JUDITH DURHAM - Wrokdown (2015)
Judith Durham - Wrokdown (2015)
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MusicTranscript
00:00Hi, welcome to Rockdown.
00:29I'm Wendy Stapleton, and we're coming to you live from Musicland.
00:33Well, not many Australian entertainers can boast being in this industry for over 52,
00:4153 years, or selling over 50 million albums.
00:55Our very special guest this evening needs no introduction, so we won't go on and on
00:58and on.
00:59It's the wonderful Judith Durham.
01:00Thank you, Wendy.
01:01Thank you, everybody.
01:05It's so wonderful to have you here.
01:07We were just chatting and talking about, what was it, two years ago, you did the 50th reunion
01:15of the Seekers reunion.
01:16It's the Seekers 50th, yes, golden jubilee.
01:18We didn't all think we'd be all alive 50 years later when we first did I'll Never Find Another
01:23You.
01:24Absolutely amazing.
01:25It is amazing.
01:27Of course, then you were saying, but I started way before that, because before the Seekers,
01:31you were already singing in these fabulous jazz combos.
01:35Yes, absolutely.
01:36In fact, I thought I was going to be an opera singer.
01:39I was going to have my voice trained, and I was waiting to start lessons, and I thought,
01:43no, I've just got to get up and sing with a jazz band just for the fun of it.
01:48I asked a band if I could sing, and that was in the Malvern Town Hall, next to the Malvern
01:53Town Hall, not as big as the ... St. George's Church Hall, and they offered me a job, and
01:59they said, come back next week, and we'll give you five pounds.
02:03I was working as a secretary in the daytime.
02:06Five pounds was probably a lot.
02:08Yes, it was.
02:09I started then earning more money from my singing jobs, because I used to go out every
02:13night of the week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons singing, and I used
02:20to play piano for a ballet school, and then I'd met Athol Guy about a year after that,
02:28and he said, why don't you come along, and on the day I first met him, if you can believe
02:33it, he said, why don't you come, I sing with these two other fellows, which was just in
02:38a little coffee lounge, so on the Monday nights I started doing a regular gig with the Seekers,
02:43and all the other nights of the week I'd be making all my own clothes and trying to keep
02:47a job down as a secretary, so it was quite a busy life.
02:51Because a lot of people don't realise it, but if you buy the DVDs, you will see Judith
02:57playing the piano.
02:58She's a fantastic pianist, very, very good pianist, and a lot of people don't realise
03:03that because, of course, in the Seekers they only ever saw you up front, but you are a
03:08beautiful pianist and songwriter, and of course, apart from the songs that you recorded with
03:14the Seekers, your real love, your first love of music was more jazz, wasn't it?
03:19Well, no, I can't honestly say that.
03:21It was every style of music, it was nothing that would stop me.
03:24If I had sheet music, or if I heard a song that I loved with melody, it wouldn't matter
03:30whether it was classical, of course I had a soprano voice, I could sing any style, so
03:34the world really was open to me.
03:36The one I couldn't quite relate to was Latin music.
03:40I found I listened to it and enjoyed it, but I didn't feel I could perform it.
03:45So it's quite interesting that later on I did actually record some things that were
03:50in that style.
03:51Like bossanovas?
03:52Yes, things like that, and one of the songs on the Christmas album that I did was Bambino,
03:57which had a fantastic accompaniment, and of course Tom Springfield, who wrote the Seekers
04:03hits, he was a great one for percussion.
04:06He'd go to Rio when the festival was on, and he came back with the most amazing instruments.
04:14But that was the only style, otherwise anything, anything I could read, I loved of course sight
04:18reading music, so I couldn't wait to get to the piano and play the latest bit of sheet
04:23music that my parents would give me.
04:25Every single Christmas and birthday they'd give me a stack of sheet music, and I'd get
04:29on the piano and learn songs that way, because we didn't have a record player, and so I used
04:35to read the music and learn the songs that way.
04:38We were having a chat a few weeks ago actually, we had a lovely afternoon chatting about everything,
04:43and I was commenting on watching you on this DVD with the one at Albert Hall.
04:50Oh yes, well actually yes, I was very fortunate on my 60th birthday, which it was even more
04:56than 10 years ago now.
04:59In fact it's coming up to the 72nd coming up, but anyway.
05:06Are you just a baby?
05:07Ah yes.
05:08Yeah, he's just a baby.
05:09But yes, but on my 60th birthday I had a great celebration at the Royal Festival Hall in
05:15London, and so that was televised on a DVD which is out on Universal, and it's a great
05:22big thrill to watch myself on that night, and of course as you say, I was playing piano
05:27on stage as I always do, and rattling off my banana rag which I composed, and maple
05:33leaf rag which I've been playing since I was 18 years old, and it's my great love, of course
05:38ragtime as well as all different styles.
