Take 5

Ice Cube is a godfather of West Coast Rap. He joined NWA as a teenager, and penned their most powerful song when he was 17. One album later, he left the group and set off on a solo path, and succeeded again. His first two albums are still considered to be defining records of the 90’s and while that was going on, in 1991 Ice Cube starred in his first feature film “Boys N the Hood”. Through the 90’s, and noughties, he has pivoted between film and music and everything in between. But he has never sat down in front of a live audience to look back on his creative life. Until now. With 1200 people watching on, inside the iconic Sydney Opera House, Cube shared the five songs that changed his life. From eye opening moments with Grandmaster Flash, to the hip-hop styles of James Brown. Marvin Gaye’s reflection of a community’s hurt and a pin-drop moment with a never before heard story from Cube’s family tree. We laughed, we gasped, we sat in awe of a writer, actor and legend whose wisdom, humour and fierce resolve has powered everything he’s made. This is Ice Cube, ripping the lid off the first ever Take 5, live on stage.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - ‘The Message’

James Brown - ‘The Payback’

Marvin Gaye - ‘What’s Going On’

Funkadelic - ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep’

Sam Cooke - ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’

Ben Quilty is one of Australia’s most celebrated artists. Whether he’s painting the portrait of fellow artist Margaret Olley, of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, of Jimmy Barnes or even of his old Torana, his style finds a heart and depth not often seen. I first met Ben when he working closely with the Bali 9 (particularly Myuran Sukumaran) using art therapy to help Myu as he sat confined in Kerobokan prison. When the day came for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran to face death by firing squad, Ben Quilty led the charge to stand for mercy, gathering people from all backgrounds to campaign against the death penalty. It didn’t succeed. But Ben’s passion for commitment to the cause is just one of many instances where this artist and humanitarian has fought tooth and nail for justice. When he was a teenager, art was Ben Quilty’s salve. As an adult, his work continues to help and heal him and those around him. Across five songs, Ben Quilty took part in music therapy.

Paul Kelly - ‘Firewood and Candles’

The Lemonheads - ‘The Outdoor Type’

PJ Harvey - ‘This Mess We’re In (ft. Thom Yorke)’

The Beatles - ‘Blackbird’

Jimmy Barnes - ‘Still On Your Side (ft. Bernard Fanning)’

I take you back in the Take 5 time machine to 2007, when Ian Mackaye did the Take 5. The frontman for Fugazi, Embrace and Minor Threat, he has been in countless bands and was – at the time – touring with The Evens. In Washington DC he heads up the DIY record label Dischord, started to support the DC bands he loved. Everything Ian does has strong ethics at it’s core. Everything he is, is grounded in his hometown. Across five songs from the capital of America, he takes you on a journey not only through the streets but the politics of this town and punk itself.

Bad Brains -  'Banned In D.C.'

Rites of Spring - 'Drink Deep'

Slant Six - 'Semi-Blue Tile'

DJ Eurock - 'This Is DC'

Rare Essence - 'Bling Bling Bling'

Jonathan Zawada may not be a name you’re immediately familiar with, but his work has covered the albums of some of your favourite Australian artists. He’s behind every album, single and EP cover from The Presets, designed the iconic album cover for Flume’s second album skin, and has created the visual mood for music by Mark Pritchard, Baauer, Canyons and more. His visual art can be as small as a record cover, as tangible as a side table, or as wearable as high fashion, but in all that he does is an element of Australia in it. Across five songs Jonathan echoed the preconceptions about Australia that many of us feel, the immensity of space we have in our own backyard, the raw Australian tales some of our best contemporary artists tell, and the tangibility of sound.  

Fabulous Diamonds - 'Track 4' (7 Songs, 2008)

The Presets - 'A.O'

Air Max '97 - 'Core Work'

The Drones - 'Boredom'

PVT - 'Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend'

Jenny Zhang was born in Shanghai, but raised in New York City. With a foot in each world, it’s was often a challenge to find a community and keep one. This perspective runs through her brilliant debut collection of stories, Sour Heart. It was a book that caught the attention of Lena Dunham, who chased it to ensure it’d be the first book published on her new ‘Lenny’ imprint. Seven stories, written over fifteen years cutting between public schools in Flushing, Queens to the streets of Shanghai. They’re funny, heartfelt, sometimes obscene and like nothing I have ever read before. The stories aren’t autobiographical per se, but capture the view of young Chinese-American girls growing up in New York City in the 90’s. Over five songs Jenny shares teenage mixtapes, mall hangouts soundtracked by Spice Girls, and the beauty and connection of language.

The Promise Ring - ‘Forget Me?’

