Cold Chisel produced the canonical example of Australian pub rock, with a s… Read Full Bio ↴Cold Chisel produced the canonical example of Australian pub rock, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they are acknowledged as one of the most popular and successful Australian groups of the period, although this success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to Australia.
The band formed in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy metal band called Orange around keyboard player Don Walker and original bassist Les Kascmarek and while hard rock remained at the core of their sound Cold Chisel displayed a remarkable versatility. When Kascmarek left in 1975, Walker became the major creative force of the band. Built around Walker's superb songwriting, the group also featured the dazzling guitar and vocal talents of Ian Moss and the enormously powerful lead vocals of Scottish immigrant Jimmy Barnes.
While typically classified as a hard-driving rock and roll band, the Chisel repertoire included such Australian anthems as the landmark Vietnam War song "Khe Sanh", "Bow River", "Flame Trees" and "Saturday Night", but also included thoughtful ballads like "Choir Girl" (written about the subject of abortion), pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on the late-70s government of Malcolm Fraser and inspired by a riot at a Newcastle pub. The music was not political in context, however Walker's songs were observations of everyday life within the Australian society and culture. One song from this period, "Misfits", which featured on the b-side to "My Baby", was written in the same vein as Chuck Berry, and was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney.
Cold Chisel weren't just a band, they were a lifestyle for many of their followers, who were known as some of the roughest in the land. This gave Chisel their hard living approach to their music and made them a tough live band as well. More than 30 years after they originally played together, they attract generation after generation of new listeners. This is also evidence of Chisel's dominance of the pub rock era. They are the only Australian band to have sold more records after breakup than before and are among other bands that have become transgenerational. "Khe Sanh" consistently ranks highly in lists of Australia's most popular songs and their music remains a staple of rock station playlists. The Ian Moss song "Never Before" (from the East LP) was chosen by FM rock station 2JJJ (Triple Jay) as the first record played on-air when the station made its transition from AM to FM in 1980.
By 1983 the band had reached the zenith of their career in Australia and with overseas markets reluctant to accept them, Cold Chisel began to disintegrate. Their abortive US sojourn was commemorated in Barnes' excoriating rocker "You Got Nothing I Want" from the Circus Animals album, an emotional volume created from the frustration of the band’s experiences overseas.
Increasing internal tensions and the pressures of touring took their toll and Steve Prestwich -- who was often in conflict with Barnes -- left the band, to be replaced by veteran Australian drummer Ray Arnott (ex Spectrum). Shortly afterward, in 1984, Cold Chisel announced their split and a series of farewell concerts, for which Prestwich re-joined. That tour became a legend in itself and was not without incident when Barnes lost his voice before the Sydney shows, which then had to be rescheduled. The band's final performance was filmed for the documentary concert film The Last Stand, which remains to this day the best-selling concert film of any single Australian act.
In mid 2011 the group announced a series of upcoming concerts.
The band formed in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy metal band called Orange around keyboard player Don Walker and original bassist Les Kascmarek and while hard rock remained at the core of their sound Cold Chisel displayed a remarkable versatility. When Kascmarek left in 1975, Walker became the major creative force of the band. Built around Walker's superb songwriting, the group also featured the dazzling guitar and vocal talents of Ian Moss and the enormously powerful lead vocals of Scottish immigrant Jimmy Barnes.
While typically classified as a hard-driving rock and roll band, the Chisel repertoire included such Australian anthems as the landmark Vietnam War song "Khe Sanh", "Bow River", "Flame Trees" and "Saturday Night", but also included thoughtful ballads like "Choir Girl" (written about the subject of abortion), pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on the late-70s government of Malcolm Fraser and inspired by a riot at a Newcastle pub. The music was not political in context, however Walker's songs were observations of everyday life within the Australian society and culture. One song from this period, "Misfits", which featured on the b-side to "My Baby", was written in the same vein as Chuck Berry, and was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney.
Cold Chisel weren't just a band, they were a lifestyle for many of their followers, who were known as some of the roughest in the land. This gave Chisel their hard living approach to their music and made them a tough live band as well. More than 30 years after they originally played together, they attract generation after generation of new listeners. This is also evidence of Chisel's dominance of the pub rock era. They are the only Australian band to have sold more records after breakup than before and are among other bands that have become transgenerational. "Khe Sanh" consistently ranks highly in lists of Australia's most popular songs and their music remains a staple of rock station playlists. The Ian Moss song "Never Before" (from the East LP) was chosen by FM rock station 2JJJ (Triple Jay) as the first record played on-air when the station made its transition from AM to FM in 1980.
