A Journey Through Aussie Pop

At 6pm on July 2, 1984, a new ABC series debuted and would go on to become one of the most popular shows aired on the national broadcaster all decade. Created by Johanna Pigott and Tim Gooding, both former members of punk band XL Capris, Sweet And Sour depicted the rise and fall of fictional group The Takeaways. In this first episode in a two-part special, Johanna shares her memories of being in XL Capris and how that experience formed the basis for Sweet And Sour. She reveals the false start the series had and discusses the process of creating the show a generation of Australians watched again and again in the mid-'80s. We also talk to three of the cast members: Tracy Mann, who played singer Carol Howard; David Reyne, who brought his existing music industry knowledge to the role of guitarist Martin Kabel; and Ric Herbert, the man behind human whirlwind Darrell Winters, The Takeaways' manager. In the upcoming Part 2, we'll take a closer look at the music in Sweet And Sour and hear from Deborah Conway, Sharon O'Neill and Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup about their contributions to the soundtrack.

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
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From their beginnings holding warehouse parties in Sydney's inner city to their string of chart hits in the late '80s and early '90s, Rockmelons always stood out from the rest of the Australian music scene by championing genres that few others did — and taking them mainstream. Formed by the core trio of Ray Medhurst and brothers Bryon and Jonathon Jones, the funk/soul/R&B/hip-hop/dance-influenced band also welcomed a series of regular and guest vocalists to their line-up, including John Kenny (the singer of "Rhymes" and "New Groove", among others), Sandi Chick, Peter Blakeley, Wendy Matthews and Deni Hines (who fronted "Ain't No Sunshine", "That Word (L.O.V.E.)" and "It's Not Over"). In an in-depth interview, Bryon and Ray recall the hurdles they surmounted on first two albums Tales Of The City and Form One Planet — lack of radio support, friction with certain collaborators, recording delays — and their against-the-odds success. They also talk about 2002's comeback album, Rockies 3, and the spanner in the works that prevented that enjoying a higher profile.

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
Instagram: @chartbeatsau, @joyturnbeataround
Email: [email protected]

From his pioneering work on Australia's dance music scene in the 1990s to becoming a pop star in the 2000s, Paul Mac has had a long and impressive career. In a candid and insightful — not to mention F bomb-laden — interview, the recording artist, songwriter, producer and remixer discusses some of his standout musical moments. Paul reflects on releasing the ARIA Award-winning club track "Sweetness And Light" as part of Itch-E & Scratch-E and what it was like as a dance artist in Australia in the '90s. His three solo pop albums, 3000 Feet High, Panic Room and Holiday From Me, also come under the spotlight, and Paul talks about his choice of vocalists like Abby Dobson, Tex Perkins and Peta Morris; the personal stories behind hits like "Just The Thing" and "Sunshine Eyes"; what it was like to go from the underground to the pages of Smash Hits and more. We also hear about his ongoing musical relationship with Daniel Johns and their collaborative album as The Dissociatives.

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
Instagram: @chartbeatsau, @joyturnbeataround
Email: [email protected]

It wasn't a given that Deni Hines would pursue a career a music. Despite her mother, Marcia Hines, being one of the most recognisable pop stars in Australia, Deni had other interests and suffered from performance anxiety in her younger years. But her vocal talent soon got her snapped up as a backing singer for artists like Wa Wa Nee, Peter Blakeley and Kylie Minogue. It was her voice that also saw her hired as the latest frontperson for funk/dance band Rockmelons. In a frank and unflinching interview, Deni shares exactly what she thought of their collaboration and the hits that ensued. She also recalls guesting on "Not Enough Time" by INXS and what Michael Hutchence was like to work with in the studio. Then, after a solo deal in the US fell apart for reasons beyond her control, Deni landed at Mushroom Records and scored a top 5 hit with "It's Alright". She describes the process of putting together her debut album, Imagination, in London and follow-up singles like "I'm Not In Love" and "Delicious", a duet with Don-E that was added to the UK version of the album (retitled Pay Attention). When her time at Mushroom came to an end — following early 2000s single "Frenzy" — Deni went independent, and she talks about her various projects over the past couple of decades, including Water For Chocolate, The Soul Sessions and her upcoming album, due in 2024.

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
Instagram: @chartbeatsau, @joyturnbeataround
Email: [email protected]

In a career spanning almost 20 years, Ricki-Lee Coulter has gone from the shock of an early elimination in Season 2 of Australian Idol to a prominent presence on the pop culture landscape thanks to her 15 top 50 hit singles, four studio albums, hosting gigs on two of the country's top reality shows (including the 2023 revamp of Idol) and role as a radio host. In the first part of a two-part chat, Ricki discusses her decision not to originally sign with Sony Music but go with independent record company Shock Records instead and the string of hits she had on that label, many of which she co-wrote. Why did she cry on the set of her very first music video for debut single "Hell No!"? How did her highest-charting single, "Can't Touch It", wind up on a Hollywood film soundtrack? Which of her music videos was Video Hits unhappy about? Why did she release a singles collection after only two studio albums? Ricki-Lee has the answers. We also hear about her detour into girl group territory with Young Divas and some surprising never-before-shared memories of that roller-coaster ride. In Part 2 (coming soon), we'll cover Ricki's departure from Shock following her decision to shelve her third album, her move to EMI for the landmark Fear & Freedom album, the messy rollout of fourth album Dance In The Rain and the road to new music, including current single "On My Own".

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
Twitter: @ChartBeatsAU, @TurnAroundOnJoy
Instagram: @chartbeatsau, @joyturnbeataround
Email: [email protected]