John was Australia’s King of Pop in the late 60’s early 70’s then like many in the entertainment business, poor management & his natural nice guy personality seemed to work against him. He kept working hard while down on his luck with barely twi coins to rub together working small venues & pubs. After strong support from some in the entertainment industry who believed in John along with his wife Jill he “came back” with his incredible version of the Beatles song Help & from there the rest as they say is history. Of course there’s a lot more to Johns story but that’s it in a nutshell & he deserves every success he worked for, Cheers Mike😁👍 ps, as I was with John Denver I never stopped being a fan of John Farnham even through the “uncool” era. I’m 65 now & have made John Farnham my family’s patron saint, my wife & 3 adult kids all love & respect him for the man he is m, his generosity & the exceptional talent he holds & the entertainment his given us in our lifetimes.
@@xDRAGONSTARx Jack definitely has the same tonal quality as John and sounds a lot like him but he would be stretched to reach John's range and power. I do like Jack Jones as a singer and thinks he is underrated in the music world.
John is incomparable. He's the GOAT ! John has has a long career of five decades plus, hit singles and albums in each one, a big, gymnastic vocal range, sings in over 20 genres, a magnetic, charismatic appeal and consummate showmanship. Above all he is sooo likeable and humble. He labels himself as 'a farmer who sings'. That's why we LOVE him !
You're so right about John's unique voice! I remember as a kid hearing a song on the radio and thinking to myself, "gee this Little River Band singer sounds exactly like John Farnham". This of course was before I knew it was indeed John himself 😂 Love the high octane energy of Playing to Win, absolute banger!
Thanks Mike. Love your reactions 😊 Farnsey is so incredible. His energy in this is off the charts. Playing to Win is one of my favourite songs of his. I am happy to be nerdy!! Go get'em Farnsey!!! 😊❤❤
He released 'Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)' in 1967 and was a teen sensation straight away as Johnny Farnham. He fell on hard times for a while joining 'The Little Band' in 1982 then left in 1985, a fact while singing for LRB they shortened the mic cord knowing John liked walking across the stage preferring him to stand in one spot and sing. This frustrated John as we know he loves to move around while singing. Another little tidbit after Freddie Mercury passed away John was the first vocalist Queen asked to join them. Not being able to get a break his manager Glen Wheatley had faith in John and risked mortgaging his home to raise the funds for an album Farnham recorded in 1986 called 'Whispering Jack' with the lead single the famous You're The Voice. Major Australian radio stations refused to play the single but public demand became overwhelming and they relented, the album became an instant huge hit. From there he's never looked back and became known as 'THE VOICE'. Farnsy kept to Australia & New Zealand, where he was loved equally, although he did tour elsewhere occasionally and did become pretty well known in the U.K. The legend sang right up until he was diagnosed with mouth cancer, my wife & I saw him live in Wellington NZ in 2019 when he was 70 years old and his voice sounded the same as it did in the 90's. He still had the energy, the voice and the same awesome performance as if he was 45 years old it was absolutely spectacular, as if John would give anything less no chance.
I have seen John Farnham live 6 or 7 times and he is someone who sounds just as good live (if not better) as listening to a studio album. He is a phenomenal entertainer and is dearly loved here in Australia.
Mike, thank you for reacting to Australia's national treasure again. I've been to so many John Farnham concerts and shows over the past 50+ years, from the early 'Sadie' days right up until he stopped performing, and I have never heard him sound anything but amazing. He always gave 110% effort in his performances. I always left his concerts feeling uplifted and satisfied. He is the best of the best. I'd love for you to consider reacting to John singing 'All Our Sons And Daughters' live from the Chain Reaction concert in high quality. Or 'I Can Do Anything' from the same concert.
