Science Fiction (song)
Encyclopedia
"Science Fiction" is a song by Australian rock
, New Wave
group Divinyls
, which was the lead single from their first studio album, Desperate
. Released in November 1982, "Science Fiction", peaked at No. 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. The B-side, "I'll Make You Happy" was a cover
of The Easybeats
1966 hit.
In May 2001 "Science Fiction", written by lead singer, Christina Amphlett
and lead guitarist Mark McEntee
, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs
of all time.
and Mark McEntee
(ex-Air Supply
) met at the Sydney Opera House
where Amphlett was singing in a choral concert in 1980. They recruited Jeremy Paul (ex-Air Supply
), Bjarne Ohlin and Richard Harvey, and they provided the soundtrack for the 1982 film, Monkey Grip
. The group released two singles from the soundtrack, Music from Monkey Grip EP
, "Boys in Town", which reached No. 8 on the national singles chart, and "Only Lonely". Original bassist Jeremy Paul left before the movie or first single were released. He was replaced on bass, eventually by Rick Grossman
(ex Matt Finish
).
After releasing Music from Monkey Grip EP on WEA
in 1982, Divinyls released their first studio album, Desperate
on Chrysalis Records
in 1983. The album included the No. 13 hit on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart, "Science Fiction" . Their early manager Vince Lovegrove
was former co-lead vocalist of 1960s pop band The Valentines
with Bon Scott
(later in AC/DC
); Lovegrove had organised Divinyls' transfer from WEA to Chrysalis and their first tours of United States. The B-side of this single was their cover version
of The Easybeats
' 1966 hit "I'll Make You Happy".
Additional musicians
Production details
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group Divinyls
Divinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
, which was the lead single from their first studio album, Desperate
Desperate (Divinyls album)
Desperate is the debut studio album and second overall album by Australian rock band Divinyls, released in 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The album contains the hits "Boys in Town", "Science Fiction" and "Siren ".-Background:...
. Released in November 1982, "Science Fiction", peaked at No. 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart. The B-side, "I'll Make You Happy" was a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
1966 hit.
In May 2001 "Science Fiction", written by lead singer, Christina Amphlett
Christina Amphlett
Christine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
and lead guitarist Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time.
Background
Christina AmphlettChristina Amphlett
Christine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
and Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
(ex-Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
) met at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
where Amphlett was singing in a choral concert in 1980. They recruited Jeremy Paul (ex-Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
), Bjarne Ohlin and Richard Harvey, and they provided the soundtrack for the 1982 film, Monkey Grip
Monkey Grip (film)
Monkey Grip is a 1982 Australian drama film directed by Ken Cameron. It is based on the novel, also titled Monkey Grip, by Helen Garner...
. The group released two singles from the soundtrack, Music from Monkey Grip EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "Boys in Town", which reached No. 8 on the national singles chart, and "Only Lonely". Original bassist Jeremy Paul left before the movie or first single were released. He was replaced on bass, eventually by Rick Grossman
Richard Grossman (musician)
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
(ex Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
).
After releasing Music from Monkey Grip EP on WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
in 1982, Divinyls released their first studio album, Desperate
Desperate (Divinyls album)
Desperate is the debut studio album and second overall album by Australian rock band Divinyls, released in 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The album contains the hits "Boys in Town", "Science Fiction" and "Siren ".-Background:...
on Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
in 1983. The album included the No. 13 hit on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart, "Science Fiction" . Their early manager Vince Lovegrove
Vince Lovegrove
Vincent "Vince" Lovegrove is an Australian journalist, music manager, television producer, AIDS awareness pioneer and musician. He was a member of 1960s rock 'n' roll band The Valentines, sharing vocals with Bon Scott whom he later introduced to heavy rock group AC/DC...
was former co-lead vocalist of 1960s pop band The Valentines
The Valentines
The Valentines may refer to:* The Valentines , an Australian rock 'n' roll band active from 1966-1970, chiefly noted for their lead singer, Bon Scott...
with Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
(later in AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
); Lovegrove had organised Divinyls' transfer from WEA to Chrysalis and their first tours of United States. The B-side of this single was their cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
' 1966 hit "I'll Make You Happy".
Track listing
- "Science Fiction" (Christina AmphlettChristina AmphlettChristine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
, Mark McEnteeMark McEnteeMark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
) – 3:32 - "I'll Make You Happy" (Stevie Wright, George Young) – 3:21
Personnel
Divinyls members- Christina AmphlettChristina AmphlettChristine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
– vocals - Mark McEnteeMark McEnteeMark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
– guitar - Bjarne Ohlin – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
- Richard Harvey – drums
- Rick GrossmanRichard Grossman (musician)Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
– bass guitar
Additional musicians
Production details
- Producer – Mark OpitzMark OpitzMark Opitz, started his career with ABC TV in Sydney in the 1970’s and has since gone on to work with many of the great Australian musicians that have graced both the Australian and international music charts for the past 25 years....