Men at Work
Encyclopedia
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States (Business as Usual and "Down Under
" respectively). They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom. The group won the 1983 Grammy Award
for Best New Artist
, and have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. The band's sound is distinguished by its use of woodwind and brass
instruments.
emigrated to Australia in 1967 from Scotland with his family. In 1978, he formed a duo with Ron Strykert
, which expanded with the addition of drummer Jerry Speiser
and Australian progressive rock
keyboard player Greg Sneddon. They formed an unnamed four-piece group that would later morph into Men at Work. The band's first experience in the recording studio was recording the music to Riff Raff, a low-budget stage musical on which Sneddon had worked. Sneddon soon left, to be replaced in late 1979 by saxophonist/flautist/keyboardist Greg Ham
. Bassist John Rees completed the band.
signed Men at Work. Their second single, "Who Can It Be Now?
", reached #1 on the Australian chart in August 1981. A subsequent single (a re-worked version of "Down Under
") and their first album (Business as Usual) also went to #1. The album also debuted at #1 in New Zealand.
Despite its strong Australian showing, and having an American producer (Peter McIan), Business as Usual was twice rejected by Columbia's parent company in the United States. Thanks to the persistence of the band's management, the album was eventually released in the US and the UK six months after its Australian release. Men at Work toured Canada and the US to promote the album, supporting Fleetwood Mac
.
The band initially broke through to North American audiences in the western provinces of Canada, with lead single "Who Can It Be Now?" hitting top 10 on radio stations in Winnipeg as early as May of 1982. The band became a top act across Canada in the following months, and Men At Work started receiving top 40 US airplay by August. In October 1982, "Who Can It Be Now?
" hit #1 in the US. Then, in November of that year, Business as Usual began a 15-week run at #1 on the US album chart. While "Who Can It Be Now?" was still in the top ten, the second single, "Down Under" was released. It entered the charts at #79; ten weeks later, it was #1. By January 1983, Men at Work had the top album and single in both the US and the UK - a feat never achieved previously by an Australian act. "Be Good Johnny
" also received moderate airplay, particularly in the US.
Men at Work won a Grammy Award
, winning Best New Artist for 1983 ahead of Asia
, Jennifer Holliday
, The Human League
and Stray Cats
. This was the first for an Australian recording act.
That same year, Canada awarded them a Juno Award
for "International LP of the Year."
The band soon released their second album Cargo
. It had been finished in the summer of 1982, but held for release due to the phenomenal success of the band's debut. The new album went to #1. The international market, where Business as Usual was still riding high, kept the album at #3 on the Billboard 200
album chart. The album produced three chart singles in the US: "Overkill
" [#3], "It's a Mistake
" [#6], and "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive
" [#28]. The band toured the world extensively in 1983.
", "Man With Two Hearts", "Maria", and "Hard Luck Story"), only the first song charted in the US, and that only at #47. The record relied heavily on drum programming and synthesisers and reduced the presence of Ham's saxophone, giving it a different feel than the band's first two records.
Strykert left the group during the album's production. Hay and Ham hired new bandmates to tour behind the record, including jazz
/fusion
bassist Jeremy Alsop, progressive rock
drummer Mark Kennedy (ex Ayers Rock
), and guitarist James Black, who respectively play on seven, eight and one of the ten tracks on Two Hearts. Soon after, third guitarist Colin Bayley was added to the band's touring lineup, and Kennedy was replaced by prodigious young drummer Chad Wackerman
. Australian singers Kate Ceberano
and Renee Geyer
also worked and performed live with the group during this period as guests.
Men at Work performed three songs for the 1985 Oz for Africa
concert (part of the global Live Aid
program) - "Maria", "Overkill
", and an unreleased song called "The Longest Night". It was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network
and Nine Network
) and on MTV
in the US. "Maria" and "Overkill
" were also broadcast by American Broadcasting Company
(ABC) during their Live Aid telecast.
Ham left during the band's time touring behind the album. The final Men at Work performances in the 1980s found Australian jazz saxophonist Paul Williamson replacing Ham. By early 1986, the band was defunct, and Hay was working on his first solo album, Looking for Jack
, which would feature participation from Alsop and Wackerman.
The band toured various corners of the world throughout from 1998-2000. The lineup for these tours varied greatly, occasionally including Rick Grossman
of the Hoodoo Gurus
on bass, among numerous other touring musicians.
