John Farnham is an Australian singer but of English origin because he was born in England, the country where he will live until he is 10 years old before his parents decide to migrate to Australia.
Artist who started his artistic career in a precocious way in 1964 at the age of 15 when he performed with 'The Mavericks', a local group that was short-lived to say the least but which nevertheless produced 5 songs. Then within another group named 'Strings Unlimited' from the year 1965, group which will occur mainly in the local hotels.
A group that will still get noticed a year later in 1966 in a telehook called Hoadley's Batlle Of The Sounds, a spotlight that will allow them to record a 3-track demo. Then we find them playing backing vocals in 1967 for singer Bev Harrell, whose manager will be impressed by Farnham's voice, which will allow him to sign with the EMI label.
Label which allows him to release a first Single "Sadie" still in 1967 and for a first try it is a real masterstroke. The Single would go on to sell over 180,000 copies in Australia and become the biggest selling single of the entire 60s decade alone !
He did it again two years later in 1969 with the title "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" then in 1972 with the title "Rock me baby".
Throughout the 70s, the young singer will release an impressive number of titles but without succeeding in breaking through to the International more than that.
We find him in the group 'Little River Band' at the beginning of the 80s, a group where he will participate in several albums until 1985.
He returned solo in 1986 with the album "Whispering Jack", an album that was to be a real hit and finally give him the planetary recognition he had been chasing since his debut. In particular thanks to the enormous Single "You're the voice", single which remains to this day the biggest success of all his discography on the Singles side.
Another notorious success two years later in 1988 with the release of the album "Age of reason", album which will produce the seminal Single of the same name.
The adventure will continue thereafter with the release of a good number of albums and Singles but none will manage to equal the level of success that it will have known during the year 1986...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
Sadie (The cleaning lady) 1967
Underneath the arches 1968
Jamie 1968
Rose coloured glasses 1968
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus 1968
One 1969
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head 1969
Comic conversation 1970
Acapulco sun 1971
Baby without you 1971
Walking the floor on my hands 1971
Rock me baby 1972
Don't you know it's magic 1972
Everything is out of season 1973
I can't dance to your music 1973
Shake a hand 1973
One minute every hour 1974
Things to do 1975
You love me back to life again 1976
Rock and roll hall of fame 1977
She says to me 1980
Help ! 1980
She's everywhere 1980
Please don't ask me 1980
Too much too soon 1981
That’s no way to love someone 1981
We two (Little River Band) 1983
You’re driving me out of my mind (Little River Band) 1983
Nothing's gonna stand in our way 1984
Love it's just the way it goes 1985
Playing to win (Little River Band) 1985
No reins on me (Little River Band) 1986
You’re the voice 1986
Pressure down 1986
A touch of paradise 1987
Reasons 1987
Age of reason 1988
Two strong hearts 1988
Beyond the call 1988
We're no angels 1989
Communication 1989
Chain reaction 1990
That's freedom 1990
Burn for you 1990
In days to come 1991
When something is wrong with my baby 1991
Everything's alright 1992
Seemed liked a good idea (At the time) 1993
Angels 1993
Talk of the town 1994
The reason why 1994
Have a little faith 1996
A simple life 1996
Hearts on fire 1996
Don't let it end 1996
All kinds of people 1997
Everytime you cry 1997
Trying to live my life without you 2000
Dare to dream 2000
Man of the hour 2000
You're the only one 2001
The last time 2002
Keep talking 2002
Downhearted 2005
Even when I'm sleeping 2005
Hit the road Jack 2010
Let it snow 2016
Have yourself a merry little Christmas 2016
Clips :
1967...the title of the revelation, the real one and what a revelation ! The young John will find himself projected on the front of the Australian scene in a sensational way thanks to this title...
1968...a sequel that will rhyme with a luxury cover of Flanagan and Allen's title dating from...1932 ! Or how to make new with - very - old...
1968...a first solo year which started off in an ideal way with a series of successes which inevitably positioned the young singer as one of the phenomena of the moment in the land of kangaroos...
1968...a plethoric year 1968 in terms of titles and which will all be classified, which underlines all the more the performance achieved...
1968...new luxury cover, this time with this revisited version of Jimmy Boyd's title dating from 1952. A version a little more joyful than the original...
1969...in the series of luxury covers, here he is attacking the title of Harry Nilsson dating from the previous year. Good job once again...
1969...we continue in the series of luxury covers with his revisited version of the title of B.J. Thomas dating from the same year. Full card on this one !
1970...the 1960s saw him hatch and then explode at the highest level, at least in Australia. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to extend his fame to the whole planet...
1971...we see a slight drop in success in the Charts at the start of the decade. Lasting phenomenon or slight air hole, good question...
1971... so he thinks it might be better with 2 and here he is in shock and charm duo mode. Good idea given the level of success achieved by this title...
1971...certainly he still can't find his level of success of the previous decade but he is working on it in any case, it is clear...
1972...the proof with this new title which will allow him to go up a little bit at the head of the race. Hope it lasts...
1972...slight relapse behind but nothing to worry about at this stage. The singer continues to unroll quietly and waits for the right moment to put the overdrive...
1973... it is clear that for the big take-off we will have to wait a little longer. After a career is built over the long term and that's what he does...
1973...he got off to a flying start at the very beginning of his career and we can clearly see that he is struggling to pass the level of planetary recognition...
1973...but the success is constant in Australia and it seems to suit him perfectly for the moment. Everyone pursues their career as they see fit...
1974...a mid-1970s that will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected. The Farnham rocket still can't take off...
1975...and yet he puts more than obvious good will into it. But he can't find the new breath necessary for this great take-off...
1976...business gets so complicated that this title even goes 'through'. Times are really getting harder and harder as they say...
