I asked Gordy, guitarist from Killing Joke, who’d just recently become a dad, if he knew of Countdown, Australia’s top music and celeb interview show until MTV. He didn’t, which is OK, not everybody does. But I feel that everybody in music and arts should know about Countdown Australia. Because though Countdown the show is no longer around, it invented a few things the arts can’t do without today. Plus those guys are still active and influence the industry globally. These are the folks “behind behind behind” the scenes who many in the industry don’t know about, but should.
Countdown, hosted by innovative music and video producer and journalist and TV host, Ian (Molly) Meldrum, was Australia’s Top of the Pops (UK) until mass music videos by MTV. The live clips were all filmed live on Countdown, no lip sync, backing track, or anything. Molly had a lot of firsts in the industry, due to his insistence on going out of the square. Firsts you watch and listen to today, such as the music video, an irony we will get to later in this scribble.
It is OK to be a big fan, in fact I think it helps in some journalism when done with intelligent questions and the abilities to be genuinely interested enough to research and communicative enough to have a conversation. Molly, one of the most successful and amazing industry journalists out there, is a mega fan. He actually fainted at John Lennon’s feet, for real not faked, a full grown man and Australian!!! But just anybody fainting on the job is not recommended, only Molly could get away with it ;-)
Whatever music artist Ian Molly Meldrum said to buy, everybody went out and bought it the next day and it was #1 overnight. Having a #1 hit in Australia makes big promoters in other countries, including the USA, UK, and Europe, take notice. Abba, Blondie, John Cougar Mellencamp, to name a few. Yes I know he hates the Cougar bit, but dude if you are reading this, the Cougar in the middle stands out and is how your name gets remembered.
I for one can’t remember the John Mellencap and I was a huge fan at the time the Cougar was erased. The Cougar was romantic for girls and women especially, they love cats. This is something Killing Joke do get right, they stick around for their fans with what their fans fell in love with. Geordie from Killing Joke told me that as a band they don’t like doing big shows where there is a barrier between them and their fans. They purposely play smaller venues where they can get up close to their fans and interact with them.
Molly Meldrum also invented the music video that all music artists and now other kinds of artists are required to make to make it today.
Everybody who is anybody knows and loves Ian Molly Meldrum. One time Molly fell off a ladder while hanging Christmas decorations at his house in Melbourne and spent time in hospital in critical care. There was an international outpouring of sympathy with flowers and cards from celebs around the world. Beyonce kept phoning her management asking “How is Molly?”.
Countdown was overshadowed by music videos and MTV by the late 1980’s, but here are some snippets and a full length doc for interesting entertainment art and biz history. Keeping in with the Killing Joke and their hit “Eighties”, and their current “Eighties” 40th anniversary tour, I included a couple of circa 1980’s clips.
Australia top ten, Countdown July 12, 1987 https://youtu.be/khtT_8BuxbU
Molly interviews the Police 1980 and in action promoting artist Pat Benatar who’s albums became No 1 Hits in Australia first https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuQuXLocO5Y
Molly interviews DEVO 1981 wearing a DEVO costume and interesting interview on creative inspirations, plus clip of avanteguard electronic https://youtu.be/l_LPAnpSCfQ Keep in mind this is a national TV network that families of all ages and interests watched, from city slickers to average working Joes to scholars to rednecks to Bible belters. This is really round breaking stuff without the interviewer or the interviewees being too serious about it.
Molly and Elton John, his son, family, clips of Elton having dressing room hissy fits and others https://youtu.be/44e0vZuTzYs Molly was a close friend of Elton’s and closet queen back then and a big sweetie <3 and put a lot of artists on the map that are household names around the world today.
Molly interviews Billy Joel, May 1987- interesting discussion about the advent of MTV and working in rock and roll https://youtu.be/StJ5OTAKCFQ
Classic Molly interviews Iggy Pop 1979. Iggy is totally off his head and jumping about and Molly expertly wrangles a few questions and gets him on stage for a number https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMtH58M3HXA Keep in mind this is a family show at mainstream hour and watch what Iggy does. Iggy was so wasted that it was one of the only times the producers had to use a dub track.
I was a Countdown Dancer in 1987, my tippy toe into TV celebrity. Me stage right, white pirate shirt. Countdown 1987 - https://youtu.be/v5grDI9OEFI ;-)
Full length documentary biography on Molly and Countdown https://youtu.be/WD3DM96sqIQ The irony is that Ian Molly Meldrum invented the music video and music videos put his amazing show out of business. Documentary includes great clips and early experimental rock music, including the invention of the 7 minute single and introduction of special effects, which everybody around the world copied of course.
Countdown Molly Interviews - Molly did so many interviews over multiple decades, not just music idols, but movie stars, leaders of countries, and royalty, in Australia and traveling around the world that I could not find the end of the video list here https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=countdown+molly+interviews For a musician or music biz or artist anything or promoter of arts anything get comfortable and… Welcome to Arts Development University ;-) Taught and donated free by industry professionals who know first hand. Countdown was on a non-profit TV network.
Again thank you to Sooz from SoozMusic.com for introducing me to one of my eighties idols Killing Joke. Sooz and I are old girlfriends and have worked a few and gone to and partied at a few shows together. Including Burning Man.
Deborah
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