Johanna Pigott

Infobox Person
name = Johanna Pigott

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birth_name = Johanna Paton Pigott
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birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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other_names = 'Alligator Bagg'
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education = Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
University of Sydney
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occupation = musician, singer/songwriter, screenwriter
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partner = Todd Hunter
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Johanna Paton Pigottcite web |title= Australasian Performing Right Association |publisher= APRA |url= http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] (born c. 1955) is an Australian musician, singer/songwriter and screenwriter. cite web |title= Internet Movie Database entry on Johanna Pigott |publisher= IMDb |url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0683108 |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at #2 on the Australia singles charts in 1983cite web |title= The best of 1983 |publisher= Oz Net Music Chart |url= http://www.onmc.iinet.net.au/AUST/83.htm |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] [cite web |title= Dragon Online |url= http://www.dragononline.com.au/history-of-dragon-music.html |accessdate=2007-09-28 ] [cite web |title= Dragon |first= Bruce |last= Sergent |url= http://www.sergent.com.au/dragon.html |accessdate= 2007-09-28] and John Farnham's "Age of Reason". "Rain" was co-written with partner Dragon's Todd Hunter and his brother Marc Hunter. When "Age of Reason" reached the top of the charts in July 1988, Pigott became the first Australian woman to have written a #1 hit. [ cite web |title= "Long Way To The Top" Timeline |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url= http://www.abc.net.au/longway/timeline |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] It was co-written with Todd Hunter.

Scripts by Pigott for TV include "Sweet and Sour" (created with Tim Gooding), "Heartbreak High" (also co-wrote theme with Hunter and other songs) and "Mortified" (created by Angela Webber). Films include: "Broken English" (co-written with Gregor Nicholas and James Salter)cite web | title= IMDb entry on "Broken English" (1996)|publisher= IMDb |url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115760/fullcredits#writers |accessdate=2007-09-28 ] and "Alex" (original music with Hunter, and lead vocals on soundtrack).

Early life

Pigott was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney in Croydon together with schoolmate Angela Webber. [cite news |title=A comic delighted by the absurdities of life |last= Pigott |first= Johanna |coauthors= Richard Glover |date= 2007-03-22 |publisher= "The Sydney Morning Herald" |url= http://www.smh.com.au/news/obituaries/a-comic-delighted-by-the-absurdities-of-life/2007/03/21/1174153155683.html | accessdate=2007-09-28 ] Following matriculation from high school in the 1970s, Pigott studied Architecture at the University of Sydney. cite web |title= "Recollections of Paul" |last= Gooding |first= Timothy |coauthors= Kimble Rendall, Johanna Pigott |year=2005 |url= http://www.paulmelchert.com/paulslife.php |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ]

Bands

XL Capris

XL Capris was an indie-punk band formed in 1978 by Johanna Pigott (bass, vocal, keyboard, guitar)cite web |title= Australian Rock Database |publisher= Magnus Holmgren |url= http://hem.passagen.se/honga/aussie.html |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] aka 'Alligator Bagg', Tim Gooding (guitar, vocal) aka 'Errol Cruz', Julie Anderson (drum) aka 'Nancy Serapax' and Kimble Rendall (guitar, vocal) aka 'Dag Rattler'. Early practice sessions were in the front room of a Birchgrove house where Gooding (and later Rendall) lived. Their first single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney" (1979), which had a promo video showing the four in bed together! Pigott was lead vocalist and bass guitarist in the video. The single received some radio airplay but was not a commercial success. Second 1979 single "Skylab (Son of Telstar)" was written by Rendall but had even less success.Their next single, "World War Three" (October 1980, produced by Hunter) was written by Pigott and Hunter. Rendall left to form Le Hoodoo Gurus, became a music video director and then a second unit director for the latter two Matrix series movies. [cite web |title= IMDb entry on Kimble Rendall |publisher= IMDb |url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719320 |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] He was replaced by Hunter (guitar), Michael Churnside (bass) joined, Anderson left to be replaced by Barry Blackler (drum), Michael Farmer (drum) also joined.

First album was "Where's Hank?" (March 1981, produced by Hunter). Gooding wrote ten songs including two with Pigott: "Red Bikini Runaway" (single, April 1981) and "Hi Rise Heart". Pigott also wrote "Evelyn". 'Hank' was a German shepherd owned by Rendall: "Hank went to live on a farm at Nambucca Heads". Based on Rendall's and Pigott's recollections, ] the album title "Where's Hank?" is a pun on a 1980s TV ad for a chocolate bar: 'Where's George?' The response is ... 'gone for a Tosca!'

For the second album "Weeds" (October 1981, produced by Hunter) Pigott and Hunter wrote six songs including single "Igloos", Pigott wrote "Please Excuse Me" ] and Gooding also wrote six songs. Hunter returned to Dragon late in 1981 and XL Capris dissolved in 1982.

