Gary Shearston
Encyclopedia
Gary Shearston is an Australia
n singer
and songwriter
who was a leading figure of the folk music
revival of the 1960s. He is notable as a performer of Australian traditional folk songs in an authentic style. He scored a Top 10 hit
in the United Kingdom
in 1974 with his cover version
of the Cole Porter
song, "I Get a Kick out of You
".
his father was posted on active service and Shearston and his mother lived on his grandparents' property at Tenterfield
. At he age of 11 his family moved to Sydney
and he attended Newington College
(1950–1955), commencing as a preparatory school student in Wyvern House
.
Ensemble Theatre
working as an actor and stage manager.
, Shearston learned a repertoire of English, American
and Australian folk songs and at 19 become a professional singer. He worked in hotels and sang at The Folksinger and with the American gospel
and blues
singer Brother John Sellers. In 1962 Shearston signed with Leedon Records
and the following year he was signed to the Australian division of CBS Records
by A&R
manager Sven Libaek
. In March 1965 Sydney radio stations started playing a track from his album, Australian Broadside. His single "Sydney Town" hit the Top 10 in his home city. In 1966 and 1967, Shearston became Australia's biggest record seller of folk music. He had his own national television show, Just Folk, and Peter Paul and Mary recorded a cover of his "Sometime Lovin'". They also invited Shearston to go to the United States
. He spent a year in London
and then four years on the East Coast of the United States. In 1972 he returned to England and re-recorded some songs for the album
, Dingo. The song that attracted most attention was his deadpan interpretation of Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick out of You". In 1990 he received the Tamworth Songwriters' Association's award for 'Bush Ballad of the Year'.
in rural New South Wales.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
who was a leading figure of the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
revival of the 1960s. He is notable as a performer of Australian traditional folk songs in an authentic style. He scored a Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1974 with his cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
song, "I Get a Kick out of You
I Get a Kick Out of You
"I Get a Kick Out of You" is a song by Cole Porter, originally featured in the Broadway musical Anything Goes and the movie of the same name....
".
Early life
Shearston was born the son of James Barclay Shearston. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
his father was posted on active service and Shearston and his mother lived on his grandparents' property at Tenterfield
Tenterfield, New South Wales
Tenterfield is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the New England region at the intersection of the New England and Bruxner Highways. Tenterfield is a three-hour drive from Brisbane, 2.5 hours from Byron Bay, two hours from Armidale, New South Wales and 10 hours from Sydney....
. At he age of 11 his family moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and he attended Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1950–1955), commencing as a preparatory school student in Wyvern House
Wyvern House
Wyvern House, is one of the two single-sex, preparatory day schools for boys of Newington College and is located at 115 Cambridge Street Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia....
.
Working life
Shearston trained as press correspondent with United Press and his first show business job was with The Tintookies, the Australian travelling puppet show. He joined the Hayes GordonHayes Gordon
Hayes Gordon AO OBE was an American actor, stage director and acting teacher with a considerable career in Australia....
Ensemble Theatre
Ensemble Theatre
The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company, situated in Kirribilli, New South Wales. It is promoted as Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group, established in 1958.- References :...
working as an actor and stage manager.
Music career
Having taken up guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Shearston learned a repertoire of English, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australian folk songs and at 19 become a professional singer. He worked in hotels and sang at The Folksinger and with the American gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer Brother John Sellers. In 1962 Shearston signed with Leedon Records
Leedon Records
Leedon Records was an Australian record label active from 1958 to 1969. It was founded by American entrepreneur Lee Gordon in early 1958.-Establishment and early releases:...
and the following year he was signed to the Australian division of CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
by A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
manager Sven Libaek
Sven Libaek
Sven Libaek is an Australian composer, record producer and musician. He is well-known for his film and TV soundtrack music and also had a significant influence on the Australian popular music scene in the mid-1960s as the staff producer for the Australian division of CBS Records...
. In March 1965 Sydney radio stations started playing a track from his album, Australian Broadside. His single "Sydney Town" hit the Top 10 in his home city. In 1966 and 1967, Shearston became Australia's biggest record seller of folk music. He had his own national television show, Just Folk, and Peter Paul and Mary recorded a cover of his "Sometime Lovin'". They also invited Shearston to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He spent a year 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...
and then four years on the East Coast of the United States. In 1972 he returned to England and re-recorded some songs for the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Dingo. The song that attracted most attention was his deadpan interpretation of Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick out of You". In 1990 he received the Tamworth Songwriters' Association's award for 'Bush Ballad of the Year'.
Church career
Shearston returned to Australia in 1989 and is now a priest in the Anglican Church of AustraliaAnglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
in rural New South Wales.
Selected discography and chart positions
- "Sometime Lovin'" - 1965 (#38 Sydney)
- "Sydney Town" - 1965 (#9 Sydney, #36 Brisbane)
- "I Get a Kick out of YouI Get a Kick Out of You"I Get a Kick Out of You" is a song by Cole Porter, originally featured in the Broadway musical Anything Goes and the movie of the same name....
" - 1974 (#7 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, #19 Sydney, #12 Brisbane, #11 Adelaide)
External links
- Gary Shearston's official website
- Review of Best of All Trades, double CD set 2009 (Simply Australia)
- Howlspace article
- Pop Archives – I Get A Kick Out of You feature
- Undercover Music
- Sydney Morning Herald album review, 2007
- article and original song - Three Early Recordings of Gary Shearston: A Personal Reflection (Jim Low)