I loved your reaction. Thank you. John went through different stages throughout his career. If you can somehow watch the documentary about John, called 'Finding the Voice', it tells of his overnight rise to fame as a teen idol in the late '60s to his struggles and finally his amazing comeback. It is so worth the watch and gives a better understanding of this beatuiful man, and why we all love him...❤❤❤
@AnnieD.1982 I am well thanks Annie. I hope things are OK with you and your family. I think it's great how our love for one person can bring us together like this. It's just something so special. It connects people, and I love it. You take care, and we'll chat again on the next reaction...❤️😊
Thanks Jojo. Doing okay thanks. Mum has another test tomorrow so hoping that all goes well 🙏 John is the best. And I love that there are so many of us like-minded people out there. I am so happy being part of the Farnsey community 😊 Have a good night, and will catch you again soon for sure 👍 😊❤❤
I've been to see John 7 times, even through the down years(same as I support North Melbourne through their down years, Aussies will know what I mean🤣) he never failed to entertain, whether he was singing, cracking jokes or letting his fellow musicians shine, just one helluva decent human being. Thanks Mike for helping us celebrate our musical history.
Cheers Mike thanks for the reaction! It was me that spoke about the Farnesy nerd era. This performance was when he was back on top. I was always a fan, nerd or not. ❤️
Fantastic, Mike 🤗👏 He is fantastic and just keeps singing, no matter what hes doing on stage. ❤️🤩 Nothing ever nerdy about him even in his early days. 🥰
I never thought John Denver was a nerd. I loved his music. I did think our John was a nerd but I didn’t know he was forced to sing what he started out doing, he wasn’t even allowed to dress his way or sing the songs he wrote. It was not cool to like him at my age. John was basically trapped until he was 38 when he was finally allowed to be free. No thought he was a nerd when his Whispering Jack album was released. I was way past thinking it before then because he may not have made the music I wanted but the voice was always there. His first song went to number one when he was 17 and I grew up, one day I didn’t care anymore what my friends thought was cool. I love watching other singer try to out power John’s voice and I haven’t seen it happen yet. Other than Anthony Warlow singing Opera with John and he still held his own. I love watching Jimmy Barnes sing Something is wrong with my Baby with John. He couldn’t do it either and it makes me laugh because John isn’t trying to do it, he has always just been who he is. Thank you.
@karenstrong8887 I 100% agree with everything you said about both John's. My biggest regret is not seeing our John live, and it depresses me somewhat, but I did see John Denver in 1977 in Brisbane when I was sixteen. I was devastated when his plane crashed years later. We are so blessed to still have Farnsey in our lives...❤️
@karenstrong8887 So true, Karen. John is so humble and respectful of others' talents. He has never had that God-complex, where he thinks he's better than anyone else - he would just work harder. He would help out anyone who was struggling with their own careers, too. I believe he has influenced our young ones like Guy Sebastian and Jess Mauboy because they have similar character traits. Have a great day. ❤️😊
@Jojomac-ix7oi Hi Jojo. I only got to one concert in 2000, and I so wish I had been to his earlier ones and Jesus Christ Superstar. My series is helping me get to know and appreciate John more and more. John still draws me in as if I were there. Love him to bits ❤️ 😊 Have a wonderful day, Jojo 💗
@@Jojomac-ix7oi, I saw John in Concert but not as many times as I wanted to. My husband’s job moved us 39 times and it wasn’t easy to get flights out of the desert in Central Australia. That is where I was for Jesus Christ Superstar. I was lucky enough to see him in his Last Time tour in 2003 when we were home in Melbourne, the first of many Last time tours. I remember watching him singing non stop for more than 2 hours with a a quick change into dry clothes in the middle and thinking why is this amazing voice retiring. We were so lucky that he didn’t and so very lucky he is ours. I would have loved to have seen John Denver.
Since I’ve been watching your reactions I’ve noticed how astute you are. It’s a pleasure to observe compared with some others who just spout rubbish fast-talk. Please keep up your high standard!
