Released on 20 October 1986, John Farnham’s Whispering Jack remains the highest-selling album by an Australian artist and the third biggest of all time in this country. Its story of near-collapse, a mortgaged house, a suburban garage and one unstoppable song still resonates four decades later.
by Paul Cashmere
On 20 October 1986 John Farnham released Whispering Jack, an album recorded in a suburban Melbourne garage after his manager mortgaged his own home to fund it. Within months it had spent 25 weeks at number one, collected multiple ARIA Awards and become the highest-selling album by an Australian artist, a record it still holds.
The numbers remain staggering. Whispering Jack is certified 24 times platinum in Australia, representing more than 1.68 million copies sold. Only Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell and Shania Twain’s Come On Over sit above it on the all-time Australian sales list. It was the best-charting album of the 1980s in this country and the first Australian-made album released on compact disc here.
Its creation was anything but assured. Farnham’s career had stalled after his stint as lead singer of Little River Band. He left the group in late 1985 after finishing vocals on No Reins. Earlier solo efforts following his 1980 comeback single Help! had failed to reconnect with a mass audience. Major labels and radio showed little interest in a former teen idol trying again.
Manager Glenn Wheatley refused to let the project die. Unable to find a producer or label willing to take the risk, he mortgaged his house to raise the $150,000 needed. Sound engineer Ross Fraser stepped up as producer. Recording began in October 1985 in the garage of Farnham’s house on Manningham Road in Bulleen, Victoria, before the sessions moved to Armstrong Studios in South Melbourne.
The turning point arrived late. Two weeks before recording was due to start, a demo tape from London delivered “You’re the Voice”, written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson.
Farnham and Fraser immediately recognised its power. The finished track featured a distinctive bagpipe part and drum sounds sampled from a slamming car door via the Fairlight CMI. Other key songs included “Pressure Down” by Harry Bogdanovs and “A Touch of Paradise”, co-written by Gulliver Smith and Ross Wilson.
Radio initially resisted. Stations remained wary of the “Johnny Farnham” image.
Sydney’s 2Day FM broke the single in September 1986. Public demand quickly forced other stations to follow. “You’re the Voice” topped the Kent Music Report singles chart for seven weeks and became one of the defining Australian hits of the decade. It also reached number one in Sweden and West Germany, number three in Switzerland and Ireland, and number six in the UK and Austria.
Whispering Jack itself entered the Australian album chart and stayed at number one for 25 weeks across 1986 and 1987. Internationally it hit number one in Sweden, number two in New Zealand, number three in Switzerland and Austria, and number four in Germany. Follow-up singles “Pressure Down”, “A Touch of Paradise” and “Reasons” all charted strongly at home.
The album’s success powered the Jack’s Back Tour, which grew well beyond its original plan and became the highest-grossing Australian tour of its time. At the inaugural ARIA Awards in 1987 Farnham collected Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Highest Selling Album, Highest Selling Single, Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Album.
A 20th anniversary edition in 2006 added an extended version of “Pressure Down” and a DVD of the 1987 Whispering Jack Live in Concert television performance. In 2011 Farnham marked the 25th anniversary by performing the album in full on a national tour.
Four decades on, Whispering Jack stands as more than a commercial peak. It is the record that pulled Farnham out of career limbo, proved an Australian artist could dominate both local and European charts with original material, and delivered a song that still functions as a cultural shorthand for personal agency. The garage sessions, the mortgaged house and the late arrival of one exceptional demo remain the foundation of a story Australian music has never quite matched.
Tracklisting
Pressure Down (Harry Bogdanovs) – 3:50
You’re The Voice (Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder, Chris Thompson) – 5:04
One Step Away (Jon Kennett, Dave Skinner) – 3:36
Reasons (Sam See) – 4:26
Going, Going, Gone (John Farnham, David Hirschfelder, Ross Fraser) – 3:33
No One Comes Close (Eric McCusker) – 4:09
Love To Shine (Harry Bogdanovs, Kiki Dee) – 4:01
Trouble (Dennis East) – 3:25
A Touch Of Paradise (Ross Wilson, Gulliver Smith) – 4:48
Let Me Out (John Farnham) – 4:22
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