By 1983 the band had reached the zenith of their career in Australia and with overseas markets reluctant to accept them, Cold Chisel began to disintegrate. Their abortive US sojourn was commemorated in Barnes' excoriating rocker "You Got Nothing I Want" from the Circus Animals album, an emotional volume created from the frustration of the band’s experiences overseas.
Increasing internal tensions and the pressures of touring took their toll and Steve Prestwich -- who was often in conflict with Barnes -- left the band, to be replaced by veteran Australian drummer Ray Arnott (ex Spectrum). Shortly afterward, in 1984, Cold Chisel announced their split and a series of farewell concerts, for which Prestwich re-joined. That tour became a legend in itself and was not without incident when Barnes lost his voice before the Sydney shows, which then had to be rescheduled. The band's final performance was filmed for the documentary concert film The Last Stand, which remains to this day the best-selling concert film of any single Australian act.
In mid 2011 the group announced a series of upcoming concerts.
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The Complete Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel Lyrics
All For You I get home & clean up, I put on my…
Breakfast at Sweethearts Campbell lane Through the window, curtain rain Long night go…
Build This Love Build this love Build this love Build this love Build this l…
Conversations - 2011 Remastered Kneeling at the hotel reception Violin a-sobbing on his knee…
Dead And Laid To Rest How many torments I’ve had in my time? Was looking for lov…
Everybody Everybody wants to be a wannabe Living in a limousine Everyb…
F-111 Birds fly up as I pull into town Desert storm as…
Flame Trees Kids out driving saturday afternoon just pass me by And I'm…
Georgia On My Mind Georgia, Georgia The whole day through (the whole day throug…
Ghost Town (2011 Remastered) I've been forty days and forty nights In television land I'd…
Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye) Open up the door Astrid, cause I'm comin' down the…
Home and Broken Hearted Hiked up to Sydney in the week before Christmas It was…
HQ454 Monroe You tell me that you’re leaving me For someone you believe…
I Gotta Get Back On The Road There’s a lone jet-trail west of the moon Nothing for a…
I'm Gonna Roll Ya No copulation, no revolution Said the young Marquis de Sade…
Juliet Jet-lag cramps the lonely face Cheek-bones pinched and tired…
Khe Sanh I left my heart to the sappers 'round Khe Sanh And…
Knocking On Heaven's Door Mama, take this badge off of me I can't use it…
Merry-Go-Round - 2011 Remastered I cried my tears in a glass of tequila For a…
Missing A Girl Looking through the tarmac rain At the rows of giant…
Mona And The Preacher Walker The street boys are waiting for the late late show…
Mr. Crown Prosecutor - 2011 Remastered Mr. crown prosecutor no matter what i say or do you take…
No Plans I'm standing in the sun, smoking a cigarette, no plans…
Northbound Northbound train Take me home again Northbound train Blow…
Nothing but You There's a woman, oh don't you know Always on my mind I…
One Long Day City life is closing in on me The way things go,…
Our Old Flame It’s the eyes that give the game away As I come…
Pretty Little Thing Pretty little thing there's a smoky moon Pretty little thing…
Standing on the Outside Standing on the outside lookin' in Standing on the outside l…
Summer Moon Driving the nightshift again Driving the nightshift again …
The Door Baby baby The telephone's ringin' again What do I say, are…
The Horizon The horizon is wider than it used to be I ain’t…
The Last Wave of Summer On the last wave of summer I lost my soul to…
The Party's Over Walker Hey, when I walk with you The ancient streets, th…
The Things I Love in You Sittin' on the corner drinkin' my beer Told all the others…
This Day I’m gonna find a way to make this day The best…
Too Late Got the news Just today Somebody told me To get here righ…
Twentieth Century Standing on this intersection Yelling for my change Watching…
When the Sun Goes Down Walker Oh! When the sun goes down Oh! When the sun goes…
When the War Is Over Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away Ain't nobody gonna …
Wild Colonial Boy I am a wild colonial boy My name you'll never see My…
Wild Thing (Live) Let's do it Workin' all week 9 to 5 for my…
You Got Nothing I Want You got nothing I want You got nothing I need You got…
Gary Holland (Mossy & CC Fan from The States~!)
on Red Sand (2011 Remastered)
Human Trafficking is, clearly , nothing new to this Wicked World~!