@@SonofBuck-f7z 🤗 I’m a retired airport immigration officer and was given less than 40% odds to survive 15 years when I had cancer in 1997. After these two life experiences and the full spectrum of human beings I’ve met, I like to live by the Pay It Forward principle (and it’s been one of the best decisions ever)! I recognised your authenticity. All the best from Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺! PS. I recommend you and others here to have a quiet listen to John Farnham’s live versions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone (live 1994)”, “Burn For You” and “A Touch Of Paradise”. He’s another authentic man …
Thanks for this one. A lot of reactors stick with the two or three big numbers like "You're the Voice but don't delve in further. I'm 48 and I'm from the generation/personal experience where Farnsey was ALWAYS awesome. I was a 10-year-old new migrant to Australia who loved to sing (like, really let go and SING) when Whispering Jack was released. It got played on the radio on the bus to and from school. It ROCKED MY WORLD. I stayed politely quiet on the bus, then belted out what I could of the songs when I got home. Not sure I even knew what he looked like until I was about 15 or 16 and only then realized he was also pretty cute (didn't notice that he was an "old guy"😀 ) and DANG could he perform, and work an audience! This man is really quite remarkable.
We call it the tall poppy syndrome in Australia. Those who make it to the top are often the first to be knocked down. A similar thing happened to Kylie Minogue. We’ll tow the line for any underdog but watch out when he/she actually makes it.
@@AnnieD.1982That's called Jantaloven where I am in Scandinavia. Dont ever think you are somebody or could be somebody (paraphrasing here). The world is everwhere, isn't it
@@LizzieRD Hi Lizzie 👋 Wow. I hadn't heard it described that way before, but yes, that is exactly the same as tall poppy syndrome. I think really it is jealousy for the most part. Keeping others down to make yourself feel better. I don't like it at all 😔
John loves being on stage, he loves his audience. It's just all so effortless. If you can find John's documentary movie, John Farnham, Finding the voice to watch, you'll enjoy it. You might find it on RUclips, for your own entertainment. By the way, I always liked John Denver.
Keep up the good work Mike. 😊 This is from John Farnham's Chain Reaction Concert. I'd thoroughly recommend you check out the version of "Chain Reaction" recorded at this same concert - you should find it by searching "John Farnham - Chain Reaction (High Quality)". It's a cracking song, and provides a great example of the top class talent surrounding John.
John Denver was amazing and I watched a documentary on him and they stated exactly what you have stated here. Fashion sometimes kills talent. It's wrong but it's a fact.
Playing To Win is originally a John Farnham Little River Band song from the album with the same title released in 1984 , his signature LRB song . It’s about him telling some LRB members to get out his way stop holding him back . John is main songwriter but with infighting within LRB every LRB member at that time and the record producer was credited . Sadly Playing To Win wasn’t a hit at the time of its release in 1984 . The harder synthesiser rock was total departure for the harmony soft yacht rock the Little River Band was known for in the 70’s and early 80s . Strangely enough John was criticised by one LRB’s original member for being too far middle of the road for the band . With Playing To Win John wrote LRB’s most hardest rocker of a song . Playing To Win is now a sporting event anthem being played at most sporting venues. With John’s appeal in the public eye some non fans claim John to be corny mostly because of his crossover appeal to be family friendly the nice boy next door image in the late 60’s early 70’s . John was 16 years into his career with many highs and lows when he got the call to join LRB apparently he thought about it for 10 minutes then said Yes . Little River Band gave John the added boost he needed to be taken more seriously as an artist. Playing To Win and the Playing To Win album was the blueprint for his latter solo work . But even when John was making he solo comeback album Whispering Jack in 1986 John wash declared by his critics record companies as washed up non bankable. They was so wrong . Whispering Jack went on sell over 1 million copies sold the first album to do so within Australia . Whispering Jack remains the highest selling Australian album domestically by a local domestic artist with sales 1,700,000 in a country of 25,000,000 it’s pretty amazing feat to achieve.
@@raelenewilliams2763 Whispering Jack’s current sales would be over 1,700,000 the album is overdue for a recount it hasn’t been done since 2006 when Whispering Jack was remastered on its 20th anniversary .
John had a stint in Little River Band. They had big hits in America with Glenn Shorrick. Yes, they were great. However, I think when they replaced Glenn with John, they didn't give him the same respect as Glenn with John. No disrespect to Glenn but John Farnham is the the best Aussie Singer of ALL TIME!!
