Because this was his first big hit, it always comes up and John will joke around and start to sing it or refuse to sing it in jest. When you reacted to John and Anthony Warlow joking around on stage, Anthony started singing Sadie as partnof that and the audience all laughed along as they were in on the joke. John isnt afraid or ashamed of the song as it set him on the path he is now on. I think he was 17/18 at the time and was crowned King of Pop.
I saw him live twice in my youth. Every single concert someone somewhere yells out Sadie in request. His usual answer is hilarious and always joking to some degree. "What was that?" 'Sadie!' "No, no way" 'Sadie!!' "No! No bloody way! I am not singing f... bloody Sadie!" 'SADIE! SADIE!' "NO BLOODY WAY! NOOO!!! No I..... Oh bloody hell lets... Let's just get it over and done with! Chong! They want Sadie!" Lol and Chong Lim is the Malaysian/Aussie bloke that you always see on the keyboards. The man is a rare genius and helps organise everything as well as playing in the band. He has been there with John since the early beginning. Seeing Chong with a long impressive Mullet haircut back in the day was hilarious.
The piano/keyboard player in some of John's earlier videos and concerts was David Hirschfelder (hope that's spelt right), he was the owner of the impressive mullet...Chong was a little more conservative in his choice of hair style... ;) edited because auto correct is a pain in the ring gear... :]
Chong joined after David left (Talk of the Town tour?). There's a podcast interview with him where he tells the story of joining John and playing with him.
My grandmother’s name was Sadie. She had me convinced until I was about 14 that he wrote this song about her😂. This song has special place in my heart. I still see her dancing around the house to this.
Sadie is nobody's kind of song, but every Aussie who is old enough to remember it has it cycling through their head. Guaranteed you'll break into a few bars of Sadie at some random moment in time.
Johnny, as he was known then was at the mercy of the "music industry" as with all singers until they "make it". He was told what to si g and when.. This was not all bad because he had huge success for the first 10 years or so... Until he became uncool (mainly because of this song). At point is the late 70's he couldn't get a record deal anywhere.. After a stint as front man to LRB he was basically broke and unwanted (hard to believe) luckily for us his good friend, who happened to be a record producer had faith in him and Hocked his house (without John knowing) so he could make the first album that he actually wanted to make.. It was and I think still is the highest selling album EVER in Australia. Whispering Jack is full of hit after hit.. This is also when he truly found his voice. God Bless Glenn Wheatley!!!!
Yep, that control inspired Tina Arena to write and record "Chains". "Should have known passin' through the gate; That once inside I could not escape; I never thought this could happen to me; I never thought this is where I'd be; I said baby, baby, look at me; I'm in chains"
@@mred777 This song is about a love hate relationship with the music industry. Being trapped in a contract but loving the fame. Despite it all, not being able to leave it. Heard this comment from Tina Arena herself in an interview. The music company's initially seduce you then treat you like sh*t
This is john's first break out hit, which in the 60's was massive, it was a song that years later he was always joked about in a fun way, how amazing though is it to see how he grew and conquered every genre! He is the master of song
He used to play a practical joke on his concerts ... They band would start like they were gonna play Saddie ... The crowd goes Wild and then they do a quick transdision out to another time like paradise and John would laugh and say somthing like ha U thought I was gonna sing it ... Nope ... Bloody prankster lol
I remember watching a concert once where Johnny Farnham was performing, he started asking the audience “What song do you wanna hear next?” Pretty much everyone yelled out “Sadie”. He looked over at his band and asked “they want bloody Sadie, Do you blokes know it?”, they shrugged their shoulders, then Johnny (in typical Johnny Farnham fashion) said “Bugger it, I do it acapella”. And so he did, absolutely nailed it. Absolute legend.
In Australia part of the fun of this song is My Fellow Aussies Messing With John Farnham at His Concerts. It's a Running Joke when people request it and He pretends not want to sing it. Although My Sister knows of one Concert where He started with it and Confessed to actually Liking It. Then He said "Don't Tell Anyone!".
Fair dinkum Nic, I don't think I am on my own in saying that my time is never wasted when I watch your videos. Your reactions, chatter, and explantions of why (or why not) you like videos you are watching keep me entertained for the duration. Keep it up. P.S. I'm old enough to remember when this song was on high rotation on the radio airwaves. It is quite typical of the 'novelty' pop style of song that was popular in the 60s in Britain and Australia (not sure about the U.S.A.) as exemplified by songs such as 'Winchester Cathedral', 'Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter', 'My Old Man's a Dustman', 'Right Said Fred', 'I'm Henry the 8th, I Am', to name a handful, that were hits. Now tell me honestly, for how long after watching 'Sadie' did you still have the melody bouncing around inside your mind?
This was a huge hit for him and he had such a big fan base. I love this song...always have.... although I think One is a better example. What you have to understand is no matter what decade in the 20th century these songs are from even going back to both war years, songs and singers are still held in the heart and mind long past their immediate popularity. That's what makes John...even people like Judy Garland.....timeless.
I think he was 18 here. Huge hit back then. Johnny became a Pop idol off this song. Also in those days Australia was a lot closer to the UK and we liked anything basically from there, which makes sense seeing we are part of the Commonwealth, so this song has a vaudeville type sound, and John originally being from the UK, well the rest is history. The week prior, he was a plumber...true
My husband saw him perform this live at the Guildford Leagues Club in Sydney at their Presentation Night at the end of the year. He said he was unbelievable- his voice blew him away - rather than the actual song.
He was 18 at that time, Glad you seen his break out song at that time when he was Johnny Farnham, now of course he is John Farnham (the Voice). Love your reactions.
