Semantics (album)
Encyclopedia
Semantics was a 1983 EP
by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl
. The album marked a change in the line-up of the band as Bill McDonough (drums) was replaced first by Graham Bidstrup
(ex-The Angels
, The Party Boys
with Crawl member James Reyne
) to record the EP. The more permanent replacement, after the EP, was John Watson (Kevin Borich Express
).
The EP contains their best known song and only number 1 single, "Reckless (Don't Be So)
" (aka "She Don't Like That") which was written by lead singer Reyne. Listeners of Triple M
voted "Reckless" the 39th best song of all time in 2007, it was the highest placed Australian Crawl song.
In the United States and Europe Semantics was released in 1984 by Geffen Records
as an expanded version LP
featuring the EP's four original tracks plus re-recorded versions of six earlier Australian Crawl songs. The original EP was also re-released as a CD-EP in 1996.
Australian Crawl performed "Reckless" as one of their three songs for the Oz for Africa
concert (1985). This was the Australian leg of the global Live Aid
show organised by Midge Ure
and Bob Geldof
. The "Oz for Africa" concert was broadcast on MTV, but only performances by Australian band INXS
were placed on the 20th Anniversary DVD collection.
was founded in Melbourne
, Australia by James Reyne
(lead vocals/piano
), his younger brother David Reyne
(drums
), Brad Robinson
(rhythm guitar
), Paul Williams (bass guitar
) and Simon Binks
(lead guitar
) in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough (drums, percussion
), and the band was later joined by his younger brother Guy McDonough
(vocals, rhythm guitar).
Their third studio album
, Sons of Beaches
was released in 1982 and reached number 1 on the albums chart. Bill McDonough left before they recorded their extended play
, Semantics in 1983, which achieved number 1 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Bill McDonough was replaced on drums, temporarily by Graham Bidstrup
for the EP recording, and more permanently by John Watson. Semantics contained the track "Reckless (Don't Be So)
", which some sources list as a number 1 single. A live mini-album Phalanx
was released in December 1983, and the band signed with Geffen Records
for international release of their material.
In 1984, the band released the best of their early material as a compilation titled Crawl File
, which peaked at number 2. Geffen released Semantics, internationally, as a long play album with six newly re-recorded tracks compiled from their first three studio albums. Promotion of the album and the subsequent tour was stalled when Guy McDonough died in June of viral pneumonia
. Meanwhile, remaining Australian Crawl members had recorded their fourth studio album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place which was released in 1985 and achieved number 11. This was followed by the announcement that they would disband after another tour, the live album, The Final Wave
recorded their last performance on 27 January 1986, which was released in October and peaked at number 16.
During his solo career, James Reyne recorded a different version of "Reckless" for Electric Digger Dandy (aka Any Day Above Ground) in 1991. He performs the song during live concerts.
Additional musicians
Recording details
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
. The album marked a change in the line-up of the band as Bill McDonough (drums) was replaced first by Graham Bidstrup
Graham Bidstrup
Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and artist manager. He has been a member of The Angels, The Party Boys and Gang Gajang. He has managed Jimmy Little, Nathan Cavaleri and Diana Ah Naid. He is part of the management team for the Jimmy Little Foundation.-The...
(ex-The Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
, The Party Boys
The Party Boys
The Party Boys was an Australian rock band with floating membership that existed from 1982 until 1992. Initially established by Mondo Rock bass player Paul Christie as a part-time venture for professional musicians with downtime from other projects, the group has boasted members from acts such as...
with Crawl member James Reyne
James Reyne
James Reyne is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the iconic 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work.. He is a successful singer/ songwriter and prolific artist...
) to record the EP. The more permanent replacement, after the EP, was John Watson (Kevin Borich Express
Kevin Borich
Kevin Nicholas Borich is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter...
).
The EP contains their best known song and only number 1 single, "Reckless (Don't Be So)
Reckless (Australian Crawl song)
"Reckless" was a 1983 song from the EP Semantics by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. The song showed a change in the line up of the band as drummer Bill McDonough was temporarily replaced by Graham Bidstrup...
" (aka "She Don't Like That") which was written by lead singer Reyne. Listeners of Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
voted "Reckless" the 39th best song of all time in 2007, it was the highest placed Australian Crawl song.
In the United States and Europe Semantics was released in 1984 by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
as an expanded version LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
featuring the EP's four original tracks plus re-recorded versions of six earlier Australian Crawl songs. The original EP was also re-released as a CD-EP in 1996.