He filled that stadium in Melbourne over 90 times as a solo artist.
John was Australia’s King of Pop in the late 60’s early 70’s then like many in the entertainment business, poor management & his natural nice guy personality seemed to work against him. He kept working hard while down on his luck with barely twi coins to rub together working small venues & pubs. After strong support from some in the entertainment industry who believed in John along with his wife Jill he “came back” with his incredible version of the Beatles song Help & from there the rest as they say is history. Of course there’s a lot more to Johns story but that’s it in a nutshell & he deserves every success he worked for, Cheers Mike😁👍 ps, as I was with John Denver I never stopped being a fan of John Farnham even through the “uncool” era. I’m 65 now & have made John Farnham my family’s patron saint, my wife & 3 adult kids all love & respect him for the man he is m, his generosity & the exceptional talent he holds & the entertainment his given us in our lifetimes.
No-one tries to imitate John because they can't. John just won a Logie Award (Australia's version of Emmys) for the documentary on his music career.
I reckon Jack Jones (of Southern Sons fame) could have a good crack at it… but there is only ONE John Farnham!
@@xDRAGONSTARx Jack definitely has the same tonal quality as John and sounds a lot like him but he would be stretched to reach John's range and power. I do like Jack Jones as a singer and thinks he is underrated in the music world.
John is incomparable. He's the GOAT ! John has has a long career of five decades plus, hit singles and albums in each one, a big, gymnastic vocal range, sings in over 20 genres, a magnetic, charismatic appeal and consummate showmanship. Above all he is sooo likeable and humble. He labels himself as 'a farmer who sings'. That's why we LOVE him !
If in doubt, Farnsey is always brilliant live!🤘👍
Loving the reactions Mate!
Appreciate the love from the other end of the world 👍🇦🇺
You're so right about John's unique voice! I remember as a kid hearing a song on the radio and thinking to myself, "gee this Little River Band singer sounds exactly like John Farnham". This of course was before I knew it was indeed John himself 😂
Love the high octane energy of Playing to Win, absolute banger!
John wrote this song and another called Let Me Out while he was with LRB. Needless to say, he was happy when his time with LRB came to an end.
Thanks Mike. Love your reactions 😊
Farnsey is so incredible. His energy in this is off the charts. Playing to Win is one of my favourite songs of his. I am happy to be nerdy!!
Go get'em Farnsey!!! 😊❤❤
One of my Fav from John! You chose the right video Mike.
He released 'Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)' in 1967 and was a teen sensation straight away as Johnny Farnham. He fell on hard times for a while joining 'The Little Band' in 1982 then left in 1985, a fact while singing for LRB they shortened the mic cord knowing John liked walking across the stage preferring him to stand in one spot and sing. This frustrated John as we know he loves to move around while singing. Another little tidbit after Freddie Mercury passed away John was the first vocalist Queen asked to join them. Not being able to get a break his manager Glen Wheatley had faith in John and risked mortgaging his home to raise the funds for an album Farnham recorded in 1986 called 'Whispering Jack' with the lead single the famous You're The Voice. Major Australian radio stations refused to play the single but public demand became overwhelming and they relented, the album became an instant huge hit. From there he's never looked back and became known as 'THE VOICE'. Farnsy kept to Australia & New Zealand, where he was loved equally, although he did tour elsewhere occasionally and did become pretty well known in the U.K. The legend sang right up until he was diagnosed with mouth cancer, my wife & I saw him live in Wellington NZ in 2019 when he was 70 years old and his voice sounded the same as it did in the 90's. He still had the energy, the voice and the same awesome performance as if he was 45 years old it was absolutely spectacular, as if John would give anything less no chance.
John is just epic, he’s simple the greatest and this one of my favorite songs by him, so much energy.
I have seen John Farnham live 6 or 7 times and he is someone who sounds just as good live (if not better) as listening to a studio album. He is a phenomenal entertainer and is dearly loved here in Australia.
