Beargarden – I Write the News
By Craig Smith • Jan 7th, 2008 • Category: Secret History of Australian Music
In the annals of Australian music, Melbourne’s Beargarden barely rate a mention, and if they do, this is solely because of singer Sam Sejavka’s notoriety as being the inspiration for the character of Sam (as played by INXS’ Michael Hutchence) in the cult film Dogs In Space.
Their back catalogue doesn’t exist, and even going as far to googling the name gives you next to nothing. In their short-lived career Beargarden released four singles and one album on Virgin Records between 1984 and 1986. That’s it. There’s bound to be a story here, but it’s nowhere to be found. Who’s holding a torch for this band? I mean, come on. It can’t be me. I don’t even own one of their records.
Beargarden – “I Write the News” (Virgin, 1985)
“I Write The News” appeared on a Virgin Records compilation tape that I won through some competition in Smash Hits magazine sometime in 1985. It stood out amongst the Scritti Polittis and Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffys of the time, and was more than a fair insight into the sound of post New Wave Australian pop in the mid-Eighties. It has all the hallmarks of that moment in time — the slap bass playing, gated drums, Chic guitar and perky synth making the song sound like one great big champagne party. Sam Sejavka’s vocals here are reminiscent of a less throaty Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs, the band themselves sounding like a cross between Simple Minds and the Teardrop Explodes; and how they looked the part. Rolled up suit sleeves, tousled hair, keyboardist Gus Till with his blonde dreadlocks and Sam Sejavka holding court like a pop Nick Cave. Even more impressive is the clip of this song being performed on Countdown where the smell of maxi-hold hairspray in the studio must have been overpowering.
Beargarden – “I Write the News” Live on Countdown
I always thought the opening line “I write the news, I write the news, as sad as that may seem” was a great one and the delivery of which, the emphasis of “the”, meant that it wasn’t just any news, it was the news which made it sound like even more of an important burden. This was 1985, the height of the Reagan/Gorbachev era, of Cold War and the threat of Nuclear War had me scared silly (the cover of Midnight Oil’s Red Sails in the Sunset really was terrifying), and I pictured the singer lamenting his role in life (if we were take “I Write the News” literally). I guess as I got older I realised the lyrics weren’t relating so much to a social commentary but someone critiquing their own lifestyle, “to sit beside the breathing wine, as the days go marching by” and how to make a change.
Beargarden – “I Write the News” Promo Video
As the song plays out, Sam Sejavka drops the most sage, and totally random, line of the song. “Every girl is a gamble.” I’ve listened to this song about a hundred times over the years and that piece of advice never once broke through the surface. I should’ve had those words indelibly tattooed on the palm of my hand forever more, but this is truly beside the point. In a world where everybody was only listening to Duran Duran, Boy George and whatever else was the flavour of the month back in England, and a song like this only fell into my hands by accident, an Australian band like Beargarden never really had a chance to reap their deserved dues.
Craig Smith is one, two, three, four, five, senses working overtime.
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Wow. I can’t believe someone else knows or likes this band! We both have the same compilation tape… it had the really rare I Write the News extended version on it… and lots of other rare treasures. It is by far the world’s best compilation tape. Congrats for actually knowing something about them… I’d kill for their album or even just ONE of their singles. Do you know where I can find the lyrics to I Write the News? I’ve looked all over the net. My email is:
chickenhound99@gmail.com
Thanks mate.
Beargarden were formed from the ashes of fellow Melbourne act, the Ears which featured Sam Sejavka and keyboardist Gus Till. After performing a run of gigs throughout inner-city Melbourne, the band attracted the attention of A&R personnel from EMI. The band were pigeonholed somewhat for being arty and whilst EMI locally passed on releasing the band’s material, Virgin UK signed them, opting for the standard 3 single/1 album deal that was popular at the time for “unknown” local bands that were being added to local rosters. The band’s first single ‘The Finer Things’ was released early in 1985 and received airplay on 3RRR and some support from ABC program Beatbox and TCN 9′s Wavelengths. As such the single charted in Victoria. ‘I Write the News’ was the band’s second single and the first to be taken from the band’s album ‘All That Fall’. Whilst the album sold moderately, ‘I Write the News’ charted nationally and the band appeared on the ABC’s Countdown program. A third single ‘Drink Drink Drink’ also charted nationally however the band were dropped from Virgin upon fulfillment of the contract. Sejavka remains a musician and playwright in Melbourne; Gus Till went on to eventually record with Ollie Olsen and INXS’ Michael Hutchence in the Max Q project while bassist Ross Farnell would join Sydney goth rock quintet Crash Politics who achieved moderate success in the late 80s with their launch of their ‘Mothers Intentions’ album on the fledgling rooArt label.
Hope this sheds some light on the above. D.
for anyone interested. i have the 12 inch single. i write the news. johnrmunro@bigpond.com