Jimmy Barnes has released his recording of Rose Tattoo’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King” as a tribute to his late friend Angry Anderson, with all proceeds going to Support Act.
by Paul Cashmere
Jimmy Barnes has released a recording of Rose Tattoo’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King” that he made while Angry Anderson was still alive, but never got to play for his friend. Following Anderson’s death last month, Barnes has now chosen to release the track as a tribute, with all proceeds going to Support Act.
The recording dates back to work Barnes had been doing for his previous album. He had discussed the idea of covering the Rose Tattoo song with Anderson, who was excited about hearing his friend’s interpretation of one of the band’s defining tracks.
Barnes never got the opportunity.
“I couldn’t wait to sit down with Angry and play it to him because the song takes on a whole new meaning for me now, looking back through all those years and all those gigs,” Barnes said.
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King” was originally released by Rose Tattoo in 1981 on the album Assault & Battery. For Barnes, however, the song represents much more than another Rose Tattoo composition. It recalls the shared touring circuit that connected Rose Tattoo and Cold Chisel during the formative years of Australian rock.
“Throughout our early careers Rose Tattoo and Cold Chisel’s paths crossed a hell of a lot,” Barnes recalled. “We travelled the same country, playing the same gigs, on the same endless tours that took us to every single bar that would let a rock’n’roll band play their music LOUD.”
Those encounters extended beyond the stage. Barnes remembers nights at Sydney venues including Chequers and the Bondi Lifesaver, and Melbourne venues such as Bombay Rock and Bananas, where musicians from the two bands would regularly meet after shows.
“We shared stages, we shared crew members, we even shared equipment at times,” he said. “Rock’n’roll was king and we were all young, taking on the world together.”
That relationship survived decades of change within Australian rock. Barnes described Anderson as his “friend” and “brother in arms”, recalling a friendship built around music even when the two did not always see the world in the same way.
For Barnes, Rose Tattoo represented the uncompromising side of the music they had grown up with. He remembers first seeing the band and immediately making them one of his favourite groups, singling out early members including Ian Rilen, Pete Wells and Digger Royall, while Anderson remained the constant presence at the front.
“If there was ever anyone who deserved to be called a rock’n’roll singer, it was him,” Barnes said.
The connection between the two bands also extended into Barnes’ own recording and touring history. Rose Tattoo members Rob Riley and Mick Cocks spent periods in Barnes’ band, while Barnes himself recorded several Rose Tattoo songs. He singles out “One Of The Boys” among his favourite rock songs, but believes “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King” captured the philosophy shared by both bands.
Barnes also revealed why the new recording did not appear on his previous album. Despite loving the version, it was left off the final record. With the venues that once brought the two friends together now gone and both musicians frequently travelling, the opportunity to play Anderson the recording never came.
Anderson died in September 2026 at the age of 79 after a career spanning five decades with Rose Tattoo. He joined the band in 1976 and remained its defining frontman, becoming its longest-serving member and the sole surviving member of the original lineup.
Rose Tattoo’s history was closely intertwined with the development of Australian hard rock. The band’s catalogue includes “Bad Boy For Love”, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Outlaw”, “Nice Boys”, “We Can’t Be Beaten”, “Scarred For Life” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King”. Rose Tattoo was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.
Anderson also had a major solo success with “Suddenly”, the 1987 ballad that became an international hit after its use in Neighbours. He later appeared in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and received an Order of Australia for his community work.
Barnes is now releasing the recording with no financial return to himself. Every dollar generated by the track will be donated to Support Act, the Australian music industry charity providing crisis relief and wellbeing support to music workers.
“I just want to tip my hat to my mate and let the world know what great songs he and his band wrote,” Barnes said.
His final instruction is appropriately direct: “Turn it up fucking LOUD.”
Angry Anderson may not have heard Jimmy Barnes’ version of “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King”, but the recording now gives the song a new place in the history shared by two of Australia’s enduring rock bands.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