05:41But I loved watching you because you'd sit at the piano and someone in the audience would
05:44yell out, put your glasses on, oh thank you, it's true.
05:50And I was thinking, you're reading this, you're not missing a note, and of course I was the
05:54exact opposite, I learnt piano but I was a bit, well I got zero for sight reading.
06:01Oh sight reading, oh, but you'd probably be playing by ear.
06:07I did.
06:08Yes you see, I didn't do so well at that, I mean I can do it, but not nearly as proficiently
06:11as probably you can.
06:12Well it does hold you back a bit if you just.
06:16Yes, look it is great to read music, there's no doubt, it's an international language,
06:21there's no question, and I'm an advocate, if I could, if I had a soapbox for learning
06:27to sight read music, there's no doubt that that's one of the things I would, what's the
06:33word, advocate, I can't think, there's another word, but that would be my agenda to get people
06:41to learn to read sight music, to sight read music.
06:45Did you see that wonderful person who is giving lessons to autistic children?
06:50No.
06:51Oh, wasn't that brilliant, and they can't speak hardly, these poor kids, and music speaks
06:58to them, and of course she teaches them how to play, and there's the music, and you learn
07:02how to read it, so that's my big thing, and I've got some music that I'm going to publish
07:07one day if I've got time, yes, songs that I've written, and I really hope people will
07:11enjoy them.
07:12Well, you're never short of projects, and I can attest to that, because every time I
07:16see you or contact you, you have a new project, and you have new releases, re-releases, two
07:24currently re-released, and one of them, we'll probably go back and forth, this one's Climb
07:31Every Mountain.
07:32Climb Every Mountain, now this album actually came out on vinyl originally, because I had
07:37the wonderful opportunity to record with A&M Records, who signed me in America, but
07:42actually the album went out around the world.
07:44There were two albums, the Gift of Song album, and now Climb Every Mountain, which is, this
07:49is the first time that it's on CD, in 40 years, people have only been able to get the vinyl,
07:55and so now on CD, and there are two tracks on there, one of which was co-written with
08:00my husband, it was the first song that we ever wrote together, called Music Everywhere,
08:05and Let Me Find Love, which is the first song that I ever wrote on my own, which is
08:09quite a spiritual meaning, really, and that's called Let Me Find Love, so I'm very thrilled
08:15that it's out.
08:16And the other, when I say outstanding, you do sing Climb Every Mountain on this album,
08:23and the last note is unbelievable, you have to get this just to hear the last note, unbelievable,
08:34your range is how many octaves?
08:37Well I'm not sure what that note was, but certainly I could.
08:42Only dogs and bishops could hear it, seriously.
08:45Yes, I mean it is, you know, I need to be in good practice, but I need to be challenged,
08:50because I'm very likely to be doing a solo tour fairly soon, and I know I'm going to
08:54have to get that high note, so maybe it won't be a tour, I'm not, I better not be too ambitious,
09:00but certainly I'll be on stage.
09:01No, it'll be a tour.
09:02Well I hope you're right.
09:03It'll be a tour.
09:04We'd love that, wouldn't we?
09:05Wow.
09:06Wow, thank you.
09:07I need all the encouragement I can get, thank you very much.
09:14Mind you, it's taking that first step to get on stage, you know, because you don't know
09:18how you're going to go, and after having had the brain hemorrhage, you know, I thought,
09:22well, how am I ever going to know if I can sing and keep time and everything unless I
09:26actually get on the stage again?
09:29Having brought the subject up, if I could ask you about that, because you were halfway
09:36or just at the beginning of the anniversary tour with the Seekers.
09:41Yes, 50 years, because we wanted to celebrate in a big way, so we were touring Australia.
09:45Yes, and you had London booked as well.
09:50Yes, we didn't know at that point that we were going to London, so I mean, luckily it
09:54was all, eventually it all took place.
09:57It was just going to be all around Australia, and so we'd got as far, we'd come down from
10:02Brisbane and through Canberra, we did the Sydney dates, and we played the first night
10:07of Melbourne, and the show went terrifically well, there was no sign of anything wrong,
10:13and I came off stage, I signed a few autographs, must have been I thought I had a bit of writer's
10:17cramp, but I thought, oh, that's pretty normal, and went back to the hotel, and then I had
10:22trouble turning the television set on, and I couldn't think, well, what was wrong, and
10:26I rang somebody who was on tour with us, well, in fact, Graeme Simpson, who you know.
10:30Your manager, yes.
10:31My manager, and he was in the hotel, and luckily he was up, and he told me over the phone what
10:37to do, how to turn the television, and I still got very confused.
