The most famous line-up consisted of prolific songwriters Ross Wilson (ex Daddy Cool) and guitarist Eric McCusker (who luckily pestered Wilson to let him join, doing three auditions, after the initial outing of Mondo Rock had lost momentum) as well as Paul Christie on bass (ex-Kevin Borich Express, who later formed The Party Boys), John James "J. J." Hackett, ex-Stars, on drums, and the versatile James Black (now leading the RocKwiz TV show house band on SBS) on keyboards and guitar. This line-up recorded the second LP Chemistry, out July 1981. The first LP was Primal Park (1979).
The group had numerous successes on the Australian charts. Early hits included Fugitive Kind, Chemistry, State Of The Heart, and Cool World - the latter three collected on their award-winning second album Chemistry. 1980s teen-idol Rick Springfield recorded a version of McCusker's State Of The Heart some years later, making the U.S Top 40.
Further success followed in 1982 with the release of their third LP Nuovo Mondo, spawning the Top 10 single No Time, as well as the Top 40 hits The Queen And Me and the haunting In Another Love. John Farnham recorded a version of A Touch Of Paradise contained on this album, which became a Top 20 single from his 1986 Whispering Jack album.
They had to wait until 1984's The Modern Bop LP for their biggest success however. It came from the McCusker penned "Come Said the Boy", a provocative tale about the loss of virginity , which was banned at the time of release by many radio stations including Sydney's then top-rated 2SM. This failed to stop the song's momentum though, and it went on to become the band's most successful single, peaking at number 2 on the Australian charts in 1984, and is still played on radio today. The album featured two more minor hits - Baby Wants To Rock, and the title track The Modern Bop. In the same year, Ross Wilson wrote the song Bop Girl which his wife Pat Wilson recorded. The song was a major hit in Australia, cracking the Top 5.
Things were cooling by 1986's new recording Boom Baby Boom, however the group still scored a further two hit singles - Rule Of Threes and Primitive Love Rites - the latter being a minor hit in the U.S.
1990 saw their last recording of new material as Mondo Rock, in the Why Fight It LP. The singles released were Things Are Hotting Up and I Had You In Mind, however the group seemed to be running out of steam.
They still play together from time to time, and more recently starred in the 2006 Countdown Spectacular concerts (which were seen by more than 100,000 people throughout Australia), performing a medley of Cool World and Summer Of '81, and a full version of Come Said The Boy.
Ross Wilson dabbled in a solo career and had success with the single Bed Of Nails. (from Wikipedia)
Happy Families
Mondo Rock Lyrics
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Many a dubious history
Of how a man met a woman and young hearts did run free
Oh well, I never met a woman that I didn't like
But only one of them has earned the right
To share my life, spend some time with me
And start a little family
That's the way it ought to be
Happy families
In the beginning there was only me
Then I met you and suddenly
I learned the meaning of propinquity
Oh well, another generation has come to pass
Not much different from the last
They all wanna be like you and me
With their own happy family
Happy families
We're fighting for the right to be
Happy families
If you gotta bring the bacon home
Don't wanna have to eat alone
You wanna walk through the door and see
Your own happy family
We could form a dancing troupe
We could start a singing group
Endless possibilities
When I got a happy family
Happy families
That's the way it ought to be
Happy families
You need a couple of mouths to feed
Happy families
We're fighting for the right to be
Happy families
Well if you want a happy family
You gotta work at it constantly
Let no-one come between
You and the family
The song "Happy Families" by Mondo Rock talks about the desire to have a happy family. The lyrics start by mentioning the many stories of how people meet and fall in love, but the singer has only found one woman who he likes enough to start a family with. He believes that having a happy family is the way things ought to be. He then talks about how he met his partner and how being in a relationship has taught him the importance of being close to someone. He believes that people have been trying to emulate his relationship through generations and that everyone wants to have their own happy family.
The chorus then repeats the desire for happy families and how they have to fight for the right to have one. The second verse mentions the desire to bring home the bacon but not want to eat alone. The song emphasizes the importance of family, and the singer believes that endless possibilities can come from having a happy family. The song ends by saying that people have to work hard constantly to maintain their happy family and not let anyone come between them.
Overall, the song emphasizes the importance and desire for a happy family. The lyrics speak of the joys of being in a loving relationship and the importance of family in one's life. The song is a reminder of the beauty and importance of having a happy family.
Line by Line Meaning
Open the book of love, you will see
If you look at the history of relationships, you will find many questionable stories.
Many a dubious history
There are many questionable stories about relationships.
Of how a man met a woman and young hearts did run free
These stories often involve youthful romance.
Oh well, I never met a woman that I didn't like
I generally get along with women.
But only one of them has earned the right
However, only one woman has earned a special place in my life.
To share my life, spend some time with me
She's the only one I want to share my life with and spend time with.
And start a little family
We want to start a family together.
Happy families, That's the way it ought to be, Happy families
We believe that happy families are the ideal.
In the beginning there was only me, Then I met you and suddenly, I learned the meaning of propinquity
I used to be alone, but after meeting you, I discovered the true value of closeness and intimacy.
Oh well, another generation has come to pass, Not much different from the last, They all wanna be like you and me, With their own happy family
The younger generation is not much different from us and also wants to have a happy family.
If you gotta bring the bacon home, Don't wanna have to eat alone, You wanna walk through the door and see, Your own happy family
If you're the breadwinner, you don't want to come home to an empty house; you want to see your happy family.
We could form a dancing troupe, We could start a singing group, Endless possibilities, When I got a happy family
With a happy family, anything is possible.
You need a couple of mouths to feed
Having children to feed is an important part of family life.
We're fighting for the right to be, Happy families
We're willing to fight for the right to have a happy family.
Well if you want a happy family, You gotta work at it constantly, Let no-one come between, You and the family
Having a happy family takes constant effort and you need to protect it from outside influences.
Writer(s): Ross Wilson
Contributed by Gabriel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.