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)
The Queen And Me
Mondo Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had a front row seat
You shone so bright
Rather than up and go
I thought that we should meet
Tonight, tonight
The Queen and me
That this ever would have happened to me
The Queen and me
Who could see
That this ever would have happened to me
You are the best one of them all
I′ve got your picture on my bedroom wall
Well after we went for drinks
You said you hate the road
So far from home
That made me stop and think
That someone who'd hit the top
Could still be all alone
The Queen and me
Who could see
That this ever would have happened to me
The Queen and me
Who could see
That this ever would have happened to me
You are the best one of them all
I′ve got your picture on my bedroom wall
Oh, you are the best one of them all
I've got your picture on my bedroom wall
The Queen and me
Who could see
That this ever would have happened to me
The Queen and me
Who could see
That this ever would have happened to me (To be with you)
The Queen and me (To be to be true)
Who could see (To be with you)
That this ever would have happened to me (To be with you)
The Queen and me (To be to be true)
Who could see (To be with you)
That this ever would have happened to me (To be with you)
The song "The Queen and Me" by Mondo Rock tells the story of a fan or admirer who attends a concert of a performer whom they idolize. The fan has a front-row seat at the concert and sees the performer shine so brightly that the fan is even more impressed. The fan then meets the performer after the show and they go for drinks.
During their conversation, the performer reveals a vulnerability - their dislike for being continuously on the road away from home. This points out that stardom can also have its pitfalls, and fame may not necessarily bring happiness. The interaction between the fan and the performer grows, and they share a bond created by the intimacy of the conversation.
In the chorus of the song, the fan remarks that he had never imagined being in the presence of the queen (the artist who is the object of the fan's admiration) himself, let alone bonding with her. The phrase "You are the best one of them all; I've got your picture on my bedroom wall" emphasizes the level of adoration this fan has for the band or artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I have seen your show
I have watched your performance
I had a front row seat
I was seated closest to the stage
You shone so bright
You gave an outstanding performance
Rather than up and go
Instead of leaving after the show
I thought that we should meet
I wanted to meet you in person
Tonight, tonight
Let's meet tonight
The Queen and me
You and I, together
Who could see
No one could have predicted
That this ever would have happened to me
That we would meet and connect
You are the best one of them all
You are the best performer
I′ve got your picture on my bedroom wall
I admire you so much, I have your picture in my room
Well after we went for drinks
After we had a drink together
You said you hate the road
You dislike travelling for performances
So far from home
Being away from home is difficult
That made me stop and think
It caused me to reflect
That someone who'd hit the top
A successful performer like you
Could still be all alone
Could still feel lonely
To be with you
I want to be with you
To be to be true
It seems unreal to be with you
Contributed by Charlotte H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@montbrehain
So lovely to see the beautiful Megan Williams in this video... a great actress who left us much much too soon. Rest well Megan.... you are not forgotten xxx
@GreenDistantStar
We were pals in primary school, she was a talent even then. RIP princess.