A Journey Through Aussie Pop

In 1983, Australian synthpop exploded with a surge of new bands hitting the ARIA chart, Front and centre was Melbourne's Real Life, which had been plugging away since forming in late 1980 through a couple of newspaper ads. Electronic anthem "Send Me An Angel" was a massive success locally and took off overseas, becoming a hit in North America and Europe. Singer David Sterry talks about the band's great start on Wheatley Records in Australia and Curb Records internationally, as well as the mixed fortunes of follow-up singles "Openhearted" and "Catch Me I'm Falling" from debut album Heartland. The band went through a difficult — and expensive — second album Flame, which led to a tumultuous second half of the '80s with line-up changes, stand-alone singles not being released in Australia and a return to favour with a remix of "Send Me An Angel" in 1989, which did even better in the US than the original. Third album Lifetime followed in 1990 and David discusses that and Real Life's sporadic release and touring schedule since then, including a recent return to the stage after a four-year break.

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She might have taken the well-worn path from soap opera to pop music, but former E Street actress Toni Pearen actually turned down the first record deal that was offered to her. The singer, actress, presenter and reality TV favourite talks about why she waited to sign with Mushroom Records and the process of putting together her back-to-back top 10 hits, "In Your Room" and "I Want You". Toni also explains why there was such a delay in releasing further music and describes how her album, Intimate, came together. Fan favourites "Walkaway Lover" and "Joy" also come under the spotlight, with Toni going on to describe the shift in attitude at Mushroom and the start she made on a follow-up album. When her time at Mushroom came to an end, Toni spent five years in the US pursuing other musical opportunities — and she reveals what happened during that time and reflects on the impact her period of pop stardom had on fans and herself.

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Following solo success at home in New Zealand, Tina Cross relocated to Australia in the early '80s, eventually teaming up with singer/songwriter Leon Berger, who was born in Russia but had also made the move down under. Together, they formed the foundation of synthpop band Koo De Tah, whose debut single, "Too Young For Promises", was a top 10 smash in 1985. Tina and her former band-mate John Bettison, who played guitar for Koo De Tah, reveal how some missing demos almost scuppered the band's record deal chances and how they thought "Too Young For Promises" wasn't going to be very successful at first. They also recall the timing problems and record contract delays that led to subsequent singles "Body Talk, "Think Of Me" and "Missed You All Along" falling short of their initial success. The pair discuss Koo De Tah's self-titled album and the exorbitant amounts of money the rare item has traded hands for in the decades since. And they share some personal news that has been decades in the making.

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Their album ...ish remains one of the all-time best-selling debuts in Australian music history, but no record company wanted to sign 1927. Lead singer Erik Weideman talks about putting that multi-platinum album together after he was spotted on Hey Hey It's Saturday talent quest Red Faces by former Moving Pictures member Garry Frost and how it was producer Charles Fisher who took a chance on the pop/rock quartet. While the music industry might have been unsure about 1927, the Australian public weren't, with hit after hit being lifted from ...ish. Erik talks about songs like "That's When I Think Of You", "If I Could" and "Compulsory Hero", and shares his disbelief when Garry decided to quit the band while they were working on their follow-up album. Although not as commercially successful, second album The Other Side was another enjoyable experience for Erik, notwithstanding the line-up change, but the singer explains why 1927's self-titled third album did not go so well and what led to the ultimate demise of the band in the mid-'90s.

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In the early '90s, there was no hotter Australian pop music label than Westside Records, who pounced on Radio Freedom, a project fronted by Paul Snashall. Fresh off an appearance on talent show Star Search, the singer otherwise known as Pehl put together a track called "I Can Feel It", an infectious mix of dance, Latin and hip-hop that stormed the ARIA top 10. In our interview with Paul, he reveals all the behind-the-scenes details of what inspired that tune, how the song and his profile exploded (sometimes with disastrous consequences), and his lucrative deal with Westside. Paul talks us through the follow-ups to "I Can Feel It", including soul track "Proove", Bob Marley cover "Is This Love" and the band's final single "Edge Of The World (Love Storm)", detailing the reasons behind Radio Freedom's evolving sound and the record company politics at play. Label issues would also have a huge impact on what could've been the band's big international break, with their support slot for Elton John cut short — a turn of events that, together with constant delays on their debut album, hastened Paul's disillusion with Radio Freedom.