10:40Anyway, it turned out that I had a brain haemorrhage, but it was quite interesting.
10:45I thought, oh, I'll just have a good night's sleep, and everything will be fine in the
10:48morning, so anyway, it's all right now, but a very big learning process to get my ability
10:55to write back again, and to read, and all sorts of things.
10:59We need to value our brains very much.
11:01One of the things that I remember you telling me, though, was the doctor asked you if you
11:07could sing something for him, and you reeled it off no problem, and he was very relieved,
11:13because a lot of people lose a whole lot of their abilities to perform cognitive things.
11:25A lot of things, yes.
11:27I had no idea, and I do want to mention this to everybody, because you don't value what
11:34we have.
11:35In this head of ours, it's the most amazing computer, and of course, the ability to make
11:41music is amazing, and to coordinate everything.
11:45You might be able to think of things, but you can't express them, or you can't sing
11:51the note you intend to sing, or you maybe can't hear the note right.
11:54There's so many things that have to come together.
11:57Anyway, luckily, the doctor said, a couple of days, I'd only had the brain haemorrhage
12:02two days before, and he said, why don't you just sing something?
12:05So, I sang a couple of notes of Morningtown Ride, and it felt completely normal, and I
12:09thought, oh, well, I might as well go back on tour, you know.
12:12We're going to take a very short break.
12:14We'll be back soon with gorgeous Judith Durham.
12:30Welcome back.
12:31I'm here with the beautiful Judith Durham, and we're just midway through a little bit
12:38of a chat about your tour for the 50th.
12:43I was just going to say, a little chat about sugar, actually.
12:47We were just talking about the fact that this is on the desk, and I've fallen in love with
12:54it, or the contents, I should say, but anyway, that's something else.
12:57But you have to see the video, or watch the movie, or something.
13:01It won't put us off sugar, evidently.
13:03No, no, I still have sugar.
13:05That's all right.
13:06So, we were talking about when you had your aneurysm, and of course, the tour was then
13:14put on hold, because no one really knew how long it was going to take for you to recover.
13:22Absolutely.
13:23Everybody was in shock, and of course, the fans, bless you all, and bless everybody around
13:28the world who's thought of me so much.
13:31I tell you what, I'm certain that people's good wishes are what got me back on track.
13:36But that, of course, I'm very, very blessed in regards to that.
13:40But there's no doubt, of course, I needed a lot of therapy, and as Wendy's saying, it
13:47was very hard for anyone to know whether I would be able to perform again, even if I
13:51got well again.
13:53It's just a question of could you perform?
13:55But anyway, they decided that they would put the tour back on, and we picked up where we
14:00left off.
14:01So, we covered the rest of Australia, and by then, the promoter over in England had
14:06decided that he was going to have the confidence to take the tour over there.
14:11So, it meant we played two fantastic concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, which was one of
14:16the most...
14:16How was that?
14:17It was unbelievable.
14:22Was that filmed?
14:24I'm not sure, to be quite honest.
14:25I've lost track of everything that's happened.
14:27Well, you've done so many films.
14:33What are they, DVDs?
14:34Well, DVDs, yes.
14:35I mean, I was fortunate, yes, with my 60th birthday being filmed.
14:38That's called Diamond Night, because, of course, my diamond birthday being a diamond
14:43anniversary of 60 years.
14:47Yes, but The Seekers, of course, we've got our 25-year reunion celebration, which was
14:53a fantastic DVD that was done of that.
14:56And a lot of children loved that, too, which has been great.
15:00So, we've been very, very blessed with a lot of CDs, and, in fact, The Seekers' 50th
15:06anniversary album has now come out.
15:08So, the fans are very, very thrilled, and, of course, the fans over in the UK were thrilled
15:13the fact that we were coming over there, because they hadn't seen us.
15:15I was going to ask you about that, because that was a massive, massive fan base in the
15:21UK.
15:21As big as, if not bigger than Australia.
15:24Of course, the population's bigger, but the level of excitement for us going over there
15:29was beyond belief.
15:32I'll never forget coming out of the Royal Albert Hall.
15:34All the fans were standing at the stage door, and they all sang to me A World of Our Own.
15:40The whole crowd, they all sang A World of Our Own as I was getting in the car, and it
15:45was so, so special.
15:48They are wonderful people, and, of course, they've been lifelong fans as well.
15:52People of all ages, just as people in Australia are of all ages, even down to little children,
15:57and people as old as 90, and letters from people who have been with us all their lives
16:05because of those songs.
16:06It's just unbelievable, so I feel very blessed.
16:09As you said, with kids too.
16:10I mean, Morning Town Ride and all of those tunes, kids used to, well, part of the curriculum
16:16at half the schools was to learn some of those songs, so they grew up with them, and their
16:21kids have grown up with them.
