Eagle Rock (song)

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“Eagle Rock”
“Eagle Rock” cover
Single by Daddy Cool
from the album Daddy Who? Daddy Cool
A-side "Eagle Rock"
B-side "Bom Bom"
Released May, 1971
January, 1981
Format 7" vinyl
12" vinyl
Genre Rock
Length 4:09
Label Sparmac
Wizard
Writer(s) Ross Wilson
Producer Robie Porter
Daddy Cool singles chronology
No previous issue "Eagle Rock"
(1971)		 "Come Back Again"
(1971)

"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. 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][2] "Eagle Rock" also spent 17 weeks at the #1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart.[3] The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached #17 on the Australian singles charts.[2]

Guitarist, vocalist and the song's writer Ross Wilson[4] was living and performing in London England when he wrote the song.[5][6] He explained his inspiration for the song:

It 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'".[7]

—Ross Wilson , 2001

The accompanying promotional video, directed by Chris Löfvén, 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."[8]

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel, "Eagle Rock" was declared second behind the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind".[9]

Contents

[edit] Song in popular culture

Australia Post stamp commerating "Eagle Rock"
Australia Post stamp commerating "Eagle Rock"

In 1998 Australia Post issued a special edition set of twelve stamps celebrating the early years of Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring Australian hit songs of the late 50s, the 60s and the early 70s.

"Each of them said something about us, and told the rest of the world this is what popular culture sounds like, and it has an Australian accent."[10]

One of the stamps featured was the 'Eagle Rock' stamp as illustrated to the left.

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."[11]

In 2005, it appeared as backing music on commercials for "Victoria - The Place to Be".[12][13] It was also used in the opening scenes of the 2006 horror movie Wolf Creek.[13]

"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.[14] It can be attributed to either the residents of St Johns College or St Leo's College, both residential colleges within the University of Queensland campus. In "St. Leo's College, the memory" by Micheal A. Head, the author comments on the heated confrontations that occurred during his time at St Leos college, between the residents of both colleges relating to this issue.[15]

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.[16] It is also played at West Coast Eagles games at Subiaco Oval in the Australian Football League.[17]

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Ross Wilson unless otherwise indicated.[4]

[edit] 7" vinyl

  1. "Eagle Rock" - 4:09
  2. "Bom Bom" (Ross Wilson, Ross Hannaford) - 2:33

[edit] 12" vinyl

  1. "Eagle Rock - 4:07
  2. "Daddy Rocks Off" - 4:34
  3. "Bom Bom" (Wilson, Hannaford) - 2:34

[edit] References

  1. ^ No. 1 Hits 1971. The Mezies Era. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  2. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 (doc), Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. 
  3. ^ Off the Record playlist. 3RRR (2005-02-17). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  4. ^ a b Australasian Performing Right Association. APRA. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  5. ^ Daddy Cool. Milesago. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  6. ^ Australian Rock Database entry for Daddy Cool. Magnus Holmgren. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  7. ^ Long Way To The Top: Episode 3 "Billy Killed the Fish 1968-1973". ABC-TV. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  8. ^ Hollow, Chris (2000-10-10). Daddy Cool : Ross Wilson Interview. Sand Pebbles fanzine. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  9. ^ The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs. APRA (2001-05-28). Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  10. ^ Australian Stamps : Rock Australia. Australia Post (2001-03-20). Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  11. ^ Live: Hot Potatoes!. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  12. ^ Australian Music in the Charts & Ads. The Music Network (2006-03-01). Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  13. ^ a b Now listen, they're steppin' in as rock royalty. The Age (2006-06-05). Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  14. ^ Second Best Is Enough For Father of Cool. TE Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  15. ^ Head, Michael Austin (1991). St. Leo's College, the memory : St. Leo's College within the University of Queensland 1917-1992 (doc), St Lucia, Qld. : Leonian Press. ISBN 0646059653. 
  16. ^ The Story of Egor. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  17. ^ Auzzie's profile. West Coast Eagles. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.