Chris Franklin

Last updated

Chris Franklin
Born
Christopher Franklin

(1964-09-16) 16 September 1964 (age 59)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)Comedian, sailor
Years active1997–present

Christopher Franklin (born 16 September 1964) is an Australian stand-up comedian [1] and former sailor for the Royal Australian Navy. He is most famous for performing the song "Bloke" (a bogan-style parody of Meredith Brooks' song "Bitch"), which was certified platinum, [2] reached No. 1 on the ARIA Charts, and was the twelfth-biggest-selling single in Australia in 2000. [3] He lives in Launceston, Tasmania.

Contents

Early life

Franklin was born in Sydney, and he lived from age 3 to 5 on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. As a young adult, he spent eight years in the Royal Australian Navy as a chef, and he was one of seven chosen to cook for Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Australia in the 1980s. [4] After this, Franklin quit the navy to take ten years off to travel Australia.

Entertainment career

Comedy career

Franklin has been performing comedy since October 1997. His accomplishments include:

Franklin has performed with numerous musicians and comedians, including Jimeoin, Steady Eddy, Garry Who, Carl Barron, Richard Stubbs, Elliot Goblet, Raymond J Bartholomew, Marty Fields, The Empty Pockets, John Robertson, Peter Rowsthorn, Bob Franklin, Stevie Starr, and Mr Methane.[ citation needed ]

During 2001, Franklin toured extensively with Steady Eddy in their live show Guess Who's Pissed. Franklin has also toured with The Radiators across Australia.

In 2006, a DVD was released called Let Bogans Be Bogans; it contains Chris Franklin's stand-up routine and video clips of his parody songs. [5]

Music

Franklin's first CD single, "Bloke", a parody of Meredith Brooks' song "Bitch", was released on 31 January 2000 through EMI Music Australia. The song reached number fifteen on the charts in its first week in and subsequently achieved number-one and platinum status with more than 120,000 sales. "Bloke" was the third-highest-selling single by an Australian artist of that year. [3] The song was nominated in two categories at the ARIA Music Awards of 2000; namely, "Best Comedy Release" and "Highest Selling Single". [6]

Franklin released a second single entitled "Mullet Head", a parody of the hit single "Gimme Head" by The Radiators, who perform live on the single. "Mullet Head" was nominated for "Best Comedy Release" at the ARIA Music Awards of 2001. [7]

In 2006, Franklin contributed the song "Here Come the Socceroos" as the B-side to the Freedom of Thought single "Green and Gold (Song for the Socceroos)", which peaked at number 26 on the ARIA charts. [8]

On 7 April 2020, Franklin released the single "Stay the F*** at Home" with supergroup "Chris Franklin & The Isolators" in collaboration with various Australian music artists in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. [9] [10]

Albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details
TitleAlbum details
You Wouldn't Want Me Any Other Way
  • Released: April 2020
  • Label: A-List Entertainment
  • Format: Digital

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
AUS
[3]
"Bloke"20001
  • ARIA: Platinum [11]
You Wouldn't Want Me Any Other Way
"Mullet Head"-
"Stay the Fuck at Home"2020-

Television

Franklin has also appeared on television, including:

Radio

Franklin is a regular guest on Zinc 100.7's Rockshow with Wildy.

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2000 "Bloke" Highest Selling Single Nominated [12]
Best Comedy Release Nominated
2001 "Mullet Head"Nominated [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Bloody Wilson</span> Australian comic singer-songwriter

Kevin Bloody Wilson is an Australian musical comedian who performs comical songs with his heavy Australian English accent and often including sexual themes. He has won one ARIA Music Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Living End</span> Australian band

The Living End is an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney, Scott Owen, and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 1997 after the release of their EP Second Solution / Prisoner of Society, which peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. They have released eight studio albums, two of which reached the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart: The Living End and State of Emergency. They have also achieved chart success in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot Goblet</span> Australian comedian

Elliot Goblet is a comedy character created by the Australian comedian Jack Levi. The character is known for the deadpan delivery of one-line jokes. The style compares with the American comedian Steven Wright but developed independently. At first Goblet appeared with round glasses and a goatee beard, but the beard was later removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitch (Meredith Brooks song)</span> 1997 single by Meredith Brooks

"Bitch" (also known by its censored title "Nothing In Between" and later as "Bitch (Nothing In Between)") is a song by American singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks and co-written with Shelly Peiken. It was released in March 1997 as the lead single from Brooks' second album, Blurring the Edges (1997). The song was produced by punk notable Geza X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drop It Like It's Hot</span> 2004 single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell

"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, R&G : The Masterpiece (2005). The song was produced by the Neptunes. It is regarded as an iconic song, with Snoop performing the chorus and the second and third verses while Pharrell performs the first verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Aphrodisiac</span> 1997 single by the Whitlams

"No Aphrodisiac" is a song by Australian band the Whitlams, released in December 1997 as the second single from their third album, Eternal Nightcap. The song peaked at No. 59 on the Australian Singles Chart. The lead track was written by the band's founding mainstay, Tim Freedman, together with Pinky Beecroft and Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab : both from the band, Machine Gun Fellatio. It was produced by Freedman with Rob Taylor. "No Aphrodisiac" won Song of the Year at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998. It was listed at No. 1 on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1997. Former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, for whom the band was named, announced news of their win on air. One of its B-sides is "Gough". Machine Gun Fellatio provided a re-mix of "No Aphrodisiac" for the remixes version of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Tkautz</span> Australian actress and musician (born 1974)