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In 1989, four young, energetic performers crashed onto the Australian chart with their debut single, "Say Goodbye" — an instantly catchy piece of synthpop that took them into the top 10. One of the first signings to Molly Meldrum's Melodian Records, Indecent Obsession had the good looks that saw them regularly in the pages of Smash Hits and the killer hooks that made for some great pop tunes. But even though their second single, "Tell Me Something", was another hit in Australia and broke internationally, the band struggled to be accepted by the rock-obsessed local music industry and to gain radio support. The band's original lead singer David Dixon talks about Indecent Obsession's initial success in all corners of the globe, the disastrous front cover of debut album Spoken Words, the disappointing performance of big ballad "Come Back To Me" and the process of recording second album Indio. He also reveals why he left the band in 1993 and explains what became of his short-lived solo career.

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We continue the story of Australian girl group Girlfriend, with Melanie Alexander, Jacqui Cowell, Siobhann Heidenreich and Robyn Loau telling us about the promotional trips they made overseas, especially to the UK and Japan, in an attempt to break internationally. Back in Australia, the group moved on to second album It's Up To You, although "Heartbeat" and "Wishing On The Same Star" didn't achieve the chart highs of the singles from their debut album. But the girls had other issues to worry about, including a lack of money flowing through to them despite solid record sales and regular concert tours. We hear about the tumultuous period that followed, with a change in management and the decision by Robyn to leave the group. Out of that upheaval came two great singles: "Sooner Or Later" by the rebranded GF4 and Robyn's solo release, "Sick With Love", both of which reached the top 20 and proved moving in new musical directions was the way to go. But the wheels fell off both GF4 and Robyn's solo career — and the ladies explain what happened in both cases. Despite the ups and downs of Girlfriend's career, theirs is a story of paving new paths in pop and holding their own in a male-dominated industry.

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Exactly 30 years ago, Melanie Alexander, Jacqui Cowell, Siobhann Heidenreich, Robyn Loau and Lorinda Noble burst onto the pop scene with their debut single, "Take It From Me". The all-singing, all-dancing girl group were like nothing Australia had seen — and they were ahead of their time internationally with their girl power message (the words were literally in the lyrics of their second single, "Girls Life") and diverse line-up. In the first episode of a two-part special, Melanie, Jacqui, Siobhann and Robyn join us to discuss the story of their formation, reaching number 1 with that first release, the all-important Girlfriend brand (the flower hats!) and loads of memories from their songs and music videos. It wasn't all smooth sailing, with some decisions made on behalf of the band not sitting well with everybody, but theirs is a story of pop star dreams that came true incredibly quickly thanks to a combination of hard work, catchy tunes and a savvy understanding of what the pop marketplace was missing.

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They were at the forefront of Australia's synthpop scene and Pseudo Echo were rewarded for toughing it out on the rock-dominated live music circuit with a string of hits, including debut single "Listening", which the band played an early version of as an unsigned act on Countdown. Lead singer and principal songwriter Brian Canham tells us about that breakthrough appearance and the success that followed with albums Autumnal Park in 1984 and the next year's Love An Adventure, which yielded three top 15 singles. He also discusses the band's chart-topping remake of "Funky Town" and the dramas that unfolded in the aftermath, which led to an unexpected direction change with 1988's Race. If the move in a rockier direction puzzled you at the time, you weren't alone — hosts Gavin and Robbie recall their reaction to the new-look and new-sound Pseudo Echo, and Brian reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the shift and, ultimately, the band breaking up.

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From his pioneering work on Australia's dance music scene in the 1990s to becoming a pop star in the 2000s, Paul Mac has had a long and impressive career. In a candid and insightful — not to mention F bomb-laden — interview, the recording artist, songwriter, producer and remixer discusses some of his standout musical moments. Paul reflects on releasing the ARIA Award-winning club track "Sweetness And Light" as part of Itch-E & Scratch-E and what it was like as a dance artist in Australia in the '90s. His three solo pop albums, 3000 Feet High, Panic Room and Holiday From Me, also come under the spotlight, and Paul talks about his choice of vocalists like Abby Dobson, Tex Perkins and Peta Morris; the personal stories behind hits like "Just The Thing" and "Sunshine Eyes"; what it was like to go from the underground to the pages of Smash Hits and more. We also hear about his ongoing musical relationship with Daniel Johns and their collaborative album as The Dissociatives. 

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
Instagram: @chartbeatsau, @joyturnbeataround
Email: [email protected]