Taking the 35-year old surf classic `Morning of the Earth` and putting the movie in concert with the soundtrack performed live was a brilliant idea and it worked.
Last night, Melbourne’s heritage Palais Theatre played host to a show that brought to life the perfect blend of vision and sound.`Morning of the Earth`, the movie, is considered one of the greatest surf flicks ever. The soundtrack brought together some of Australia’s greatest and most innovative talent of the day in Tamam Shudd, G. Wayne Thomas and man who put this thing together, Brian Cadd.
The reason this show worked was because the songs from `Morning Of The Earth’ are timeless but mostly forgotten. In bringing the movie and songs to life in concert, we once again heard for the first time in years the simple pop of Thomas’ ‘Open Up Your Heart’, the anthem of ‘Simple Ben’ and Cadd’s own ‘Making It On Your Own’.
6 years ago, Chris Moss at Warner, a surf nut, had the idea to bring the soundtrack back on CD. It had been long lost as a vinyl release until then. On CD, the album returned in an expanded form with previously unreleased songs added.
To coincide with the live show, the movie’s creator Albie Falzon has now put the movie out on DVD.
Because of the time between then and now, to bring the show to life, a few replacements were brought in to perform some of the older songs. They were Lior, Old Man River and Specturm’s Mike Rudd.
If you saw this show, you saw a star in Lior. The Melbourne based singer/songwriter has produced two of the best Indie releases in recent years in ‘Autumn Flow’ and ‘Corner Of An Endless Road’.
For ‘Morning of the Earth’, he went back into the studio with Cadd and Spectrum’s Mike Rudd to cut a new version of ‘Simple Ben’ (watch the video below).
Mike Rudd wasn’t on the original soundtrack but was around in the time, active within Spectrum. It was appropriate that the Spectrum singer filled the void left from the missing originals.
I would have liked to hear more from G. Wayne Thomas. His theme song as well as ‘Open Up Your Heart’ really made the soundtrack the hit it was in its day. (That was multi-platinum for the record and quite a feat for the time).
With new technologies, the DVD reissue, the expanded CD and the live show, ‘Morning of the Earth’ is a pleasant reminder of a pleasant time.
The movie was to surfing what Woodstock was to music. It captured and documented a time and culture that no longer exists. Thanks Albie Falzon for making it originally. Thank you Brian Cadd for bringing it back as a show.
‘Morning of the Earth’ will be performed one more time tonight in Melbourne. Somehow I think we might see a few more shows head to other states soon.
Watch the new version of Simple Ben with Brian Cadd, Lior, Mike Rudd and Old Man River:
The Undercover Brian Cadd. Interview
The Undercover Lior Interview
The Undercover Spectrum Interview
The Undercover Spectrum Interview