16:22So, your demographic is vast.
16:26Absolutely, and people like Paul Kelly, for instance, who took me into his kids' bedroom,
16:31and they sang me Morning Town Ride.
16:34Even though his own music is different, the songs of The Seekers were in the families
16:39for generations, for all different types of families, so it's been a big thrill to find
16:44out.
16:44So, all of that with The Seekers, so that ended up very well.
16:49Yes, New Zealand too.
16:50New Zealand?
16:50Yes, yes.
16:51So, yes, it did, and so recently, of course, the Climb Every Mountain album being released,
16:57it's been quite an eye-opener to realise what is possibly ahead.
17:02I've got to stay on top of my game to try and stay healthy, of course, because I've
17:08now got the incentive to be the vehicle, while I can still sing, I'm grateful to be the
17:16instrument for people, to uplift people and to inspire them.
17:22This, to me, has now become my mission.
17:24Rather than sit and grow old in front of television or something, I really want to be able to
17:29be out there and sing for people.
17:30You go, girl.
17:36This is digressing a little bit, but I have to tell you that there's a beautiful...
17:40People came from all over Victoria tonight to see you.
17:44Wow.
17:45However, we have one particular lady who's come from a little bit further away.
17:50Marie?
17:51Marie?
17:52Marie Bell has come from Minnesota.
17:55Marie, have you come all this way?
17:58That's Minnesota, USA.
18:00That's amazing.
18:04Welcome.
18:06That's absolutely amazing, and I believe, Marie, you've been to other...
18:10You came to the UK, I think, didn't you?
18:12You came into Australia before, didn't you?
18:15I'm just trying to think.
18:19Wow, and you've come here.
18:21It's just amazing.
18:25The beautiful thing as well that we were talking about a while ago was when you did leave the
18:32Seekers, now, was it looking for someone to actually help you rehearse?
18:39I'm trying to lead into this gorgeous story of how you met...
18:42My dear husband.
18:43Your dear husband.
18:45Goodness me.
18:47Well, I was pretty shy.
18:52It's such a story when I think about it.
18:54It's a magic story, there's no doubt.
18:58I gave the Seekers boys six months' notice.
19:01We'd always agreed, the four of us, that if anyone wanted to leave the group, we would
19:05give six months' notice.
19:07So, I did that, which meant that was in the sort of January, March or whatever, January,
19:11February, and the following six months, of course, I was trying to think, what on earth
19:16will I do if I become a solo artist?
19:19And then I thought, no, I'll go back to Australia, pick up where I left off, maybe I'll learn
19:23to be an opera singer, maybe I'll pick up classical piano again.
19:27Had all sorts of thoughts in my mind during those six months.
19:31However, when the news broke that the Seekers were breaking up, we were in London, and I
19:39got offers, and I never expected to get offers as a solo artist, and I was going to be doing
19:45a special.
19:47I was signed with Channel 9 in Melbourne to do a complete show with a 50-piece orchestra
19:56and choir, and I was going to be on a stage and it was going to be filmed.
20:00So, it was a big deal, there's no question about it.
20:03And I thought, well, I'd better start learning some songs and finding out what my repertoire
20:09is going to be.
20:10And I spoke to Eddie Jarrett, who was the Seekers manager actually at the time, and
20:15he said, why don't you get a musical director?
20:18Why don't you use Ron Edgeworth?
20:21Now, Ron, he had been the musical director on many of the shows throughout the four decades
20:29actually, while the Seekers were touring with different acts.
20:32And so, I sort of knew Ron, but I'd never been on a stage with him.
20:39And because Tom Springfield wanted me to record The Olive Tree as a solo record, he didn't
20:46want it to be a Seekers song.
20:48Because of that, it meant that the three Seekers boys left the stage and Judith stayed on stage
20:55as a soloist just for the one song.
20:58And Ron Edgeworth came on stage with his trio, The Treble Tones, and they played the accompaniment
21:04for me for The Olive Tree.
21:06And that's how I got to know Ron.
21:08And I asked him, would he be my musical director, because I was going to be doing the Australian
21:13tour.
21:14So, isn't that just a miracle?
21:16I have no idea why it should happen.
21:18And what did he call you?
21:19A dolly.
21:19He said, what a dolly lady.
21:22He did.
21:23When I first met him, yes, I couldn't believe it.
21:26Well, if that's not a pick-up line, what is?
21:28Wow.
21:29But I didn't.
21:31Nobody had ever said anything like that to me before.
21:35And he had a girlfriend and everything.
21:38I mean, there was no romance.
21:40And in fact, Ron told me many years later that he had made the resolution that he would
21:45never get involved with any girls from a singer point of view.