Australian Crawl performed "Reckless" as one of their three songs for the 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 (1985). This was the Australian leg 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 ...
show organised by Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
and Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
. The "Oz for Africa" concert was broadcast on MTV, but only performances by Australian band INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
were placed on the 20th Anniversary DVD collection.
Background
Australian CrawlAustralian Crawl
Australian Crawl were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne , Brad Robinson , Paul Williams , Simon Binks and David Reyne in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough...
was founded in 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...
, Australia by James Reyne
James Reyne
James Reyne is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the iconic 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work.. He is a successful singer/ songwriter and prolific artist...
(lead vocals/piano
Piano
The 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...
), his younger brother David Reyne
David Reyne
David Nicholas Reyne is an Australian actor, musician and television presenter. He was educated at The Peninsula School, Mount Eliza.-Music career:...
(drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
), Brad Robinson
Brad Robinson (Australian musician)
Bradford Leigh "Brad" Robinson ) was a rock musician best known as lead and rhythm guitarist with the 1980s band Australian Crawl. Robinson had a later career as a manager for musicians and sports personalities.-Early years:...
(rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), Paul Williams (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Simon Binks
Simon Binks
Simon John Binks is an Australian rock musician who was a guitarist and singer-songwriter for Australian Crawl from founding in 1978 to disbanding in 1986.-Early career:...
(lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
) in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough (drums, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
), and the band was later joined by his younger brother Guy McDonough
Guy McDonough
Guy Gillis McDonough was an Australian rock musician best known for rhythm guitar and singer-songwriter with the iconic band Australian Crawl. He provided rhythm guitar and lead vocals on two of their well-known songs, "Oh No Not You Again" and "Errol"...
(vocals, rhythm guitar).
Their third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Sons of Beaches
Sons of Beaches
Sons of Beaches is the third album from Australian rock band Australian Crawl and their second #1 in the Australian albums charts...
was released in 1982 and reached number 1 on the albums chart. Bill McDonough left before they recorded their extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Semantics in 1983, which achieved number 1 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Bill McDonough was replaced on drums, temporarily by Graham Bidstrup
Graham Bidstrup
Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and artist manager. He has been a member of The Angels, The Party Boys and Gang Gajang. He has managed Jimmy Little, Nathan Cavaleri and Diana Ah Naid. He is part of the management team for the Jimmy Little Foundation.-The...
for the EP recording, and more permanently by John Watson. Semantics contained the track "Reckless (Don't Be So)
Reckless (Australian Crawl song)
"Reckless" was a 1983 song from the EP Semantics by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. The song showed a change in the line up of the band as drummer Bill McDonough was temporarily replaced by Graham Bidstrup...
", which some sources list as a number 1 single. A live mini-album Phalanx
Phalanx (album)
Phalanx is the first live album released by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. It was recorded live at concerts at Bombay Rock Gold Coast, Queensland and at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in October, 1983, during the 'Semantics' tour. The album was initially released on vinyl in...
was released in December 1983, and the band signed with Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
for international release of their material.
In 1984, the band released the best of their early material as a compilation titled Crawl File
Crawl File
Crawl File is the first compilation album of songs released by Australian rock band Australian Crawl. The songs were taken from their first three studio albums The Boys Light Up, Sirocco and Sons of Beaches together with their EP, Semantics...
, which peaked at number 2. Geffen released Semantics, internationally, as a long play album with six newly re-recorded tracks compiled from their first three studio albums. Promotion of the album and the subsequent tour was stalled when Guy McDonough died in June of viral pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. Meanwhile, remaining Australian Crawl members had recorded their fourth studio album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place which was released in 1985 and achieved number 11. This was followed by the announcement that they would disband after another tour, the live album, The Final Wave
The Final Wave
The Final Wave is the second live album released by Australian rock band Australian Crawl. It is a recording of the band's final Melbourne concert on 27 January 1986. The album reached #16 on the Australian album charts upon its release....
recorded their last performance on 27 January 1986, which was released in October and peaked at number 16.
During his solo career, James Reyne recorded a different version of "Reckless" for Electric Digger Dandy (aka Any Day Above Ground) in 1991. He performs the song during live concerts.