So happy you did a reaction to this. That was our Johnny who developed into one of the worlds greatest singers. We love that song because it was how he was introduced to us.
🎶"Well, I've been king of pop and a Countdown host and I've sung everywhere, I was once kicked out of LRB for having to much hair, I'm just a natural guy who likes to close his eyes and hold it with no mercy, but if someone starts to call me Johnny, I'll kick their bloody teeth in!"🎶 -- D-Generation, 1985.
Love that you're not a sycophant when it comes to John Farnham. This song is the reason why their are still so many Australian's that aren't huge fans of his as they just can't get over 'Sadie'.
They're not fans because of Sadie... That's real stick your head in the sand type of stuff. Considering the absolutely amazing voice he has. Their loss.
@@sandgroperwookiee65 how many people do you think turned off Billy Ray Cyrus because of Acky Breaky Heart? A bad song can have devastating effects is the reality.
You can understand how surprised we (Aussies) were, after most of us only knew of him through ‘Sadie’, when we first heard his rendition of the Beatles classic ‘Help’. It was love at first note & that hasn’t changed in the years since.
I knew you'd have a giggle at this one! It may not be a song you'd walk around listening to, but I guarantee that now you've heard it, sometime, somewhere, you'll break out singing it!
Sadie was released in 1968. John was born in 1949, so that would make him 19. Even at the start, he sung in a higher register and right from the start he had good diction, so you could understand what he was singing.
Yes he was 17-18 years old, and Sadie was loved by all. He could never end a concert without including Sadie at some point. To this day Sadie can be sung word perfect by most fans of that generation. Love John still and all of the music and songs he put out. And then to top it of, he’s one of the nicest down to earth blokes you could meet..
This was where my love affair with John Farnham and his voice began. I have been to many concerts over the years. Never once did he disappoint. He is always give all to his concerts . Versatile singer who never go the recognition he deserved early in his career. We will always be grateful Glen for his faith in backing john and his come back with "Whispering Jack" then the whole country fell under John's spell and now "You're the voice" is our unofficial anthem and we love it xxx
I have seen him in concert twice, my wife is a huge fan of his. Not quite dragged to see him, but I went along to make her happy. At the time was not a huge fan of his music, but really liked him as a person, from what I could see on TV. Anyway, go to the concert and have my mind blown by how good he was live. The band, the sound, the level of entertainment was amazing. No way could you walk out of a concert of his and say you didn't get your money's worth. Now I enjoy his singing, especially on road trips.
It's funny thinking about this song when it was on TV back then. My grandmother loved John Farnham when this song came out and she was born in 1890! ..she passed away in 1973
So utterly gorgeous of him! So sweet at 18yo this was his debut and he loves it for giving him the huge break and a 55 year career! But now you know why he tells us to Nick Off when we chant it and tease him to do it! 😁 Chookas! 💖
Awww, that was nice having this randomly pop up. Made me think of my mum and the stories she told me. Johnny lived in the house across the street from her and her sister growing up. Which meant I ended up hearing a shit tonne of his music when I was a kid. Makes me smile now. Plus he really is as nice as he seems. Cheers for that :)
Oh dear, this made me cringe, especially the “cleaning ladies” prancing about. But there is no denying that this song launched John into his brilliant career.
Yes, thank God, this song did launch his career. Please don't cringe. This song was released in very different times. This song gave birth to one of Australia's most gifted and gracious singers. So many people around the world have had the opportunity to hear his beautiful, powerful voice. So many people have been subject to the whole gamut of emotions that John's voice evokes. We cannot undo time. Just accept and try to move on graciously and with forgiveness. Johnnie, as he was known then, most probably did not have a say on which song launched his career. In fact, John should not ask forgiveness. He was a product of the times. He has since brought so much joy to the world. Just love him and wish him all the best.
MANY years later....the daughter of one of those dancing cleaning ladies became John's background singer - Dannielle Gaha - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dannielle_Gaha
Promotion of this song as it first appeared was a cleaning lady with mop and bucket, hair in a cloth who popped into the radio stations and commenced cleaning whilst the song went to air. Was so funny for the time. First glimpse of JF as an ?18 year old. He went on to be a superstar with a solid base still. He always could sing! and got better with maturity and poise.
Well I unashamedly loved him as a 13 year old back in the day and have always loved him. He had a beautiful voice back then for sure and after all it was pop music and exactly the sort of thing everyone was singing at the time. Helped him become our King of Pop anyway. He ain’t no spring chicken anymore remember so this was what it was to a large degree. He also had that lovely enunciation of a true Englishman which he was. I am not sure but I also think he was still apprenticed as a plumber when he did Sadie.
This was the first song he ever recorded. He was 17 when he recorded it. He well and truly recognises that its not exactly the greatest song in the world. His crowds yell for him to sing it in concert to this day and he acts as though he hates it. But as he said, it was the song that got him noticed, went to no.1 in Australia in 1967.
He was 18 in the video clip, that song was released in November 67,he was an apprentice plumber before he got his big break with Sadie. If it wasn't for that song we wouldn't be here now discussing it now.
What a giggle. A couple of things: This was his first hit so "gave" Johnny to us at 18. Everyone has heard Sadie and that's why at his concerts, fans scream for him to sing it. He mostly goes along with it too, but yes, it was just a little boppy song that had a catchy chorus, so we all sang along. It in no way showed the talent he was to become but you can see how kind of innocent and nice he was and he's been that way ever since. Credit to his well balanced family I think that he never became a narcissistic, drug-addled high flyer. John just wanted to sing - and he's done it brilliantly for the past 50 years. Thanks for playing this video. Love John.