21:50And I also had sort of sincerely said to myself, I'm not going to get involved with this person
21:56because we wanted it to be a great musical working relationship.
22:00Well, so much for that.
22:01Yes.
22:02So, two months later, we admitted that we'd fallen in love.
22:05And a year later, we got married.
22:07So, we're going to go to a little segment called Mick's Picks.
22:13You know Mick Peeling from the Stars.
22:14Oh, great.
22:15And Mick and Susie Pinder, our gorgeous Susie, do Rockdown Radio, which is fabulous, community
22:22radio.
22:23So, we have a little segment where Mick picks some new CDs and gives his little rundown
22:30on what they are.
22:30So, this is Mick's Picks.
22:32Here we go.
22:33Mick Peeling.
22:39Hi, Rockdowners.
22:40Welcome back to Mick's Picks.
22:42And today for blues fans, I've got some great local blues for you.
22:46Nick Charles and Doc Spann and a brand new album featuring the music of Sonny Terry and
22:51Brownie McGee.
22:53Their versions of the songs, the music, plus a couple of their own originals as well, fitting
23:00in that style.
23:02As most of you know, Nick Charles is just a wonderful, wonderful guitar player.
23:05And that really shines through on this, as well as Doc Spann's great harmonica playing.
23:11I definitely recommend this for you blues fans out there.
23:14It's a great, great local release.
23:17Doc Spann and Nick Charles.
23:32Well, welcome back to Rockdown.
23:34And of course, my favourite segment of the show, the gorgeous Susie Pinder.
23:39Hello.
23:40Hello, gorgeous.
23:41Hello, gorgeous.
23:42Looking exquisite as usual.
23:44I've got a bit of bling on.
23:45I've sort of toned down a little bit just on the shoes.
23:48But I love your boots.
23:50Look how hot she looks.
23:52Gorgeous girl.
23:53Absolutely gorgeous.
23:54Very old.
23:55But anyway, it's another story.
23:56What have you been up to, Sus?
23:58Well, I've been out and about.
24:01Lawrence and I took a road trip, my gorgeous hubby and I.
24:03And we went up to Gosford.
24:05That is a road trip.
24:06It was.
24:07Six days on the road and we're going to make it home tonight.
24:10I got to live a dream come true.
24:13And I know I say this, but there's certain artists that you get to meet and you go,
24:17how did I get so lucky?
24:19And it was Billy Field.
24:21Bad habits.
24:23I was in love with you and you weren't in love with me.
24:26So, of course, I did ask who she was.
24:29And he told me.
24:30Who was it?
24:31I'm not allowed to tell.
24:32Because they're still friends.
24:34But yeah, that was a true story.
24:37He is an outstanding man.
24:40Very interesting as far as the political arena.
24:43We discussed a lot of stuff other than music.
24:46What does he do?
24:47I mean, I know that he's still performing.
24:49He's still performing here and there.
24:51He's still producing.
24:52He sold the Paradise Studio.
24:54Now, he opened that studio, I don't know when it was, whenever, gosh.
24:59Early 80s.
24:59Early 80s.
25:00In Sydney?
25:01Yeah.
25:02Very big recording studio.
25:03Recorded East album, for those Cold Chisel fans that might know.
25:08Air Supply, Ivor Davies was in there.
25:12He is quite a remarkable man.
25:14He's highly, highly intelligent.
25:16And he made me the best cup of tea that I've ever had.
25:19And I sat there and sort of pinched myself and thought,
25:22I'm actually here doing this.
25:24Something that was a dream.
25:26Because the vinyl album I play on my radio show quite often.
25:30Because I love Bad Habits.
25:32And it was re-released with Aztec Music.
25:35Gil Matthews re-released it.
25:36Oh, okay.
25:37Let's have a look at this fantastic interview.
25:38Yeah, we'll have a look.
25:38Because he's just outstanding.
25:40This is Billy Field.
25:40Billy Field.
25:45Hey, it's Susie here, out and about for Rockdown TV.
25:48And I'm so, so excited.
25:49I'm up at Gosford.
25:51And I found someone that I have been wanting to meet for most of my life.
25:55Billy Field.
25:56Hello, Bill.
25:56How are you going?
25:57Super Susie.
25:59I'm all right.
25:59Thank you, darling.
26:00Bill, was your family a musical family?
26:03Because you play piano?
26:04Well, my grandmother played piano.
26:07You know, sort of.
26:08I don't, you know, she used to play all the time.
26:10And my auntie played.
26:11And my mother played, played a bit.
26:14And all of my brothers and sisters play a little bit.
26:16But we're all sort of, you know, pretty punk, you know.
26:20Then my dear old father died.
26:22And I ended up on a sheep station out in the Riverina for quite a few years.
