Born in Dagenham, East London, United Kingdom, Farnham spent the first years of his life in England before migrating to Australia in 1959. As an undistinguished student, he began a plumbing apprenticeship before taking leave from that to pursue music.
The Little River Band era
From 1981 until 1984, he fronted Little River Band after singer Glenn Shorrock departed. This was a move away from cabaret and into rock music. As Little River Band was a successful band prior to Farnham joining the group, it was a surprise that with Farnham the band found little success initially. Due to the previous success by Little River Band and Farnham's own early career, Capitol Records continued to fund the band for albums and tours, but still to no avail. In their desperation to bring a return from the cost of the band, Capitol Records brought out a "Greatest Hits" album, however that caused even more financial problems for the band.
During this time, Farnham did vocal tracks for movies just to earn some extra money including for the movies "Fletch," "The Slugger's Wife," "Savage Streets," "Voyage of the Rock Aliens" and "Rad".
With Farnham, Little River Band recorded three albums, which had some modest success, though not enough to pay back the advances the record company had given the band. The first album, The Net, was already written and Farnham had no say in the songs, he just had to record his lead vocals.
They recorded a concert in Melbourne that aired in the United States on HBO. The concert video was only one hour long, and it highlighted some of the songs from The Net as well as reworked versions of Little River Band classics such as "Cool Change" and "Reminiscing". "Please Don't Ask Me", a song written by Graeham Goble, and a hit for Farnham almost three years previously, was played during the Australian opening of the show. Despite positive Australian and US reviews and responses, this performance has not yet been released on VHS or DVD (nor is there any plan announced to).
In 1986, after releasing the third Little River Band studio album, No Reins, Farnham left the band. In an interview with Channel Seven, he stated, "I'll be better off leaving, rather than putting myself under pressure that I've created." Through this matter, it became apparent to the band that Farnham was intending on leaving and No Reins' lead single "Playing to Win," a song believed by all to be the band's return to success, then started having authorship disputes. As a result, Farnham's relationship with the band was further sullied. To date, the roylaties for the song are meticulously divided with different shares to each of the song's contributors.
Whispering Jack and the return to solo
Farnham's first solo experience since 1980, was doing some live shows with a band consisting of Brett Garsed, Sam See and Derrick Pellicci. Only two weeks' worth of bookings were made but the reaction was so good that they extended it for another week. Because of this success, record producer, Ross Fraser suggested to manager, Glenn Wheatley that it might be time to start working on a solo album.
In 1986, with the aid of Wheatley, and under considerable financial pressure that forced Wheatley to use his house as collateral to fund the album, Farnham began work on Whispering Jack, searching for songs with Fraser. "A Touch Of Paradise" was one that came in, written by Mondo Rock's Ross Wilson. The album was almost ready to be recorded when a tape arrived from London with similar material as "Pressure Down". Fraser listened to the song "You're The Voice" and knew they had found a once in a lifetime song.
Whispering Jack took a year to plan, 6 weeks in a garage, 1 week putting it all onto a tape in the studio, another week of keyboard adjustments, and a further week adding guitar, bagpipes, and saxophones, before laying down the vocals in 3 weeks.
Initially, public interest in the rebranded former teen-idol was difficult to cultivate, and radio stations refused to play the album. Things however started to change when Sydney radio station 2Day FM started to play the first single from the album, "You're the Voice". Henceforth, radio stations began receiving requests for the song.
Whispering Jack would go on to become the highest-selling album in Australia at the time, selling over one million copies and remaining the number one album on the Australian ARIA Charts for 27 weeks. "You're the Voice," was also a number one hit in several European countries, as well as in Australia. It was written by Chris Thompson, formerly of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. With the varied selection of songs used as well as meticulously singing his part, Farnham's pop-rock release was a highly successful breakthrough after a difficult time in his career in the events leading up to and the time with the Little River Band.
After the success of the album, the next step was a tour. The "Jack's Back Tour", originally had four performances in Melbourne, two in Sydney, two in Perth and two in Brisbane. Although at the time they thought this would have been enough considering they were up against such people as Michael Jackson and Billy Joel, the ticket sales suggested extending the tour. As a result, five more shows were added in Melbourne, three more in Sydney, and Brisbane's concert was moved to a larger venue. At that time the "Jack's Back Tour" was the highest grossing tour by Farnham to be surpassed fifteen years later with "The Last Time Tour".
In concert with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow
John Farnham toured with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow in "The Main Event". The concerts included comic musical "rivalry" between John Farnham and Anthony Warlow. The album from "The Main Event" tour with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow, was multi-platinum.