Poor Farnsey... this is still torturing him even now hahahah... how glad we all are that he managed to get away from that pop sound that the management of the time wanted him to spew out ...imagine how restrained he must have felt... John stuck to his guns...married his sweetheart Jilly - against managements wishes (they said it would crush his sales / fanbase as it was predominantly young girls/females...) How wrong were they !! He was pretty much born with those pipes... he just didn't get to use them fully until much later... thank heavens !!
It funny to go back and see "Little Johnny Farnham" in his debut, although nothing like what he became, there were signs even back then that there's something special in that voice.
You are spot on when it comes to that this song really was for that time... because come the 80's and when John was choosing songs for his 'Whispering Jack' album and he chose 'You're the Voice'.. there was so much behind the scenes nightmares going on, because the original writers of 'you're the voice' did not want to release the song to John for his album... as all they knew of John at the time was of Johnny Farnham that sings 'Sadie'... so they were dead set against him having the song 'you're the voice', so Farnham and his label and management had to do some real talking and showcase John's more recent stuff like the 1980 version of 'Help' and 'Please don't ask me' and his stint in LRB to the writers of 'you're the voice' to convince them to release the song to John so he could release it... and thankfully they did, and the song writers now are forever gratefull to John for what he did and has done for 'You're the voice'... because while 'you're the voice' has been released by many artists now, none of them have had the success that John has with the song... and especially none have sang it the way and the best that John does it... period... there's just no comparism... and believe me, I've heard every single cover version of that song... even the dreaded death metal versions (each to their own)... but getting back to 'Sadie'... without a doubt, 'Sadie' really was a song only for it's time in the 60's... when John does it now, it's half the song with a more country/folky feel to it... that version is alot more fun and alot better version to do and sing...
If you listen to the Help video with the MSO they are chanting “Sadie!” Before the piano starts. It’s a thing the audience loved to do to John - request Sadie 😂
He was 17 years old when he recorded this song and it was also John breakout song. Bit of trivia for you! One of the cleaning lady’s in the video, was pregnant with one of John’s backing singers (Danielle who sang with him later in he’s career) in the video.
I recently watched an hour long "Hey Hey, it's John Farnham special" (1987) listed under "the edit that counts." He did a lot of songs in it, and there was a skyhooks song done as well. Red Symonds from Skyhooks, was later a hey hey band member and a notoriously low score awarder on a segment called "red faces," with the public doing a lot of cringey acts. Worth a look for the joking around etc.
I always loved that a bloke wrote a song about the humble cleaning lady who scrubbed floors, ironed shirts, dusts, cleans, vacuums, gets out stains, washes windows...coz, Im an old fashioned house wife, who does do that (altho scrubbing floors isnt something i do except the bathroom floors as i hate dirty grout on the floor - i do vacuum and then mop the house) - it is hard work. And we dont get sung about. I just sleep well at night my house is genuinely clean. SOciety happens on the back of women (usually) who clean up behind everyone else. Be kind to your cleaning lady in your office, the maccas, shopping centres...anywhere - they wil love you for it. One day in a food hall, a middle aged lady was with a trolley collecting plates and cleaned up after ppl who just left their tables totally trashed. And when she took our plates,i stacked them for her, and turned to her and said "Thankyou for what you do, its lovely you do such a good job at it"...and wanna know what...she actually started crying, and replied that no one EVER had ever said thankyou - and she had been working there for 9 years.
When you look back on this now, I'm thinking why was this so popular lol.. but it was and it's part of his story to becoming King of pop and a true legend.
His first big hit, huge talent that developed over the years. Definitely one of the best voices of the latter twentieth century. His range, pitch, is phenomenal,. Hopefully 🙏 your reactions will broaden the exposure of this talented Ozzie
At a time of massive social change "Johnny" Farnham's image was carefully crafted as the clean-cut fair-haired boy that every parent would want their daughter to bring home. The song was clearly a part of the image he was managed to portray.
So funny watching this. I love it at his concerts when people yell out"sing Sadie" just to make him laugh. I have seen many Of Johns concerts and he is such a showman. What a legend. We really so spoilt in Australia with the level of talent here. I grew up loving Chisel and John Farnham.
First and foremost, I was 4 when this song came out and of course I loved it. When John first requested to release You’re the voice, the songwriters (UK based) said no way! No way is the ‘Sadie singer’ going to have the opportunity to record it. John and Glen (his manager) knew the song could be a hit and also suited his magnificent range, so they recorded a demo. The writers loved it, Johnny became John, a new generation was introduced to him, the stigma he carried for many years with Sadie became more endearing to us oldies and now at concerts everyone asks him to sing it. You may recall Anthony Warlow sung a few bars of it in one of your reactions. An inside joke that at the time, you wouldn’t have understood. Cheers from Down Under
My opinion of the song is that while it's dated (very much a song belonging to it's era), and doesn't reveal a lot of John's vocal range, it still is a cute and catchy little ditty nonetheless.
If you’re old enough to have heard it in the 60’s it’s one of those songs that stays in your head forever. It was loved by teenagers and their parents. Novelty songs were big in the 60’s. He was about 18 then. See how his voice had deepened over the years. You should watch him singing the ‘Help’, the Beatles song. Very special version. I recall he sang it on a very popular talk show here and Sammy Davis Jr was a guest. When he heard him sing Help he was amazed.
