Breakfast at Sweethearts (song)

Last updated

"Breakfast at Sweethearts"
Single by Cold Chisel
from the album Breakfast at Sweethearts
B-side "Plaza"
ReleasedMarch 1979
RecordedJuly 1978 – January 1979, Albert Studios, Sydney
Genre Reggae [1]
Label WEA
Songwriter(s) Don Walker
Producer(s) Richard Batchens
Cold Chisel singles chronology
"Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)"
(1978)		"Breakfast at Sweethearts"
(1979)		"Shipping Steel"
(1979)

"Breakfast at Sweethearts" is a song from Australian rock band Cold Chisel. Written by keyboardist Don Walker, it was released as a single in 1979, peaking at number 63 on the Australian charts. It appeared as a track on the album of the same name. [2]

Contents

Details

"Sweethearts" was a cafè in the middle of Kings Cross, Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s, "cramped between strip clubs and sex shops, patronised by the hookers, pimps and drug dealers and the lost and lonely debris of the night," [3] where author Don Walker would frequently eat. He said, "The original Sweethearts Cafe is where McDonald's is now. That got demolished and Sweethearts moved over the road to where Krave Espresso Bar is now. That lasted for quite a few years, until the late 1980s, early '90s." [4] Walker continued to live in Kings Cross for decades afterwards, and often wrote about the area. Author Louis Nowra said the song was, "the most immediately identifiable song about the Cross." [5] Elsewhere, it was noted the song, "wasn't a cliched, red-light story of the night, it painted Kings Cross in its morning-time, aftermath rhythms." [6]

Elsewhere, Walker said the establishment was very small and run by a Yugoslavian family. "It had the reputation that when Nureyev was in Sydney, he would always have his coffee at Sweethearts and stuff like that. There was a beautiful middle-aged woman who used to serve coffee there and never said anything and she was reputed to be the girlfriend of quite a dangerous guy," he claimed. [7]

The song first appeared in performances in 1978, after the chorus was written on an organ while recording demos for the album. [7]

Charts

Chart (1979)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] 68

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khe Sanh (song)</span> 1978 single by Cold Chisel

"Khe Sanh" is the debut single by Australian rock band Cold Chisel, released in May 1978 as a 45 rpm single, and named after the district capital of Hướng Hóa District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. Written by pianist Don Walker, "Khe Sanh" concerns an Australian Vietnam veteran dealing with his return to civilian life. According to Toby Creswell's liner notes for the band's 1991 compilation album Chisel, the song is also a story of restless youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame Trees</span> 1984 song by Cold Chisel

"Flame Trees" is a song by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel from their 1984 album Twentieth Century. One of their best known songs, it was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and keyboardist Don Walker. On its release it reached No. 26 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It resurfaced in August 2011 due to download sales, peaking at No. 54 on the ARIA chart.

<i>Breakfast at Sweethearts</i> 1979 studio album by Cold Chisel

Breakfast at Sweethearts is the second studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in February 1979. It spent 32 weeks in the national charts, reaching a peak of number 4.

<i>Cold Chisel</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Cold Chisel

Cold Chisel is the debut album of Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. Released in April 1978, it spent 23 weeks in the Australian charts, peaking at number 38.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When the War Is Over</span> 1982 single by Cold Chisel

"When the War Is Over" is song by Australian band Cold Chisel from their 1982 album Circus Animals. The song was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and issued as the third single from the album, peaking at number 25 on the national singles chart, and also resurfaced in August 2011 due to download sales.

<i>East</i> (Cold Chisel album) 1980 studio album by Cold Chisel

East is the third studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in June 1980. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 63 weeks on the national chart. It was the biggest-selling Australian album release of the year. It was the only Cold Chisel album to chart in America, reaching 171 on the Billboard 200. It also reached number 32 on the New Zealand charts.

<i>Circus Animals</i> 1982 studio album by Cold Chisel

Circus Animals is the fourth studio album by Australian band Cold Chisel, released on 8 March 1982. It was recorded and mixed at Paradise Studios and EMI Studios 301, Sydney, between September and December 1981. It reached number one on the Australian charts, remaining in the charts for 40 weeks, and also topped the New Zealand charts. The working title for the album was "Tunnel Cunts".

<i>Swingshift</i> 1981 live album by Cold Chisel

Swingshift is a live album released by Australian band Cold Chisel in 1981. It was their first album to reach No. 1 on the Australian chart, debuting there in its first week. It peaked at number 9 in New Zealand. A press release said the title referred to, "the midnight to dawn shift that the staff in asylums dread: the hours when the crazies go crazy."

<i>Twentieth Century</i> (Cold Chisel album) 1984 studio album by Cold Chisel

Twentieth Century is the fifth and final studio album by Australian band Cold Chisel until the group reformed in 1998. The album was written and recorded over various sessions during the period of the band's break-up and during breaks in their final tour. It was released in early 1984 and peaked at No. 1 on the Australian albums chart, their third consecutive album to do so. It charted for a total of 46 weeks.

