Domminique, I thought to clarify regarding some of my choices, made in above posts : Rolf Harris & Harry Butler (the naturalist)'s "Sun Arise" (as you can see from posts in the threads on Mudcat, like : thread.cfm?threadid=50015) made an impression on many people – and not just in Australia. A number of international versions of this song have also been recorded, and it pioneered the use of the Didj sound, so popular these days (never mind that they had to simulate it on the original recording!!) The song made a great impression on my Mum and me, via it being played on ABC Radio in the 60s. Likewise when, some years later, ABC Radio started playing Ted Egan's "Gurindji Blues", we were very drawn to both the music and the story being told. A story that is so important in Australia's history (both white and black); a story that continues to produce songs and books (e.g. Paul Kelly & Kev Carmody's "From Little Things, Big Things Grow", and Peter Hudson's new publication.) Before these songs, Aboriginal Australia wasn't much represented beyond Jimmy Little's cover of Burl Ives' song "Royal Telephone" and Lionel Rose's "I Thank You" and perhaps Harold Blair (classical singer) - and it stayed that way for quite some time!! I didn't mention another song from during the 60s (when I was a teenager), that affected me : Lionel Long (yeah, I know!), singing Leon Gellert's poem "Anzac Cove". I found this so sad. I guess even more so, as WWI had robbed me of a Grandfather. I vowed that one day I would visit this sad and desolate place. I almost got the chance in 1977, but my travelling partner became very ill and so, it never happened. (Nowadays, I have absolutely no desire to go and to be surrounded by jingoistic, flag-draped teens shouting "Aussie Aussie Aussie : Oi! Oi! Oi!" ..… sigh ..… ) Others that deserve a place in the pantheon, too : Geoff Mack's "I've Been Everywhere", sung by Lucky Starr, has spawned a squillion version around the world – highly influential! Redgum's "I Was Only 19" Archie Roach's "Took the Children Away" Hmmmm .... and perhaps the repercussions of The BeeGees' song "Spicks and Specks" are still being felt!! The theme music to various TV dramas … "You Can't See Round Corners" / "Wildside" / "Rush" / "Aunty Jack", spring to mind …. ….. and as has been mentioned, tunes like "Bombora" that influenced others, plus the style of The Easybeats ("Sorry" and Friday on My Mind", for example), and a number of other groups besides ….. "The Streets of Forbes" and "The Death of Ben Hall" always moved me, as did the previously mentioned "Weevils in the Flour aka Island in the River" (Hewitt/Leyden) But that's enough from me for now! Cheers, R-J
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