John Farnham Whispering Jack Turns 30 - Noise11.com
John Farnham Whispering Jack

John Farnham Whispering Jack Turns 30

by Paul Cashmere on October 24, 2016

in News

John Farnham’s ‘Whispering Jack’, the second biggest selling album in Australia of all time, has just turned 30 years old.

‘Whispering Jack’ was released on 20 October 1986. The first single, ‘You’re The Voice’ was released one month earlier and became the number one song in Australia for seven weeks from 3 November to 21 December 1986.

The career of John Farnham had become motionless before ‘Whispering Jack’. Farnham had spent 1983 to 1986 as lead singer for Little River Band after the departure of Glenn Shorrock. As LRB frontman John recorded three albums ‘The Net’, ‘Playing To Win’ and ‘No Reins’, each having diminishing popularity from its predecessor.

‘We Two’, with Farnham on vocals, reached no 22 on the Billboard chart.

Farnham started to gather songs for what would become ‘Whispering Jack’ while he was still with Little River Band. One of the songs offered that he knocked back was Bernie Taupin and Peter Wolf’s ‘We Built This City’. It was later picked up by Starship and became a no 1 hit in the US and Australia.

Two songs Farnham did grab were Eric McCusker’s ‘No One Comes Close’ and Ross Wilson’s ‘A Touch Of Paradise’.

‘Whispering Jack’ reached no 1 in Australia and Sweden, no 2 in New Zealand, no 3 in Switzerland and no 12 in Norway.

Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out of Hell’ is still the biggest selling album of all-time in Australia with 1.75m sales. ‘Whispering Jack’ is no 2 with 1.68m sales. Delta Goodrem ‘Innocent Eyes’ is at no 3 with 1,200,000.

Noise11.com

Related Posts

Normie Rowe and the Playboys perform at Memo Music Hall, St Kilda, Melbourne on Saturday 6 June 2015. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Normie Rowe’s 2019 cover of 1927’s ‘Compulsory Hero’ Continues to Resonate For ANZAC Day 2024

In 2019, Normie Rowe cover the 1927 hit ‘Compulsory Hero’ as a tribute to Australia’s servicemen and women. As ANZAC Day 2024 approaches, Normie’s version of the song has become a comment of the time made even more poignant because he is also a returned serviceman.

2 hours ago
Split Enz True Colours Stamps NZ
Split Enz Stamps To Be Issued By New Zealand Post Office

Split Enz have been honored by the New Zealand Post Office with a series of stamps based on their classic album ‘True Colours’.

4 hours ago
Sammy Hagar supplied HWOF
Sammy Hagar To Receive Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sammy Hagar will be the 2779th recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sammy’s star will be unveiled on 30 April 2024 at 11:30am.

7 hours ago
Madonna performs at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday 12 March 2016. This is the first show of the Australian leg of her world wide Rebel Heart Tour. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Madonna Sued Again Over Concert Delays

Madonna has been sued again over concert delays.

16 hours ago
The Superjesus
There is A Brand New Superjesus Song ‘We Won’t Let Go Until Its Over’

The Superjesus have a brand new song ‘We Won’t Let Go Until Its Over’.

1 day ago
David Byrne photo by Ros O'Gorman
David Byrne Covers Paramore ‘Hard Times’

David Byrne has covered Paramore’s ‘Hard Times’ after Paramore’ covered David’s Talking Heads classic ‘Burning Down The House’.

1 day ago
Simple Minds at Red Hot Summer Mornington 2024 photo by Winston Robinson
Jim Kerr of Simple Minds Wins Award for Jim Morrison Documentary

This week at the New York Festivals International Radio Awards in NYC 'Jim Kerr on Jim Morrison' was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Documentary in the Culture & The Arts category.

1 day ago