John Farnham the ‘apex predator’: film captures ‘giant’ singer at German festival
Resplendent in tight leather pants, a sleeveless black top and with his magnificent golden locks flowing, John Farnham looked a million bucks in 1987. But he sounded even better.
Resplendent in tight leather pants and a sleeveless black top that showed off his biceps, and with his magnificent golden locks flowing, John Farnham looked like a million bucks on that afternoon in Munich.
But he sounded even better, which is why the creators of an upcoming documentary about the British-born Australian singer decided to withhold Farnham’s signature song until he appeared at a German music festival before a huge crowd and gave a powerhouse performance of You’re the Voice.
“When you see him on that stage, he’s an apex predator,” executive producer and co-writer Paul Clarke told The Australian. “He is just completely relaxed in front of 150,000 people, and he’s really moved that they’re there and that they know who he is, and that they love the song. You can feel the emotion in his face, yet as he’s just walking on the stage, he’s a giant.”
Filmed as a multi-camera production by public broadcaster ZDF at the Rock Pop outdoor festival in June 1987, and later screened on German television, the footage was uncovered by Farnham’s manager, Glenn Wheatley.
Its appearance arrives more than an hour into the film, titled John Farnham: Finding the Voice.
The singer’s Munich performance is exhilarating and offers a portrait of an international pop star at the peak of his powers, the year after the release of his career-resurrecting album, Whispering Jack.
“Early on, we made the decision that we wouldn’t see a great version of You’re the Voice before we got to West Germany in 1987,” Clarke said.
“The director, Poppy (Stockell), came up with the idea of ‘finding the voice’: he had to find his integrity, like we all do; we have to work out who we are and then run with it. The first two acts of the film would be him being controlled by other people and not being able to really be himself.
“It was only when he becomes in control of his own destiny that things really start to happen and we start to get excited about who he is and what he’s doing – and you can hear this great voice for the first time.”
Among the cast of characters to feature in the documentary is Farnham’s friend and collaborator Olivia Newton-John, who chose to appear in voice only rather than on camera in what turned out to be her final interview just a few weeks before the beloved singer and actor died in August last year.
“When you hear her voice at the start of the film, to me, it’s heartbreaking, because she’s trying so hard,” Clarke said. “She sounds older, but there’s still that radiance that’s coming through. “But I love what she brought to the film, and how important John was to her story.”
John Farnham: Finding the Voice is in national cinema release from Thursday.
More Coverage
