November 2015 saw th… Read Full Bio ↴New album TOON TOWN LULLABY released July 2020.
November 2015 saw the release of ALL THE HITS LIVE, an album recorded earlier that year at Perth's Astor Theatre. James released a brand new album THIRTEEN in March 2012, containing the singles English Girls, Capsize and Whatcha Gonna Do About It?
James Reyne came to recognition to the Australian public as lead singer of classic Australian band Australian Crawl in the 1970's. They had a number of hits including "Reckless", "Boys Light Up", "Beautiful People", "Shutdown", "Errol", "Oh No Not You Again" and "Downhearted"
After the band split in 1986, James spent some time in the United States and Europe, returning to Australia in 1987.
His first solo album, "JAMES REYNE" (1987) went triple platinum and included three top 10 singles: "Fall Of Rome", "Hammerhead" and "Motors Too Fast". Other singles from this album included "Always The Way" and "Ript It Up".
In the following years James released more solo albums, "HARD REYNE" (1989) which contaimed the Top 40 singles "House Of Cards", "One More River" and "Trouble In Paradise".
In 1991 James returned with his most successful Australian album "ELECTRIC DIGGER DANDY"(1991), which effortlessly mirrored the success of the first. This album contained the smash hits "Slave", "Any Day Above Ground" and "Some People'", plus a reworking of the Aussie Crawl song "Reckless".
James joined country music star James Blundell and recorded the classic Dingoes song "WAY OUT WEST" which exploded into the number 1 position on the Australian charts in 1992.
He next joined Daryl Braithwaite, Jef Scott and Simon Hussey on the very successful album "THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS" in 1993 which included the top 40 hits "Motor City", "Sweet Love" and "Daddy's Gonna Make You A Star".
James then returned to Los Angeles to record with renowned producer Stewart Levine, arriving back in 1994 with the critically acclaimed CD "THE WHIFF OF BEDLAM". The album was a departure in sound for James and featured a more organic sound, complete with brass section. The album spawned the hits "Red Light Avenue", "Day In The Sun" and the final single "It's Only Natural" in 1995.
While touring the album in Australia and overseas during this period, James released the energetic and profilic double Live album titled LIVE IN RIO, recorded in Brazil. A single "Oh No Not You Again" was featured from this CD.
Throughout his career James has appeared in several and varied theatrical, film and television productions and concert events, the more visible of these including "Return To Eden", "Tina; What's Love Got To Do With It?", television drama "State Coroner" and "The Little Shop Of Horrors" (1996)
While signing to Roadshow Music in 1997, James headed into the studio with famed producer and produced a single "Brand New Emperor's Clothes", to be featured on a forthcoming album.
In 1999 James recorded and released the CD "DESIGN FOR LIVING" with friends and brothers Scott and Brett Kingman. Arguably the most critically applauded album of his career, it further cemented his position as a unique, witty, thoughtful and challenging songwriter and singer. This album featured the singles "Wonderful Today", "Not Waving, Drowning" and the classic live favourite "Reno".
2004 saw the completion of "SPEEDBOATS FOR BREAKFAST", released on Liberation Records. It was a self funded project and saw James break free of the record company restrictions and allowed to him to be in control creatively. Radio-only singles "Bug" and "Rainbows Dead End" were featured on this CD.
Rainbows Dead End Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFaXnfZbBAs
As part of the Liberation Blue Accoustic series, James released two highly successgful accoustic albums in recent times. …"AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON"" which allowed James to revisit many of the above titles with little more than a lone acoustic guitar underpinning the most distinctive voice of his generation.
More reworkings of his solo and Australian Crawl material were sounded on "GHOST SHIP" released in 2007.
2007 saw the release of James 8th Studio album. "EVERY MAN A KING" closing a 30-year circle since James first led Australian Crawl into the front line of the Oz rock boom. His eye and pen grew sharper through a platinum-lined solo career, but never have his wit and poignancy been on more consistently solid musical ground than they are here. Stand-out tracks include "Little Man You've Had a Busy Day", "Light In The Tunnel" and "The Postman".
Following a live DVD release in late 2007, titled "One Night In Melbourne", a CD/DVD of the show was available in 2009. The show was filmed and recorded at Melbourne's Palais Theatre and saw James perform 30 songs from his vast catalogue.
One project, titled JAMES REYNE SINGS THE KING has James performing and re-interpreting 14 classic Elvis Presley songs. The album TCB was released in April 2010. A dedicated website has been set up to support the project. http://www.jamesreyneTCB.com
A new album, Thirteen was released in March 2012.
Rip It Up
James Reyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Water's cold as ice
This river's running deeper
Water's cold as ice
While we ricocheted from doorways
And rolled the liar's dice
Now would you ever hurt me
Now would you ever hurt me, baby
Or leave me in the lurch?
