My Island Home

"My Island Home"
1987 single cover
Single by Warumpi Band
from the album Go Bush
A-side	"My Island Home"
B-side	"Didjeridoo Blue"
Released	1987
Format	Single
Recorded	1986
Genre	Rock
Length	4:58
Label	Parole
Writer(s)	Neil Murray
Warumpi Band singles chronology
"Black Fella, White Fella" (1985) "My Island Home" (1987) "No Fear" (1989) Christine Anu chronology "Monkey and the Turtle" (1995) "My Island Home" (1995) "Party" (1995)

"My Island Home" is popularly believed to be a song about Australia. However, it was written by Neil Murray and originally performed by his Warumpi Band in reference to their lead singer's (George Burarrwanga) home up at Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory as said by Neil Murray's Site.^[1][2] It was recorded in 1986 and released as a single from their second album, Go Bush in 1987 by Parole Records. It was later covered by Christine Anu in 1995 who had been a backing vocalist in Neil Murray and The Rainmakers during 1992–1993. "My Island Home" won 'Song of the Year' at the 1995 Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) Awards for Anu's reworked version of the song.^[2][3] It was also listed in APRA Top 30 Australian songs of all time in 2001.^[4]

Warumpi Band version

Neil Murray, lead vocalist and guitarist for Warumpi Band, recalls writing the song:

My Island Home came to me on a bus one night in June 1985 [...] I had been living in the deserts of Central Australia for some six years [...] I had spent a week with our singer, George, at his home at Galiwinku in Arnhem Land. We camped on a remote part of the island with his family and had been living like kings on bush tucker and sea food caught by ourselves [...] I had to leave and make trips to Melbourne and Sydney in mid-winter to promote the band [...] I suffered an exceptional longing to be back in a boat on a tropical sea. The words came to me [...] I had no notebook with me. I held on to the tune till I got to Sydney and pulled my guitar out of the luggage to find the chords.^[5][6]

—Neil Murray

It was first recorded in 1986 and released on the Warumpi Band's second album Go Bush by Parole Records in 1987.^[5] Rrurrumbu would later record a version of it in the Gumatj language for his debut solo album Nerbu Message.^[6]

Christine Anu

Christine Anu started as a backing singer for Neil Murray and The Rainmakers in 1992:

I was quite happy as a backing singer but Neil would always say, 'C'mon, you're the only chick in the band, we've gotta get your face out front. Surely you can sing a couple of songs to give me a break. I started singing one line of My Island Home, then a verse, then it ended up becoming the song that I sang.^[5]

—Christine Anu

Anu recorded her version for her 1995 solo album Stylin' Up, produced by David Bridie. Anu, a Torres Strait Islander, changed some lyrics to reflect her circumstances.^[7] Her version of "My Island Home" became a hit on the Australian charts and Stylin' Up sold well going platinum. It also was a critical favourite with "My Island Home" winning 'Song of the Year' at the 1995 APRA Awards^[3] and Stylin' Up winning an ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release.^[8][9] Anu performed the song at the closing ceremony for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The song was also listed in APRA Top 30 Australian songs of all time in 2001.^[4]

Anu re-recorded the song for her second album Come My Way in 2001, subtitled "Earth Beat", which removed the echoed effects during the choruses, but added subtle synth effects and more prominent guitar during the song, making it sound more rhythmic and polished, whereas the original was driven more with a drum beat.

Tiddas

Aboriginal band Tiddas has also recorded a version of the song for the Radiance soundtrack.^[6]

References

1. ^ ""My Island Home" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=My%20Island%20Home. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Schwartz, Larry (2005-03-06). "Wondering and wandering far yet deeply rooted". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Wondering-and-wandering-far-yet-deeply-rooted/2005/05/05/1115092620694.html. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "APRA/AMCOS: Previous Winners 'APRA Song of the Year'". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 2001-05-02. http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/APRASongoftheYear/PreviousWinners.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Kruger, Debbie (2001-05-02). ""The songs that resonate through the years"" (PDF). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). http://www.debbiekruger.com/pdfs/aprathirty.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Jenkins, Jeff; Ian Meldrum (2007). "40 Great Australian songs". Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 294. ISBN 9781921332111. http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an41896781. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
6. ^ ^{a b c} "Neil Murray song list". Neil Murray official website. http://www.neilmurray.com.au/pages/song_islandhome.html. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
7. ^ Undercover "Christine Anu interview"
8. ^ "ARIA Awards 2008: History: Winners by Artist: Christine Anu". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-artist.php?letter=C&artist=Christine%20Anu. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
9. ^ Encyclopedia of Australia's Aboriginal Peoples "Christine Anu" accessed through Macquarie.net 27 June 2006