Life Begins At Forty - Dave & The Dynamos (1983)

This song made #1 on the NZ chart for three weeks in October 1983. The "band" consisted of Hogsnort Rupert members Dave Luther (who composed the song), Kevin Findlater [bass] and Bernie Reber [drums] - that's me in my younger days.
The song actually started off as a short ditty in the Hogsnort Rupert stage performance. The band was in their first revival period (1981-1986), after disbanding in the early 70s. The stage show featured a 'talent contest' of assorted weird characters, played by the band members. One of these 'contestants' was Dave & The Dynamos, a group well past their use-by date, way older than everyone else around them. It was simply a tongue-in-cheek dig at old rockers who refuse to retire. In time, more and more requests for their little song were made by the show's audience and finally Dave decided to flesh it out into a full-grown song which was then recorded in Wellington early 1983.
I remember helping send promo copies of the (vinyl) single to various radio stations around the country. Merv Smith liked it a lot and played it on 1ZB. When the song eventually made it to the charts, Radio Hauraki, who never played it, confessed that they had biffed their copy and now needed one for their NZ Top 40. We made them buy their own.
In total it spent 22 weeks on the NZ chart and also made an appearance on the Australian chart.
The video was done at Avalon studios at Lower Hutt. I'm the mad psychologist and drummer. As far as I know, this is the first time the video has been seen since those heady days in '83.
Alas, the success of the record was not followed up quickly enough and it took more than a year for a new song to be released, named "Can't Spell Rhythm". It didn't do so well.
One more release followed in 1985 called "The Holiday Song", but by now the Dynamos no longer generated the sparks and went where old rockers tend to go when they've done their dash.
Hogsnort Rupert folded again in 1986 but revived once more in the late 90s with a changed line-up.

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• Humour
• Music

[russellgail]

Have had a lot of fun singing this song with bands . Dave your songs are awesome and Hogsnort music will live on for ever . Just love this clip and posted on f/b page to my girlfriend in Ireland who turns 40 today . She loved it .

[NZSachse]

@russellgail Thanks for your comments. I have passed them on to Dave who sends his regards. Happy 40th to your girlfriend. It can only get better from here.

[NZSachse]

Amazing, I think you would probably qualify as our youngest fan (at the time), with just 5 years old back in '83 (if my maths are correct). Thanks so much for writing and for what it's worth, you still have a long way to go before 'life begins' (and well worth the wait, even if I say so myself).

[NZSachse]

Welcome to the club, mate - you'll be a bonafide member soon.

[NZSachse]

sure is and we had lots of fun making the video at Avalon Studios in Lower Hutt.

[DunlopDaytona]

Oh my!

I laughed at this in 1983 when I was13.

Now, I'm bloody 40.

Now, I better watch out for those blokes that are bigger than 10 Ton diggers.

[lydsman]

This was my mums song, she died at 42

[dustylove10]

ello ello...this is Mick....ay Keef.....what ya make of this then......?

Dont no nuffen Mick....pass th' faggs will ya.....

the blues buffet dirty water

[datoobster75]

I may have commented on this song some time ago, and it's one of the top NZ hits of all-time and a great No.1 little ditty I remember very well, but the funny thing is I've just figured out what immediately followed this song here on the RTR (Ready To Roll) countdown - it was the very beginning of 'Don't Talk To Me About Love' by Altered Images, and that music vid is not even here on YouTube!!!

[MrMusicman1971]

I just linked your video on my hub regarding life at 40. Thanks for sharing!

[medievalist]

I remember this song from when I was quite small. I'm now 33, so am on the slide to 40!

[berrydanish]

Man, this was our favourite song on the family road trips :)

[Michaelthekiwi]

I remember teasing my dad about being over 40 when this song came out. Guess what happens in 10 months...