The song is about the building the of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, thus halting the action of the Nile for millennia but stopping Cairo being underwater, as calculations at the time showed was inevitable.
This was the third and final single Virgin (Australia) released of the band, before ditching them. An absolute shame, as they really were a great band and All That Fall was a brilliant album (later released on one of the budget labels - in those days a sure guarantee of commercial failure). The 7" and 12" of the song were released in a non metallic silver cover with a kind of snakeskin embossing. It was to be the last investment Virgin would make in the band. I think Drinkx3 is a great album track, but not a wise choice as the single leading to the imminent release of the album. If Seaside Song was that choice, I honestly believe the trajectory of Beargarden would have been an entirely different affair. It is not only an outstanding track but it went off live too. It easily sat with the alternate synth rock / punk style of the time, and was in my opinion superior to many others getting airplay and attention. I can not speak for band dynamics as I was living in Adelaide at the time, but in 1985 I was in the final months of a 3 year + job with EMI, so I can speak for what was happening with the band's record label. Virgin Australia had been established with a head office in Sydney (like all the other labels) but were unique in that although tiny compared to the dominating giants of the day (WEA soon to be Warner, CBS soon to be Sony, EMI etc.) they took the bold step of employing representatives in each state to work within the larger company to ensure their percentage of the chart and therefore $ piece of the pie. This must have seemed very attractive to the 3 Australian bands signed to the label at its inauguration. Originally distributed by CBS and headed up by a lady named Moira - who by all accounts was the cool and edgy type Virgin likes to project itself as - things changed when Virgin announced that they were no longer to be distributed / housed with CBS but instead to that company's arch enemy of the day, EMI. I suspect that this had more to do with EMI and Virgin's relationship in the UK somehow (after all, the actual warehouse of distribution from Sydney was shared by both EMI and CBS anyway) but it meant that Moira was replaced by a gentleman that I recall being rather unpopular. Moira had signed all 3 of the aforementioned Australian acts, with one being enormously successful (Do Re Mi) and the other 2 less so (Samurai Trash and Beargarden). Yes, Virgin were the cool kids of that time, but I don't think they understood the music business very well. Minted on the success of the likes of Tubular Bells they did not have a great track record of choosing the best songs for singles; most famously, one of the most iconic and defining songs of that era, Don't You Want Me by the Human League, was the 4th song from Dare. Yes, that album was unique in that almost every track could be a single, but then as it is now, the first and second singles are crucial in deciding the reception and fate of an album and band. Beargarden ought not feel bad, as the same fate happened not long after to Do Re Mi also. All That Fall is one of my all time favourite albums (I don't know why the debut single The Finer Things was not included) and the later Walt Disney album of unreleased tracks also had gems. It is a shame Beargarden and their charismatic lead singer Sam Sejavka are not better known today. @lanewaymusic
FFS...career change doing surveying underground mining...and now this song keeps popping in my head all the time. The song was ok when I first heard it, nothing great and haven't heard it since. I don't know why 30yrs later it's coming back so much...the mind is a wierd fucker
Such a brilliant song from a brilliant Aussie band The Expressions that only released 2 albums and never got the recognition they truly deserved. I have their first album which this song came off with also With closed eyes . Never forgotten in music.
Now, we; Australians in general, are being made a "vanishing species" in our own country. Should have heeded this; and other, warnings. There's still time to stave if off though, if we really apply ourselves.....
Finally found the It's a Game clip which stuck with me from when I watched it as a kid. Have to say I don't remember this being sung by someone different than the soundtrack version which was Ian Moss. This guys voice just doesn't come close..
a little gem. their songs instantly transport you to a special, personal place, one that is the source of life. songs that can take you way back, and that can start the day again
Watching this episode and seeing Ignacious Jones make a guest appearance as himself! I'm transported back to my childhood, watching TV with my sister. Didn't appreciate it much back then, but now I'm enjoying the nostalgia, Ignacious Jones passed away just a month ago, on May 7, 2024, in Iloilo City, Philippines.
