The Voice: Where John Farnham’s You’re the Voice has been used in advertisements before

Should politics and pub rock mix? Many John Farnham fans think not after his anthem You’re the Voice became the soundtrack of the Voice yes campaign. Have your say in our poll.

Australian singer John Farnham, pictured in a scene from the documentary film John Farnham: Finding the Voice.

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Aussie icon John Farnham’s decision to lend his hit You’re The Voice to the campaign promoting an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament has backfired among some fans with many taking to social media to say they are “disappointed” in the star.

Fellow Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite shared a photograph of Mr Farnham with the caption “You’re The Voice John” on Facebook on Sunday night.

The post was flooded with disappointed fans who claimed the song’s political involvement has wrecked “an absolute classic”.

“So disappointed ‘The Voice’ such an iconic anthem adored by all Aussies is now being used for political purposes, it will never have the same meaning again. So sad!,” one user wrote.

“We grew up with “Johnny”. A great entertainer and so many memorable songs but to use this particular song for decisive political purposes is so wrong!,” another said.

A third user added: “Don’t do it John it’s very un-Australian for you to use this iconic song that is meant for all Australians not for political purposes.”

Daryl Braithwaite’s post received mixed responses. Picture supplied.

But the post also attracted some supporters who said Mr Farnham was a “truly great Australian.”

“Love that you are supporting the Voice! Vote yes!.”

The popular anthem was the soundtrack of a major Yes campaign that rolled out across the nation over the weekend.

The video compared the Voice referendum, due on October 14, to some of the most iconic moments in Australian history including the same-sex marriage plebiscite; Cathy Freeman’s gold medal win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics; the 1996 gun reform, the Apology to the Stolen Generations.

Where Farnham has lent his voice before

Earlier, controversy emerged for the Yes campaign’s use of Farnham’s song in television ads.

“It’s always been an anthem,” Nine news claimed yesterday, revealing the catchy and expensively-produced Yes promotion featuring Farnham.

“Tonight, for the first time, it’s an ad.”

The online Guardian Australia reported: “It’s believed to be the first time Farnham, who is recovering from cancer, has ever permitted the song to be used in a commercial.”

But Nine and other media outlets that repeated these claims appear to be mistaken.

Farnham’s chart-topping 1980s pop classic has in fact appeared in several ads prior to being used with Farnham’s approval for the Yes campaign

According to the Financial Review, the song was used in 2001 to promote enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission, and appeared eight years later in ads for Cadbury chocolate.

The most memorable advertising appearance for You’re the Voice before this year came in 2012, when Farnham himself sang along to his big hit in an ad for Ford.

A ten-year-old AdNews Australia YouTube post shows the Farnham/Ford ad in its entirety. Reviews are mixed.

“Love this ad,” says one of just four comments to the post, which as of Sunday had received 1600 views during a decade online. “So bad,” declares another.

Tim Wheatley, son of John Farnham’s late long-time manager Glenn Wheatley, was quoted yesterday hyping the “first time” status of You’re the Voice’s promotional use for the Yes campaign.

“John and my father have fiercely protected this song’s use for decades, I think for this very moment,” he said.

YouTube says otherwise.

Following Sunday’s announcement Farnham threw his support behind the bid.

“This song changed my life. I can only hope that now it might help, in some small way, to change the lives of our First Nations Peoples for the better,” Farnham said on Sunday.

Mr Wheatley said the beloved song was “aligned with humanity”.

“You’re the Voice is not aligned with any political party,” he said.

“It’s a song for all Australians. Always has been, always will be

Political marketing expert Kevin Brianton said Mr Farnham was entitled to share his political opinions but the song itself would only “marginally” sway public opinion if that.

Bang it out, Farnsy.

“John Farnham like anyone else is allowed to wish to express his political view … The Republican campaign had a lot of celebrities involved in it and it lost. Whether people will vote for something because a celebrity they like is promoting is, is hard to know,” he said.

“The reactions to the John Farnham’s song is those who are voting Yes will be reinforced and those who don’t support the Voice will move away. I just don’t think a song is really going to do all that much.

“There are exceptions of course, the It’s Time campaign with Gough Whitlam was an excellent song and it captured the mood and this may well have elements of that.”

Originally published as The Voice: Where John Farnham’s You’re the Voice has been used in advertisements before