So happy you got to see this . It’s so different to him the power house we know him as . The 60’s had some wild crazy catchy tunes and I love him for Sadie because we get to appreciate him . He must have been In his late teens when he did this xoxox
I’d totally forgotten about the 60s dancing weirdness going on in this clip 😂. It’s a cute song though and always a laugh when people joke about it with John and he makes it a joke. It is a good song to do housecleaning to 😂. You can definitely hear the skiffle influence.
There's another version of this song from back then, I think it was a TV show called Grandstand and one of the dances kicks a bucket and is the mother of one of John's backup singers Dannielle Gaha and the mother was pregnant with her during the show, which is so funny how things can go full circle, lol
Nick: “this is not a song I would listen to or would appeal to me” Nick: ::head bopping without realising it:: You will find yourself humming this! 😂 Even I was only 2 when this came out.
I'm only new to this channel and it's fantastic seeing all the reactions, my favourite John Farnham performance is when he sung Your the voice with Coldplay at Sound Relief, the crowd sound like a choir, just magic.
I love that old school 60s type of boy next door era. It was what it was, and if no one starts bopping their heads to this, well, "don't play with me" 🤣.
the crowd ALWAYS calls out Sadie at shows and he jokes and tells them to F off , he aint singing sadie, but i holds a special place in the hearts of this country imho :)
Johnny, the teenager, the 17yr old plumbers's apprentice! Today he would have still been in High School - Year 11 or 12. In concerts, he does eventually sing it and the entire audience, everyone of every generation sings along. It's hilarious, and we all love it, in our weird Aussie way :)
Once you hear this you never forget it When he sings this in concerts every one knows this song and we just sing it out loud as John says it is a love hate song but we just will not let him put it to bed as we love it We just love it
Awww baby Johnny - this song is such a trip - and you're right, watching this AFTER knowing who he eventually became makes it interesting - glad it made you giggle :D
John was born in England 1949, Sadie was released in 1967, which would make him 18. He was 10 when his parents moved to Australia. Such a cheesy song, but that was the era! I do notice that he still has a slight English accent in this song. Not anymore!! He's such an Aussie icon, much loved.
Despite being in the Sixties I think you can hear the start of his amazing growth with his voice. I do enjoy hearing him sing it. I've been to shows where he sings a bit of it after some encouragement 😊
I was waiting for this song to come on.. I was only a kid when this came out and I loved Johnny Farnham and Normie Rowe.. we used to collect coke bottle tops which had their faces on them ..a legend in the making. 😊🇦🇺
And if it is, check out a more up to date version, like Classic Jack LIVE with backing of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the band playing ukuleles. Much more entertaining!
Yep. They’re called ear worms now. Songs you can’t get out of your head. Doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard it for 10 years, as soon as it starts you remember it and the lyrics. Lol.
Oh my goodness, I was wondering when you would stumble across this. Ha ha your reaction was so lovely. He was so young when he recorded this & it has haunted him all the way through his career but as he said I had to start somewhere. Prior to watching this I watched his concert in Germany in 1987, he changed a lot in those 20 years. Once again thank you.
Haha he was a plumber and this was his first song. It's bloody hilarious! He takes the mickey out of himself at any concert I've been too and sings it ironically for the oldies
Because this was his first big hit, it always comes up and John will joke around and start to sing it or refuse to sing it in jest. When you reacted to John and Anthony Warlow joking around on stage, Anthony started singing Sadie as partnof that and the audience all laughed along as they were in on the joke. John isnt afraid or ashamed of the song as it set him on the path he is now on. I think he was 17/18 at the time and was crowned King of Pop.
I saw him live twice in my youth. Every single concert someone somewhere yells out Sadie in request. His usual answer is hilarious and always joking to some degree.
"What was that?"
'Sadie!'
"No, no way"
'Sadie!!'
"No! No bloody way! I am not singing f... bloody Sadie!"
'SADIE! SADIE!'
"NO BLOODY WAY! NOOO!!! No I..... Oh bloody hell lets... Let's just get it over and done with! Chong! They want Sadie!"
Lol and Chong Lim is the Malaysian/Aussie bloke that you always see on the keyboards. The man is a rare genius and helps organise everything as well as playing in the band. He has been there with John since the early beginning. Seeing Chong with a long impressive Mullet haircut back in the day was hilarious.
The piano/keyboard player in some of John's earlier videos and concerts was David Hirschfelder (hope that's spelt right), he was the owner of the impressive mullet...Chong was a little more conservative in his choice of hair style... ;)
edited because auto correct is a pain in the ring gear... :]
@@grandy2875 hmm could of sworn, it was Chong, but yes David makes more sense
@@grandy2875 Yeah, Hirschfelder followed him out of Little River Band.
When I saw him, after the Sadie request, he said "Do ya REALLY wanna hear me sing 'Sadie'?"
"YEAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"
"Well, fuck off."
Chong joined after David left (Talk of the Town tour?). There's a podcast interview with him where he tells the story of joining John and playing with him.
My grandmother’s name was Sadie. She had me convinced until I was about 14 that he wrote this song about her😂. This song has special place in my heart. I still see her dancing around the house to this.
💗
💜
♥️
Well her red detergent hands have for years not held a man's... such poetry 👌
Wracked, detergent hands.
Number 1 Albums in Australia in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. 5 decades in a row. Man has some staying power.
one of those ladies is pregnant at the time , her daughter grew up and then performed with john
Oh wow I didn’t know that - that’s so cool!
Sadie is nobody's kind of song, but every Aussie who is old enough to remember it has it cycling through their head. Guaranteed you'll break into a few bars of Sadie at some random moment in time.
