Swanee (singer)

Last updated

John Swan
Swanee (2011).jpg
Swanee in 2011
Background information
Birth nameJohn Archibold Dixon Swan
Also known asSwanee
Born (1952-03-15) 15 March 1952 (age 72)
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
GenresRock, hard rock
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active1966–2014

John Archibold Dixon Swan OAM (born 15 March 1952), better known as Swanee, is an Australian rock singer.

Contents

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1952. He is the older brother of singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes, and an uncle of stage performer David Campbell.

In 2015, Swan was announced as South Australia's Senior Australian of the Year [1] and in 2017 was appointed an Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

Career

1952–1978: Early life and bands

John Swan migrated to Australia with his family in 1961. When his mother remarried in the mid-1960s, he was the only child to keep his biological father's surname, who was an adept boxer. Swan joined his first professional band, Happiness, as a drummer when he was fourteen. When he was seventeen, he enlisted in the Australian Army, and was discharged after two years of service. In early 1974 he was the drummer with The James Wright Band, moving on to Jim Keays' Southern Cross for a short time.

In 1975 he joined Adelaide band Fraternity replacing Bon Scott on vocals for two years. In 1977, Swan became the vocalist with Feather. This band had been known as Blackfeather in the early 1970s, but by 1977 no original members were left so the name was shortened. Feather recorded one single with Swan, "Girl Trouble", before he left in 1978 to establish himself as a solo artist.

1979–1986: Early solo career

Under the name Swanee by which he was already known, Swan released his debut solo single "Crazy Dreams" in 1979. An album, Into the Night, and several other singles followed but met with little commercial success.

In late 1981, his version of "If I Were a Carpenter" became a national hit, peaking at number 5. The single was followed by the 1982 studio album This Time It's Different which spawned another two hits, "Temporary Heartache" and "Lady What's Your Name", with the latter peaking at number 13 and was the 66th biggest-selling single in Australia in 1982. [2]

In 1986 Swanee featured in an advertising campaign for West End Draught, a South Australian beer. The brewer provided financial support to Swanee's tours and he in turn appeared in the company's TV commercials.

1987–1989: The Party Boys

In 1987, Swanee replaced Angry Anderson as the lead singer of The Party Boys, a touring band with floating membership, formed in 1983 by Paul Christie of Mondo Rock. Swan's tenure with the band was the group's most successful period. A cover of the John Kongos song "He's Gonna Step On You Again" peaked at number 1 on the Australian charts. The band's self-titled album made the Australian top 20. Swan remained with the band until 1989 before going solo again.

1990–present: Later solo career

Since 1990, Swan's recording career has been less than prolific, producing only two singles that year, including a cover of Little Richard's "Lucille" for The Delinquents film .

In 1997, Swan released Heart and Soul produced by Danny Bryan.

In 2007 Swan released the album Have a Little Faith (Liberation Records). The project was recorded with producer /guitarist Mark Moffatt. The album was recorded with Nashville musicians. The album is a reflection of his past troubles and his love for the Blues. [3]

In 2009 he worked with fellow Australian artists Ray Burgess, Tommy Emmanuel, John St Peeters and Marty Rhone, to release the single "Legends of the Southern Land". [4]

In July 2014 Swanee released the album One Day at a Time, consisting of entirely original work, in collaboration with Darren Mullan from the Adelaide Recording Studio and Tony Minniecon. [3]

In 2017 Swanee was recognised for his work with various charitable organizations with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). [3]

In June 2021, Melodic Rock Records released a 20-track compilation titled Greatest Hits.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[5]
Into the Night
  • Released: October 1980
  • Format: LP
  • Label: WEA (600076)
66
This Time It's Different
  • Released: June 1982
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: WEA (600121)
22
Bushido
  • Released: April 1985
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: Starcall (SFL1 0126)
73
Heart And Soul
  • Released: 1997
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EastWest (0630188252)
Have a Little Faith
(As John Swan)
  • Released: 2007
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Liberation Music (LIBCD9236 2)
One Day at a Time
  • Released: 2014
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Swanee (SWAN001)