The Spice Girls - ‘Wannabe’

Le Tigre - ‘The The Empty’

Jay-Z - ‘This Can’t Be Life {ft. Beanie Siegel and Scarface}’

Cocteau Twins - ‘Heaven Or Las Vegas’

Belle and Sebastian have been making us dance with whimsy, for more than two decades. Their indie-pop is etched on our hearts, and their song are beautiful vignettes of the every day. Lead singer and main songwriter Stuart Murdoch has always had a way with words, and his faith has played a big part in his writing as well. More recently, he’s been taking an interest in Buddhism and it is this and the different lens that Belle & Sebastian approached their latest recordings, that inspired the theme I gave him for his Take 5. Big songs, that told small, intimate stories seemed to dominate Stuart’s approach. Along the way, we peeled back the layers of his own life, and heard him reflect on a lifetime of music making that still brings wonderful stories to our ears.

Regina Spektor - 'Fidelity'

Michael Kiwanuka - 'Black Man In A White World'

Joni Mitchell - 'Big Yellow Taxi'

Bruce Springsteen - 'Dancing In The Dark'

Aretha Franklin - 'Say A Little Prayer'

Thirty four years after the world was introduced to Spinal Tap, you can still pull out a quote from their rockumentary and everyone knows who you’re talking about. Spinal Tap reflected the heavy bands at the time; ask any artist still making music today, and the adventures and conversations on screen cut painfully close to the bone. Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls were, and are, living legends. When I discovered Derek Smalls was releasing his first ever solo album, and that he’d been streaming my radio show from the Northern Hemisphere, the opportunity was too good to pass up. I asked Derek to Take 5. Across five choices, we went lateral, literal, and multi-levelled. Mainly, I just tried to keep up. See if you can, too.

Paul Shaffer and The World’s Most Dangerous Band – ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor (ft. Valerie Simpson and Felicia Collins)’

Gregory Isaacs – ‘Night Nurse’

Emerson, Lake & Palmer – ‘Brain Salad Surgery’

Steely Dan – ‘Doctor Wu’

Little Feat – ‘Rock And Roll Doctor’

Sampa the Great is a self fulfilling prophecy. When Sampa Tembo first started making music, she gave herself a moniker. She may have only been at the beginning, but it was a statement of where she would head. Where she would be. Sure enough, as soon as Sampa started performing, we all took notice. She was picked by Kendrick Lamar as support for his arena shows back in 2016 with just a few songs up her sleeve. Then in 2017 she released her second mixtape "The Bird and the Bee9". It told Sampa's story; in music, in lyrics, in every way. And it went on to win the $30k Australian Music Prize for Album of the Year. When she came in to share other people's stories and songs we heard about the power of communication through song when language is no barrier, about going against the grain and singing about what really matters. And Sampa's wisdom once again blew me away. What a joy. What a great great woman.

Angelique Kidjo - 'Summertime'

Marvin Gaye - 'What’s Happening Brother'

Asa - 'Eye Adaba'

Bob Marley - 'Corner Stone'

Lauryn Hill - 'Lose Myself'

Tom Waits is an icon. Since the early 1970’s he’s sung us late night piano ballads in whiskey soaked bars, taken us into garages of found sounds and mysterious stories, and presented avante garde theatre through his songs. Over many decades, he’s develop his own ragged style and continually pushes the boundaries of the music he makes. Back in 2011 I had the rare opportunity to interview Tom on the occasion of his album “Bad As Me”. He didn’t want to do any straight interviews, so gave his only radio interview worldwide, to the Take 5. From Captain Beefheart to Beastie Boys, Tom takes us on a sonic adventure and his words dance descriptively like beat poetry, around every song. This is an insight into the heart of a music fan, forever curious, endlessly enchanted. It’s one for the ages. I hope you love it as much as I did.

Rolling Stones - ‘I Just Want To See His Face’

Captain Beefheart - ‘China Pig’

Jim Reeves - ‘Put Your Sweet Lips a Little Closer To The Phone’

Elvis Presley - ‘Heartbreak Hotel’

Beastie Boys - ‘So What Cha Want’

Tom Waits - ‘Hell Broke Luce’

Peaches has been blowing minds for almost 20 years. The Canadian musician, performer, and trailblazer puts on the kind of show you’ll never forget; a transgressive, free, openly sexual and often political display of her own utopia. Everything she does, is designed to make an impact, start a conversation. In the two decades she’s been making art, concepts around gender, freedom and sexuality have morphed and broadened. What happens when the world catches up to what you’ve been banging on about, for years? Over five songs we talked about that, and explored her musical DNA. From the foundations of PJ Harvey, to Canadian new wave, playful politics in Germany and Greek American goddesses. This is a masterclass in music history, and artistic freedom.

PJ Harvey - '50ft Queenie'

Rough Trade - 'High School Confidential'

DAF - 'Der Mussolini' Missy Elliot - 'Get Yer Freak On'

Diamanda Galas - 'My love will Never Die'