Johnny, as he was known then was at the mercy of the "music industry" as with all singers until they "make it". He was told what to si g and when.. This was not all bad because he had huge success for the first 10 years or so... Until he became uncool (mainly because of this song). At point is the late 70's he couldn't get a record deal anywhere.. After a stint as front man to LRB he was basically broke and unwanted (hard to believe) luckily for us his good friend, who happened to be a record producer had faith in him and Hocked his house (without John knowing) so he could make the first album that he actually wanted to make.. It was and I think still is the highest selling album EVER in Australia. Whispering Jack is full of hit after hit.. This is also when he truly found his voice. God Bless Glenn Wheatley!!!!
Yep, that control inspired Tina Arena to write and record "Chains". "Should have known passin' through the gate; That once inside I could not escape; I never thought this could happen to me; I never thought this is where I'd be; I said baby, baby, look at me; I'm in chains"
Oh shit, you just reminded me of the Glenn Wheatley telstra ads
@@suave-rider isn’t ‘Chains’ about feeling trapped in an abusive relationship? God forbid ‘our Tina’ wrote it autobiographically…
@@rivertam7827 was Glenn on one of the ‘they said you’d never make it’ beer ads?
@@mred777 This song is about a love hate relationship with the music industry. Being trapped in a contract but loving the fame. Despite it all, not being able to leave it. Heard this comment from Tina Arena herself in an interview. The music company's initially seduce you then treat you like sh*t
This is john's first break out hit, which in the 60's was massive, it was a song that years later he was always joked about in a fun way, how amazing though is it to see how he grew and conquered every genre! He is the master of song
He used to play a practical joke on his concerts ... They band would start like they were gonna play Saddie ... The crowd goes Wild and then they do a quick transdision out to another time like paradise and John would laugh and say somthing like ha U thought I was gonna sing it ... Nope ... Bloody prankster lol
actually it wasnt a breakout hit. Farnham did have status till the early 80's.
I remember watching a concert once where Johnny Farnham was performing, he started asking the audience “What song do you wanna hear next?” Pretty much everyone yelled out “Sadie”. He looked over at his band and asked “they want bloody Sadie, Do you blokes know it?”, they shrugged their shoulders, then Johnny (in typical Johnny Farnham fashion) said “Bugger it, I do it acapella”. And so he did, absolutely nailed it. Absolute legend.
In Australia part of the fun of this song is My Fellow Aussies Messing With John Farnham at His Concerts. It's a Running Joke when people request it and He pretends not want to sing it. Although My Sister knows of one Concert where He started with it and Confessed to actually Liking It. Then He said "Don't Tell Anyone!".
I think he did hate singing it, as much as Helen Reddy hated singing Leave Me Alone
Fair dinkum Nic, I don't think I am on my own in saying that my time is never wasted when I watch your videos. Your reactions, chatter, and explantions of why (or why not) you like videos you are watching keep me entertained for the duration. Keep it up.
P.S.
I'm old enough to remember when this song was on high rotation on the radio airwaves. It is quite typical of the 'novelty' pop style of song that was popular in the 60s in Britain and Australia (not sure about the U.S.A.) as exemplified by songs such as 'Winchester Cathedral', 'Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter', 'My Old Man's a Dustman', 'Right Said Fred', 'I'm Henry the 8th, I Am', to name a handful, that were hits.
Now tell me honestly, for how long after watching 'Sadie' did you still have the melody bouncing around inside your mind?
This was a huge hit for him and he had such a big fan base. I love this song...always have.... although I think One is a better example. What you have to understand is no matter what decade in the 20th century these songs are from even going back to both war years, songs and singers are still held in the heart and mind long past their immediate popularity. That's what makes John...even people like Judy Garland.....timeless.
The song that made him. This was the time of the British Music Hall Music.
I think he was 18 here. Huge hit back then. Johnny became a Pop idol off this song. Also in those days Australia was a lot closer to the UK and we liked anything basically from there, which makes sense seeing we are part of the Commonwealth, so this song has a vaudeville type sound, and John originally being from the UK, well the rest is history. The week prior, he was a plumber...true
My husband saw him perform this live at the Guildford Leagues Club in Sydney at their Presentation Night at the end of the year. He said he was unbelievable- his voice blew him away - rather than the actual song.
Sadie the Cleaning Lady was no.1 on the charts for weeks. It's also why it took about 20 years for Australians to take John Farnham seriously.
Yes. I still remember being shocked and blown away when "Johnnie" stood up on the Don Lane Show and blew us away with his version of Help.
He was 18 at that time, Glad you seen his break out song at that time when he was Johnny Farnham, now of course he is John Farnham (the Voice). Love your reactions.
Yep you’re right he’s 18.
Every Australian singing this as they clean their homes 🤣
Umm Yeah nah that’s not a thing
@@AussieGirl235 I do it.
He was 17
So happy you did a reaction to this. That was our Johnny who developed into one of the worlds greatest singers. We love that song because it was how he was introduced to us.
🎶"Well, I've been king of pop and a Countdown host and I've sung everywhere,
I was once kicked out of LRB for having to much hair,
I'm just a natural guy who likes to close his eyes and hold it with no mercy,
but if someone starts to call me Johnny, I'll kick their bloody teeth in!"🎶
-- D-Generation, 1985.
Love that you're not a sycophant when it comes to John Farnham. This song is the reason why their are still so many Australian's that aren't huge fans of his as they just can't get over 'Sadie'.
They're not fans because of Sadie... That's real stick your head in the sand type of stuff. Considering the absolutely amazing voice he has.
Their loss.