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[5]
Ready for Action! Live in the Snow
  • Released: October 1983
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: WEA (250241.1)
31

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[5]
Days Gone By – The Best of Swanee
  • Released: October 1984
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: WEA (251477-1)
52
Greatest Hits
  • Released: 3 June 2021 [6]
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: Melodic Rock (MRR137)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
YearTitlePeak chart
positions
Album
AUS
[5]
Credited as Swanee
1979"Crazy Dreams"68Non-album singles
"Samantha"
1980"Ol' Rosie"Into the Night
"Linda"
1981"Mathew"
"If I Were a Carpenter"5This Time It's Different
"Samantha" (re release)93Non-album single
1982"Temporary Heartache"18This Time It's Different
"Lady What's Your Name"13
1983"Sail Away"52Non-album single
"Motor Down"Ready for Action! Live in the Snow
1984"I'm Ready" / "Carrie-Ann"22Non-album single
1985"You Ought to Know by Now"Bushido
"Turn Away"
Credited as John Swan
1985"Say You'll Do Something"Non-album singles
"It Could Have Been You"
1986"(I'm in Love with An) Angel"
"West End Girls"
Credited as Swanee
1990"Lucille" The Delinquents (soundtrack)
"Blood Is Thicker Than Water"Non-album singles
2009"Legends of the Southern Land" [4]
(with Ray Burgess, Tommy Emmanuel, John St Peeters and Marty Rhone)

Other singles

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions
YearTitlePeak chart positions
AUS
[7]
1985"The Garden"
(as Australia Too)
22

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Swan</span> American musician and songwriter

William Lance Swan is an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his 1974 single "I Can Help".

<i>Who Loves You</i> 1975 studio album by The Four Seasons

Who Loves You is an album by The Four Seasons. It was released in 1975 on Warner/Curb Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraternity (band)</span> Australian band

Fraternity were an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott, John Swan, and his brother Jimmy Barnes. Their biggest local hit was a cover version of "Seasons of Change", which peaked at No. 1 in Adelaide, but nationally it was overrun by the original Blackfeather version. The group won the 1971 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds with the prize being a free trip to London. Fraternity went through various line-ups and was renamed as Fang, Fraternity (again). In the late 70s some Fraternity former members created the bands Some Dream and Mickey Finn. Mickey Finn disbanded in 1992.

<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.

<i>Feargal Sharkey</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Feargal Sharkey

Feargal Sharkey is the debut solo album by former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, released in 1985. The album peaked at No. 12 in the UK and contains Sharkey's best known single, "A Good Heart", his only No. 1. "You Little Thief" also became a top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 5, and "Someone to Somebody" reached No. 64.

Rabbit were an Australian glam rock band from Newcastle, which formed in 1973 by Jim Porteus on bass guitar, Phil Screen on drums and Mark Tinson on guitar and vocals. In October 1974 they were joined by Dave Evans (ex-AC/DC) on lead vocals. The group relocated to Sydney and released two albums, Rabbit (1975) and Too Much Rock n Roll (1976), before disbanding in late 1977. Porteus, Screen and Tinson returned to Newcastle where they formed a hard rock band, Heroes, with Peter de Jong on guitar and vocals. They issued a self-titled album in October 1980 and disbanded in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby, What a Big Surprise</span> 1977 single by Chicago

"Baby, What a Big Surprise" is a ballad written by Chicago's then bassist/singer Peter Cetera, which appeared on their album Chicago XI (1977), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from the album reached number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Party Boys was an Australian rock supergroup with a floating membership commencing in 1982. Created by Mondo Rock's bass guitarist, Paul Christie, with founding member Kevin Borich as a part-time venture for professional musicians with downtime from their other projects; the group had temporary members from Status Quo, the Angels, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Rose Tattoo, the Choirboys, Australian Crawl, Divinyls, Models, Dragon and Swanee, plus international stars such as Joe Walsh, Eric Burdon, Alan Lancaster, and Graham Bonnet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Coo Ca Choo</span> 1973 single by Alvin Stardust

