Why Jimmy Barnes collaborated with The Wiggles’ Paul Field on new album

One’s an iconic Aussie rocker, the other steered The Wiggles to global stardom. Now Jimmy Barnes and Paul Field are doing a duet together.

When Paul Field took a swig from Jimmy Barnes’s vodka bottle during a Cold Chisel gig at Sydney University in 1979, he could never have imagined he would record a song with the famed Australian rocker four decades later.

Field, who would enjoy his own rock success as the frontman for 80s party band The Cockroaches and steered The Wiggles to global stardom as their managing director, will finally release his debut solo album Love Songs For Lonely People in June.

He shared a taste of the record with fans this week, a duet with Barnes on the Bob Dylan 60s love song You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.

Jimmy Barnes and Paul Field in the rocker’s home studio where they recorded their duet. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The pair often crossed paths on the road with their respective bands through the 80s.

“It was a Sydney Uni ball and the line-up that night was Anne Kirkpatrick, Richard Clapton, Mental as Anything and Cold Chisel,” Field said.

“Jimmy shared the bottle of vodka with the front row; that was my first drink with Jimmy.”

Barnes added: “How was I to know he was only 17 when I passed the bottle to the front row! But I remember seeing our names and posters for the same gigs and crossing paths and, you know, we got to know each other over the years.”

Paul Field, Jimmy Barnes, Jon English, Daryl Somers, John Swan and John Field at the Cradle Rock SIDS charity concert in 1989. Picture: Supplied

Barnes was one of the first people Field called to ask to perform at his inaugural SIDS fundraising ball in 1989, a year after the death of his and wife Pauline’s daughter Bernadette.

“SIDS wasn’t really talked about then and we wanted to raise awareness so we put a gig together and Jimmy was the first to say yes so that was the first time we worked together,” Field said.

Barnes said their lifelong mateship was forged in the wake of that first SIDS Ball.

“It was about respect and compassion for each other; we got to know each other under the hardest of circumstances because that was such a tough time for Paul and his family,” he said.

“Paul had suffered one of the worst things you can imagine and didn’t just lie down, he started doing things about it and keeps reminding people we have to do more, more research, more help for the families.”

Field and Barnes backstage with Bryan Adams. Picture: Supplied

Not only would they hang out at gigs – Field is renowned as one of the biggest concertgoers in Australia – but quickly discovered they shared a deep love of the same music and musicians.

They have shared stages many times over the years, love any opportunity to wear their kilts for special occasions, have celebrated birthdays with their families and recorded the Barnes’ children’s record Och Aye The G’nu together in 2017.

Away from the sweaty pubs, sharing a few whiskeys in the late-night quiet of the Barnes’ family home, they would turn each other onto their favourite artists and songs, particularly in the rockabilly genre.

“Let me tell you a little secret. In my loungeroom in Berrima, there’s a small, very low coffee table by the fire and there’s a small plaque underneath which says ‘I got the best sleep I ever had under here’ because Paul ended up under that table one night,” Barnes said.

Field credits his “life coach” Barnes for driving him to make his debut solo record.

Bill Chambers, Field, Barnes, John Field and Jack Moffitt at the studio. Picture: Supplied

Just as COVID hit, Field was retired from his role with The Wiggles, which included songwriting and directing many of their videos, and wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Like a good friend, Jimmy would ring up and check in with me and ask what I was up to. I mentioned I’d done a new song and was going to get Kasey Chambers to sing on it and I might do an EP with a couple of other love songs I’ve always loved,” Field explained.

“And Jimmy said why stop there? Do an album. He told me to write some songs with my brother John – he’s written more than 300 songs for The Wiggles – and I could use his studio.”

Barnes would drop by the sessions, which also featured Chambers’ father Bill playing guitar and Field’s brother John helping to produce. And the rocker was clearly angling to be on the record.

“I kept offering to get them coffee!” Barnes said about his non-subtle approach to getting on the mic.

“I’d heard a few bits and pieces they were working on and they were such great songs and sounded so beautiful.”

The pair chose You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere because of their shared love of Bob Dylan. The only sticking point was which version of the much-covered track to interpret.

Field sent Barnes about five different takes on it and in the end, the rocker ignored them all and just winged it in the studio on the day.

“With all these songs, they are seriously the ones I love; if you look at my Spotify playlists, they’re all on there,” Field said.

“Jimmy is such an awesome performer and our version has that immediacy because he just did it in the moment on the day.”

You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere is out now; Love Songs For Lonely People is released on June 4.