“Business as Usual” is the debut studio album by
Australian new wave band Men at Work, which was released in November 1981 in
Australia, and April 1982 in the United States. It spent nine weeks at the top
of the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart from December 1981 through to
March 1982. The Australian version had a black and white cover design; overseas
releases had a similar design, but in a black and yellow colour scheme. “Business
as Usual” was one of the most successful albums internationally by an
Australian group. It spent an unprecedented 15 weeks at No. 1 on the US
Billboard 200 from late 1982 to early 1983; and five weeks at No. 1 in the
United Kingdom Albums Chart in early 1983. “Business as Usual” was also one of
the highest selling Australian albums in the early 1980s, with 6 million copies
shipped in the US. Surprisingly, the disc also made it to #31 on Billboard's
Black Albums chart.
The first single from the album, "Who Can It Be Now?", was released in Australia in June 1981, prior to the recording of the rest of the album. It reached No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in August that year. The second single, "Down Under", which was issued in October peaked at No. 1 for six weeks. A third single, "Be Good Johnny", appeared in April the following year and reached No. 8.
In February 2010 a Federal Court judge in Sydney found that the flute riff from "Down Under" had been plagiarised from the Australian song "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree", written in 1934 by Marion Sinclair. The Federal Court determined that the copyright was still current (Sinclair died in 1988) and had been assigned to Larrikin Music. The judge found that "a substantial amount of the original song" had been reproduced in "Down Under". Larrikin Music had suggested 60% of the royalties would be appropriate compensation, but the court decreed they shall receive only 5%, and only on mechanical rights for the song since 2002, and on future profits.
In October 2010, “Business as Usual” was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.
The first single from the album, "Who Can It Be Now?", was released in Australia in June 1981, prior to the recording of the rest of the album. It reached No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in August that year. The second single, "Down Under", which was issued in October peaked at No. 1 for six weeks. A third single, "Be Good Johnny", appeared in April the following year and reached No. 8.
In February 2010 a Federal Court judge in Sydney found that the flute riff from "Down Under" had been plagiarised from the Australian song "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree", written in 1934 by Marion Sinclair. The Federal Court determined that the copyright was still current (Sinclair died in 1988) and had been assigned to Larrikin Music. The judge found that "a substantial amount of the original song" had been reproduced in "Down Under". Larrikin Music had suggested 60% of the royalties would be appropriate compensation, but the court decreed they shall receive only 5%, and only on mechanical rights for the song since 2002, and on future profits.
In October 2010, “Business as Usual” was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.
“Business as Usual” este albumul de debut al trupei
australiene de new wave Men at Work, care a fost lansat in noiembrie 1981 in
Australia si in aprilie 1982 in Statele Unite. A petrecut noua saptamani in
fruntea clasamentului australian al albumelor din decembrie 1981 pana in martie
1982. Versiunea australiana a albumului are o coperta in alb-negru. In restul
lumii coperta are aceeasi grafica dar este in negru-galben. “Business as Usual”
a fost a fost unul dintre albumele cele mai de success international ale trupei
australiene. Fapt fara precedent este clasarea pe locul 1 timp de 15 saptamani
in US Bilboard 200, de la sfarsitul lui 1982 pana spre inceputul lui 1983. A
fost de asemenea nr.1 si timp de 5 saptamani in Marea Britanie la inceputul lui
1983. “Business as Usual” a fost cel mai bine vandut album australian de la
inceputul anilor ’80 cu 6 milioane de copii vandute in Statele Unite.
Surprinzator albumul a atins si locul 31 in clasamentul albumelor negre de la
Bilboard.
Primul single de pe album “Who Can It Be Now?” a fost lansat in Australia in iunie 1981, anterior inregistrarii restului albumului. A atins locul 2 in Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in august acelasi an. Al doilea single “Down Under”, care a fost lansat in octombrie, a ajuns pe locul 1 pentru 6 saptamani. Al treilea single “Be Good Johnny” a aparut in aprilie anul urmator si a atins locul 8.
In februarie 2010 un judecator al Curtii Federale din Sidney a gasit ca riff-ul de la flaut din “Down Under”a fost plagiat dupa cantecul australian "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" scris in 1934 de catre Marion Sinclair. Curtea Federala a stabilit ca drepturile de autor erau inca in vigoare (Sinclair a murit in 1988) si apartineau companiei Larrikin Music. Judecatorul a constatat ca o mare parte din cantecul original era preluata in “Down Under”. Larrikin Music a sugerat o despagubire de 60% pe drepturi regale, dar judecatorul a statuat o despagubire de 5% pe drepturile mecanice si doar incepand cu 2002 si pe profiturile viitoare. In 2010 “Business as Usual” a fost listat in cartea Cele mai bune 100 de albume australiene.
Primul single de pe album “Who Can It Be Now?” a fost lansat in Australia in iunie 1981, anterior inregistrarii restului albumului. A atins locul 2 in Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in august acelasi an. Al doilea single “Down Under”, care a fost lansat in octombrie, a ajuns pe locul 1 pentru 6 saptamani. Al treilea single “Be Good Johnny” a aparut in aprilie anul urmator si a atins locul 8.
In februarie 2010 un judecator al Curtii Federale din Sidney a gasit ca riff-ul de la flaut din “Down Under”a fost plagiat dupa cantecul australian "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" scris in 1934 de catre Marion Sinclair. Curtea Federala a stabilit ca drepturile de autor erau inca in vigoare (Sinclair a murit in 1988) si apartineau companiei Larrikin Music. Judecatorul a constatat ca o mare parte din cantecul original era preluata in “Down Under”. Larrikin Music a sugerat o despagubire de 60% pe drepturi regale, dar judecatorul a statuat o despagubire de 5% pe drepturile mecanice si doar incepand cu 2002 si pe profiturile viitoare. In 2010 “Business as Usual” a fost listat in cartea Cele mai bune 100 de albume australiene.
List of tracks
Side 1
1. "Who
Can It Be Now?" Colin Hay 3:25
2. "I Can
See It in Your Eyes" Hay
3:32
3. "Down
Under" Hay, Ron Strykert 3:45
4. "Underground" Hay 3:07
5. "Helpless
Automaton" Greg Ham 3:23
Side 2
6. "People
Just Love to Play with Words" Strykert 3:33
7. "Be
Good Johnny" Hay, Ham 3:39
8. "Touching
the Untouchables" Hay, Strykert 3:41
9. "Catch
a Star" Hay 3:31
10. "Down
by the Sea" Hay, Strykert, Ham, Jerry Speiser 6:53
Personnel
Colin Hay - lead vocals (except 5), guitar
Greg Ham - flute, keyboards, saxophone, background
vocals, lead vocals on tracks 5 and 11
Ron Strykert - guitar, background vocals, lead vocal on
track 11
John Rees - bass, background vocals
Jerry Speiser - drums, background vocals
Production
Russell Deppeler - telephone, calculator
Nathan D. Brenner - international manager
Producer: Peter McIan
Engineers: Jimbo Barton, Peter McIan, Paul Ray
Cover Illustration: Jon "JD" Dickson
.jpg)
