WEDDING CAKE ISLAND (1980) by Midnight Oil

[mistergormsby]

I first heard Bird Noises in 1982 when my sister bought it. It still amazes me to this day that this song and No Time For Games shares the same piece of vinyl. Both are all time favourites but this song brings back stuff from my long term memory that no other song ever has.

[dalediamond]

midnight oil is one of australias iconic bands,i had the pleasure of seeing them over 40 times and was never disappointed,there was no other band at the time!!! they got me thru the 80s bless them. Diamond Dale

[raresaturn]

What is the vocal at 2:24?

[mrwolf001]

@raresaturn " lines of swell 'round the Byron pass, mate"

[Bruiser48]

If this song had come out in 1964 it would have been #1. I mean this in a positive way. One of the great guitar pieces of all time.

[wgooda]

want a refund now

[jjperceval]

@wgooda for what?

[tonipollard1]

this peice is a timeless reminder of the laidback aussie surf culture of the eighties,cheyne horans film ,scream in blue used it and i,m sure it has a special place in a lot of aussie surfers over at least two generations, reminds us of the goodlife,still nothing like a live oils concert.

[rockston1]

This is a great slide show to accompany Wedding Cake Island courtesy of Wilson McPhert. I had trouble finding this for a while - the original mcphert1 account, with a great playlist, has disappeared.

[wilsonmcphert]

@rockston1 Glad you found this clip. Most of the playlist is now on this channel.

[DKashman]

Great piece of Music, never knew about Pete's vocal part. Oils use to play all along the beach strip in Sydney, Pete use to have a very short crop blond hair, A little bit like Dolph in Rocky 4 or a Neo Nazi look.

This track is and always will be a very special piece of Australian music.

[eddie100]

I have the single somewhere. Many bands have tried to play it. The Unthinkable had a go.

[eppeywonder]

Don't surf and took time to appreciate M.Oil . But this is magic. I did always think how incredible it would be to hav a board with inbuilt walkman and w/proof speakers . (Ear protection ) andd this is what I would have playing. I don't play an instr but I do considder this to be on of the best crafted songs from Oz. Martin oncecame into shop I worked at and I recognized surname - he left my name on the door for The Roxy (Bris). Legend.PS idea could make for sonic surfing comp

[7thDayAtheist]

I never made a connection between surf music and the Oils but now that I hear this, I can almost hear the surf connection in every song, so to speak. Take away Pete's vocals and Midnight Oil would totally have been a surf band.

[masterofthestoneage9]

thumbs up if Professor Head-Gordon at Berkeley played this before every lecture.

[behappyproductions09]

radio solutions, for the drain man....

[glovebox7]

great piece of music. 

[stormpatrolgmc]

the lines of swell around the byron pass mate

[waldoghead]

This has got nothing to do with the Atlantics. MO own this one

[23smokeybear]

this is oils all over awesome not the atlantics

[tunsatube]

what does Garrett say in the middle of the song? Is it "I can smell around the vitamizer?

[rodon63]

Favourite Oils song. Never gets old.

[Rottao]

Aô sonzão da porra

[waldoghead]

Definately an Oils original and there best to boot. Shortlisted for my funeral as well.

[stormpatrolgmc]

play this at my funeral ok

[allyshalol]

in loving memory of my daddy...

[tonks7000]

Nope was written by the Oils....

[jerryfalwellsociety]

Martin Rotsey - a legend.

[Yngwie69]

Hahahah Wedding cake island has a song!!

[Breatherable]

30 years from Wedding Cake Island to The Break Cylinders, class will always shine.

[MrBondibeach]

Worth mentioning that the original version was put out by the Atlantics in the 60's!

[wilsonmcphert]

@MrBondibeach It certainly sounds like it would be an Atlantics original. However everything I can find, including Wikipedia, indicates that it was written by Midnight Oil (released 1980) and subsequently covered by the Atlantics in 2006 as part of the surf music documentary a few years back entitled 'Delightful Rain', with Midnight Oils' approval. If you have info to the contrary let me know. Thanks.

[MrBondibeach]

@wilsonmcphert As yes I stand corrected, I heard the Atlantics version on the recent Bombora Surfing Doco and assumed it was the original, but have just checked the Birdnoises CD and wrIting crdits go to Rotsey & Moginie of the Oils!

Gr8t video man, I used the Oils version on my South Bondi 1978 footage on You toob, classic tune eh? Catchyah BB

[mdtcarroll]

@wilsonmcphert . Interestingly I saw the Break the other night and Rob Hirst made mention that it was originally an Atlantics track that they were privileged to play.

[aussiefirestorm]

@mdtcarroll Now i have to know who really wrote this tune , I have heard it a couple of times over the years and assumed it was some yankie surf band

As they say you learn something every day!

[rodpinball]

@wilsonmcphert Oils guitarist Martin Rotsey lived in a unit at Coogee beach. He wrote the song with some help from Jim Moginie. I believe it was played at Oil's shows a while before it was recorded. Much like The Break's "Birdman" track was an Oil's tune never recorded. I spoke to Jim many years ago about the song and he said it was a favourite of his. There is a version with lyrics by Garrett but I think Rob Hirst is the only person with a copy.

[wilsonmcphert]

@rodpinball Thanks for the background. Great.

[Bruiser48]

@MrBondibeach I just realised this. Oils version much more polished at way better.

[DelDuio]

Nice history for the song, I've been a huge fan of the Oils since the early 90s myself.

Thanks!

[kwackaboy]

Still a beautiful piece of music.