1977...idem the following year which is really not made to reassure. He will really have to recover, otherwise the exit door may arrive faster than expected...
1980...a very disappointing 70s decade which is closing and giving way to a new 80s decade that we hope will be much more favorable to the singer...
1980... it is with this luxury cover of the Beatles title dating from 1965 that the singer will hang up the wagons somewhat. It's already that...
1980... he tries to adapt to the new musical trends of the moment but it is clear that he still has a little work to do...
1980...we hoped that this new decade would put him back on the saddle but for the moment the result in the Charts is not really up to expectations...
1981 ... which is rather reassuring on the bottom is that he does not let go in any case. He knows that his time will necessarily come at one time or another !
1981 ... he will still have to fill the gap with the competition and there is work for sure. Must and can do better...
1983... here he is with the Little River Band and the least we can say is that it seems to benefit him in an obvious way...
1983... there is something better with this title, it has to be said. We can therefore hope for any nice surprises in the years to come...
1984...we could have hoped that this mid-decade would finally bring him back into the leading pack but it won't be for now...
1985...and yet it's not for lack of trying. But nothing helps and he will therefore have to wait a little longer while chomping at the bit as they say...
1985... the sound just like the style now fits perfectly with the times and you can't imagine for a single second that it won't end up paying off...
1986...it could be that this second half of the decade has some very nice surprises in store for him and above all a return to the top of the race that he has been waiting for for a few years already...
1986...the year 1986 will therefore have been the good one and will put him back in the race in a sensational way to say the least. It was high time...
1986...after landing his first planetary mega hit with the huge previous title, he will confirm with this one that his time has finally come !
1987...especially since he shows us a versatility of tempos that we can only appreciate all the more when he decides to explore the 'emotional' register...
1987... little air hole on this title but nothing to worry about at this stage especially when you see what is looming on the horizon...
1988...a year 1988 which started in the best possible way with this first top hit. The rebirth of the artist is impressive and will surely not stop there...
1988...here he is again in shock and charm duo mode and once again the recipe will rather succeed. When 2 of the greatest Australian artists decide to push the song...
1988...the 'little' hit of the year but that doesn't mean a possible major relapse. It happens even to the best as they say...
1989...this one won't do much better than its predecessor but that in no way taints its desire to continue the adventure as far as he can...
1989... the duos of shock and charm inspire him to the highest degree and he thinks that it might be good to put the cover back on. Good inspiration...
1990...one might have feared that the transition to the next decade would rhyme with a frank and above all irreversible deceleration. It doesn't seem to be going that way...
1990...he decides to revisit here the title of Tom Kimmel dating from 1987 and takes him well when we see the success achieved by the copy...
1990...will he succeed in consolidating its position or, on the contrary, decelerating sharply in the years to come ? Only him knows the answer...
1991... the deceleration will indeed be real but limited. He will have to be content only with Australia, which is now successful in the Charts...
1991...here he is again in duet mode but this time 100 % masculine all on this revisited version of the Sam & Dave title dating from 1967. A quality copy that will not go unnoticed throughout the southern sphere...
1992...there is no longer a duo we are dealing with but a trio. And why not tell me, especially when the trio plays it all in strength but also all in finesse...
1993...an adventure that continues slowly but surely. He will never find again the level of success reached during the 80s but everything is not played as they say...
1993...you still have to remember that he started his career in 1967, which is not nothing. Because he is still there which is not the case for a lot of others...
1994... he will not let go until the end and no matter the weight of the years and especially the decades. He still has things to offer at first sight and especially to sing...
1994... which is of course the happiness of the basic fans who see their favorite singer last in time in a way that is impressive to say the least...
1996...we will lose sight of him during the year 1995 but here he is again anyway in this new year 1996. All in a certain form...
1996...certain and above all sufficient to keep him afloat on his native lands. It is clear on the other hand that the career at the International level is now a thing of the past...
1996...for him, the main thing is to continue to take pleasure in what he simply does. Who would blame him honestly...
1996...especially since the production of titles is still a consequence, which shows his desire to continue the adventure as long as he has things to offer...
1997... there will be success on this title but in the depths of the rankings. Irreversible stall or simple air hole ? To be continued...
1997...single air hole fortunately. It is by sharing the poster with Human Nature that he will succeed in showing once again that he still has some under the pedal...
2000... he will have gone through the 60s, then the 70s, then the 80s, then the 90s and here he is proudly starting this new 2000s...
2000...he will even have the privilege of opening the Olympic Games in Sydney, which is no small thing. This is the kind of favor we reserve for the best of each generation...
2000...it remains to be seen what he intends to do during this new decade. Be satisfied with the bare minimum or completely reinvent yourself ? Good question...
2001...we're going with the first proposal, unfortunately. Only one title in this year 2001 and which will pass under the radars in addition...
2002...surprising to want to bring up to date a title of the Rolling Stones dating from 1965, especially in this decade 2000. Daring bet and sadly lost bet...
2002 ... he will succeed in saving the furniture in extremis with this title but really narrowly. Times are getting harder and harder for the artist and things aren't going to get any better...
2005...in the series of luxury covers, here he is covering the Australian Crawl title dating from 1980. A cover that will go completely under the radar...
2005... it's the Angel Blood's turn to have his favors. He gives us here a nice title with finesse and lightness that would have deserved a little higher recognition that's clear...
2010... he will attempt the transition to the 2010 decade but we feel that this time the singer has reached the end of his adventure. Unless...
2016... when we thought the case was definitely over, here he is back with his favorite accomplice...
2016...on the other hand, nothing very original than resuming titles already covered thousands of times before. Afterwards, as they do well, how can you blame them...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :