Age of Reason (song)

Last updated

"Age of Reason"
Age of Reason (song) by John Farnham.jpg
Single by John Farnham
from the album Age of Reason
Released4 July 1988 (1988-07-04) [1]
Length5:08
Label Sony BMG, RCA, Wheatley
Songwriter(s) Todd Hunter, Johanna Pigott
Producer(s) Ross Fraser
John Farnham singles chronology
"Reasons"
(1987)
"Age of Reason"
(1988)
"Two Strong Hearts"
(1988)

"Age of Reason" is a song by Australian pop rock singer John Farnham. Written by Todd Hunter and Johanna Pigott, it was released as the first single from Farnham's 1988 album of the same name. The song topped Australia's ARIA Singles Chart for four weeks and became a top-five hit in New Zealand, where it peaked at number four. At the APRA Music Awards of 1990, the song won the Most Performed Australasian Popular Work award. [2]

Contents

Composition

"Age of Reason" was composed by Todd Hunter and partner Johanna Pigott, who had previously written the song "Rain" for Dragon and played together in the XL Capris. Pigott said, "You write songs and you're surprised at what you wrote sometimes, and you think, goodness, is that me, did I do that? It's not something you consider of perfect taste or anything, and someone records them and you think that's fantastic. It's a really exciting and thrilling thing." [3]

Music video

The music video for "Age of Reason" was filmed in 1988 and included six key scenes, with the Victorian Children's Choir in three of the sequences: running through a scrap metal yard, running down a hill behind Farnham, and standing in a warehouse as Farnham walks between them.

In the "making of" feature included on the One Voice: The Greatest Clips DVD, Farnham can be seen singing with the children after the film clip wraps shooting in the warehouse. They each received a copy of the track on vinyl.

Track listing

  1. "Age of Reason" (wxtended mix) – 7:42
  2. "Age of Reason" (album) – 5:08
  3. "When the War Is Over" – 4:49

Personnel

Charts

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Farnham</span> Australian singer

John Peter Farnham AO is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed until then as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist, although he replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon (band)</span> Rock band

Dragon are a New Zealand rock band which was formed in Auckland in January 1972, and, from 1975, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The band was originally fronted by singer Graeme Collins, but rose to fame with singer Marc Hunter and is currently led by his brother, bass player and vocalist Todd Hunter. The group performed, and released material, under the name Hunter in Europe and the United States during 1987.

<i>Sweet and Sour</i> (1984 TV series) Australian television series

Sweet and Sour was an Australian television series that screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1984. It was created by Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott and was produced internally for the ABC by Jan Chapman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under the Milky Way</span> 1988 song by The Church

"Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band the Church, released on 15 February 1988, and appears on their fifth studio album Starfish. The song was written by bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson of Curious (Yellow). It peaked at No. 22 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart, No. 24 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, No. 25 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and appeared in the Dutch Single Top 100. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, the song won 'Single of the Year'. It was issued simultaneously in both 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl formats by Arista Records (internationally) and Mushroom Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want You (Savage Garden song)</span> 1996 single by Savage Garden

"I Want You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. It was originally released in Australia on 27 May 1996 as the lead single from their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden (1997). The single reached number one in Canada for two weeks and peaked at number four in Australia and on the US Billboard Hot 100. Much of the song's chart success in the US was the result of Rosie O'Donnell playing the song on several episodes of The Rosie O'Donnell Show. The single also peaked at number nine in Iceland and at 11 on the UK Singles Chart. In November 1998, the single was re-released in the United Kingdom following the success of "Truly Madly Deeply" and "To the Moon and Back". This release peaked at number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Hunter</span> Musical artist

Todd Stuart Hunter is a New Zealand musician and composer known for his involvement in the band Dragon. Their best known songs are "April Sun in Cuba", "Are You Old Enough?", "Still in Love With You", and "Rain". Hunter also composed John Farnham's hit song "Age of Reason" with Johanna Pigott and music for film Daydream Believer (1991) and TV series Heartbreak High (1994–1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're the Voice</span> Song by John Farnham

"You're the Voice" is a song recorded by the Australian singer John Farnham released in 1986, which became an immediate hit in Australia as well as several European countries, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It was released as a single in September 1986 ahead of his album Whispering Jack, and was written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder, and Chris Thompson.

<i>Age of Reason</i> (album) 1988 studio album by John Farnham

Age of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by Australian pop singer John Farnham. It was released through BMG in Australia on 25 July 1988 and debuted at No. 1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart in August and remained on top for eight weeks. It was the follow-up to his previous No. 1 album, Whispering Jack, and was the highest-selling album in Australia in 1988. As of 1997, it was eight times platinum, indicating sales of over 560,000 units. It is also critically considered one of Farnham's best albums, with the title track "Age of Reason" and "Beyond the Call" being about the urgency for the world to wake up and solve its problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher Than Hope</span> 1991 single by Daryl Braithwaite

"Higher Than Hope" is the third single released by Daryl Braithwaite from his third studio album, Rise. The single was released in May 1991 and peaked at number 28 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 73 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart, his only single to chart in these countries. Braithwaite promoted the single in US from 18 June to 31 July 1990 and the music video was filmed in Los Angeles. It is also one of the few songs in Braithwaite's repertoire to feature him playing an instrument in addition to singing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Better Be Home Soon</span> 1988 single by Crowded House

"Better Be Home Soon" is a song written by Neil Finn and performed by rock band Crowded House. It appears on their second studio album, Temple of Low Men, which was later released in July 1988. The song was issued as a single in June 1988 by Capitol Records, peaking at number two on the Australian and New Zealand charts, number one on Canada's The Record chart, and number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Johanna Paton Pigott is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and screenwriter. Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in 1983, and John Farnham's "Age of Reason". "Rain" was co-written with her partner, Dragon's Todd Hunter, and his younger brother, Marc Hunter. When "Age of Reason" reached the top of the charts in July 1988, Pigott became the first Australian woman to have written a No. 1 hit. It was co-written with Todd Hunter.