Gidday mate if you want to see John Farnham as a person watch any of the interview videos with him you’ll see his humility and honesty
Mike, thank you for reacting to Australia's national treasure again. I've been to so many John Farnham concerts and shows over the past 50+ years, from the early 'Sadie' days right up until he stopped performing, and I have never heard him sound anything but amazing. He always gave 110% effort in his performances. I always left his concerts feeling uplifted and satisfied. He is the best of the best. I'd love for you to consider reacting to John singing 'All Our Sons And Daughters' live from the Chain Reaction concert in high quality. Or 'I Can Do Anything' from the same concert.
Yeah,.... John Denver is a bit of Magic !
I loved your reaction. Thank you. John went through different stages throughout his career. If you can somehow watch the documentary about John, called 'Finding the Voice', it tells of his overnight rise to fame as a teen idol in the late '60s to his struggles and finally his amazing comeback. It is so worth the watch and gives a better understanding of this beatuiful man, and why we all love him...❤❤❤
Nicely said as always Jojo 😊
John bringing us together again!!! 😅
Hope you are well ❤❤
@AnnieD.1982 I am well thanks Annie. I hope things are OK with you and your family. I think it's great how our love for one person can bring us together like
this. It's just something so special. It connects people, and I love it. You take care, and we'll chat again on the next reaction...❤️😊
Thanks Jojo. Doing okay thanks. Mum has another test tomorrow so hoping that all goes well 🙏
John is the best. And I love that there are so many of us like-minded people out there. I am so happy being part of the Farnsey community 😊
Have a good night, and will catch you again soon for sure 👍 😊❤❤
I've been to see John 7 times, even through the down years(same as I support North Melbourne through their down years, Aussies will know what I mean🤣) he never failed to entertain, whether he was singing, cracking jokes or letting his fellow musicians shine, just one helluva decent human being. Thanks Mike for helping us celebrate our musical history.
John was so good he retired 15 times.
Because we wouldn’t let him retire!
Best entertainer of all time. He truly is the Voice. Check out from this same concert “burn for you” and “a touch of paradise”
This song was taking a swipe at LRB after they parted ways.. Bloody Cracka of a Song
Cheers Ambo
This song is so underrated. John’s solo performance is better than the LRB version too.
I’d love to hear a power metal cover version!
Any cover John sings is always better than the original 👌🥰
This is one of my favourite songs from John.
JF is always great bang for your buck. Never a bad song or show🥰👌. Have a good shift 😊
Cheers Mike thanks for the reaction! It was me that spoke about the Farnesy nerd era. This performance was when he was back on top. I was always a fan, nerd or not. ❤️
Me too. He always had that magnificent voice. Sadie and Raindrops may be preppy song but he sang them beautifully.
Fantastic, Mike 🤗👏 He is fantastic and just keeps singing, no matter what hes doing on stage. ❤️🤩 Nothing ever nerdy about him even in his early days. 🥰
I never thought John Denver was a nerd. I loved his music. I did think our John was a nerd but I didn’t know he was forced to sing what he started out doing, he wasn’t even allowed to dress his way or sing the songs he wrote. It was not cool to like him at my age. John was basically trapped until he was 38 when he was finally allowed to be free.
No thought he was a nerd when his Whispering Jack album was released. I was way past thinking it before then because he may not have made the music I wanted but the voice was always there. His first song went to number one when he was 17 and I grew up, one day I didn’t care anymore what my friends thought was cool.
I love watching other singer try to out power John’s voice and I haven’t seen it happen yet. Other than Anthony Warlow singing Opera with John and he still held his own. I love watching Jimmy Barnes sing Something is wrong with my Baby with John. He couldn’t do it either and it makes me laugh because John isn’t trying to do it, he has always just been who he is. Thank you.
I agree. John Denver wasn't ever a nerd where I grew up, but to the city crowd I guess he was.