The next year, he took his birthday party on the road with the "I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour", teaming up with Kate Ceberano, Ross Wilson, James Reyne, Merril Bainbridge, Human Nature, and his son's band, Nana-Zhami. The first half of the show is a tribute to Farnham. Each guest sang two songs, one of their own and the other was their interpretation of a Farnham song. Some great home movies with some never before seen shots of John played in the background and each of the guests pay tribute to John in their own words, via a pre-recorded tape. The show opened with a huge blast of heavy metal from Nana-Zhami. They sang their own song, 'The Program' followed by their interpretation of John's 'Infatuation', from 'Uncovered'.
A major event of 1999 was the "Tour Of Duty" concert in Dili for the Australian troops, which featured Kylie Minogue, Doc Neeson, Gina Jeffreys, James Blundell, The Living End, Dili Allstars and the RMC Band. "Tour Of Duty" was the first concert of John Farnham's to be webcast[citation needed]. Held at Dili Stadium in front of 4000 troops, it was a special Christmas present to show appreciation and support for the troops stationed in East Timor, away from their families for Christmas. It was also a special treat for the thousands of East Timorese who danced and sang from every vantage point they could find[citation needed].
Millions around the world watched[citation needed] as Farnham sang "Dare To Dream" with Olivia Newton-John at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
[edit]The Last Tour - The Last Time
In 2002, Farnham released a new album, The Last Time, and held a countrywide concert tour, taking a circus-style tent to smaller towns. As the title suggested, this was to be Farnham's last major tour, but the singer, from the start, insisted that he was going to work live and hit the road for short periods of time again. He broke Australian touring records, performing with his 10-piece band from November to June 2003, becoming the seventh most profitable touring act in the world[citation needed].
"I'm not retiring, I'm just never going to undergo a major tour ever again," Farnham told a press conference promoting the album and the tour.
The album was launched in St. Kilda, at the famous Esplanade Hotel. Farnham had mentioned at a media conference that he would like to play someday at the Espy[citation needed]. A notice was put in a street magazine challenging John to do just that[citation needed]. Devotees of the singer gathered in the front bar of St Kilda grunge icon for an invitation-only gig.
Farnham returned to Cohuna where he had been "discovered" by Darryl Sambell in 1967. Following the announcement of regional dates, Farnham and the band performed a free concert. There were signs, yellow balloons, streamers and his music playing from speakers. The all day event was capped off with a huge party featuring the music of Farnham's former band, Strings Unlimited and fireworks.
The Last Time Tour included 6 states, 7 capital cities and 28 regional centres beginning with the preview show in Melbourne on November 6, 2002.
The Last Time Tour capital city concerts were held in large entertainment centres, whereas the regional concerts were performed in a 4000 seat air-conditioned tent. Two tents leapfrogged the country to enable the shows to set up on time. The site took 100 workers 1 1/2 days to set up but only 6 hours to pull down and the equipment was carried by a fleet of 6 semi-trailers, 13 trucks, 4 four-wheel drives and 2 cars.
After 89 shows and more than 210 days on the road, the Last Time Tour returned to Melbourne for the home town finale fans were hoping for[citation needed]. The final concert on June 15 2003 at Rod Laver Arena was telecast on Channel 7 enabling millions of people to witness Farnham's final "last time" concert. When Farnham left the stage, the crowd gave him a standing ovation that lasted more than 10 minutes. The night brought a close to the most extensive tour Australia has ever seen.[citation needed]
There is only "One Voice"
Later in 2003, Farnham worked with Queen to produce a new version of the worldwide favourite "We Will Rock You", released on his greatest hits album, "One Voice". Farnham was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame before a roof-raising performance of "You're The Voice". Media reports of Queen asking Farnham to join the band were subsequently denied by both Brian May and John.
In Concert With Tom Jones
Again feeling success in 2005, Farnham did ten concerts in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne with Welsh music veteran, Tom Jones. Two musical heavyweights walked out from the sides to perform "That Driving Beat" and "Mama Told Me Not To Come" together. Farnham then left the stage to let Tom perform a few solos before returning with 1972's "One" and raging through hits like "Pressure Down", "That's Freedom", "Heart's On Fire", "Playing To Win", "Man Of The Hour", "Help" and "Burn For You". The pair did five duets to close the show - Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming", Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness", Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", Stevie Wonder's "Sweet Soul Music" and AC/DC's anthem, "Long Way To The Top". The DVD released debuted at No 1. He also made an appearance at the Melbourne Music Festival, raising much needed funds for rebuilding after the 2004 Asian Tsunami.
Towards the end of 2005, Farnham pinned his colours firmly to the mast with a new studio album, I Remember When I Was Young: Songs From The Great Australian Songbook - covers of classics, written and performed by Australian artists over the last forty years. Farnham listened to over 150 Australian songs and chose just 13 tracks for the album, which was recorded with a quartet of double bass, Steinway piano, drums & guitar and augmented by the Sydney International String Section and a six piece brass selection.
