W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Kevin Johnson - Aussie Rules 'AFL Centenary Season Song' (1996)

 

Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song or album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.

Kevin Johnson is one of the most internationally successful singer/songwriters ever to emerge in this country. He has produced a number of albums, containing close to 90 of his own songs, and with the exception of two tracks he recorded in Germany, all the others were recorded in Australia.

His catalogue has been released internationally, continuously, since 1973, making it 42 years of sustained interest in overseas countries, and he has just signed a long-term world deal with Demon Music Group and Angel Air Records in the UK and Ambition Music in Australia/NZ.

Johnson was born and grew up in the Rockhampton area in QLD, singing in beer gardens, then playing in a band doing covers of Beatles, Rolling Stones etc.

After marrying his wife Jill, he moved to Brisbane, and became a writer of songs for the Col Joye/Jacobsen label ATA having songs recorded by Col Joye, Little Patti, Judy Stone, Sandy Scott, etc. He wrote and recorded “Woman You Took My Life” which was immediately picked up and released by Decca Records in the UK, then covered by Tom Jones.

He then wrote and recorded his first album for Sweet Peach Records “In The Quiet Corners Of My Mind” a concept album telling a story, which received great critical acclaim. He wrote and recorded “Bonnie Please Don’t Go”(She’s Leavin’) which topped the charts in Australia, became the most requested record in Canada, and was then covered in the USA by Jim Ed Brown, who had a major USA hit with it. Brown’s album was then called “She’s Leavin'” and featured another of Kevin’s songs, “Summerset” (original and current title, “I Came to Somerset”). Kevin was awarded Best Australian Male Vocal Single of the year. Kevin then signed a world exclusive writing/recording deal with Tree Publishing/Dial Records in Nashville Tennessee and for the next 2 years stayed in Australia and wrote songs for them.

However, following a big hit with “Bonnie Please Don’t Go” he made no recordings at all for two years, waiting for Dial records in the USA to fulfill their obligations. Kevin tired of this and after those two years asked to be released from his contract.

He then wrote, and produced his second album “Rock & Roll I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life”, the title track of which became an instant hit in Australia, charted for Kevin in the USA and other countries, on the Mainstream Label, and was immediately covered by scores of artists worldwide.

Johnson signed with Festival Records' offshoot Infinity in 1977 to issue further singles and an album, Journeys, which was released in 1978. Additional albums followed including Best of Kevin Johnson (a compilation album, 1979), Night Rider (1981), Spirit of the Times (1985), Now and Then (compilation, 1992) and The Sun will Shine Again (September 1996).

In 1996 Johnson re-wrote "Rock 'N' Roll" for the Australian Football League (AFL) as their official Centenary Song, retitled "Aussie Rules I Thank You for the Best Years of Our Lives". It was used as an introductory theme before AFL games during that season. During the late 1990s it was used as the closing theme for Foster's Aussie Rules, a U.S highlights show.

Kevin Johnson formed a trio, JAM (initialism for Johnson Ashdown McClellan) with Doug Ashdown ("Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone") and Mike McClellan ("Song and Dance Man"). They toured Australia through the 2000s. Recently, he has also performed in concert in Sydney, Canberra, and soon at The Palms at Crown in Melbourne promoting that recording, with special guests, his son Scott Johnson (Jersey Boys) and daughter in law Verity Hunt-Ballard (Mary Poppins, Sweet Charity), singing new songs written by Scott, including the single “What We Did”.

So this month's WOCK on Vinyl pays tribute to the great game of AFL and the 2022 season which recently opened with the return of fans to the footy stands, after 2 years of COVID restrictions and turmoil.  I thought it appropriate to share a rare and Obscure CD single from 1996, which was released to celebrate 100 years of AFL Footy.   Ripped to FLAC, this CD single also features Kevin's original song "Rock 'N' Roll - I Gave You The Best Years of My Life" from which the Centenary Song "Aussie Rules" was adapted.  And while I've got your attention - Go Bombers !

Aussie Rules Link (51Mb)