@@sandgroperwookiee65 how many people do you think turned off Billy Ray Cyrus because of Acky Breaky Heart? A bad song can have devastating effects is the reality.
My nan would sing this as she cleaned her house. Most Aussies will have some memory of this song.
You can understand how surprised we (Aussies) were, after most of us only knew of him through ‘Sadie’, when we first heard his rendition of the Beatles classic ‘Help’. It was love at first note & that hasn’t changed in the years since.
I knew you'd have a giggle at this one! It may not be a song you'd walk around listening to, but I guarantee that now you've heard it, sometime, somewhere, you'll break out singing it!
Sadie was released in 1968. John was born in 1949, so that would make him 19. Even at the start, he sung in a higher register and right from the start he had good diction, so you could understand what he was singing.
Yes he was 17-18 years old, and Sadie was loved by all. He could never end a concert without including Sadie at some point. To this day Sadie can be sung word perfect by most fans of that generation. Love John still and all of the music and songs he put out. And then to top it of, he’s one of the nicest down to earth blokes you could meet..
This was where my love affair with John Farnham and his voice began. I have been to many concerts over the years. Never once did he disappoint. He is always give all to his concerts . Versatile singer who never go the recognition he deserved early in his career. We will always be grateful Glen for his faith in backing john and his come back with "Whispering Jack" then the whole country fell under John's spell and now "You're the voice" is our unofficial anthem and we love it xxx
I have seen him in concert twice, my wife is a huge fan of his. Not quite dragged to see him, but I went along to make her happy. At the time was not a huge fan of his music, but really liked him as a person, from what I could see on TV. Anyway, go to the concert and have my mind blown by how good he was live. The band, the sound, the level of entertainment was amazing. No way could you walk out of a concert of his and say you didn't get your money's worth. Now I enjoy his singing, especially on road trips.
It's funny thinking about this song when it was on TV back then. My grandmother loved John Farnham when this song came out and she was born in 1890! ..she passed away in 1973
He was the king of pop and this was pop!! Kids loved it. Jingle to dance to.
Rose Coloured Glasses another hit from this era
Also when he was king of pop and Alison Durbin was queen of pop they did a duet Baby Without You
I am not much older then you, i adore this song. We grew up singing it when cleaning the house.. 😂 love little johhny.
So utterly gorgeous of him! So sweet at 18yo this was his debut and he loves it for giving him the huge break and a 55 year career! But now you know why he tells us to Nick Off when we chant it and tease him to do it! 😁 Chookas! 💖
Awww, that was nice having this randomly pop up. Made me think of my mum and the stories she told me. Johnny lived in the house across the street from her and her sister growing up. Which meant I ended up hearing a shit tonne of his music when I was a kid. Makes me smile now. Plus he really is as nice as he seems. Cheers for that :)
Oh dear, this made me cringe, especially the “cleaning ladies” prancing about. But there is no denying that this song launched John into his brilliant career.
Yes, thank God, this song did launch his career. Please don't cringe. This song was released in very different times. This song gave birth to one of Australia's most gifted and gracious singers. So many people around the world have had the opportunity to hear his beautiful, powerful voice. So many people have been subject to the whole gamut of emotions that John's voice evokes. We cannot undo time. Just accept and try to move on graciously and with forgiveness. Johnnie, as he was known then, most probably did not have a say on which song launched his career. In fact, John should not ask forgiveness. He was a product of the times. He has since brought so much joy to the world. Just love him and wish him all the best.
😂😂 catchy song that makes me smile every time I hear it. Love the choreography of the leggy dancers.
MANY years later....the daughter of one of those dancing cleaning ladies became John's background singer - Dannielle Gaha - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dannielle_Gaha
Promotion of this song as it first appeared was a cleaning lady with mop and bucket, hair in a cloth who popped into the radio stations and commenced cleaning whilst the song went to air. Was so funny for the time. First glimpse of JF as an ?18 year old. He went on to be a superstar with a solid base still. He always could sing! and got better with maturity and poise.
Well I unashamedly loved him as a 13 year old back in the day and have always loved him. He had a beautiful voice back then for sure and after all it was pop music and exactly the sort of thing everyone was singing at the time. Helped him become our King of Pop anyway. He ain’t no spring chicken anymore remember so this was what it was to a large degree. He also had that lovely enunciation of a true Englishman which he was. I am not sure but I also think he was still apprenticed as a plumber when he did Sadie.
I still remember him singing this way back then and I loved it. He has grown up and I’ve grown old. Thankyou
This was the first song he ever recorded. He was 17 when he recorded it. He well and truly recognises that its not exactly the greatest song in the world. His crowds yell for him to sing it in concert to this day and he acts as though he hates it. But as he said, it was the song that got him noticed, went to no.1 in Australia in 1967.
This is so funny watching ur reaction to something we all know in Australia. It looks like a jingle for cleaning products or services back in the day.
He was 18 in the video clip, that song was released in November 67,he was an apprentice plumber before he got his big break with Sadie. If it wasn't for that song we wouldn't be here now discussing it now.
Dude ! Your face was priceless when the song first started in the first 30 seconds
What a giggle. A couple of things: This was his first hit so "gave" Johnny to us at 18. Everyone has heard Sadie and that's why at his concerts, fans scream for him to sing it. He mostly goes along with it too, but yes, it was just a little boppy song that had a catchy chorus, so we all sang along. It in no way showed the talent he was to become but you can see how kind of innocent and nice he was and he's been that way ever since. Credit to his well balanced family I think that he never became a narcissistic, drug-addled high flyer. John just wanted to sing - and he's done it brilliantly for the past 50 years. Thanks for playing this video. Love John.
