Cold Chisel

Cold Chisel formed in Adelaide during September 1973 on the initiative of guitarist/singer Ian Moss. The band was originally called Orange and had John Swan as lead vocalist. His younger brother James Dixon Swan alias Jimmy Barnes became their lead vocalist in 1974. In 1974 the band changed their name to Cold Chisel after a Don Walker song 'Cold chisel'. Keyboard player Walker gradually came up with a strong catalogue of songs to match the group's tough rock reputation on stage, centred mainly on their raw voiced, vodka swilling dripping-with-sweat singer Jimmy Barnes.

At the start of 1977 the band resettled in Sydney hoping to land the record contract that had eluded them for more than a year, due to the perception that the band was not adequately commercial. In April 1978 WEA Records eventually took a chance on their first self-titled album, which only received moderate success. This was not helped by the fact their first single 'Khe sahn' from the album, which was about an Australian Vietnam veteran, was banned from airplay with one line being deemed to offensive. The song had since become an Australian cult classic and one of the most played classic rock tracks on Australian radio.

The second album Breakfast at sweethearts saw Cold Chisel enter the top ten of the Australian charts for the first time and earned the band its first platinum record. This was followed up in June 1980 with East, which brought the band a string of hits and more commercial success. On a roll they followed East with the number one live album Swingshift. Seeking the international success they had experienced in Australia, the next album was produced and aimed at the world market. The album's name Circus Animals was exactly what they thought of the process and how out of place they felt. They toured the album around Europe and the U.K.. After the US tour disillusionment set in when the band's music failed to replicate the Australian success, and tensions started to form throughout the band.

On March 1981 Cold Chisel won the various awards at the National Rock Awards, however the band caused a lot of controversy by smashing up their equipment and verbally slamming the sponsors.

The band's tensions eventually lead to a farewell tour ending at the Sydney Entertainment centre in December 1983. After the band final tour Jimmy Barnes immediately launched a successful solo career, accumulating seven Australian number one albums. Guitarist Ian Moss took five years off before releasing a number one album of his own, reuniting him with the songs of Don Walker.

Walker started his own low key recording and performing career, forging relationships with a varied assortment of Australian music makers, both rock and country. Drummer Steve Prestwich joined Little River Band for two years. Throughout the rest of the eighties and into the nineties Cold Chisel albums kept selling and fans vainly hoped for a reunion. Then, after almost two years of secret discussions and jam sessions a reunion album and tour was assembled in October 1998.

Cold Chisel Albums

• Cold Chisel (1978)
• You're thirteen, your beautiful, and your mine (EP) (1978)
• Breakfast at Sweethearts (1979)
• East (1980)
• Swingshift (1981)
• Circus animals (1982)
• The barking spiders: live 1983 (1984)
• Twentieth century (1984)
• Radio songs (1985)
• Razor songs (1987)
• Chisel (1991)
• Last stand (1992)
• Teenage love (1994)
• Chisel (Re-release)(1995)
• The last wave of summer (1998)
• Cold Chisel: The studio sessions (1999)
• Ringside (2003)
• Last stand (Remastered with bonus tracks) (2005)
• Countdown

Countdown appearances:

• 24th December 1984 Countdown Christmas special (ep 359) Cold Chisel performs 'Forever now'
• 20th December 1981 Australian made Countdown episode performing 'You’ve got nothing I want'
• 23rd March 1979, Breakfast at Sweethearts Countdown music awards
• 22nd March 1981- 'My turn to cry' (followed by smashing of equipment.)
• 25th November 1979, episode 221, – 'Choir girl'
• 8th April 1984, episode 411 – 'Saturday night'.
• 4th April 1982, episode 322 – 'Forever now'.
• 15th June 1980, episode 244 – 'Cheap wine'