Welcome to my forum connected to countdownmemories.com

Discuss everything COUNTDOWN and beyond!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Countdown Episodes * 70s & 80s Australian Music Programs * Music Video * Molly
Trading *  Collecting * Archival Information * Record/CD releases and more .........

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

COUNTDOWN IS BACK THIS JANUARY, 2019 ...  ON rage !!!!!
Stay tuned below with regular Countdown full archival information for each Countdown episode rage shall be airing every Saturday throughout January ...

Countdownmemories.com forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: John Farnham's Vocals Always Live on Countdown

If you think Farnham has an irritating voice, you have sadly little idea on what a good voice is. I am guessing "Dance Monkey" you consider a classic. Next you'll be telling me Freddie Mercury can't sing.....

Re: John Farnham's Vocals Always Live on Countdown

Matt73
If you think Farnham has an irritating voice, you have sadly little idea on what a good voice is. I am guessing "Dance Monkey" you consider a classic. Next you'll be telling me Freddie Mercury can't sing.....
You mean he would say Freddie Mercury can't sing for S H I T, and you'd be all like "OMG you foul mouthed bogan" and throw a big tanty

Re: John Farnham's Vocals Always Live on Countdown

Jason 'The Moderator'
I prefer mimming whether it was Countdown, Top Of The Pops etc.

The whole point of promoting a single or track is to promote the actual recording as you would purchase it. It was an hour long show and if you notice with John Farnham or Judie Tzuke it was much easier to sing live if you were a solo artist. To of had everyone all play live in a packed one hour program with sound guys etc just wouldn't have been of benefit.



I prefer John Farnham had not sang at all as his voice is irritating to say the least. I hated his performance of HELP on last weekends 1980 Episode. I get that many appreciate his voice but I find it too much to bare.

Judie Tzuke though I love her artistry did sound very shaky when she sang live on Countdown and you could tell that it was because of the nervousness.
I agree with Jason.

The whole point of going on Countdown was to promote your single. Its not meant to be live, for that you go to their concert and see them. I still have many singles (45's) that I bought on Monday, after watching the performance the night before on Countdown and also many times bought the album. It was how music was sold. There is no way they would have sold that many records with live performances as simply there are always some artists that cant sing live to save themselves. Along with that, there was the tremendous difficulty of replicating some songs and sounds live. There were also studio only bands, such as Vanda and Young's "Flash and The Pan", in some cases studio bands played all the instruments themselves so would have required session musicians to learn the parts....way too much work. You also don't see bands singing live in Music Videos, in effect Countdown performances were music videos.

I am glad the vast majority were mimed as it allows me to replace old poor mono audio with stereo replacements, breathing new life in to old clips.

The only actual live band performance that I can think of and know is Australian band The Angels who performed "Fashion and Fame" & "Night Attack" in 1981. I would be interested to hear from anyone else that knows of any other actual bands that played live (fully live, not just live vocals)


I also agree with Jason on John Farnham's voice. I struggle to even have anything of his in my music collection. His performance of Help was an act of desperation......when you have absolutely nothing (he only sang other peoples songs), do a cover of the Beatles. I am surprised it charted well in Australia. I thought it was over done rubbish.

Re: John Farnham's Vocals Always Live on Countdown

ohnoitisnathan
Judie Tzuke sang 'Stay With Me Till Dawn' live on Countdown, too. There weren't many live vocal performances, it seems.
I think many of the 70's were live vocal as it was a union requirement. I am pretty sure I read it in Peter Wilmoth's "Glad All Over" The Countdown Years 1974 - 1987, though I cant guarnatee thats where I saw it. Certainly I have seen live vocals on ACDC and Daryl Braithwaite/Sherbet on Countdown.

Re: John Farnham's Vocals Always Live on Countdown

I love JF's version of 'Help'. It probably also charted well on the back of the John Farnham and Debbie Byrne show...and who could forget the Bananarama's version in 1989!