Melissa Natalie Tkautz is an Australian actress, singer, model, and presenter. She played the role of Nikki Spencer on the popular Australian TV soap opera E Street, from September 1990 to May 1993. During the early 1990s she had a solo music career, performing mononymously as Melissa, and had top 20 hits on the ARIA Singles Chart with "Read My Lips", "Sexy " and "Skin to Skin". "Read My Lips" also became a Number One hit in Sweden. Her debut album, Fresh, was released in June 1992 and peaked at No. 15 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold Hard Bitch</span> 2004 single by Jet

"Cold Hard Bitch" is a song by Australian rock band Jet, released as the fourth single from their 2003 debut album, Get Born. The song was written by band members Chris Cester, Nic Cester, and Cameron Muncey. Heavily inspired by prior heavy bands such as AC/DC, the song is one of the heaviest in the group's catalog, being a tough hard rock tune with a simplistic chord structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dry Your Eyes</span> 2004 single by the Streets

"Dry Your Eyes" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. The song describes the protagonist trying to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004. The song is the Streets' most successful single, reaching number one in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2004, six days after its release. "Dry Your Eyes" also went straight to number one in Ireland staying there for three weeks in a row.

Live and Sweaty was an Australian sports television program, broadcast on the ABC from 1991 until 1994. Hosted by Andrew Denton, the show was part panel-based, part talk show and part comedy, and predated The Footy Show which has a similar format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What About Me (Moving Pictures song)</span> 1982 single by Moving Pictures

"What About Me" is a song written by Garry Frost and Frances Swan. It was first recorded by Australian rock band Moving Pictures, of which Garry Frost was a member, for its 1981 debut album, Days of Innocence. It became the band's first and only number-one single in Australia, spending six weeks atop the Kent Music Report; it was the second-highest-selling single of 1982 there. At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Australian Single. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "What About Me" was ranked number 37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomorrow (Silverchair song)</span> 1994 single by Silverchair

"Tomorrow" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair, which was released on 16 September 1994 on their debut extended play album, also titled Tomorrow. The song was later released on Frogstomp, the band's debut studio album, in 1995. Written by lead singer and guitarist Daniel Johns and drummer Ben Gillies, it was produced and engineered by Phil McKellar at the national radio station Triple J's studios for SBS-TV's show, Nomad, which aired on 16 June 1994. After the broadcast the band were signed to the Murmur label – a Sony Music subsidiary – which subsequently issued the Tomorrow EP.

The 11th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 22 September 1997 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The event was hosted by Australian actor–comedian Paul McDermott, with presenters Elle McFeast, Kylie Minogue, Ben Folds, Colin Buchanan, the Presidents of the United States of America and others. Savage Garden dominated this year, receiving a record ten awards including Album of the Year for Savage Garden, Single of the Year for "Truly Madly Deeply", Best Group and seven other trophies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian comedy</span> Australian television series

Australian comedy refers to the comedy and humour performed in or about Australia or by the people of Australia. Australian humour can be traced to various origins, and today is manifested in a diversity of cultural practices and pursuits. Writers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson helped to establish a tradition of laconic, ironic and irreverent wit in Australian literature, while Australian politicians and cultural stereotypes have each proved rich sources of comedy for artists from poet C. J. Dennis to satirist Barry Humphries to iconic film maker Paul Hogan, each of whom have given wide circulation to Australian slang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up! (Samantha Jade song)</span> 2014 single by Samantha Jade

"Up!" is a song recorded by Australian singer Samantha Jade. The song was digitally and physically released on 11 April 2014. "Up!" was written by Jade, Zac Poor and Mario Marchetti, and produced by Marchetti. It became her fifth top twenty hit since winning The X Factor Australia in 2012. On 12 March 2014, "Up!" was announced as the official Socceroos song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was also used to promote the sixth season of X Factor Australia.

"Bitches N Marijuana" is a song by American recording artists Chris Brown and Tyga. It was released on May 26, 2015, as the second single from their second collaborative effort, a studio album titled Fan of a Fan: The Album (2015). The song features a guest appearance from West Coast rapper Schoolboy Q.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Without Me (Eminem song)</span> 2002 single by Eminem

"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 13, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.

Robert Grayson is New York-born comedian based in Australia. Robert, aka Hanuman Dass died in February 2022. His passing was mourned by the Northern Rivers community and comedy lovers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloke (Chris Franklin song)</span> 2000 single by Chris Franklin

"Bloke" is a song performed by Australian comedian Chris Franklin, released as a parody of Meredith Brooks's song "Bitch" with the lyrics changed to reflect the stereotypical Australian male lifestyle. It debuted at number 15 on the Australian Singles Chart before eventually reaching the number-one spot and staying there for two weeks, becoming the 12th-highest-selling single of the year. It received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments of over 70,000. The song was later nominated for two ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release and ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single.

References

  1. Moses, Alexa (19 July 2002). "It takes a mullet to knock home the jokes". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  2. ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2000 Singles Archived 20 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 3 ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2000 Archived 27 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Chris Franklin's been to Bagdad". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 13 March 2020.
  5. "Trove".
  6. "2000 Aria Nominations". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  7. 1 2 2001 Aria Nominations
  8. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 108.
  9. "COVID-19 Singles" . Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  10. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Stay The F*** At Home (Official Music Video) - Chris Franklin & The Isolators. YouTube .
  11. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  12. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2012.