<i>The Barking Spiders Live: 1983</i> 1984 live album by Cold Chisel

The Barking Spiders Live: 1983 is a live album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was recorded during the final performances of their Last Stand tour in 1983, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The name of the album derives from a name the band used occasionally when playing warm-up shows before tours. Don Walker states a "barking spider" is "Scottish slang for a fart."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturday Night (Cold Chisel song)</span> 1984 single by Cold Chisel

"Saturday Night" is a 1984 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, the second released from the album Twentieth Century and the first to be issued after the band's official break-up. The vocals are shared between Ian Moss and Jimmy Barnes. It just missed out on becoming the band's third Top 10 single, stalling at number 11 on the Australian chart for two weeks, but it remains one of Cold Chisel's highest charting songs.

"My Baby" is a 1980 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, the third released from the album East and the first of the band's singles not to be written by pianist Don Walker. This was the only track credited solely to bass player Phil Small on any of the band's albums apart from "Notion For You" on the 1994 rarities album Teenage Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Got Nothing I Want</span> 1981 single by Cold Chisel

"You Got Nothing I Want" is a 1981 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, the first released from the album Circus Animals. One of the band's heaviest and most aggressive songs, which was written by singer Jimmy Barnes in response to the treatment they received at the hands of a record company executive during a U.S. tour earlier in the year. Don Walker said, "After we came back, Jim wrote 'You Got Nothing I Want' more or less as a personal tribute to Marty Schwartz." "You Got Nothing I Want" was also the first song on the album, and representative of the different sound Cold Chisel was attempting on Circus Animals in a conscious effort to move away from the slick commercial pop rock of East. It spent 19 weeks in the national charts, peaking at number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choirgirl (song)</span> 1979 song written by Don Walker performed by Cold Chisel

"Choirgirl" is a song by Australian rock band Cold Chisel, released as the lead single from their third studio album East (1980) in November 1979. A ballad written by Don Walker with an R&B influenced melody, the song marked the first time the band had recorded with producer Mark Opitz. It peaked at No. 14 in Australia on the Kent Music Report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheap Wine (song)</span> 1980 single by Cold Chisel

"Cheap Wine" is a 1980 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel. The second single from the album East, it was released in May, a month before the album. It reached number 8 on the Australian charts, the band's first top-ten single, and would eventually remain the band's second highest chart performance. It has been described as, "one of Don's finest commercial songs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Me Tight (Cold Chisel song)</span> 1983 single by Cold Chisel

"Hold Me Tight" is a 1983 song from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, and appeared on the album Twentieth Century. Released as double A-side single with No Sense it reached number 14 in the Australian charts. Although the song charted, it failed to receive much radio airplay and didn't appear on any later greatest hits compilations.

"Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)" is a 1978 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel. Written by keyboardist Don Walker and vocalist Jimmy Barnes, it was released as a single in 1978, peaking at number 65 on the Australian charts. It appeared as a track on the 1979 album Breakfast at Sweethearts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Sense</span> 1983 single by Cold Chisel

"No Sense" is a 1983 song from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, and appeared on the album Twentieth Century. Released as double A-side single with "Hold Me Tight" it reached number 14 in the Australian charts. Receiving more radio airplay of the two songs on the single, it appeared on Cold Chisel's early greatest hits compilations. It has been described as being reggae or "almost ska."

<i>Radio Songs: A Best of Cold Chisel</i> 1985 greatest hits album by Cold Chisel

Radio Songs: A Best of Cold Chsiel is the second greatest hits collection by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, and first compilation released in Australia. The album was released in 1985. It included tracks from their first five studio albums, Cold Chisel, Breakfast at Sweethearts, East, Circus Animals and Twentieth Century.

<i>Ruby</i> (Catfish album) 1991 studio album by Catfish

Ruby was the second album by Australian band Catfish. Released in 1991, it spent one week in the Australian charts, peaking at number 98.

References

  1. ↑ Stephen Fitzpatrick (3 October 2015). "Cold Chisel: The Perfect Crime, 4.5 stars". The Australian. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  2. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  3. ↑ Toby Cresswell. "Petrolheads". coldchisel.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Debbie Kruger (2 November 2005). "Songlines". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  5. ↑ Louis Nowra (2013). Kings Cross: A Biography. NewSouth. ISBN   978-1742246550.
  6. ↑ Mark Mordue (2 March 2020). "Wild Colonial Boys". Rhythms.
  7. 1 2 Michael Lawrence (2012). Cold Chisel: Wild Colonial Boys. Melbourne, Victoria: Melbourne Books. p. 131. ISBN   9781877096174.
  8. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 68. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.