Men at Work performed "Down Under" at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia, alongside Paul Hogan
of Crocodile Dundee
fame. The group has been mostly inactive in recent years, although Hay and Ham still perform on occasion as Men at Work with guest musicians. In February 2009, they performed "Down Under" at the Australia Unites Victorian Bushfire Appeal Telethon.
won a case against the group arising from the uncredited appropriation of "Kookaburra
", originally written in 1934 by Marion Sinclair and for which they owned the publishing rights, as the flute line in the song "Down Under". The Australian music-themed TV quiz "Spicks and Specks" had suggested that "Down Under" contained Kookaburra. Larrikin then filed suit and had demanded between 40% and 60% of the previous six years of earnings from the song. In February 2010, the Australian judge ruled that "Down Under" did contain a flute riff based on "Kookaburra
" but stipulated that neither was it necessarily the hook nor a substantial part of the hit song (Colin Hay wrote the song years before the flute riff was added by a later member of the band). In July 2010 a judge ruled that Larrikin should be paid 5% of past (since 2002) and future profits.
and plays with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
. Strykert lives in Los Angeles, continues to play music and released his first solo album titled Paradise in September 2009. He has expressed some resentment towards Hay, mainly over royalties. Ham has remained musically active and currently plays sax with the Melbourne-based group The Nudist Funk Orchestra. Rees is now a music teacher in Melbourne.
Down Under (song)
"Down Under" is a pop song recorded by Men at Work for their debut album Business as Usual . The song went to #1 on American, British, Canadian and Australian charts....
" respectively). They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom. The group won the 1983 Grammy Award
Grammy Awards of 1983
The 25th Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1983. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Awards:*Record of the Year**Toto for "Rosanna"*Album of the Year**Toto for Toto IV...
for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
, and have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. The band's sound is distinguished by its use of woodwind and brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
instruments.
Origins of the group
Colin HayColin Hay
Colin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :...
emigrated to Australia in 1967 from Scotland with his family. In 1978, he formed a duo with Ron Strykert
Ron Strykert
Ronald "Ron" Graham Strykert is an Australian guitarist, known for playing lead guitar for the reggae inspired 1980s band, Men at Work....
, which expanded with the addition of drummer Jerry Speiser
Jerry Speiser
Jerry Harold Speiser is an Australian drummer and sometime guitarist. He was a founding member of 1980s pop music group Men at Work; which had Australian, United States and United Kingdom hits with their singles, "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under" and their albums, Business as Usual and Cargo...
and Australian progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
keyboard player Greg Sneddon. They formed an unnamed four-piece group that would later morph into Men at Work. The band's first experience in the recording studio was recording the music to Riff Raff, a low-budget stage musical on which Sneddon had worked. Sneddon soon left, to be replaced in late 1979 by saxophonist/flautist/keyboardist Greg Ham
Greg Ham
Greg Ham is an Australian songwriter, actor and saxophone player known for playing multiple instruments in 1980s pop-reggae band Men at Work when he replaced Greg Sneddon, where he played flute, organ, piano and the synthesiser in addition to the saxophone.As an actor, Ham was a regular cast...
. Bassist John Rees completed the band.
International success (1981-1983)
In 1981, Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
signed Men at Work. Their second single, "Who Can It Be Now?
Who Can It Be Now?
"Who Can It Be Now?" is a song by Australian band Men at Work. It was the second single and first track from their 1981 debut album, Business as Usual. "Who Can It Be Now?" was first released as a single in Australia in June 1981, prior to the recording of the rest of the album...
", reached #1 on the Australian chart in August 1981. A subsequent single (a re-worked version of "Down Under
Down Under (song)
"Down Under" is a pop song recorded by Men at Work for their debut album Business as Usual . The song went to #1 on American, British, Canadian and Australian charts....
") and their first album (Business as Usual) also went to #1. The album also debuted at #1 in New Zealand.
Despite its strong Australian showing, and having an American producer (Peter McIan), Business as Usual was twice rejected by Columbia's parent company in the United States. Thanks to the persistence of the band's management, the album was eventually released in the US and the UK six months after its Australian release. Men at Work toured Canada and the US to promote the album, supporting Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
.
The band initially broke through to North American audiences in the western provinces of Canada, with lead single "Who Can It Be Now?" hitting top 10 on radio stations in Winnipeg as early as May of 1982. The band became a top act across Canada in the following months, and Men At Work started receiving top 40 US airplay by August. In October 1982, "Who Can It Be Now?