<i>Whispering Jack</i> 1986 studio album by John Farnham

Whispering Jack is the twelfth studio album by Australian adult contemporary pop singer John Farnham. It was produced by Ross Fraser and released on 29 September 1986, peaking at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Album Charts. Whispering Jack became the second-best-selling album in Australia, behind only Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell, and the highest-selling album in Australia by an Australian artist―24x platinum, indicating over 1.68 million copies sold; it remains the third-best-selling album of all time in Australia, as Shania Twain's Come On Over eventually eclipsed it. It spent 25 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Album Charts during 1986–1987, it was awarded the 1987 ARIA Award for "Album of the Year", and it was the best-charting album for the decade of the 1980s in Australia. It was the first Australian-made album to be released on compact disc within Australia. One of Farnham's biggest hits, "You're the Voice", was issued as the lead single from this album and peaked at No. 1 on the Kent Music Report Singles Charts.

Lisa Anne Edwards is an Australian solo and session singer and musician. In July 1992 she had a top 5 hit on the ARIA Singles Chart with her cover version of Godley and Creme's "Cry". Edwards is primarily a backing vocalist and has worked for fellow Australian and international artists, including John Farnham and Kylie Minogue.

David Hirschfelder is an Australian musician, film score composer and performer. As a musician he has been a member of Little River Band and John Farnham Band. He has composed film scores for many films, including Strictly Ballroom, Australia, The Railway Man, The Water Diviner and The Dressmaker. He was nominated for Academy Awards for his scores for Shine and Elizabeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Sky Mine</span> 1990 single by Midnight Oil

"Blue Sky Mine" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in February 1990 as the first single from their seventh studio album, Blue Sky Mining (1990). The song was inspired by the experiences of workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mines who contracted various asbestos-related diseases. The "blue" refers to blue asbestos, and the "sugar refining company" mentioned in the lyrics refers to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Ltd, the owner of the mines.

<i>Chain Reaction</i> (John Farnham album) 1990 studio album by John Farnham

Chain Reaction is the 14th studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. It was released in Australia on 24 September 1990, becoming the highest selling album in Australia for that year, which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA albums chart. By the end of the following year it was accredited 7× platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 490,000 units.

<i>Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986–1997</i> 1997 greatest hits album by John Farnham

Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986–1997 is a greatest hits compilation album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 29 September 1997, and is the first of a three disc Anthology set, it coincided with Farnham celebrating his 30th Anniversary in music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Strong Hearts</span> 1988 single by John Farnham

"Two Strong Hearts" is a song written by Andy Hill and Bruce Woolley. Australian singer John Farnham recorded the song and released it as the second single from his 13th studio album, Age of Reason (1988). The song peaked at number six on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in October 1988. At the APRA Music Awards of 1990, the song won the Most Performed Overseas Work award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's When I Think of You</span> 1988 single by 1927

"That's When I Think of You" is the debut single of Australian pop rock band 1927. The song was released on 4 July 1988 and peaked at number six on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. In May 1989, the song reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart. The single also charted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 55 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart in August 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rain (Dragon song)</span> 1983 single by Dragon

"Rain" is a song by New Zealand rock group Dragon released in July 1983 as the first single ahead of their seventh studio album, Body and the Beat. It is co-written by the group's brothers, Marc and Todd Hunter, with Johanna Pigott, Todd's then-domestic partner. "Rain" peaked at number 2 and stayed in the Kent Music Report singles chart for 26 weeks. The song reached number 88 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 charts in mid-1984. For the original single version the group's Kerry Jacobson had provided drums and percussion; he left the group in September 1983 and was replaced by Terry Chambers, who is shown in promotional material including cover art and music videos.

References

  1. "Australian Music Report No 727 – 4 July 1988 > Singles: New Releases". Australian Music Report . Retrieved 26 March 2019 via Imgur.
  2. "1990 APRA MUSIC AWARD WINNERS". APRA AMCOs. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. Tracee Hutchison (1992). Your Name's On The Door. Sydney: ABC Enterprises. p. 176. ISBN   0-7333-0115-0.
  4. "John Farnham – Age of Reason". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. "RPM 100 Singles". RPM . Vol. 49, no. 7. 3 December 1988. p. 6.
  6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  7. "John Farnham – Age of Reason" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  8. "John Farnham – Age of Reason". Top 40 Singles.
  9. "SA Charts 1969 – 1989" . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – John Farnham – Age of Reason" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  12. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1989". ARIA . Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  13. "End of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 28 July 2022.