Eagle Rock (song)
Encyclopedia
"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. "Eagle Rock" also spent 17 weeks at the #1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart. The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached #17 on the Australian singles charts.
Guitarist, vocalist and the song's writer Ross Wilson was living and performing in London
when he wrote the song. He explained his inspiration for the song:
"Eagle Rock" was a popular 1920s black dance performed with the arms outstretched and the body rocking from side to side, 'Doing the eagle rock' is also a metaphor for sexual intercourse.
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
."
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
".
In 2010 'Eagle Rock' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry.
toured Australia during 1972 and was so inspired by Daddy Cool's
hit single "Eagle Rock" that, with Bernie Taupin
, he wrote "Crocodile Rock
". The cover of John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
, which featured "Crocodile Rock", has a photo of lyricist Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge.
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. One of the songs featured in the collection was 'Eagle Rock'.
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". It was also used in the opening scenes of the 2006 horror movie Wolf Creek
, in the 2011 Australian film Red Dog and in the television series Dossa and Joe
.
Since the early 1990s "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
in the Australian Football League
and the Eagles' Rick The Rock Eagle mascot character is also named after the song.
The Clubs and Societies manual for the University of Queensland, has "Founders of the Eagle Rock Tradition" noted with the information for the UQ Mining and Metallurgy
Association. Whilst it is a somewhat controversial claim, it is a reasonable suggestion with a number of St Johns residents specialising in the Mining field during the 1970s. The policy of the University of Queensland's Student Union
states no individual can be removed from the University pub, the Red Room, for dropping their pants whilst Eagle Rock is being played.
wrote a parody of this song for his 2009 album Excess All Areas
, titled, "Me Beer's Cut Off."
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
in May 1971 on the Sparmac
Sparmac
Sparmac was an Australian independent recording label of the early 1970s, best known for its association with the successful Australian rock band Daddy Cool....
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. "Eagle Rock" also spent 17 weeks at the #1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart. The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached #17 on the Australian singles charts.
Guitarist, vocalist and the song's writer Ross Wilson was living and performing in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
when he wrote the song. He explained his inspiration for the song:
"Eagle Rock" was a popular 1920s black dance performed with the arms outstretched and the body rocking from side to side, 'Doing the eagle rock' is also a metaphor for sexual intercourse.
The accompanying promotional video, directed by Chris Löfvén, was "put together quickly for $300 and shows the band in some old Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
haunts including the Dolphin Café in Clarendon St., South Melbourne
South Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
, St. Kilda's
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
Aussie Burger Bar opposite Luna Park
Luna Park, Melbourne
For other amusement parks of the same name, see Luna Park; for other uses of the phrase, see Luna Park Melbourne's Luna Park is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia...
and live shots from the 1971 Myponga Festival held in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
."
In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel, "Eagle Rock" was declared second behind the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind
Friday on My Mind
"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the track became a worldwide hit, reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US, #1 in Australia and #6 in the UK, as well as charting in several...
".
In 2010 'Eagle Rock' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry.
Song in popular culture
English performer, Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
toured Australia during 1972 and was so inspired by Daddy Cool's
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
hit single "Eagle Rock" that, with Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
, he wrote "Crocodile Rock
Crocodile Rock
"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios, Château d'Hérouville in France. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the US, as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot...
". The cover of John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John. It was released by DJM Records....
, which featured "Crocodile Rock", has a photo of lyricist Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge.
In 1998 Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
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. One of the songs featured in the collection was 'Eagle Rock'.
The song was covered by the Australian children's group The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
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". It was also used in the opening scenes of the 2006 horror movie Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek (film)
Wolf Creek is a 2005 independent Australian horror film written, co-produced and directed by Greg McLean. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive by a serial killer in the Australian outback...
, in the 2011 Australian film Red Dog and in the television series Dossa and Joe
Dossa and Joe
Dossa and Joe was a 2002, bittersweet television comedy series, written and directed by Caroline Aherne and starring Anne Charleston as Dossa and Michael Caton as Joe....
.
Since the early 1990s "Eagle Rock" has been played at home games for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
rugby league
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
team and is unofficially the club's theme song. It is also played at West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
games at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and the Eagles' Rick The Rock Eagle mascot character is also named after the song.
The Tradition
"Eagle Rock" is also notorious in Australia. Since the mid-1980s, when the song is played in a public bar, it is common for Australian students (largely male) to unstrap their belts and hobble around with their pants around their ankles. Members of Daddy Cool have admitted to being perplexed over the origin of this practice. It is often attributed to a group of mining engineering students, who at the time were residents of St Johns College within the University of Queensland campus. St John's, which claims the title of Queensland's oldest college (shared with another University of Queensland college, Emmanuel), has had the eagle as its mascot since its founding, and as such argues that they began the practice. In "St Leo's, the memory" (1992) 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.The Clubs and Societies manual for the University of Queensland, has "Founders of the Eagle Rock Tradition" noted with the information for the UQ Mining and Metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
Association. Whilst it is a somewhat controversial claim, it is a reasonable suggestion with a number of St Johns residents specialising in the Mining field during the 1970s. The policy of the University of Queensland's Student Union
Student union
Student union may refer to:* Students' union, or student government in the U.S., a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance...
states no individual can be removed from the University pub, the Red Room, for dropping their pants whilst Eagle Rock is being played.
Parodies
Australian comedian and singer/songwriter Kevin Bloody WilsonKevin Bloody Wilson
Kevin Bloody Wilson is a comedy singer/songwriter who uses his heavy Australian accent/style with great success...
wrote a parody of this song for his 2009 album Excess All Areas
Excess All Areas
Excess All Areas is a 2009 album by Australian rude singer/comedian Kevin Bloody Wilson-Track listing:All tracks written by Denis Bryant.#"Dont Let The Goat Go" - 3:21#"Nigel & Wilma" - 3:00#"Old Home Videos" - 3:37#"Bring Back The Biff" - 3:09...
, titled, "Me Beer's Cut Off."
Track listing
All tracks written by Ross Wilson unless otherwise indicated.12" vinyl
- "Eagle Rock - 4:07
- "Daddy Rocks Off" - 4:34
- "Bom Bom" (Wilson, Hannaford) - 2:34
Daddy Cool members
- Wayne Duncan — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Ross HannafordRoss HannafordRoss Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
— lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - Ross Wilson — lead vocals, guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
- Gary YoungGary Young (Australian musician)Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
— drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Robie PorterRobie PorterRobie Porter is an Australian country, pop/rock musician, producer and record label owner.Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. He provided four top ten hits including two #1 hits in Sydney with...
— pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Jeremy Noone — saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(later became a member of Daddy Cool) - Dave Brown — hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
External links
- Listen to a clip from 'Eagle Rock' and read more about the song on australianscreen online
- 'Majestic Fanfare' was added to the Sounds of Australia Registry in 2010