Who Can It Be Now?
"Who Can It Be Now?" is a song by Australian band Men at Work. It was the second single and first track from their 1981 debut album, Business as Usual. "Who Can It Be Now?" was first released as a single in Australia in June 1981, prior to the recording of the rest of the album...
" hit #1 in the US. Then, in November of that year, Business as Usual began a 15-week run at #1 on the US album chart. While "Who Can It Be Now?" was still in the top ten, the second single, "Down Under" was released. It entered the charts at #79; ten weeks later, it was #1. By January 1983, Men at Work had the top album and single in both the US and the UK - a feat never achieved previously by an Australian act. "Be Good Johnny
Be Good Johnny
"Be Good Johnny" is a 1982 song by Australian band, Men at Work, from their first album, Business as Usual.The song is written from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old boy who is constantly being told to be good, but prefers to daydream rather than concentrate in class or play sports...
" also received moderate airplay, particularly in the US.
Men at Work won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, winning Best New Artist for 1983 ahead of Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
, Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...
, The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
and Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
. This was the first for an Australian recording act.
That same year, Canada awarded them a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for "International LP of the Year."
The band soon released their second album Cargo
Cargo (album)
Cargo is the second album by Australian band Men at Work, released in 1983. . Rolling Stone magazine noted that while it lacked a blockbuster hit, "song for song, it is a stronger overall effort than Business as Usual."...
. It had been finished in the summer of 1982, but held for release due to the phenomenal success of the band's debut. The new album went to #1. The international market, where Business as Usual was still riding high, kept the album at #3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. The album produced three chart singles in the US: "Overkill
Overkill (Men at Work song)
"Overkill" is a song by Australian band Men at Work and featured on their 1983 album Cargo. It was written by lead singer Colin Hay. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #28 in April 1983 and peaked at #3 in early June. When it was first released, it was a departure from the typical...
" [#3], "It's a Mistake
It's a Mistake
"It's a Mistake" is a single by the Australian group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay and the recording was produced by Peter McIan...
" [#6], and "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive
Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive
"Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive" is a single released in 1983 by the Australian group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay, and the recording was produced by Peter McIan. The song is taken from their 1983 album Cargo, was the band's last hit single in the US Top 40,...
" [#28]. The band toured the world extensively in 1983.
Two Hearts; break-up (1984-1986)
In 1984, the band took a long break as members pursued other interests and recovered from the two years of constant touring they'd done in support of both albums. At the end of that period, Jerry Speiser and John Rees were advised by management that they were no longer members of the band. The remaining members (Hay, Ham and Strykert) recorded a third album Two Hearts which peaked at #50 on the chart. Although four songs were released as singles to promote the album (lead single "Everything I NeedEverything I Need
"Everything I Need" was a single released in 1985 by the Australian group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay and the recording was produced by Hay with keyboardist Greg Ham...
", "Man With Two Hearts", "Maria", and "Hard Luck Story"), only the first song charted in the US, and that only at #47. The record relied heavily on drum programming and synthesisers and reduced the presence of Ham's saxophone, giving it a different feel than the band's first two records.
Strykert left the group during the album's production. Hay and Ham hired new bandmates to tour behind the record, including jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/fusion
Fusion Music
Fusion Music is a sub genre of Reggaeton. Calle 13 helped introduce this genre, and are the most famous artists to sing it. It's also known as Alternative Reggaeton. Danny Fornaris is the most famous producer in this sub-genre, known as its Luny Tunes...
bassist Jeremy Alsop, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
drummer Mark Kennedy (ex Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock (band)
Ayers Rock was a jazz fusion/progressive rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The group formed in 1973, and included many well-travelled rock performers; drummer Mark Kennedy had previously played in Spectrum, and played on sessions for King Harvest and Friends...
), and guitarist James Black, who respectively play on seven, eight and one of the ten tracks on Two Hearts. Soon after, third guitarist Colin Bayley was added to the band's touring lineup, and Kennedy was replaced by prodigious young drummer Chad Wackerman
Chad Wackerman
Chad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...
. Australian singers Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
and Renee Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
also worked and performed live with the group during this period as guests.
