News Release

08 October 2008

SBS takes Great Australian to MIPCOM 08

Australian free-to-air broadcaster SBS announces eight compelling 52 minute documentaries in its Great Australian Albums series for next week’s MIPCOM television trade fair in Cannes (13th - 17th October 2008).

The offer includes both the successful first series – featuring albums from and , among others – plus a brand new four-part series delving into the music of such legendary acts as & The Bad Seeds, and The Go- Betweens.

SBS Content Sales Manager, Kristin Burgham, said: “Great Australian Albums explores the personalities and events that formed the backdrop for some of ’s iconic albums – the albums that defined their eras.”

“We’re excited about showcasing both the successful first series and a further four new documentaries which will be highly attractive to international arts / music and biography channels.”

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads will resonate particularly with European audiences, given the success of the band in Europe during the 1980s. Based in Berlin for much of that decade, the band appeared memorably in the 1987 Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire before relocating to Brazil. Murder Ballads, featuring duets with PJ Harvey and , was released in 1996 and remains the band’s most successful . Murder Ballads reached #8 on the UK Charts, #5 on the German Charts, #3 on Charts and #1 on the Norwegian Charts.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads screened to great acclaim at this year’s Film Festival and will soon be screening at several festivals in Europe. In this film, as in all episodes from the Great Australian Albums series, the real ‘stars’ of the show are the songs themselves. Knowing that “it’s all about the music”, not just interviews or archival footage, the filmmakers have allowed each story to be driven by amazing songs and performances.

Note to editors: Further details on Great Australian Albums follows over the page.

About SBS The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is Australia's multicultural and multilingual public broadcaster. SBS is unique. Its radio and television services broadcast in more languages than any other network in the world, showcasing a unique mix of Australian-produced and international programs drawn from over 400 national and international sources.

Media contact : Caitlin Hall, Marketing Co-ordinator, SBS Content Sales [email protected] // +61 2 9430 3639

Note to editors : Background on Great Australian Albums follows

THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS SERIES

All editions : 8 x 52 minute episodes (each episode available as a stand-alone film) Produced by : and Directed by : Larry Meltzer

Great Australian Albums: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads Nick Cave is one of the most self consciously literary of rock performers. The group the Bad Seeds was formed in the early 1980s in Europe around the core team of Cave and his musical director . Throughout his career, Cave has maintained a consistent lyrical style entirely peculiar to himself. The Murder Ballads, recorded in 1995 was made as the band reached the cusp of stardom. Murder Ballads contained duets with Cave’s friends including Kylie Minogue on the song “Where the Wild Roses Grow”. This track was Cave’s first #1 hit in Australia and in the UK. Cave’s work has been powered by struggle; a desire to achieve and to react against and better the previous albums. This film reveals the internal struggle within the Bad Seeds and in Cave himself.

Great Australian Albums: Powderfinger – Odyssey #5 Powderfinger released Odyssey #5 in 2000. Formed in the late 1980s, they took their name from a song, replicating Young’s style of classic rock with an edge. While they had little initial success, by their fourth album, Odyssey #5, the group was grappling with the pressure fame and the effect that it had had on their lives. The songs on the record reflect their growing maturity as musicians as they address issues that are both intensely personal and political. Incorporating the extensive archive of footage Powderfinger have shot themselves, the film follows the journey from the group’s roots to the recording of Odyssey #5, augmented by live performance footage.

Great Australian Albums: The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane is the sixth album by the Go-Betweens recorded in 1988 after the group had spent seven years in Europe gaining immense critical acclaim. As The Times put it: “The Go- Betweens represented a pinnacle in Antipodean popular music. McLennan and Forster formed a potent song writing partnership. Forster’s approach was edgy and brooding; McLennan’s style

more wistful and romantic. Yet they complemented each other so perfectly that they were frequently described as “Australia’s Lennon and McCartney”. The chemistry of the group was an integral part of its work and this film goes into the relationships that made The Go-Betweens. We also investigate the songs; especially the melodic chemistry which has made songs like “” classics.

Great Australian Albums: Hunters & Collectors – Hunters & Collectors formed in 1981amidst the post-punk scene. The group was an immediate success and they soon migrated to . However, the core of the band believed that their future was in Australia and they returned. The Hunters & Collectors breakthrough came in 1986 with the album Human Frailty. The album began with the writing of “Throw Your Arms Around Me”, their most personal and romantic song. The film also reveals the way that the Hunters developed their unique sound. We investigate the internal issues in the Hunters that made them unique.

Great Australian Albums: Silverchair – Diorama Silverchair’s album Diorama is, according to magazine “one of the boldest musical statements ever made by an Australian rock band”. For lead singer and , Diorama was an artistic odyssey, written and recorded amidst the emotional issues that had plagued Johns since his teenage years. He envisaged Diorama to be a hard rock album that sounded unlike any other. Battling against both the advice of his record company and a debilitating attack of arthritis, Johns followed his instincts and Diorama was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. In this candid film, Johns tells us in his own words about the journey of Silverchair and Diorama.

Great Australian Albums: Crowded House – Crowded House are one of ’s most successful acts. However, when they came to record their third album in 1990, the group was on the verge of splitting. In desperation, singer / songwriter called on his brother Tim to help. In two dynamic weeks together they composed a number of classic songs. Woodface was considered a masterpiece, selling 7 million albums worldwide. It went to #1 on the British charts, spawning 4 UK Top 20 hits – “”, “”, “” and “It’s Only Natural”. In this intimate film, Neil and discuss the struggles and creative process of writing and recording Woodface.

Great Australian Albums: – Hailed by the British media as “one of the most influential and important bands to come from Australia”, The Triffids were formed in in 1978 and led by singer / songwriter David McComb. On their 1985 album Born Sandy Devotional, McComb’s literary and haunting songs reflected upon the Australian landscape and his own complicated emotional life. Sadly, however, more than ten years of nomadic existence took their toll on McComb, who died in 1999. This moving, personal film looks at McComb’s ongoing influence on Australian music and the creation of an album described by as “one of the dozen greatest albums of all time”.

Great Australian Albums: The Saints – (I’m) Stranded “There were three records that defined – “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols, “White Riot” by The Clash and “ (I’m) Stranded” by the Saints” - Bob Geldof. The Saints’ single “(I’m) Stranded” burst out of Australia in 1976 as one of the landmark recordings in the punk rock revolution. The Saints’ brand of rock was shunned by the local music industry, but EMI Records in London signed the band and recorded their debut album (I’m) Stranded in two ear-shattering days. Within six months, the Saints were in London at the epicentre of the punk revolution. This film explores how Australia’s independent music industry grew directly out of the Saint’s bold move.