Poor Farnsey... this is still torturing him even now hahahah... how glad we all are that he managed to get away from that pop sound that the management of the time wanted him to spew out ...imagine how restrained he must have felt... John stuck to his guns...married his sweetheart Jilly - against managements wishes (they said it would crush his sales / fanbase as it was predominantly young girls/females...) How wrong were they !! He was pretty much born with those pipes... he just didn't get to use them fully until much later... thank heavens !!
It funny to go back and see "Little Johnny Farnham" in his debut, although nothing like what he became, there were signs even back then that there's something special in that voice.
Still love it John Farnham is a brilliant singer and a great guy.
You are spot on when it comes to that this song really was for that time... because come the 80's and when John was choosing songs for his 'Whispering Jack' album and he chose 'You're the Voice'.. there was so much behind the scenes nightmares going on, because the original writers of 'you're the voice' did not want to release the song to John for his album... as all they knew of John at the time was of Johnny Farnham that sings 'Sadie'... so they were dead set against him having the song 'you're the voice', so Farnham and his label and management had to do some real talking and showcase John's more recent stuff like the 1980 version of 'Help' and 'Please don't ask me' and his stint in LRB to the writers of 'you're the voice' to convince them to release the song to John so he could release it... and thankfully they did, and the song writers now are forever gratefull to John for what he did and has done for 'You're the voice'... because while 'you're the voice' has been released by many artists now, none of them have had the success that John has with the song... and especially none have sang it the way and the best that John does it... period... there's just no comparism... and believe me, I've heard every single cover version of that song... even the dreaded death metal versions (each to their own)... but getting back to 'Sadie'... without a doubt, 'Sadie' really was a song only for it's time in the 60's... when John does it now, it's half the song with a more country/folky feel to it... that version is alot more fun and alot better version to do and sing...
If you listen to the Help video with the MSO they are chanting “Sadie!” Before the piano starts. It’s a thing the audience loved to do to John - request Sadie 😂
He was always requested to sing it at every concert he did, and he always obliged such is the class of the man
He was 17 years old when he recorded this song and it was also John breakout song. Bit of trivia for you! One of the cleaning lady’s in the video, was pregnant with one of John’s backing singers (Danielle who sang with him later in he’s career) in the video.
He went from trade school (plumbing) to this overnight.
I recently watched an hour long "Hey Hey, it's John Farnham special" (1987) listed under "the edit that counts." He did a lot of songs in it, and there was a skyhooks song done as well. Red Symonds from Skyhooks, was later a hey hey band member and a notoriously low score awarder on a segment called "red faces," with the public doing a lot of cringey acts. Worth a look for the joking around etc.
One of the most classic Aussie hits ever! LOL
I always loved that a bloke wrote a song about the humble cleaning lady who scrubbed floors, ironed shirts, dusts, cleans, vacuums, gets out stains, washes windows...coz, Im an old fashioned house wife, who does do that (altho scrubbing floors isnt something i do except the bathroom floors as i hate dirty grout on the floor - i do vacuum and then mop the house) - it is hard work. And we dont get sung about. I just sleep well at night my house is genuinely clean. SOciety happens on the back of women (usually) who clean up behind everyone else. Be kind to your cleaning lady in your office, the maccas, shopping centres...anywhere - they wil love you for it. One day in a food hall, a middle aged lady was with a trolley collecting plates and cleaned up after ppl who just left their tables totally trashed. And when she took our plates,i stacked them for her, and turned to her and said "Thankyou for what you do, its lovely you do such a good job at it"...and wanna know what...she actually started crying, and replied that no one EVER had ever said thankyou - and she had been working there for 9 years.
When you look back on this now, I'm thinking why was this so popular lol.. but it was and it's part of his story to becoming King of pop and a true legend.
His first big hit, huge talent that developed over the years. Definitely one of the best voices of the latter twentieth century. His range, pitch, is phenomenal,. Hopefully 🙏 your reactions will broaden the exposure of this talented Ozzie
My sisters and I Loved Little Johnny Farnham when we were little. Watching him on Bandstand was the highlight of our week whenever he was on.
I love the inherent sexism in this song. My Dad would play this to me as a joke, Having said that John is a god!!!!
At a time of massive social change "Johnny" Farnham's image was carefully crafted as the clean-cut fair-haired boy that every parent would want their daughter to bring home. The song was clearly a part of the image he was managed to portray.
Oh, I'm so happy that you found this 💗
Love that you did this 🙃
At almost every live performance, the crowd calls out for "Sadie"
We love it because he sings it 🥰
So funny watching this. I love it at his concerts when people yell out"sing Sadie" just to make him laugh. I have seen many Of Johns concerts and he is such a showman. What a legend. We really so spoilt in Australia with the level of talent here. I grew up loving Chisel and John Farnham.
First and foremost, I was 4 when this song came out and of course I loved it. When John first requested to release You’re the voice, the songwriters (UK based) said no way! No way is the ‘Sadie singer’ going to have the opportunity to record it. John and Glen (his manager) knew the song could be a hit and also suited his magnificent range, so they recorded a demo. The writers loved it, Johnny became John, a new generation was introduced to him, the stigma he carried for many years with Sadie became more endearing to us oldies and now at concerts everyone asks him to sing it. You may recall Anthony Warlow sung a few bars of it in one of your reactions. An inside joke that at the time, you wouldn’t have understood. Cheers from Down Under
Don’t you know it’s magic was what put him on the map💗💗💗 this was Young Talent Time and they made them do all kinds of things
Hats off for the dancers .
