John Farnham's Whispering Jack

Graeme Turner is Professor Emeritus at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is one of the founding figures of media and cultural studies in Australia, and a leading figure internationally. He was one of the earliest to undertake academic research on popular music in Australia, producing articles, chapters, and a co-edited book over the 1980s and 1990s, before turning his attention to television and new media in the 2000s. He has published over 25 books including Understanding Celebrity (2013) and National Fictions: Literature, Film and the Construction of Australian Narrative (2020).

• Introduction1. The Backstory: From Johnny to JohnThe Australian music industry in the 80sThe changes in radioThe task ahead2. Whispering Jack, the AlbumGood songs, good beats, and the energy of rockThe ‘whiz-bang album’The VoiceSo, let’s play the albumTimeless3. ‘You’re The Voice’The unofficial national anthemAustralian popular music and cultural nationalism4. And then….The ‘ordinary’ rock starThe Farnham audienceNotesReferencesIndex