Historic Kylie Minogue, John Farnham concert to be released on Anzac Day
A historic concert tribute to East Timor troops starring John Farnham, Kylie Minogue and the late Doc Neeson will be released on Anzac Day.
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A historic concert starring John Farnham, Kylie Minogue and the late Doc Neeson as a thank you to troops posted to East Timor 25 years ago will be released on Anzac Day.
The Tour of Duty live album is the 40th release of the Australian Road Crew Association’s Desk Tape Series, created to benefit the Support Act’s Roadies Fund for roadies and crew in crisis.
The Christmas concert at the National Stadium in Dili on December 21, 1999, entertained the audience of 4000 troops serving with the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) and local civilians and millions more in Australia via the telecast on the Seven and Nine networks.
Tour of Duty also featured country music star Gina Jeffreys and her record producer husband Rod McCormack, James Blundell – who just released a new tribute song called Almost Anzac Day – The Living End, Dili Allstars and the RMC Band, and was hosted by Roy Slaven and H. G. Nelson.
John Farnham said shortly after arriving in Dili: “I’ll never be able to explain to my family and friends how I felt being transported in a green truck accompanied by a soldier brandishing arms, and looking at children and women on the streets in what’s been a horrendous situation.”
Added Kylie Minogue: “Even if it takes people’s minds off this situation, even for an hour, I’m fully honoured to be part of it.”
Tour of Duty was the brainchild of The Angels frontman Doc Neeson, who had done his national service in Papua New Guinea, and was pulled together by Farnham’s brother-in-arms Glenn Wheatley, who sweet talked his way through corporate Australia to raise the $1 million needed to produce the gig.
“There is no electricity, running water, cables, generators, roofing or staging, Everything has to be taken from Australia,” Wheatley said at the time.
Country music star Jeffreys recalls how volatile the situation was in Dili in the wake of the East Timorese crisis, sparked by the tiny nation’s bid for independence.
“Each of us was assigned a high level soldier. They were never more than a metre and a half from us at all times, even in the shower and the toilet,” she said.
“They took turns to protect us, even when we were sleeping. The boys slept in one tent, and Kylie and I were in another. Throughout the night, tanks were circling the tents.
“They never stopped protecting us, they made us feel safe in an unsafe environment.”
ARCA crew members who served in Vietnam or national service worked with the defence forces on the special 25th anniversary live album release of Tour of Duty to assist those suffering financial or health-related crises.
ARCA co-founder Ian ‘Piggy’ Peel said he was contacted by Colin Taggart, a board member of Pro Patria, an innovative multidisciplinary facility in Wagga Wagga which works with veterans and their families who asked “‘How do you stop suicides?”
Piggy told them: “‘We put people back together and in touch with each other. They understood that they could talk with their mates about things that happened during their time away, that they could not talk to their families about. Being able to do that takes a great weight off your shoulders. It helps to heal the heart and helps the family bond grow stronger.’
“It made sense for everybody concerned, and it worked. This is a huge honour for ARCA to be able to release this live show to say thanks to all the troops who keep us safe.”
It took a lot of calls and networking to secure the audio tapes of the concert. And where they were found is one of those wondrous moments of coincidence which points to how much the project was meant to be.
The Rev. Darren Hewitt, a chaplain working with returned veterans in South Australia, had audio files supplied by Farnham’s late manager and best mate Glenn Wheatley.
More than two decades ago, Rev. Hewitt wanted to set up an audio-visual museum Fields of Remembrance in Queensland to commemorate Australia’s involvement in conflicts and wars.
He contacted Wheatley about getting an audio recording of Tour of Duty.
“Glenn sent me a double CD of AV files,” he said.
The museum plans were put on hold and the files were forgotten for two decades until he discovered them in a portable MP3 player.
One day Rev. Hewitt was searching the internet for Archie Roach and came across the ARCA website and its star-studded collection of releases.
“I learned more about ARCA and was in awe of what they were doing for crews in crisis.”
He sought approval for Glenn’s wife Gaynor to offer the tapes to ACRIA for their Desk Series.
