Eagle Rock (song)
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Eagle Rock is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a (then) record ten weeks.[1]
Guitarist Ross Wilson explained that the inspiration behind the song came from "a Sunday Times liftout magazine A-Z on music. In the before blues section there was an evocative photo of rural black Americans dancing in a dirt poor juke joint - the caption was along the lines of "some negroes 'cut the pigeon wing' and 'do the eagle rock'". [2]
The accompanying film clip was "put together quickly for $300 and shows the band in some old Melbourne haunts including the Dolphin Café in Clarendon St., South Melbourne, St. Kilda's Aussie Burger Bar opposite Luna Park and live shots from the 1971 Myponga Festival held in South Australia." [3]
In May 2001 when the Australasian Performing Rights Association celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, decided by a 100 strong industry panel, 'Eagle Rock' was named second behind the Easybeats' 'Friday On My Mind'.
[edit] Song in popular culture
The song was covered by the Australian children's group The Wiggles on their 2003 tour, with Captain Feathersword singing lead. It appears on the DVD "Live Hot Potatoes."
In 2005, it appeared as backing music on commercials for "Victoria - The Place to Be".
In 2006, it appeared in the horror movie "Wolf Creek".
Interestingly, 'Eagle Rock' is also notorious in Australia for a more bizarre reason. Since the mid 1980's, whenever the song has been played in a public bar or club, it has been common practice for Australian college students (largely male) to undo their belts and hobble around the area with their pants around their ankles for the duration of the song. Members of Daddy Cool have admitted to being perplexed over the origin of this practice.
Since the early 1990's Eagle Rock has been played at home games for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team and is unofficially the club's theme song. It is also played at West Coast Eagles games at Subiaco Oval.
