You're The Voice Bass remix featuring Roger McLachlan

The lick that changed my world.

Here's a clip of me performing the part I created with the original Fender Jazz Fretless Bass you hear on the original recording.
I got a call to come in and play on John Farnham's new CD in 1986.

Bring your fretless they said, so I did.
I walked into Studio One AAV in Sth Melb. In the control room was a young Doug Brady
engineer, Ross Frazer producer and John Farnham. We'd like you to have a crack at this track.... "Doug, push the play button"....
Out of the speakers thundered a song that you knew was going to be a massive hit. Even in it's unmixed state it was a great song. The verse was so huge with the thunderous kick drum it didn't leave much room for the bass so I actually recorded the chorus first. Sliding up to F in octaves to create the feel of Bagpipes which would appear later in the track. Everyone seemed pretty happy with what I'd played so far. So, Ross Frazer suggested we roll back to the beginning and "just have a play" and see what comes out.
What you hear on the record is my first improvised take, dropping out just before the first chorus. Ross and John were beaming from ear to ear. That's it they cried, it's a keeper, you're not doing it again. The rest is history.
Even to this day I still get a kick out of hearing it on the radio and always sneak it in somewhere when I'm doing a live gig with Geoff Achison
, Big & Horny or Ruff Surface. It's my signature lick that works in so many situations.
For this Video I've just done the first 2 mins. I've overdubbed the Bass line so you can really hear it; it's a bit back in the mix on the Original. Hope you get a kick out of this. I had fun revisiting the track.