Don Walker - Songwriter for the Common Man
The song writing force behind Australian band Cold Chisel, Don Walker, is known for his songs about the common man, common human experiences and his easy vernacular style. Cutting Back is Don Walker’s the first solo album in 11 years since We're All Gunna Die. Recorded at Electric Avenue Studios in Annandale, the album features many well-known musicians: guitarists Ian Moss, Charlie Owen and Jeff Lang and Dave Blight on harmonica in ‘Fallen Angel’.
Don’s song writing credits include a song on Ian Moss's ‘Matchbook’ and the Jimmy Barnes single ‘Stone Cold’, songs recorded by Jimmy Little, Slim Dusty, Kate Ceberano, Wendy Matthews, Troy Cassar-Daley, Jeff Lang, and Adam Brand. He also produced Moss's album ‘Petrolhead’. Slim Dusty recorded a version of Catfish song ‘Charleville’, which he then invited Don to re-record as a duet.
Since 1992 has been playing touring and writing with Tex, Don and Charlie: Australian super group with Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon) and widely respected guitarist Charlie Owen. Their first album ‘Sad But True’ was released in 1993 with the second released in 2005. He is back on the road with his band The Suave F*cks promoting the new album.
“It was recorded between 2000-2004. I had been busy with other thing – writing for others and Tex, Don and Charlie so I sort of put it to the side. I don’t normally have a record deal but someone at Warners heard a burn and they were interested in putting it out so I guess that’s what motivated the release. It was recorded by my touring band on breaks between touring.”
Don Walker’s life as songwriter began in the 70’s and 80’s with Cold Chisel.
“I was initially in a band with young mates and I was convinced that a brighter future lay in writing out own songs – which wasn’t an obvious choice at the time. Most bands did covers then. You know we were from small towns – well I was from a string of small towns and when I moved to Adelaide I felt like I’d come to the big smoke. I’m proud of being from the Northern Territory – the end result of human evolution. I never felt that cringe of sounding Australian.”
Walker’s songs are often set in regional towns or the spaces between, desolate and familiar – but it is no metaphoric representation.
“I don’t see Australia as a metaphor for anything. It’s a great place to live. You don’t have to go a long way to be able to not bump into anyone – you can be alone. I was quite a bit older before I traveled out of Australia – 29 and the density of Europe and America made me feel uncomfortable. Every patch of ground has been trodden on by humans for 10s of thousands of years and soaked in blood. In Australia you are aware of the large irrelevance of humans. We are small.”
His songs don’t come from books but from life experience, or from the experiences of those around him.
“These people are often me. Situations I’ve found myself in or seen. “It’s from life: myself, people I know or see. Experiences I can draw on. You have to be really lucky to not experience some failure or bad luck in your life.”
The backing on the CD ranges from Don alone, accompanying himself on the piano at home, to an almost total reunion of Cold Chisel. The sound is however Don’s. “None of the album sounds like Cold Chisel – if that’s the kind of music that you like I suggest you go and buy a Cold Chisel album. They’re songs I recorded myself or with my live band. We’d come off tour and go into the studio for the day. There are two songs that are me and the piano. My live band changes from year to year but any diversity there is exists around the changes in the band – with that core of – Red Rivers on guitar and Michael Vidale on bass.
"‘Get Along’ I wrote for Slim Dusty, I didn’t know he was unwell at the time, I heard he was putting together an album of truck driving songs. Now I don’t have any experience of driving a truck for a living but I talked to my mate who does and asked him what’s it like these days? So it was the last song on Slim’s’ Colombia Lane’. We later learnt it live, played it and recorded it.” ‘Columbia Lane -The Last Sessions’ is the last album Slim Dusty was working on, although unfinished it contains his final seven recordings."
'Cutting Back’ was produced Phil Punch.
“He did my last solo album and he’s got the studio and he’s the person I would want to record my songs,” says Walker.
The songs of Don Walker, written for Cold Chisel have come to define and describe a particular kind of Australian identity/culture. Songs like ‘Flame Trees’,’ Saturday Night’, ‘Choirgirl’, ‘Breakfast At Sweethearts’, ‘Cheap Wine’, and ‘Khe Sanh’ have had an enormous impact on Australian culture and have an iconic status. “I feel good. I like those songs although I probably know a bit more these days about song writing. I was just a young bloke lashing out and having fun. They were written at a time when I has no idea they’d even be recorded. ‘Khe Sanh’ was on the first Cold Chisel album. One University College has one rule that wherever they are if they hear ‘Khe Sanh’ they unbuckle their pants and salute. I’m proud of that. It is another life ago; it’s a long time ago, 1983 we ended and a lot of stuff and a lot of songs since then. I still feel close to them and we get together socially”
“We are touring at the moment and promoting the new album. There’s a new line up – the line up for my next album! The band is getting really hot! I’m not big noting myself it’s just an amazing feeling standing out in front of them.”
Don Walker’s touring band The Suave F*cks include Red Rivers (guitar) - renowned for his playing, song writing and singing over the world. Roy Payne (baritone guitar) who has added his rockabilly style to The Whiteliners and The Dust Radio Band among others, and is writing for and recording with his own band, Fat Dusty. Michael Vidale (bass): studio producer for Slim Dusty, The Whitlams, Anne Kirkpatric, and The Toe-sucking Cowgirls. He has also played bass with Slim, Jimmy And The Boys, The Feral Swing Cats, Reg Lindsay and Peter Wells. Steve Hopes: the drumming backbone behind many musical enterprises, from Crossfire to Randy Brecker to Kamahl.
