A singular force of nature, Cold Chisel concocted a sound that merged blues, soul, rockabilly and – of course – pub rock into something quintessentially Australian. Their sound was unvarnished and unfiltered, forged in the country’s thriving but unforgiving live music circuit of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Cold Chisel came together in Adelaide in 1973, featuring Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums, Les Kaczmarek on bass, and Don Walker on piano. Jimmy Barnes – still just a teenager – soon arrived as lead singer, joined by Phil Small as Kaczmarek’s replacement as bassist in 1975.
They would disband just eight years later, but not before leaving behind a strong five-album run that started with their self-titled debut album in 1978 and culminated in 1984 with Twentieth Century. Before myriad reunions, before their ARIA Hall of Fame induction, before they even had a street named after them in Adelaide, that flawed first album set them on their way to national stardom.
Back to 1978: perhaps a retrospective success, more than an immediate one, Cold Chisel’s debut album has nevertheless earned its place in the country’s music history. What do two of its makers recall of that time, though? For Barnes, making the album was all “a bit of a blur.”
In terms of its structure, the band was firmly committed to not being a singles band, according to Barnes.
“We thought we’d just release albums and keep away from the singles chart,” he explains, reflecting an attitude that feels more and more rare in today’s musical landscape.
That was until one certain song changed things. When Cold Chisel came out with “Khe Sanh” – a single that told the story of the Vietnam vets, in a style that epitomises what was so popular at the time – it’s little wonder it became such a resonant sound in Australian pop culture.
by Conor Lochrie, April 11, 2023
Tracks
1. Juliet (Don Walker, Jimmy Barnes) - 2:44
2. Khe Sanh - 4:14
3. Home And Broken Hearted - 3:25
4. One Long Day - 7:24
5. Northbound - 3:15
6. Rosaline - 4:47
7. Daskarzine - 5:10
8. Just How Many Times - 5:14
All songs by Don Walker except where noted
Cold Chisel
*Ian Moss - Guitar, Vocals
*Jimmy Barnes - Vocals
*Steve Prestwich - Drums
*Phil Small - Bass
*Don Walker - Organ, Piano, Background Vocals
With
*David Blight - Harmonica
*Joe Camilleri - Saxophone
*Janice Slater - Background Vocals
*Wilbur Wilde - Saxophone
*Carol Stubbley - Background Vocals