Semantics EP
- "Reckless (Don't Be So)Reckless (Australian Crawl song)"Reckless" was a 1983 song from the EP Semantics by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. The song showed a change in the line up of the band as drummer Bill McDonough was temporarily replaced by Graham Bidstrup...
" (James Reyne) - 5:20 ^ - "The Night" (Brad Robinson) - 4:11 ^
- "White Limbo" (Simon Binks) - 4:03 ^
- "Looking for Cool" (Reyne) - 4:15 ^
Semantics LP
- "The Boys Light UpThe Boys Light Up (song)"The Boys Light Up" is the second single and title track released by Australian rock band Australian Crawl from their debut album The Boys Light Up . The song was written by lead singer James Reyne, but sung by Simon Binks!!...
" (Reyne) - 4:41 from The Boys Light UpThe Boys Light UpThe Boys Light Up is the debut album from Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl which was released in 1980 and contains the title track, "The Boys Light Up", "Indisposed", "Downhearted" and their previously released debut single "Beautiful People"... - "ErrolErrol (song)"Errol" is the second single by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl taken from their 1981 album Sirocco. The song was written by James Reyne and Guy McDonough, and is a lyrical biography about Australian-born actor Errol Flynn....
" (Reyne, Guy McDonough) - 3:30 from SiroccoSirocco (album)Sirocco is the second album from Australian rock band Australian Crawl. It was released in July 1981 and on 3 August, it topped the Australian charts where it remained for six weeks, the band's first of two albums to hit #1... - "Indisposed" (B Robinson, James Robinson, Reyne, William 'Bill' McDonough) - 4:05 from The Boys Light Up
- "Looking for Cool" (Reyne) - 4:13 ^
- "Reckless (Don't Be So)Reckless (Australian Crawl song)"Reckless" was a 1983 song from the EP Semantics by iconic Australian surf rock band Australian Crawl. The song showed a change in the line up of the band as drummer Bill McDonough was temporarily replaced by Graham Bidstrup...
" (Reyne) - 5:23 ^ - "Lakeside" (Reyne) - 4:49 from Sirocco
- "White Limbo" (Binks) - 4:04 ^
- "Things Don't Seem" (G McDonough, Sean Higgins) - 3:57 from Sirocco
- "The Night" (B Robinson) - 4:13 ^
- "Unpublished Critics" (Reyne, Paul Williams) - 5:14 from Sirocco
Personnel
Australian Crawl members- James ReyneJames ReyneJames Reyne is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the iconic 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work.. He is a successful singer/ songwriter and prolific artist...
— lead vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe 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... - Simon BinksSimon BinksSimon John Binks is an Australian rock musician who was a guitarist and singer-songwriter for Australian Crawl from founding in 1978 to disbanding in 1986.-Early career:...
— 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... - Paul "Tubbs" Williams — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Guy McDonoughGuy McDonoughGuy Gillis McDonough was an Australian rock musician best known for rhythm guitar and singer-songwriter with the iconic band Australian Crawl. He provided rhythm guitar and lead vocals on two of their well-known songs, "Oh No Not You Again" and "Errol"...
— co-lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Brad RobinsonBrad Robinson (Australian musician)Bradford Leigh "Brad" Robinson ) was a rock musician best known as lead and rhythm guitarist with the 1980s band Australian Crawl. Robinson had a later career as a manager for musicians and sports personalities.-Early years:...
— rhythm guitar - Graham "Buzz" BidstrupGraham BidstrupGraham "Buzz" Bidstrup is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and artist manager. He has been a member of The Angels, The Party Boys and Gang Gajang. He has managed Jimmy Little, Nathan Cavaleri and Diana Ah Naid. He is part of the management team for the Jimmy Little Foundation.-The...
— 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 ....
, keyboards (on original EP tracks, marked with ^) - John Watson — drums (on re-recorded LP tracks, unmarked)
Additional musicians
- Andrew Thompson — 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...
- Rosemary Westbrook — double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
on "Reckless"
Recording details
- Engineer — David Nicholas
- Producer — Mark OpitzMark OpitzMark Opitz, started his career with ABC TV in Sydney in the 1970’s and has since gone on to work with many of the great Australian musicians that have graced both the Australian and international music charts for the past 25 years....
- Re-mastering — Don Bartley (1996)
Release history
| Country | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Australia 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... |
10 October 1983 | EMI Australia EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1984 | Geffen Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... |
| Australia | 22 October 1996 | EMI Australia |