@karenstrong8887 I 100% agree with everything you said about both John's. My biggest regret is not seeing our John live, and it depresses me somewhat, but I did see John Denver in 1977 in Brisbane when I was sixteen. I was devastated when his plane crashed years later. We are so blessed to still have Farnsey in our lives...❤️
@karenstrong8887 So true, Karen. John is so humble and respectful of others' talents. He has never had that God-complex, where he thinks he's better than anyone else - he would just work harder. He would help out anyone who was struggling with their own careers, too. I believe he has influenced our young ones like Guy Sebastian and Jess Mauboy because they have similar character traits. Have a great day. ❤️😊
@Jojomac-ix7oi Hi Jojo. I only got to one concert in 2000, and I so wish I had been to his earlier ones and Jesus Christ Superstar. My series is helping me get to know and appreciate John more and more. John still draws me in as if I were there. Love him to bits ❤️ 😊 Have a wonderful day, Jojo 💗
@@Jojomac-ix7oi, I saw John in Concert but not as many times as I wanted to. My husband’s job moved us 39 times and it wasn’t easy to get flights out of the desert in Central Australia. That is where I was for Jesus Christ Superstar.
I was lucky enough to see him in his Last Time tour in 2003 when we were home in Melbourne, the first of many Last time tours. I remember watching him singing non stop for more than 2 hours with a a quick change into dry clothes in the middle and thinking why is this amazing voice retiring. We were so lucky that he didn’t and so very lucky he is ours. I would have loved to have seen John Denver.
Since I’ve been watching your reactions I’ve noticed how astute you are. It’s a pleasure to observe compared with some others who just spout rubbish fast-talk. Please keep up your high standard!
So nice of you. Thank you for the comment and the visit. I will continue to be as honest as I can, It's who I am.
@@SonofBuck-f7z 🤗 I’m a retired airport immigration officer and was given less than 40% odds to survive 15 years when I had cancer in 1997. After these two life experiences and the full spectrum of human beings I’ve met, I like to live by the Pay It Forward principle (and it’s been one of the best decisions ever)! I recognised your authenticity. All the best from Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺!
PS. I recommend you and others here to have a quiet listen to John Farnham’s live versions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone (live 1994)”, “Burn For You” and “A Touch Of Paradise”. He’s another authentic man …
Thanks for this one. A lot of reactors stick with the two or three big numbers like "You're the Voice but don't delve in further. I'm 48 and I'm from the generation/personal experience where Farnsey was ALWAYS awesome. I was a 10-year-old new migrant to Australia who loved to sing (like, really let go and SING) when Whispering Jack was released. It got played on the radio on the bus to and from school. It ROCKED MY WORLD. I stayed politely quiet on the bus, then belted out what I could of the songs when I got home. Not sure I even knew what he looked like until I was about 15 or 16 and only then realized he was also pretty cute (didn't notice that he was an "old guy"😀 ) and DANG could he perform, and work an audience! This man is really quite remarkable.
Always do the live versions.
You have to check out john doing gethsemane from jesus christ superstar final night in Sydney.
Amaaaaazing.
We call it the tall poppy syndrome in Australia. Those who make it to the top are often the first to be knocked down. A similar thing happened to Kylie Minogue. We’ll tow the line for any underdog but watch out when he/she actually makes it.
So true Dr Kap. Wish people weren't that way here in Oz 😕
@@AnnieD.1982That's called Jantaloven where I am in Scandinavia. Dont ever think you are somebody or could be somebody (paraphrasing here). The world is everwhere, isn't it
@@LizzieRD Hi Lizzie 👋 Wow. I hadn't heard it described that way before, but yes, that is exactly the same as tall poppy syndrome. I think really it is jealousy for the most part. Keeping others down to make yourself feel better. I don't like it at all 😔
@@AnnieD.1982 Too true. I will try to find a link to the actual Jantaloven, which I think is Danish originally
OMG Chris Stapleton what a voice he has.
Great comments man. Spot on with the JD analogy! Loving your work.