“There was such great support for what Australian troops were doing in East Timor, and that was reflected in how the acts were choosing their songs to be directed at them. It was a different story for older vets who had served in Vietnam.”
TRACKLIST
You’re The Voice – Everyone
I Just Wanna Be With You – Doc Neeson
Shadow Boxer – Doc Neeson
She’s So Fine / Sorry – John Farnham and Doc Neeson
No Secrets – Doc Neeson and Living End
Mambo No. 5 – R.M.C. Band
Silent Night – Rachael Starkey (RMC Band)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Gina Jeffreys
Dancing With Elvis – Gina Jeffreys
Libertade – Dili All Stars
Way Out West – James Blundell
Chain Reaction – John Farnham
Have A Little Faith – John Farnham
Playing To Win – John Farnham
Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) – John Farnham
That’s Freedom – John Farnham
You’ll Never Walk Alone – John Farnham
Shout – John Farnham & Kylie Minogue
Santa Baby – Kylie Minogue
All Torn Down -The Living End
West End Riot – The Living End
Jingle Bell Rock – Kylie Minogue and The Living End
It’s A Long Way To The Top – Everyone
Take A Long Line – Everyone
Will I Ever See Your Face Again – Everyone
TOP ANZAC PLAYLIST
More than 100 years after the brutal Gallipoli campaign conceived the Anzac legend, James Blundell and his country and folk music peers continue to add their voices to the soundtrack inspired by those who have served their country in wartime.
The Way Out West star contributes a new work called Almost Anzac Day to the contemporary collection of wartime anthems which include Eric Bogle’s And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and Redgum’s I Was Only 19.
Blundell’s new song, launched by the Prime Minister at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park last week, recognises the sacrifices made by soldiers in battles from Gallipoli to Afghanistan.
“Music is a crucial part of our Anzac observance because sometimes words alone aren’t enough to tell the truth about war, about what war means and the toll it extracts,” the PM said.
Songs about the lifetime toll paid by soldiers and their loved ones have peppered Blundell’s discography through the years because the spirit of the Anzacs has coursed through the veins of his family since the First World War.
The country music legend shares how a great grandfather was a naval surgeon on the ships off the Dardanelles, treating the wounded from Gallipoli.
His grandfather Peter Blundell would serve in World War II under the much-decorated Brigadier Norman Marshall; the musician’s family property near Stanthorpe in Queensland was once owned by the war hero.
Almost Anzac Day, with lyrics written by his longtime collaborator Terry McArthur, follows Blundell’s previous tributes to our Diggers in Postcards from Saigon in 2005 and Anzac Cottage in 2016.
Blundell said the Anzacs continue to inspire our contemporary songwriters because they exemplify Australia’s “anti-authoritarian psyche”, tenacity and spirit of mateship.
“(Gallipoli) was very much the birth of the nation’s identity and the code of mateship, that you just do not let your friends down, and that is a rich vein for musicians and storytellers,” Blundell said.
“But why we are still making songs about the Anzacs may be that we need a reboot of remembering why courage is important.”
Here’s our top Anzac song list. Listen below and tell us what song you enjoy:
The 59-year-old singer said songs such as Almost Anzac Day offered a powerful portal for “non-combatants” to understand the experiences of war.
He pointed to the song’s chorus as a poignant and stark reminder of the emotions stirred on Anzac Day at The DDawn Services and marches.
“It breaks your heart, It takes your air, It strips you naked, It’s the scars you wear,” he sings.
Another much-loved country artist Adam Harvey marks the 20th anniversary this year of song Missing Heroes, inspired by his mum Rosslyn’s quest to find information about her father’s wounding in Papua New Guinea during World War II.
“Sometimes real life is better than anything you can make up (as a songwriter),” Harvey said.
“My mum’s father was shot during the war in New Guinea and she spent years trying to find our more information about exactly where and what happened.
“Mum had no luck and finally gave up hope until one night she was watching a documentary on the Kokoda Track and sure enough, in the black and white footage, there was her father Stewart.
“I wrote the song for mum, her dad, and all those Diggers killed in battle, and the family members they left behind.”
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