Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)

Last updated

"Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)"
Single by Cold Chisel
from the album Breakfast at Sweethearts
B-side "Georgia on My Mind"
Released11 September 1978
Recorded1978, Albert Studios, Sydney
Genre Rock
Label WEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Richard Batchens
Cold Chisel singles chronology
"Khe Sanh"
(1978)		"Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)"
(1978)		"Breakfast at Sweethearts"
(1979)

"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 . [1]

Contents

Details

The single, "Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)" preceded the album Breakfast at Sweethearts by some months, and was recorded when demos were being done for the album. The single is markedly different from the later album version, with a doubled guitar riff and a less prominent piano. [2]

A fast-paced rocker, lyricist Walker said the song was written because the band, "needed a set finisher." [3] Described as, "the band's blazing showstopper," [4] it was often played as the last song in concerts, and also on the live album Swingshift.

Lyrically, the song is written from the perspective of a husband leaving his wife. Opening with the lines, "Open up the door Astrid, cause I'm comin' down the stairs / And I ain't gonna listen to no more pissin' around", the three verses are all addressed to the wife. The lyrics were originally written for a completely different song that was sung by Ian Moss before being given to Barnes to write matching music. Walker later said he knew no-one named Astrid, and he had probably heard the name in relation to Bill Wyman's wife. [2]

Although included in Cold Chisel's greatest hits collections, the single received little airplay at the time of release. [5]

Reception

Critic Toby Creswell described the song as a rudimentary 12-bar thrash. He said the song is, "full of wit and attitude. The Narrator lets fly his scorn for the woman's lifestyle. All the bottled-up anger spews out. Taking three chords and a simple story and transforming them into a unique and confronting piece like this takes real genius." [6]

Reviewed at the time of release, Roadrunner said, "Radio play is the chief objective of Cold Chisel's "Goodbye". It's a good, basic rock song with great vocals. The flip, a version of the old Hoagy Carmichael standard is just superb." [7]

Charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] 65

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold Chisel</span> Australian rock band

Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes on lead vocals and, in 1975, Phil Small became their bass guitarist. The group disbanded in late 1983 but subsequently reformed several times. Musicologist Ian McFarlane wrote that they became "one of Australia's best-loved groups" as well as "one of the best live bands", fusing "a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook."

<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.

<i>Chisel</i> (album) 1991 compilation album by Cold Chisel

Chisel is a compilation album by Australian pub rocker band Cold Chisel, released in September 1991. It features a selection of their best songs from previous albums, including live versions of the tracks "Bow River", "Merry-Go-Round," "Star Hotel" and "Goodbye ." The track "Misfits" was previously a B-side and was removed from later re-issues of this album. A limited edition release of this album included the long-deleted 1978 live EP You're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine.

<i>Youre Thirteen, Youre Beautiful, and Youre Mine</i> 1978 EP (Live) by Cold Chisel

You're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine is a live EP by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, recorded at the Regent Theatre in Sydney in October 1978, and released in November. After a long period of unavailability, the EP was re-released as a bonus disc with the second pressing of the compilation album Chisel (1991). The EP was later made available digitally, as well as reissued on disc in 2011.

<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.

<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.

<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">Misfits (Cold Chisel song)</span> 1991 single by Cold Chisel

"Misfits" was a 1991 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, issued to promote the compilation album Chisel. The single only reached number 61 in the national charts and was later dropped from subsequent Chisel re-issue packages. The song was written by organist Don Walker and was recorded during the sessions for the 1980 album East. "Misfits" was originally used as the B-side for that album's third single "My Baby".

<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">Forever Now (Cold Chisel song)</span> 1982 single by Cold Chisel

"Forever Now" is a song by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. The second single from the album Circus Animals, it was the first Cold Chisel single to be written by Steve Prestwich. The song reached number two in New Zealand and number four in Australia, becoming the band's highest chart placement. In the United States, the song was titled "Forever Now ".

<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">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."

"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.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  2. 1 2 Michael Lawrence (1998). Showtime: The Cold Chisel Story. Belmont, Victoria: Michael Lawrence. p. 59. ISBN   1-86503-118-6.
  3. ↑ Michael Lawrence (2012). Cold Chisel: Wild Colonial Boys. Melbourne, Victoria: Melbourne Books. p. 322. ISBN   9781877096174.
  4. ↑ Adrian Zupp. "Breakfast at Sweethearts". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  5. ↑ O'Grady, Anthony (2001). Cold Chisel: The Pure Stuff. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. p. 48. ISBN   1-86508-196-5.
  6. ↑ Toby Crewswell (2005). "Goodbye Astrid". 1001 Songs. Hardie Grant Books: 19. ISBN   978-1-74066-458-5.
  7. ↑ Mark Burford (October 1978). "Singles". Roadrunner . p. 20.
  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.