Up There Cazaly

"Up There Cazaly"
Single by The Two-Man Band
B-side "The Winner's March (Instrumental)"
Released 1979
Format 7"
Genre Novelty song, pop rock
Length 2:40
Label Fable
Writer(s) Mike Brady
Producer(s) Peter Sullivan

"Up There Cazaly" is 1979 song recorded and composed by The Two Man Band (Mike Brady & Peter Sullivan). It is named after an Australian rules football catchphrase inspired by early 20th century St Kilda and South Melbourne great Roy Cazaly. It was used by teammate Fred "Skeeter" Fleiter and others when they wanted Cazaly to hit the ball clear of ruck contests.[1]

The song was intended as a promotion for Channel Seven's VFL coverage. The single, released on the independent Fable Records label, sold over 250,000 copies and became the largest-selling Australian single ever released up to that time. It has since become synonymous with Australian football, and has featured as the pre/post-match entertainment of many VFL/AFL Grand Finals.

The song's tune has an unusual key scheme: the verses are in D major, and the chorus is in F major, which is a fairly distant, unrelated key, especially for a popular song; and its final repetition is in G major, in which key the song ends.

"Up There Cazaly" was also a cry used by Australian troops during World War II.[2]

The song is also used as the walkout tune for Tonbridge Angels in the United Kingdom.

Tracklisting

Side A "Up There Cazaly" (Seven's Footy Theme)(2:40)
Side B "The Winner's March" (Instrumental)(2:54)

Cover versions and popular culture

Cover of the 1999 CD release of "Up There Cazaly".

In 1982 "Up There Cazaly" was rewritten and released as "Up There Old England" by Cliff Portwood and "Members of the 1966 World Cup Team", such as Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst etc. Brady flew to England to help Portwood record the song but it was never released, due to the B side having a portion of "Land of Hope and Glory" on it, creating a minor licensing issue just as it was getting major airtime on the radio.

Collingwood great Lou Richards released the single "Up There Cazaly '91" under his nickname "Louie the Lip".

Australian dramatist Ray Lawler included the phrase in his highly acclaimed 1955 play Summer of the Seventeenth Doll when he had heroine Nancy use it on several occasions, most notably in a telegram with marked dramatic effect: "Up there, Cazaly. Lots of Love. Nance."[3]

"Up There Cazaly" is featured in the 1980 film adaptation of David Williamson's play The Club.

In 1981, Ian Turner and Leonie Sandercock published a history of the VFL titled Up Where, Cazaly?: The Great Australian Game.

In an episode of the 1997 documentary series Race Around the World, "Up There Cazaly" is played over footage of John Safran streaking through Jerusalem in St Kilda colours.[4]

You Am I vocalist Tim Rogers performed the song on a 2001 episode of The Footy Show. "Up There Calisi" is a satirical song released by TISM bassist Jock Cheese on his 2002 solo album Platter. When asked which Australian song he would most like to cover, Spiderbait member Kram chose "Up There Cazaly", "because it's the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of footy songs".[5] Australian Idol finalist Shannon Noll gave his own rendition of the song at the 2011 Grand Final Breakfast.

The song ranked 4th in the 20 to 1 episode "Greatest Sporting Anthems".[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "These Days of Sport, Percy Taylor, The Argus, April 3, 1937".
  2. ↑ "Program One: Patriotism And The Australian Way Of Life". Radio National. 23 April 2005.
  3. ↑ Hornadge, Bill. The Australian Slanguage: A look at what we say and how we say it. Cassell Australia, 1980. ISBN 0-7269-3733-9, p. 241
  4. ↑ Enough Rope with Andrew Denton - episode 16: John Safran (30/06/2003), abc.net.au. Retrieved on 14 October 2011.
  5. ↑ Lackmann, Monica (12 May 2004). "Aussie Rockers Talk AboutTheir Top Tunes", FasterLouder. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Greatest Sporting Anthems - 20 to 1, channelnine.ninemsn.com.au. Retrieved on 9 July 2012.