26:27Well, for a few years.
26:28And then I got an opportunity to play in a bar up in the islands.
26:33So I did that for quite a long while.
26:35What islands?
26:37Numia.
26:38Yeah.
26:39Then I got involved with a guy who played with Building Paradise Studios.
26:44So we got both in, got in that together.
26:47And it wasn't a happy partnership.
26:50It's one of those situations where, you know, when we sat down and talked about it,
26:54I said, look, it's very simple.
26:55Either you've got to go or I have.
26:58And that was that.
27:00Yeah.
27:01So he actually went and became a property developer and made hundreds of millions of dollars.
27:08And you're a musician.
27:08And now I'm broke, you know.
27:10I'm only kidding.
27:12Pardon me.
27:13Who did you listen to when you were growing up?
27:15What music did you listen to?
27:18Well, the thing that really first got me going was hearing All My Loving on the radio.
27:23I thought, oh man, that's fantastic.
27:26So I was only very young.
27:27And, you know, and then I got into hearing, you know, rock and roll and what else, you know.
27:36Then I played in a band when we were kids.
27:38I was about 14.
27:40I made my first record back in 1968.
27:431968?
27:45How old were you?
27:46Well, about 13 or 14.
27:49What was the record?
27:50It was a band called King Fox.
27:53We're all sort of schoolboys.
27:55The recording is actually not quite nice.
27:57We went and recorded about five tunes.
28:00And they're still quite lovely, I mean.
28:03But then we did, the King Fox did some, made a record called Unforgotten Dreams,
28:09which was a bit of a hit, sort of, you know, top five hit.
28:12And it was a big thing for us.
28:15Aged 14?
28:16Yeah.
28:16Well, at that stage, you're probably about 15 or 16.
28:19Yeah.
28:20So then the 80s came along and this amazing song that I play on my radio show to this day.
28:29Can't even name it.
28:30No, no.
28:31Because I don't know if I can ask you who she was.
28:34You were in love with someone and she wasn't in love with you.
28:36Oh, well, you know, yeah.
28:38Well, you weren't in love with me.
28:39It's cool.
28:40But it is a bit of a, it is a bit of a role, you know, I've just, it is kind of true.
28:47But I mean, when I did that album was really, really lucky that I ran into a fella called Tom
28:56Price through my brother, who was quite a well-educated musician.
29:01And between the two of us, you know, we cobbled up the Bad Habits album.
29:05Did it surprise you, the success of that album?
29:07Because it was a phenomenal success.
29:10Yeah, well, it was actually.
29:11It was about the second biggest album of the year after Men at Work.
29:15And it was, it wasn't expected because it was a real long shot.
29:20You know, you would never expect a swing album to go in the top 10.
29:24But there you go.
29:26Bill, you've got this wonderful studio history, a rich history with the Paradise Studio.
29:31And who was the first person to walk through your.
29:36Well, the very first record we made was Ivor Davies' I Can't Help Myself.
29:42And I went to hear him the other night.
29:43And he's a fantastic artist, isn't he?
29:46He's brilliant.
29:47Absolutely brilliant.
29:48One of the great pop artists Australia's ever produced.
29:52And he's up on the mound singing that thing.
29:54And I thought, you know, when I first heard that record, I honestly thought,
29:59God, you know, this has cost that record company about $2,000 or something.
30:06God, it's never going to make a penny, you know.
30:08And then, sure, anything was a huge hit.
30:11And then, and then he also did, you know, the partially did
30:18That Great Southern Land and Primitive, was it Primitive Man?
30:22So that was one of the others.
30:23And then, of course, Cold Chisel came in and made East.
30:25So that was another enormous record.
30:28And you had air supply in the studio?
30:30Well, of course, they were possibly probably the biggest Australian records ever made.
30:35Well, I think that I am so pleased to speak with you.
30:38And I know you're very busy today.
30:40And we've got to wind this up.
30:41But this has been an absolute delight.
30:44Super Susie.
30:46We have to do it again.
30:48We have to because I've wanted to meet you for
30:51since I was somewhere like 18 or something, whenever your songs came out.
30:55And they're meaningful songs, beautiful songs.
30:58And I absolutely adore coming here and meeting you.
31:01Thank you so very much for having me, for talking to me.
31:04And if I can say one thing to you and your audience, keep the revolution alive.
31:09Keep it going.
31:11This is Rockdown TV over and out in Gosford with the honourable, wonderful Julie Field.
31:17And thank you.
31:22As you can see, there's a lot more to that interview.
31:25And I'll put it on my YouTube channel because it goes for about 25 minutes.
31:28And he spoke about the likes of Julian Assange
31:32and that we have to be aware of around us, the world and the internet.
