Read about the recreation of Vic Simms songs from The Loner
Luke Peacock
In 1973, indigenous singer/songwriter Vic Simms recorded one of the most important Australian albums, The Loner, from the confines of his cell in Bathurst jail.
In 2014, Brisbane singer/songwriter Luke Peacock has brought together some of the finest talents in Australian music to form The Painted Ladies, including guest spots from the likes of Paul Kelly, Ed Kuepper (The Saints), Ian Haug (Powderfinger), John Willsteed (The Go Betweens) and many more under the production guidance of You Am I’s Rusty Hopkinson to recreate the important songs of Vic Simms and bring a message as poignant today as it was in 1973 to the mainstream.
“Stranger in My Country” is powerful moment on the album, which has been released through Plus One Records / MGM. The song features the talents of Peacock (who is also a member of Brisbane band Halfway) and The Medics, joined by a long list of guests including Vic Simms himself. The song also features vocals from Peacock, Kelly, Kuepper, Kahl Wallace (The Medics), Roger Knox and Bunna Lawrie (Coloured Stone) delivering Simms’ powerful lyric about living as an Aboriginal man in 1973. In its original form or through this heart-felt version, “Stranger In My Country” is breathtakingly significant. It is amazing to think that the 1973 release of the song provoked zero reaction.
One of the two bonus tracks features Simms himself, which is priceless.
“The thing about Vic Simms’ songs is that they work on so many levels,” explained Luke Peacock. “To me as a First Nations man, they give me an instant sense of identity. The characters are people I know, or have known. The stories and the observations seem so familiar to me. They probably would to most people in one way or another. This is not a man who is marching in the streets and preaching politics—he just speaks the truth about his feelings and his life and does it to a groove and a great melody. That’ll move people more than a history book ever could.”
The Painted Ladies will continue to evolve over the coming months with live shows continuing to move and delight audiences with the discovery or re-discovery of these classic Vic Simms songs.
Via SGC Media
Read about the recreation of Vic Simms songs from The Loner
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