Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong..."

Here's something you might not know: "I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE," the famous country song that features a singer rapidly listing a succession of rhyming place names, originated DOWN UNDER.
GEOFF MACK made musical history in 1962 when LUCKY STARR (real name: Leslie Morrison) recorded and had a hit with the Mack composition, "I've Been Everywhere."

Starr sang that he had been to "Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah, Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla" and numerous other locations.

Later that year, Mack tailored his song for the Canadian country singer HANK SNOW.
Populated with American and Canadian place names, Snow's version topped the country charts in North America.
More than 130 cover versions later -- including some with New Zealand and British place names -- and "I've Been Everywhere" is a classic tune celebrating geography.
I've been listening to a Starr EP that includes four (Aussie, North American, Kiwi and British) versions of the song.

It all started with a bloke crooning:

"Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty OODNADATTA road..."

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home