Men at Work performed three songs for the 1985 Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa was an Australian concert held on 13 July 1985 at the Sydney Sports and Entertainment Centre. It was broadcast locally and internationally as part of the worldwide Live Aid performances to raise money for famine relief in Africa. The concert featured 17 bands performing some of their...
concert (part of the global Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
program) - "Maria", "Overkill
Overkill (Men at Work song)
"Overkill" is a song by Australian band Men at Work and featured on their 1983 album Cargo. It was written by lead singer Colin Hay. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #28 in April 1983 and peaked at #3 in early June. When it was first released, it was a departure from the typical...
", and an unreleased song called "The Longest Night". It was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
and Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
) and on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the US. "Maria" and "Overkill
Overkill (Men at Work song)
"Overkill" is a song by Australian band Men at Work and featured on their 1983 album Cargo. It was written by lead singer Colin Hay. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #28 in April 1983 and peaked at #3 in early June. When it was first released, it was a departure from the typical...
" were also broadcast by American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ABC) during their Live Aid telecast.
Ham left during the band's time touring behind the album. The final Men at Work performances in the 1980s found Australian jazz saxophonist Paul Williamson replacing Ham. By early 1986, the band was defunct, and Hay was working on his first solo album, Looking for Jack
Looking for Jack
Looking for Jack is the 1st solo album by former Men at Work lead singer Colin Hay, released in 1987. .At an acoustic performance at Melbourne's Prince of Wales Hotel on 13 June 2007, Hay described the genesis of the title track. Watching a gig, he saw Jack Nicholson standing by the mixing desk. he...
, which would feature participation from Alsop and Wackerman.
Reunion (1996-present)
In 1996, after a ten-year absence, Hay and Ham reunited under the Men at Work moniker to tour South America. They had enjoyed strong fan support in this continent during their heyday, and demands for Men at Work concerts persisted prior to Hay and Ham's decision to reform. The new lineup also featured guitarist Simon Hosford from Hay's solo band, along with bassist Stephen Hadley and drummer John Watson. This tour culminated in the Brazilian release of a live CD Brazil '96 in 1997. The album was subsequently released worldwide in 1998 as 'Brazil' with a bonus studio song "The Longest Night", the first Men at Work studio track since Two Hearts.The band toured various corners of the world throughout from 1998-2000. The lineup for these tours varied greatly, occasionally including Rick Grossman
Richard Grossman (musician)
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
of the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
on bass, among numerous other touring musicians.
Men at Work performed "Down Under" at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia, alongside Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan, AM is an Australian actor best known for his role as Michael "Crocodile" Dundee from the Crocodile Dundee film series, for which he won a Golden Globe award.-Early life and career:...
of Crocodile Dundee
Crocodile Dundee
"Crocodile" Dundee is a 1986 Australian comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as Sue Charlton....
fame. The group has been mostly inactive in recent years, although Hay and Ham still perform on occasion as Men at Work with guest musicians. In February 2009, they performed "Down Under" at the Australia Unites Victorian Bushfire Appeal Telethon.
Copyright lawsuit and controversy
In February 2010, Larrikin Music PublishingLarrikin Records
Larrikin Records is a record company founded in 1974 by Warren Fahey. Larrikin started as an independent label and was sold in 1995 to Festival Records....
won a case against the group arising from the uncredited appropriation of "Kookaburra
Kookaburra (song)
"Kookaburra" is a popular Australian nursery rhyme and round about the Kookaburra , written by Marion Sinclair .-Composition:...
", originally written in 1934 by Marion Sinclair and for which they owned the publishing rights, as the flute line in the song "Down Under". The Australian music-themed TV quiz "Spicks and Specks" had suggested that "Down Under" contained Kookaburra. Larrikin then filed suit and had demanded between 40% and 60% of the previous six years of earnings from the song. In February 2010, the Australian judge ruled that "Down Under" did contain a flute riff based on "Kookaburra
Kookaburra (song)
"Kookaburra" is a popular Australian nursery rhyme and round about the Kookaburra , written by Marion Sinclair .-Composition:...
" but stipulated that neither was it necessarily the hook nor a substantial part of the hit song (Colin Hay wrote the song years before the flute riff was added by a later member of the band). In July 2010 a judge ruled that Larrikin should be paid 5% of past (since 2002) and future profits.
Other projects
Hay maintains a successful solo careerColin Hay
Colin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :...
and plays with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
To date, Ringo Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof...
