Comments on: Sun Arise

By: Club Troppo » Don’t ill-treat me pet dingo, Ringo

Club Troppo » Don’t ill-treat me pet dingo, Ringo — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 01:39:02 +0000

[...] while back I posted on Rolf Harris’s amazing song Sun Arise. Well in the process of doing so I downloaded a [...]

By: Cameron Reilly

Cameron Reilly — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:16:32 +0000

wow that’s a great find. I’ve been wanting to hear this version of the track for 20 years. The only version I’ve ever heard was the one on Alice Cooper’s classic 1971 album “Love It To Death”.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002KBB/sr=8-6/qid=1152710094/ref=pd_bbs_6/104-5461163-8075135?ie=UTF8

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:06:10 +0000

Well, I already knew Sun Arise, despite being born in ’72. If you’re looking for daggy – I recall insisting on playing a Rolf Harris tape at my birthday party in Grade 4 or so, over the complaints of the other kids that it wasn’t cool. I have no idea what was cool in Grade 4, though.

By: Link

Link — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 07:54:03 +0000

I downloaded the MP3, thanks Nicholas. Its a very interesting production for its time and no doubt Rolf had full control. Some of the didge-like sounds I suspect might be Rolf doing nasal vocals. Double tracking his voice works well. There is something so ???compelling about Rolf’s singing.

By: Richard Tonkin

Richard Tonkin — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 11:54:44 +0000

If it helps, I remember Rolf saying in another interview that the didge sound for “Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport” was a slack-tuned bass, there being a bit of a dearth of didge-players in London in the Sixties.

Also accordion to Rolf (sorry) the session musos had the choice between a couple of quid then-and-there or sales percentages. The musos, in what would normally be a wise move, chose the cash up front.

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 08:00:36 +0000

The drone underneath the singing seems to be the double basses, but in between verses there’s obviously some quasi-didge vocalisation going on – that sound’s not coming from the basses.

By: marcus

marcus — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 02:35:08 +0000

I heard the interview and was surprised by how old the song was. And it still sounded pretty good. Completely off the point, Rolf Harris made a chance but important contribution to Neolithic archaeology. Two long silver tubes had been discovered in a chamber tomb in Ireland. The archaeologists guessed that they were some sort of musical instruments but they had no idea how they were played. Until, up pops Rolf on the telly playing a didgeridoo (he had learnt it by then), and the problem was solved.

By: Lesley de Voil

Lesley de Voil — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 17:23:04 +0000

In 1962 I wasn’t into pop music, consequently this was completely new to my ears this am. I did wonder at the obvious takeoff of indigenous style, but the structure gave it away. I wonder what the murris thought of it in 1962.
Link, you can hear the interview at
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/music/mshow/

By: harry clarke

harry clarke — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 12:45:30 +0000

I heard the interview and the music. RH is great – one of my long-time favourites. And this one of his best.

That I remember it so clearly ages me, 1962, it is amazing.

By: Link

Link — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 10:22:12 +0000

I missed the interview damn, but they played the song last week. He sort of gives it a black fella inflection to it. I do like Rolf singin–I guess that is tragically daggy, but Two Little Boys is a real heart ripper.

I can go just as fast with two . . .