"My Coo Ca Choo" is a song by Alvin Stardust, released in 1973 as the lead single from his debut solo album The Untouchable (1974). The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in December 1973. The glam rock single fared even better in Australia, where it spent seven weeks at the top and was the best charting single in the country in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Love (Sherbet song)</span> 1975 single by Sherbet

"Summer Love" is a song by Australian pop group, Sherbet and was released in March 1975. It became their first number-one hit on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song was promoted on the newly aired ABC TV pop series, Countdown, which gave it wide exposure. From early 1975 the group made more appearances on the show than any other band in the programme's history. In October, at the King of Pop Awards, "Summer Love" won the Most Popular Australian Single, the band won Most Popular Australian Group and their lead singer, Daryl Braithwaite, won the King of Pop award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Much Ain't Enough Love</span> 1987 single by Jimmy Barnes

"Too Much Ain't Enough Love" is a song by Australian rock singer, Jimmy Barnes. It was released in October 1987 as the first single from Barnes' 1987 album, Freight Train Heart. It was his first Australian No. 1 hit single and reached No. 4 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. In the United States it was issued in the following year, which peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1988. It featured back-up vocals by Venetta Fields, as well as Wendy Matthews, who later found acclaim as a solo singer.

<i>Back Home Again</i> (John Denver album) 1974 studio album by John Denver

Back Home Again is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Denver, released in June 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Regrets (Tom Rush song)</span> 1968 single by Tom Rush

"No Regrets" is a song by folk and blues singer/songwriter Tom Rush. It is the final song on his 1968 album The Circle Game and was released as a single in the UK in January 1968 and in the US in April. It peaked at number 57 on the UK BMRB Breakers, an official extension of the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Moffitt</span> Musical artist

Matthew David Moffitt was an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He fronted the rock band, Matt Finish, and worked as a solo artist. Matt Finish were a popular live band, which had a top 20 hit on the Kent Music Report singles chart with "Short Note" (1981).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Ashdown</span> Australian singer-songwriter

Douglas Wesley Ashdown is an Australian singer-songwriter who had a minor hit in Australia with "Winter in America", also known as "Leave Love Enough Alone", which also reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll to Me</span> 1975 single by Smokie

"Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll to Me" is a song by British rock band Smokie. It was released in early September 1975 as a single and appeared later on the album Changing All the Time. Like the band's previous two singles "Pass It Around" and "If You Think You Know How to Love Me", the song was composed by Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman.

"Oh Carol" is a song by the British rock band Smokie from their 1978 studio album The Montreux Album. It was the album's second single. The song first came out in May 1978 as a single and later appeared on the album, which was released in October.

"He's My Number One" is a pop song written by Terry Britten and B. A. Robertson and recorded by Australian pop singer Christie Allen. The song was released in January 1980 as the fourth single from Allen's debut studio album, Magic Rhythm (1979). The song peaked at number 4 on the Kent Music Report in Australia.

Raymond Peter Burgess is an Australian pop singer and TV presenter. His highest charting single, "Touch Me" reached the top 20 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. From July 1976 to November 1977 he hosted TV pop music and magazine-style show, Flashez on ABC-TV. He issued three solo albums, Not So Pretty (1976), Final Mix (1978) and Gloria—Best of Ray Burgess (1992), all via Festival/Infinity. His daughter, Casey Burgess, is also a singer and TV personality and former member of children's music group, Hi-5 from 2008 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Weren't in Love with Me</span> 1981 single by Billy Field

"You Weren't in Love with Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Billy Field. It was released in July 1981 as the second and final single from his debut studio album, Bad Habits. The song peaked at number one on the Australian Kent Music Report and entered the top 30 in New Zealand. At the APRA Music Awards of 1982, the song won Most Performed Australasian Popular Work.

References

  1. 2015 SA Australian of the Year Recipients Announced, australianoftheyear.org.au, 12 November 2014
  2. "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. 3 January 1983. Retrieved 22 January 2023 via Imgur.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bio Swanee Music". Swanee Music. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 Pascuzzi, Carmine. "'Legends of the Southern Land' – a new Australian anthem". MediaSearch. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 302. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Swanee Greatest Hits". melodicrockrecords. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 22. ISBN   0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.