Do dogs chase after passing cars?
Do nuns kneel down in church?
Rushing waters, sleeping daughters
Rip it up, rip it up
There's a message from my baby
Lipstick on the fridge
There's a message from my baby
Lipstick on the fridge
It says, James, don't wait up for me
Ah, take it to the bridge and drop it in the water
When I call, I call your name
You're not there, you're still to blame
When you're gone, I feel the shame
When I call, I call your name
You're not there, you're still to blame
When your gone I feel the shame
Rip it up
You always had a soft spot
For an educated tongue
You always had a soft spot baby
For an educated tongue
I could've been your Henry Higgins
Could've been my Pygmalion
In James Reyne's song Rip It Up, the singer describes a situation where he is in a deep and treacherous river, with cold water and questionable companions. He muses on the potential for betrayal, asking whether his companions would hurt him or leave him "in the lurch", and compares it to unlikely occurrences such as dogs chasing cars or nuns kneeling in church. The singer sees rushing waters and sleeping daughters, and urges for something to be "ripped up", though it's unclear what exactly that means. In the second stanza, the singer finds a message from his lover, telling him not to wait up for her and to "take it to the bridge and drop it in the water", which adds a sense of foreboding and unease to the situation. The song concludes with the singer lamenting the absence of his lover, while also acknowledging that she had a fondness for educated men.
The lyrics of Rip It Up draw heavily on imagery of danger and uncertainty, particularly in the form of the river. The water is described as "cold as ice", and it's clear that the singer feels in over his head. At the same time, the image of the river can symbolize the flow of life and the many twists and turns it can take. The question of whether the singer's companions will betray him or not is one that many people can relate to, and the comparison to unlikely scenarios adds a touch of humor to an otherwise serious situation. The final stanza speaks to the universal experience of missing someone who has gone away, while also hinting at the idea that the singer may have been trying to change himself for the sake of his lover.
Line by Line Meaning
This river's running deeper
Water's cold as ice
This river's running deeper
Water's cold as ice
While we ricocheted from doorways
And rolled the liar's dice
The current of our relationship is growing more intense with a chilling sensation. It's like we're taking intermittent actions while constantly gambling with our words that might prove to be dishonest.
Now would you ever hurt me
Or leave me in the lurch?
Now would you ever hurt me, baby
Or leave me in the lurch?
Do dogs chase after passing cars?
Do nuns kneel down in church?
I'm just curious if you'd ever betray me or abandon me during trying times. My question might seem futile, but it's as absurd as dogs chasing after swiftly moving cars or nuns not praying when in a church.
Rushing waters, sleeping daughters
Rip it up, rip it up
The water's flow is rapid and strong, just like daughters are asleep without a worry. Tear everything apart with abandon.
There's a message from my baby
Lipstick on the fridge
There's a message from my baby
Lipstick on the fridge
It says, James, don't wait up for me
Ah, take it to the bridge and drop it in the water
My girlfriend is indirectly telling me to move on when I see the message she has left on the fridge. James, don't wait up for me. Whatever is keeping her from returning home, she wants me to leave her behind.
When I call, I call your name
You're not there, you're still to blame
When you're gone, I feel the shame
When I call, I call your name
You're not there, you're still to blame
When your gone I feel the shame
Whether or not I call your name, you remain elusive, and it's your doing that our relationship has crumbled. In your absence, it's me who bears the brunt of the responsibility for the failure of our apparently perfect togetherness.
You always had a soft spot
For an educated tongue
You always had a soft spot baby
For an educated tongue
I could've been your Henry Higgins
Could've been my Pygmalion
You've always been attracted to intellect and articulate communication. If only you had noticed my gift for that, I could have been your Henry Higgins who turned you into a polished version of yourself, like Pygmalion.
Rip it up
Tear everything apart with abandon.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVITT SIGERSON, JAMES MICHAEL REYNE, JEFFREY SCOTT GIBSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fraze2000
The bass player's mullet is simply spectacular.
@riprex2072
LOL, Absolutely FILTHY 👌
@gabriel222
Now Billy Joel’s bass player!
@andrewbryce7927
Classic mullet for bogens. 😅😄😅🤣
@davidhauser2665
Andy is playing for Billy Joel now after a decade with Shanoa Twain
@Dickusification
And his playing is spectacular as well
@andreasquillace7876
after 40 years a discover this gem...thanks to share.
@zeldarose7167
Gosh, who wasn’t wearing 501 lee jeans and a white t shirt circa 1987...?
@joannece6256
Still sounds fantastic after all these years!
@aliana5755
I never noticed before how hot James Reyne is,he's smokin!