The first single off the album was "Downhearted", a song the Australian Crawl famed on, but the title track was Matt Taylor and Chain's "I Remember When I Was Young". This was Farnham's first jazz album after thirty-eight years in the business.
Promoting the album on Channel Seven's "Dancing With The Stars", he explained his desire to make the album, "I left my heart back in the Orient, down on Bali Bay. It's not the way that I should feel, but it's the way I'm going to stay."
In February 2006, for four shows at the Sydney Opera House, he performed with the Sydney Symphony. He furthered this with shows at Hamer Hall, Melbourne. These shows were sponsored by Dairy Farmers and a percentage of revenue received from the 'I Remember When I was Young' concerts went to the Dairy Farmers 'Creating Greener Pastures' program to help farmers and their communities.
"For a singer, to be able to perform with a full symphony orchestra is as big as it can get. It is a rare opportunity that does not come often, and in February, I get the chance to do this in both Melbourne and Sydney," Farnham told journalist, Jim Mitchell.
On February 10, the morning before his third show with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, he was interviewed by Channel Nine's entertainment reporter, Richard Wilkins where he said, "It's great to be on stage with some of this country's greatest musicians. Tonight though is not just about the music. It's about something very close to my heart, Australia. I've seen first hand the sorts of challenges that Australian farmers face so through these concerts we're able to make a direct contribution into the Dairy Farmers 'Creating Greener Pastures'program to lend some added support to the rural community. It is a great cause. I hope you enjoy the show."
Sydney Opera House - Venue of 2006 Sydney Concert Series
Touring with Stevie Nicks
In early 2006 John embarked on a small Australian tour with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks for a series of live shows. Both artists had equal billing but unlike the Tom Jones shows, they did not sing together, but rather individually. The same backup singers from the tour, however, were used by Fleetwood Mac and John.
The current members of the John Farnham Band (as of 2006) are Lindsay Field, Lisa Edwards, Dannielle Gaha, Angus "The Mongrel" Burchall, Stuart Fraser, Craig Newman, Steve Williams, Chong Lim, Lachlan Davidson, Jordan Murray, Brett Garsed and Bob Coassin.
2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, Australia
Farnham sang at the closing of the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony, opening with his hit "Age Of Reason," followed by "I Remember When I Was Young" from his latest album release, "Playing to Win" from his Little River Band days, and finished with his anthem song, "You're the Voice." The athletes danced and partied around the centre stage, many of them taking advantage of the informal procedings to take pictures, and enjoy the festivities.
New DVD release
A DVD has recently been released of John at the Sydney Opera House, entitled John Farnham with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The DVD debuted at number 2 on the ARIA DVD charts, however has achieved number one position.
Twentieth Anniversary of Whispering Jack.
As the twentieth anniversary of Whispering Jack approaches, a special re-release of the CD and DVD of the tour that accompanied the album is planned to be released. The album, which remains the highest selling album in Australia, was released in 1986, and has outsold albums from artists such as Kylie Minogue is due to be released in November, with the current scheduled release date being November 6, 2006. Also, the 1986 release of Whispering Jack marks the 20th anniversary of the first, Australian-made CD. There have been no formal announcements for any tours related to commemorating the release or event.
http://www.johnfarnham.com.au
Thunder in Your Heart
John Farnham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the thrill of the moment
Taking a stand, you ain't gonna fall
You've always known it
They're dying to shake you,
Trying their best to break you
And though the going is rough, you're going home as a hero
Every move is like a lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
Cry of the wind, spirit of fire
The heart of a lion
Taking control, burning desire
Your flame never dying
Don't lose that feeling
Don't ever stop believing
There's one more moment of truth and you're gonna face it
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like a lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
When they hear your heart of thunder.
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
There is thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
The lyrics to John Farnham's song Thunder in Your Heart are an empowering anthem that speak to the instinctual desire for adventure, risk-taking, and heroism that lies within us all. The song encourages the listener to take a chance, to risk everything for the thrill of the moment, and to believe in their own abilities even when faced with adversity. The verses describe the challenges and obstacles that we all encounter on our journey through life, including those who seek to shake us and break us. However, the chorus reminds us that there is power within us, a thunder in our hearts that fuels our every move and lights the way forward. It is a call to embrace our inner strength, to seize the moment, and to boldly strive towards our dreams.
