Another Son
Well-Known Member
It seems fairly certain that Richard had a copy of John Farnham's million-selling 'Whispering Jack' album because he chose three of the singles from it for his artists to later record. "You're the Voice" is the first song in question. This was a Number One for John Farnham in a few countries about three years before Richard produced it for Scott Grimes and a Top 10 in a number of other countries. However, it was not initially a hit of any kind in the US, and its track record overseas was possibly why Richard, etc., felt it had potential as a new version there. John Farnham's version eventually reached the lower end of the Top 100 in the US when re-released in 1990, four years after it was a hit elsewhere.
In Australia, John Farnham's 'You're the Voice' stayed at Number One for seven weeks after entering the charts at the beginning of October, 1986, and propelled the album from which it came, 'Whispering Jack', to sell over one and a half million copies in a country with a population less than 20 million, at the time. 'Whispering Jack' held the Number One position on the Australian charts for almost six months.
Surprisingly, Scott Grimes' version of 'You're the Voice' has a dinky, tinny electronic keyboard sound. It's surprising that Richard chose this approach, I feel. Scott Grimes' version certainly doesn't have the strong anthemic feel or the power and energy that the lyrics and melody of the song call for, in my opinion.
'Pressure Down' was a second big hit from 'Whispering Jack' for John Farnham. It reached Number 4 in Australia after entering the top listings at the end of 1986 and stayed on the charts for six months. It was amongst the twenty biggest-selling singles of the following year. It was a Top 40 in a few other countries. Richard also chose this song for the Scott Grimes album. Once again, as producer, he chose a sort of cheap karaoke-style sound in the keyboard department for his version of 'Pressure Down'. The original had power and energy but I think Richard chose an approach that made Scott Grimes' version seem like a watered down attempt.
The third song released as a single from John Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' album that Richard later recorded as producer with another artist was 'A Touch of Paradise'. This song was a moderate hit for John Farnham at the beginning of 1987. Richard produced a version of the song for Veronique in 1989. I haven't heard Veronique's version for a few years, but from memory, it's quite reasonable. The song was originally recorded by Aussie group Mondo Rock and was co-written by their lead singer, Ross Wilson, who was quite a close aquaintance of John Farnham.
It does appear to me that someone in the Richard camp was at least aware of John Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' album because the fact that three songs, all singles, from it were later produced by Richard for other artists seems more than a coincidence.
In Australia, John Farnham's 'You're the Voice' stayed at Number One for seven weeks after entering the charts at the beginning of October, 1986, and propelled the album from which it came, 'Whispering Jack', to sell over one and a half million copies in a country with a population less than 20 million, at the time. 'Whispering Jack' held the Number One position on the Australian charts for almost six months.
Surprisingly, Scott Grimes' version of 'You're the Voice' has a dinky, tinny electronic keyboard sound. It's surprising that Richard chose this approach, I feel. Scott Grimes' version certainly doesn't have the strong anthemic feel or the power and energy that the lyrics and melody of the song call for, in my opinion.
'Pressure Down' was a second big hit from 'Whispering Jack' for John Farnham. It reached Number 4 in Australia after entering the top listings at the end of 1986 and stayed on the charts for six months. It was amongst the twenty biggest-selling singles of the following year. It was a Top 40 in a few other countries. Richard also chose this song for the Scott Grimes album. Once again, as producer, he chose a sort of cheap karaoke-style sound in the keyboard department for his version of 'Pressure Down'. The original had power and energy but I think Richard chose an approach that made Scott Grimes' version seem like a watered down attempt.
The third song released as a single from John Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' album that Richard later recorded as producer with another artist was 'A Touch of Paradise'. This song was a moderate hit for John Farnham at the beginning of 1987. Richard produced a version of the song for Veronique in 1989. I haven't heard Veronique's version for a few years, but from memory, it's quite reasonable. The song was originally recorded by Aussie group Mondo Rock and was co-written by their lead singer, Ross Wilson, who was quite a close aquaintance of John Farnham.
It does appear to me that someone in the Richard camp was at least aware of John Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' album because the fact that three songs, all singles, from it were later produced by Richard for other artists seems more than a coincidence.