The Hoodoo Gurus are gearing up to celebrate one of the defining moments of their career. This October, the band will mark the 40th anniversary of their landmark second album Mars Needs Guitars! with a deluxe double-vinyl reissue that captures the essence of 1985 while opening the vaults on long-lost demos and a previously unheard outtake.
Originally released on 8 March 1985, Mars Needs Guitars! was the record that transformed the Sydney outfit from local heroes into international contenders. Coming off the back of their acclaimed 1984 debut Stoneage Romeos, the Gurus doubled down on their signature mix of garage-rock crunch, pop hooks and tongue-in-cheek storytelling.
With new drummer Mark Kingsmill behind the kit, the album introduced a harder edge to the band’s sound, setting the template for their rise through the rest of the decade.
The record spawned some of the most enduring songs in the Gurus’ catalogue. “Bittersweet” remains a fixture of Australian radio, while “Like Wow – Wipeout!” became a Top 20 hit on the Australian Singles Chart and one of the band’s biggest anthems. Other standouts included the defiant “Death Defying” and the biting satire of “Poison Pen.”
The singles cemented Mars Needs Guitars! as a critical and commercial success. The album peaked at #5 on the ARIA chart, went 3× Platinum in Australia, and even gained traction in the United States, where “Bittersweet” and “Like Wow – Wipeout!” helped earn the band a loyal college radio following.
The new 40th Anniversary Deluxe 2LP Edition, due 17 October 2025, has been curated with fans in mind. LP1 recreates the original album as a full-colour picture disc, while LP2 dives deep into the archives with a series of previously unreleased demos. For the first time, listeners will hear Johnny, a shelved outtake from the sessions that never made it to the final record. That bonus disc arrives on a striking Ozone Green glow-in-the-dark vinyl pressing.
The set is packaged with original artwork by Richard Allen, handwritten lyrics for “Show Some Emotion” by frontman Dave Faulkner, and an A2 fold-out “Like Wow Tour” poster. Everything is housed in limited-edition packaging designed to reflect the era. The album has also been newly remastered, giving those classic tracks extra punch for modern ears.
“When we made Mars Needs Guitars! we were just focused on making something fun, loud, and honest,” Faulkner says. “Forty years later, it’s incredible to see how much these songs still resonate. This edition really captures the spirit of that time and gives fans a deeper look at how it all came together.”
For the Hoodoo Gurus, Mars Needs Guitars! was more than just a follow-up—it was a declaration of intent. The album solidified the lineup of Faulkner, Brad Shepherd, Clyde Bramley, and Kingsmill, a quartet that would carry the band through its most successful years.
With its release, the Gurus went from pub rock darlings to one of the hottest exports in Australian music. Their mix of high-energy guitar work, pop sensibilities, and irreverent humour proved irresistible, not just at home but overseas, where they began building the foundations of their international career.
The album title itself, a nod to the 1960 sci-fi B-movie Mars Needs Women, reflected the band’s playful streak. But the music underneath was serious business—songs of love, defiance, and youthful abandon delivered with a sneer and a smile.
Tracklist
Side A
Bittersweet
Poison Pen
In The Wild
Death Defying (Single Version)
Like Wow – Wipeout!
Side B
6. Hayride To Hell
7. Show Me Some Emotion
8. The Other Side Of Paradise
9. Mars Needs Guitars!
10. She
Side C (Demos)
Bittersweet (Demo)
Poison Pen (Demo)
In The Wild (Demo)
Death Defying (Demo)
Like Wow – Wipeout! (Demo)
Side D (Demos & Outtake)
Hayride To Hell (Demo)
Show Me Some Emotion (Demo)
The Other Side Of Paradise (Demo)
Mars Needs Guitars! (Demo)
Johnny (Previously Unheard Album Outtake)
Four decades later, Mars Needs Guitars! remains one of the crown jewels of the Hoodoo Gurus’ catalogue. Its mix of sharp songwriting and swaggering rock energy not only captured the spirit of the mid-80s but also stood the test of time, influencing countless Australian bands that followed.
With the 40th Anniversary Deluxe 2LP Edition, the Gurus invite fans old and new to celebrate a record that has never lost its bite. For those who were there in 1985, it’s a chance to relive the rush. For those discovering it now, it’s proof of why the Hoodoo Gurus remain one
of Australia’s most beloved and enduring rock bands.
The Hoodoo Gurus’ Mars Needs Guitars! 40th Anniversary Deluxe 2LP Edition will be released on 30 October 2025.
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