. Strykert lives in Los Angeles, continues to play music and released his first solo album titled Paradise in September 2009. He has expressed some resentment towards Hay, mainly over royalties. Ham has remained musically active and currently plays sax with the Melbourne-based group The Nudist Funk Orchestra. Rees is now a music teacher in Melbourne.
Current
- Colin HayColin HayColin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :...
– vocals, rhythm guitars (1978–1986, 1996–present) - Greg HamGreg HamGreg Ham is an Australian songwriter, actor and saxophone player known for playing multiple instruments in 1980s pop-reggae band Men at Work when he replaced Greg Sneddon, where he played flute, organ, piano and the synthesiser in addition to the saxophone.As an actor, Ham was a regular cast...
– keyboards, vocals, 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...
, 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...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
(1979–1985, 1996–present)
Former
- Ron StrykertRon StrykertRonald "Ron" Graham Strykert is an Australian guitarist, known for playing lead guitar for the reggae inspired 1980s band, Men at Work....
– guitar, bass, vocals (1978–1985) - Jerry SpeiserJerry SpeiserJerry Harold Speiser is an Australian drummer and sometime guitarist. He was a founding member of 1980s pop music group Men at Work; which had Australian, United States and United Kingdom hits with their singles, "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under" and their albums, Business as Usual and Cargo...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals (1978–1984) - Greg Sneddon - keyboards (1978)
- John Rees – bass, backing vocals (1979–1984)
- Jeremy Alsop – bass, backing vocals (1985–1986)
- James Black – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1985–1986)
- Mark Kennedy – drums (1985)
- Colin Bayley – guitar, backing vocals (1985–1986)
- Chad WackermanChad WackermanChad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...
– drums, backing vocals (1985–1986) - Paul Williamson – saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals (1985–1986)
- Chris Conley - backing vocals, saxophone (1986)
- Jordan McNair - keyboard, oboe (1986)
- Simon Hosford – guitar, backing vocals (1996–1998, 1999–2001)
- Stephen Hadley – bass, backing vocals (1996–1998, 2001)
- John Watson – drums (1996–1997)
- Tony Floyd – drums (1997–1998)
- Rick GrossmanRichard Grossman (musician)Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
– bass, backing vocals (1998–2000) - James Ryan — guitar, backing vocals (1998)
- Peter Maslen – drums (1998)
- Rodrigo Aravena – bass, backing vocals (2000)
- Heta Moses – drums (2000)
- Warren Trout – drums (2001)
Discography
- 1981 Business as Usual
- 1983 CargoCargo (album)Cargo is the second album by Australian band Men at Work, released in 1983. . Rolling Stone magazine noted that while it lacked a blockbuster hit, "song for song, it is a stronger overall effort than Business as Usual."...
- 1985 Two Hearts
Guest appearances
- Colin Hay has made three guest appearances on ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
as 'Troubadour' on "My Overkill", season 2 episode 1, singing "Overkill","My Hard Labor", season 7 episode 2, singing "Down Under" and season 8 "My Finale" - Colin Hay made a guest appearance on "The Larry Sanders Show"
- Greg Ham sang their hit Helpless Automaton on the Oprah series in 2002
- Colin Hay performed "Down Under" on FOX News Channel for Fox & FriendsFox & FriendsFox & Friends is an American morning television show on the Fox News Channel.-History:The show begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time with the latest Fox News Live headlines and analyzes the news of the morning...
' "80s Weekend". - Colin Hay Performed "Overkill" on the Bob & Tom TV Show on 28 April 2009
- Colin Hay performed "Down UnderDown UnderThe term Down Under is a colloquialism which is variously construed either to refer to Australia and New Zealand, or Australia alone. The term comes from the fact that these countries are located in the southern hemisphere, below many other countries on the globe.The persistence of the media use of...
" and, "Who Can it be Now" on Don't Forget the Lyrics on the Fox network 5 June 2009 - Jerry Speiser guest appeared on the Frost track, 'You and Me' receiving hi-rotation on Melbourne's Nova 100 in 2003 and SBS Television.
See also
- Artists achieving simultaneous US and UK number-one hits
External links
- Men at Work (Howlspace article)
- Men at Work Official MySpace band site - three original band members help run the page
- Men at Work (Legacy Recordings)
- Listen to a clip from 'Down Under' and read more about it on australianscreen online
- 'Down Under' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry in 2007