31:37And he's very, very into human rights and peace and world peace.
31:42And he's such a gentle soul.
31:43It was just, you could see, you could feel it.
31:45Yeah, did he say, I mean, a lot of people do.
31:48But did he say why he moved from the city like to Gosford?
31:54Divorce.
31:56So that's hence scaling down the studio.
32:01Finding a new life.
32:02Happens every time.
32:03Every time, every time.
32:04But just before we go, a good friend of ours, Zinza Pantano passed away on the weekend.
32:10And I just want to acknowledge that.
32:12Yeah.
32:14Wonderful woman.
32:17Beautiful girl, beautiful singer.
32:18And of course, her brother, Tony Pantano.
32:22Well, Suze, you're out and about again.
32:25As a matter of fact, the minute that we finish this segment, you're getting in the car.
32:29And nicking off on the road.
32:30On the road in your onesies.
32:32In my onesie, my leopard onesie.
32:34Please thank the beautiful Suze Pinder.
32:51Judith, we were just talking about how you met your husband, Ron.
32:57Now, the next part of your life was one big adventure, wasn't it?
33:02So can you take us on your journey?
33:05You lived all around the world with Ron.
33:07Yeah, absolutely.
33:08It was a life of music.
33:09There's no doubt.
33:10We had so much in common right from the first time that I realised he owned a Citroen.
33:14And that was my favourite car.
33:17Yeah, we bought a Citroen together in the end.
33:20But, you know, there were so many things.
33:22But he was a vegetarian, though.
33:24So that was a very big change in my life.
33:26I didn't know I was going to become a vegetarian.
33:29And the very first day he came to rehearse, I'd made him a cake.
33:33And he wouldn't eat it.
33:35Not only because it had eggs in it, and he was a complete vegetarian with no eggs or anything.
33:40But he also wouldn't have white flour.
33:43So, you know, he was completely brown bread for breakfast and all this.
33:48So I had a lot of learning to do.
33:49And he took me to all the different health food shops and everything
33:52when we went back to England, after we'd gone back to Australia, of course.
33:56But I learned a lot from Ron.
33:58And in many ways, an environmentalist, you know.
34:01He loved spirituality.
34:03There were so many things I learned from him.
34:05He was my mentor, apart from being the person I would fall in love with.
34:09So a very, very big inspiration.
34:12But musically, there's no doubt about it.
34:14We bounced off each other, both words and music.
34:19So even though I've written many, many songs on my own, both words and music,
34:23there are many that I've collaborated with Ron on.
34:25And I treasure, absolutely treasure my relationship with him.
34:30And the tragedy was that he was destined to have motor neurone disease.
34:34Unthinkable, yeah.
34:36And he wasn't, he was a very fit person, you know.
34:38He would run across the country.
34:41We were living in San Francisco at one stage.
34:44And he'd be gone for, you know, five, well, for a quarter of an hour.
34:47Well, longer than that, what am I thinking of?
34:48He'd run three miles across the paddock and come back and everything,
34:52just for the fun of it.
34:53So it was quite amazing when he, of all people,
34:57even though he'd sworn he was going to live till he was 120,
35:01and we all always thought that I'd be the first one to die
35:03because I had bronchiectasis.
35:05And instead of that, at the age of 56,
35:08he got a terminal illness, motor neurone disease.
35:11And within two and a half years, he had died.
35:14And it's just horrendous.
35:16I mean, the good thing, if anything, is that he gave permission
35:20for me to become the national patron of motor neurone disease for Australia.
35:25So it was very, very important to help raise awareness.
35:28And these days, of course, the wonderful thing is
35:31that a lot of money all around the world
35:33has been raised for motor neurone disease.
35:36The Ice Bucket Challenge, which probably you've all, yes, amazing.
35:39And a lot of famous people now have been suffering with it.
35:43And more and more information is being known about it.
35:47But they still don't really know what causes it.
35:49So I do whatever I can.
35:50And I'm always grateful to people like you
35:53who come to the concerts and give so generously,
35:56and even generously online and send us donations.
36:01It's really been absolutely amazing to realise
36:03that I can make a difference in some way.
36:05And bless Ron for being such a brave person
36:08and for helping us be inspired like this.
36:11Yes, there you go.
36:13APPLAUSE
36:15Judith, where will people... Which website would they go to?
36:19My websites are all at the back of my CD,
36:22where they say all the different ones that I support.
36:24And at the top of that list is motor neurone disease.
36:27MUSIC
36:30ROCKDOWN
36:34APPLAUSE
36:38Welcome back to ROCKDOWN. We're here with Judith Durham.
36:41And it's so exciting,
36:46the idea of you going out on the road again.
36:50I know you're saying, maybe,
36:52but I'm sure that everyone here would be really, really excited
36:57and way behind it.
