
♪ Just a special touch of paradise ♪
1615
01:30:18,335 --> 01:30:21,046
♪ Show me, show me
Show me, show me ♪
1616
01:30:21,129 --> 01:30:26,635
♪ Just a touch
A touch of paradise ♪
1617
01:30:33,642 --> 01:30:36,270
-[song ends]
-[audience cheering and applauding]
1618
01:30:39,857 --> 01:30:41,233
[John] Oh, you're nice. Thank you.
1619
01:30:42,359 --> 01:30:43,819
I like that song, I really do.
1620
01:30:45,654 --> 01:30:48,782
[dramatic music playing]
1621
01:32:48,360 --> 01:32:51,363
[uplifting music playing]