The lyrics are set against a rock-influenced beat, with a driving bass-line and soaring guitar riffs that amplify the song's message of strength and vitality. The imagery used throughout the song invokes the natural elements - cry of the wind, spirit of fire, heart of a lion -heightening the sense of raw energy and power that lies within us. The repeated refrain of "there's thunder in your heart" is a motivational mantra that speaks to the universal human desire for achievement and victory, reminding us that we all have the potential to be heroes in our own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You're taking a chance, risking it all
You are taking a risk and putting everything on the line.
For the thrill of the moment
You are doing it for the rush and excitement of the present moment.
Taking a stand, you ain't gonna fall
You are standing up for your beliefs and won't be defeated.
You've always known it
You have had unwavering confidence in yourself all along.
They're dying to shake you,
Others are trying their hardest to intimidate and break you down.
Trying their best to break you
People are going to great lengths to break your spirit.
And though the going is rough, you're going home as a hero
Even though the journey is difficult, you will come out victorious in the end.
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
You possess an intense determination that fuels your actions.
Every move is like a lightning
Your actions are quick, decisive, and powerful, just like lightning.
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
The sense of power you feel when you achieve success is unmatched.
There's a fire gonna start
A spark of inspiration has ignited within you.
And you know they're going under
Your opponents will not be able to match your intensity and will lose.
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
Your inner strength is so powerful it can even light up the darkest of situations.
Cry of the wind, spirit of fire
You are driven by an intense passion and energy akin to the wind and fire.
The heart of a lion
You possess the strength and courage of a lion.
Taking control, burning desire
You are in control and have an insatiable desire to succeed.
Your flame never dying
Your determination and passion will never extinguish.
Don't lose that feeling
Don't forget the intense passion that fuels your drive for success.
Don't ever stop believing
Never lose faith in yourself and your abilities.
There's one more moment of truth and you're gonna face it
There is one final challenge to overcome, but you are ready to face it head-on.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@derricklasaga7375
LYRICS:
You're taking a chance, risking it all
For the thrill of the moment
Taking a stand, you ain't gonna fall
You've always known it
They're dying to shake you,
Trying their best to break you
And though the going is rough, you're going home as a hero
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like a lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
Cry of the wind, spirit of fire
The heart of a lion
Taking control, burning desire
Your flame never dying
Don't lose that feeling
Don't ever stop believing
There's one more moment of truth and you're gonna face it
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like a lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
When they hear your heart of thunder.
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
There is thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder
@Enterprise-D666
Thunder in your heart lyrics:
You're taking a chance, risking it all
For the thrill of the moment
Taking a stand, you ain't gonna fall
You've always known it
They're dying to shake you
Trying their best to break you
And though the going is rough, you're going home as a hero
Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder
Cry of the wind, spirit of fire
The heart of a lion
Taking control, burning desire
Your flame never dying
Don't lose that feeling
Don't ever stop believing
There's one more moment of truth and you're gonna face it
Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder
When they hear your heart of thunder
Cause there's thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder
There is thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder
@mikeytesh9613
Lyrics for you guys xx
You're taking a chance, risking it all
For the thrill of the party
Taking a stand, but you're gonna fall
You've always known it
They're dying to shake you,
They're going to break you
And though the going is rough, you're not strong enough to take it
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like a lightning
But the shadows in the dark, and you're to weak to break it
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
Cry of the wind, spirit of fire
The heart of a lion
Taking control, burning desire
Your flame never dying
Don't lose that feeling
Don't ever stop believing
There's one more moment of truth and you're gonna face it
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
Every move is like a lightning
It's the power you feel when you get your taste of the glory
There's a fire gonna start
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
When they hear your heart of thunder.
'Cause there's thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
There is thunder in your heart
And you know they're going under
You can light the dark when they hear your heart of thunder.
@Musiconcepts
As one or the writers of this song I thought you might like to know that it was written specifically for that scene in the movie. We were thrilled that John recorded the song. The record had a lot of power so we were really pleased with his performance. It was a fun record to get! Glad you all like it! Gloria S.
@Unknown90010
Thats awesome I loved this song as a kid I would have a cassette player and ride around on my bike 🚲 and listen to this thinking I could jump any ramp that was way too high lol do you still keep in touch with him cru Jones that is?
@stefanramirez7211
Amazing song. It really gets me feeling pumped up, even at my lowest times. THanks!!!
@DrSalvelinus
I'm 40 years old still getting goosebumps lol
@crujones4915
Glad we all liked it....that movie and this song is more than likely 90 percent of the reason BMX is what it is today. Where's Christian,I want to go ass-sliding before helltrack.
@ward845
This song embodies the scene so well
@landersstephen
This song deserves much more respect.
@futurefeet2939
Probably the most 80s song ever recorded.
@adamniccum8680
futurefeet still awesome though
@stefanramirez7211
That and Paul Engemann's "Push it to the Limit"