37:00Look, interestingly, you know,
37:02Wendy and I were just talking about the value of music,
37:04and there's no doubt about that.
37:06It's the uplifting experience of being in a theatre,
37:09which has given me the confidence, you know,
37:11and, of course, the happiness that the music can create.
37:14And we were just talking about the fact, you know, sport.
37:16There's a lot of...
37:17People rally around sport and winning,
37:19so, of course, there's a great lot of excitement and everything.
37:23But music can uplift people all through your life,
37:26and it can uplift you when you're on your own.
37:28So, you're not lonely, you know.
37:30It can give you comfort. It can inspire you.
37:33So, I believe that that's something that all of us
37:36can try and help the government to achieve,
37:39where there's free music and free everything,
37:41and to make people happy.
37:43APPLAUSE
37:45Yes.
37:46Good girl. You say it.
37:48If I said it, I'd just end up in a whole lot of trouble.
37:50Oh, no, we need it.
37:52I mean, thank God, of course, for community radio,
37:55which is an absolute godsend.
37:57Excuse me, I've just got a cough.
37:59You know, community radio.
38:01I mean, if you haven't discovered community radio yet,
38:03you're certainly...
38:04And Channel 31, of course, is a community station.
38:07So, it's very, very important that we keep these avenues
38:10of things that can uplift people alive.
38:13Because, you know, there's no doubt about it,
38:15if music becomes unreachable for people,
38:17it means a lot of happiness won't be generated,
38:20which the seekers, after all,
38:22it's the happiness that our music can still create for people,
38:25can still manifest in people's lives around the world.
38:29And it doesn't have to be fashionable and trendy,
38:32it just has to be something from the heart.
38:35We're going to finish tonight
38:38watching a film clip from Diamond Night.
38:42And I remember watching this, it was...
38:44If I'm wrong, I know that The Carnival Is Over
38:47was the last song, or it was sort of your last song.
38:50Yes, the final. Yes, it was.
38:52But the second last song, I thought you'd actually written this.
38:57I got a bit emotional.
38:59You were sitting at the piano playing this song
39:01and I thought that you had written it for your husband.
39:06Oh, because of Ron dying.
39:07Because of your husband passing away.
39:09But it wasn't.
39:10Tell us about this beautiful song.
39:12Yes, look, it was quite surprising, really.
39:15We have had, through the years, so many emotional farewells.
39:20And this, of course, would have been...
39:24Ron and I had just got married,
39:25so it must have been about 1969, 1970, perhaps.
39:30And again, I'd said goodbye to my parents,
39:33my sister as well, in Melbourne,
39:36went back to London.
39:38And I was quite emotional in the plane,
39:40having said goodbye to my closest family,
39:43even though my dearest husband was with me on the plane.
39:47And when we got back to London, we were staying,
39:50we had a very, very luxurious experience
39:53in the Dorchester Hotel.
39:55And I actually wrote two songs that night.
39:57One of them was the emotion of having left my parents
40:01and my sister, and that's a song called It's Hard to Leave,
40:05which has ended up on the albums that I've recorded since.
40:09And also a song, which some of you may already know,
40:12because I wrote it and recorded it on that same...
40:15I recorded it later, but wrote it on that same night.
40:19And my mother had inspired the words for it.
40:22She wrote me a letter, an aerogram actually,
40:26and she had the idea for a lyric,
40:28and she said, why don't you write a song?
40:30She literally wrote this in longhand.
40:32Why don't you write a song called
40:35When Starlight Fades, The Day Comes In From Somewhere?
40:39And that became a song as well.
40:41But It's Hard to Leave, on the same night,
40:43It's Hard to Leave was also written.
40:46So it was a very, very fruitful and meaningful evening for me.
40:49This is the most beautiful song,
40:51and you'll see Judith playing the piano as well.
40:54It's been a pleasure having you on the show.
40:56Thank you so much for giving us your time.
41:00The wonderful Judith Garam.
41:03Thank you, Judith, it's for you.
41:05Thank you, thank you.
41:07We're going, yes.
41:11No, you sit down.
41:13It's for you.
41:16We're taking it out with It's Hard to Leave.
41:19Good night, everybody.
41:20Rock down.
41:21Thank you very much.
41:21Good night.
41:22Thank you for coming.
41:23See you next time.
41:24Thank you all.
44:01It's hard to leave the ones you love.
44:10The stars, they shine above.
44:16But I can hope within my song,
44:24that after all, it won't be long.
44:31But it is now, I feel the pain.
44:38I may not see you all again.
44:46There will be times I miss you so.
44:53It's hard to leave, but I must go.
45:01It's hard to leave.
45:05It's hard to leave, but I must go.