My opinion of the song is that while it's dated (very much a song belonging to it's era), and doesn't reveal a lot of John's vocal range, it still is a cute and catchy little ditty nonetheless.
I love how everyone tries to get him to sing it live and he refuses 😂
John would have been 18 years old in this video.
he was only 18years old , and we loved the song ,it is a very happy tune he would say
If you’re old enough to have heard it in the 60’s it’s one of those songs that stays in your head forever. It was loved by teenagers and their parents. Novelty songs were big in the 60’s. He was about 18 then. See how his voice had deepened over the years. You should watch him singing the ‘Help’, the Beatles song. Very special version. I recall he sang it on a very popular talk show here and Sammy Davis Jr was a guest. When he heard him sing Help he was amazed.
Very vaudeville. You can hear 'his voice' coming through. It was a huge hit in Australia, and as a little kid, I loved it at the time.
So happy you got to see this . It’s so different to him the power house we know him as . The 60’s had some wild crazy catchy tunes and I love him for Sadie because we get to appreciate him . He must have been In his late teens when he did this xoxox
Everyone has to start somewhere. And practice is so important…
I’d totally forgotten about the 60s dancing weirdness going on in this clip 😂. It’s a cute song though and always a laugh when people joke about it with John and he makes it a joke. It is a good song to do housecleaning to 😂. You can definitely hear the skiffle influence.
There's another version of this song from back then, I think it was a TV show called Grandstand and one of the dances kicks a bucket and is the mother of one of John's backup singers Dannielle Gaha and the mother was pregnant with her during the show, which is so funny how things can go full circle, lol
Came looking for this comment to make sure someone mentioned this little fun fact! Full circle all right :)
I know she did a duet with him but was she ever a backup singer for him? Other than on Roy & HG that is
Nick: “this is not a song I would listen to or would appeal to me”
Nick: ::head bopping without realising it::
You will find yourself humming this! 😂
Even I was only 2 when this came out.
I'm only new to this channel and it's fantastic seeing all the reactions, my favourite John Farnham performance is when he sung Your the voice with Coldplay at Sound Relief, the crowd sound like a choir, just magic.
I love that old school 60s type of boy next door era. It was what it was, and if no one starts bopping their heads to this, well, "don't play with me" 🤣.
Haha…love this reaction… made me laugh and smile 😃 😂🤣
the crowd ALWAYS calls out Sadie at shows and he jokes and tells them to F off , he aint singing sadie, but i holds a special place in the hearts of this country imho :)
Johnny, the teenager, the 17yr old plumbers's apprentice! Today he would have still been in High School - Year 11 or 12. In concerts, he does eventually sing it and the entire audience, everyone of every generation sings along. It's hilarious, and we all love it, in our weird Aussie way :)
Once you hear this you never forget it
When he sings this in concerts every one knows this song and we just sing it out loud as John says it is a love hate song but we just will not let him put it to bed as we love it
We just love it
i REMEMBER WATCHING this ON TV ON A BLACK and White ONE BACK in the DAY WHEN JOHN FARNHAM WAS YOUNG
He told his followers said Sadie is finished no more singing it. The old ladies loves him for this song. He was 18
He is 18 there. Born in England in 1949 and came out when he was 10 years old and settled in Melbourne.
Awww baby Johnny - this song is such a trip - and you're right, watching this AFTER knowing who he eventually became makes it interesting - glad it made you giggle :D
Awesome reaction again , you really know how to put a smile on my face with your reactions 😁 thank you and God Bless
This was not only his first hit, it is also his first record, released 2days after leaving work.
John was born in England 1949, Sadie was released in 1967, which would make him 18. He was 10 when his parents moved to Australia.
Such a cheesy song, but that was the era! I do notice that he still has a slight English accent in this song. Not anymore!! He's such an Aussie icon, much loved.
Despite being in the Sixties I think you can hear the start of his amazing growth with his voice. I do enjoy hearing him sing it. I've been to shows where he sings a bit of it after some encouragement 😊
I'd forgotten the dancers.... Looking back now .... They were hot man... HOT!!!... This really made me smile. Thanks :)
23 years before you were born This was a big hit for him in Australia at the time
I was waiting for this song to come on.. I was only a kid when this came out and I loved Johnny Farnham and Normie Rowe.. we used to collect coke bottle tops which had their faces on them ..a legend in the making. 😊🇦🇺
The writer of "You're the voice" initially didn't want to give it to John Farnham because of this song 😂🤣😆
John Farnham was the lead singer of The Little River Band for few years in the late 70's.....Check out "Playing to Win" by The Little River Band......
This song is going to be stuck in your head now, just saying.
And if it is, check out a more up to date version, like Classic Jack LIVE with backing of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the band playing ukuleles. Much more entertaining!
Yep. They’re called ear worms now. Songs you can’t get out of your head. Doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard it for 10 years, as soon as it starts you remember it and the lyrics. Lol.
Just a Classic .So young .so fresh faced . everything ahead of him .So glad U viewed it .Priceless .
Oh my goodness, I was wondering when you would stumble across this. Ha ha your reaction was so lovely. He was so young when he recorded this & it has haunted him all the way through his career but as he said I had to start somewhere. Prior to watching this I watched his concert in Germany in 1987, he changed a lot in those 20 years.
Once again thank you.
Classic mate , where it all started for Farnsey , it was a huge hit here in oz 😊 great reaction
Haha he was a plumber and this was his first song. It's bloody hilarious! He takes the mickey out of himself at any concert I've been too and sings it ironically for the oldies