Glad you enjoyed
Soooo good❤❤❤❤❤
Definitely check out John's work with The Little River Band btw
John loves being on stage, he loves his audience. It's just all so effortless. If you can find John's documentary movie, John Farnham, Finding the voice to watch, you'll enjoy it. You might find it on RUclips, for your own entertainment. By the way, I always liked John Denver.
❤ takes me back
I love Farnsy & this song should be played at Schoolkids sports games. So the kids can follow the lyrics. 🦘🐧🐨
Keep up the good work Mike. 😊 This is from John Farnham's Chain Reaction Concert. I'd thoroughly recommend you check out the version of "Chain Reaction" recorded at this same concert - you should find it by searching "John Farnham - Chain Reaction (High Quality)". It's a cracking song, and provides a great example of the top class talent surrounding John.
I recommend John Steven’s from Noise Works, singing “ no lies “ 👍
Keep up the good honest reactions mate.
Loads more to hear live bud.
i'm enjoying it
@@SonofBuck-f7z Enjoy the ride forward my friend.
@@SonofBuck-f7z Enjoy the ride forward my friend.
Was one performance of Women in uniform where Shirley shook his head and grabbed the mic, won't see that happen any other time.
There's a great video where playing to win is sung to the channel 7 VFL footy highlights
To think he started with the tune “Sadie The Cleaning Lady”.
Good comparison to The other John.
He sold out that stadium 13 times on that tour.
Hi Gilly. We meet again 🥰
@@AussieDebb 👋👋👋
John Denver was amazing and I watched a documentary on him and they stated exactly what you have stated here. Fashion sometimes kills talent. It's wrong but it's a fact.
James Reyne ' Hammerhead '
Playing To Win is originally a John Farnham Little River Band song from the album with the same title released in 1984 , his signature LRB song .
It’s about him telling some LRB members to get out his way stop holding him back .
John is main songwriter but with infighting within LRB every LRB member at that time and the record producer was credited .
Sadly Playing To Win wasn’t a hit at the time of its release in 1984 . The harder synthesiser rock was total departure for the harmony soft yacht rock the Little River Band was known for in the 70’s and early 80s .
Strangely enough John was criticised by one LRB’s original member for being too far middle of the road for the band .
With Playing To Win John wrote LRB’s most hardest rocker of a song .
Playing To Win is now a sporting event anthem being played at most sporting venues.
With John’s appeal in the public eye some non fans claim John to be corny mostly because of his crossover appeal to be family friendly the nice boy next door image in the late 60’s early 70’s .
John was 16 years into his career with many highs and lows when he got the call to join LRB apparently he thought about it for 10 minutes then said Yes .
Little River Band gave John the added boost he needed to be taken more seriously as an artist. Playing To Win and the Playing To Win album was the blueprint for his latter solo work .
But even when John was making he solo comeback album Whispering Jack in 1986 John wash declared by his critics record companies as washed up non bankable.
They was so wrong . Whispering Jack went on sell over 1 million copies sold the first album to do so within Australia . Whispering Jack remains the highest selling Australian album domestically by a local domestic artist with sales 1,700,000 in a country of 25,000,000 it’s pretty amazing feat to achieve.
In 1986 the population of Australia was only 16 million, so that is an amazing achievement.❤
@@raelenewilliams2763 Whispering Jack’s current sales would be over 1,700,000 the album is overdue for a recount it hasn’t been done since 2006 when Whispering Jack was remastered on its 20th anniversary .
John had a stint in Little River Band. They had big hits in America with Glenn Shorrick. Yes, they were great. However, I think when they replaced Glenn with John, they didn't give him the same respect as Glenn with John. No disrespect to Glenn but John Farnham is the the best Aussie Singer of ALL TIME!!
I'm an Australian fan and I've never heard about that nerd thing.
I think it’s the only live one available
There is the live one he did with LRB, which is potent. 😍
Also live versio with almost every concert. Just might have to pick it out from a whole concert video. Pretty sure there one from Hey Hey as well
You have to see JF on stage in Jesus Christ Superstar!!!!¡
Wayne the guy on the bass is American.
First
Good on ya Brian 😅👋