Street poster art featuring XL Capris include:Toby Zoates' 1978 screenprint, "XL Capris" [cite web |title= "XL Capris" screenprint |first= Toby |last= Zoates |publisher= National Gallery of Australia (NGA) |date= 1978 |url= http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/Catalogues/Works/tabid/57/frmView/Detail/itemID/43174/SID/79299/Default.aspx |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] for the B-side of 1981 single "Red Bikini Runaway" called "K-Tel City" (Gooding) and has the band on the bonnet of a car crashing into a TV game show; and Paul Worstead's 1979 screenprints, "Settlement Dance - Scarlet, XL-Capris" [cite web|title= "Settlement Dance - Scarlet, XL-Capris" |date= 1979 |publisher= NGA |first= Paul |last= Worstead |url= http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/Catalogues/Works/tabid/57/frmView/Record/itemID/63195/Default.aspx |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ] and "XL-Capris, Settlement - Beginning of School Holiday Dance". [cite web |title= "XL-Capris, Settlement - Beginning of School Holiday Dance" |first= Paul |last= Worstead |date= 1979 |publisher= NGA |url= http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/Catalogues/Works/tabid/57/frmView/Record/itemID/42490/Default.aspx |accessdate= 2007-09-28 ]

ardine v and Scribble

Pigott briefly joined Sardine v on bass guitar (1982). ] Video for their 1982 single "Sudan" shows Pigott heavily disguised in a burqa-like black costume strumming bass to Stephanie Rilen's plaintive vocals and Ian Rilen's guitar.

Scribble (1983-1987) was a post punk synth pop band based around Pigott (vocals, guitar, keyboard) with session musicians / band members including Hunter, Mark Bell, Lee Borkman, Mike Caen, Bill Heckenberg, Geoff Lungren and Tim Powles. They released "Scribble" (a seven track mini-LP) in 1983 including single "Silly Girl" (Pigott) / "Mr Calico" (Pigott, Hunter). "Silly Girl" video showed a wistful Pigott singing and playing guitar. "Adaptability" aka "Cartoon Connection (theme)" (Pigott, Hunter, Gooding) was a 1984 single. Two albums were: "So Far 1983-1985" (LP 1985) and "Pop Art" (LP 1986), which had ten tracks, including singles: "Sunday School", "Don't Give Your Heart Away" and "Alligator" (all by Pigott, Hunter). "Alligator" was later performed by Fleur Beaupert on Heartbreak High episodes #133 & #145 (Series 6, 1998). Pigott's nickname from XL Capris had been 'Alligator Bagg'. The "Pop Art" cover depicts a stylized version of Pigott. Although achieving some cult interest there was little commercial success for Scribble.

olo and with Genni Kane

1984 Pigott and Hunter wrote Pigott's "Turn It Up" on various artists' album "The Nine O'Clock Muse". [cite web |title=Australian postpunk 1976-1981 |first=Roger |last=Griffin |date=2006-02-09 |publisher=Roger Griffin Design & Art |url=http://members.ol.com.au/rgriffin/postpunk/tradelist.html |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]
1993 Genni Kane (of the Flying Emus) [cite web |title=Australian storytellers |publisher=Compass Bros. Records |url=http://www.compassbros.com.au/htdocs/storytellers |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] and Johanna Pigott released "Starlight Hotel" (Genni Kane, Pigott, John Kane, Hunter) as a CD single.
2005 Pigott sang a verse of "ComeDown" by KingJustice on their album "What The World Needs Now". [cite web |title=KingJustice: What the world needs now |publisher=CD Baby |url=http://cdbaby.com/cd/kingjustice1 |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

ongwriter

Dragon

During 1983, Pigott and Hunter wrote Dragon's come back hit single "Rain". Pigott remembers, "I went from a little underground band to finding myself up the back of the Entertainment Centre hearing 10,000 people sing the chorus of my song." [cite news |last=Murfett |first=Andrew |title=The muse and I |publisher="The Age" |date=2006-10-06 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/10/05/1159641428440.html?page=2 |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] The song reached #2 but was blocked by Austen Tayshus' #1 hit "Australiana". Pigott sang "Rain" with Rockmelons on their album "Form 1 Planet" (1992) with Hunter (and Rockmelons' Bryon Jones) providing backing vocals. [cite web |title=Rockmelons, the: Form 1 planet |author=Nathan_86 |publisher=Discogs |url=http://reggae.discogs.com/release/609902 |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Hunter and Pigott co-wrote other Dragon songs including "Cry" and Pigott was a session musician on Dragon's 1989 album, "Bondi Road". Re-formed in 2006, Dragon perform acoustic versions of their earlier work including "Rain".

John Farnham

John Farnham had asked Hunter and Pigott to write him a song, they provided a number one hit single, "Age of Reason" (30 July 1988 for four weeks) [cite web | title=Number one hits of 1988 |publisher=Oz Net Music Chart |url=http://www.onmc.iinet.net.au/topspot/1988.htm |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] also on his "Age of Reason" album which debuted at number one (July 1988). [cite web |title=Age of Reason |publisher=John Farnham |url=http://www.johnfarnham.info/music_albums/aor.htm |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] The demo version had been recorded with Todd's brother Marc Hunter singing lead. [cite web |title=Dragon - Sunshine to Rain |publisher=Liberation Blue Acoustic Series |url=http://www.acousticseries.com.au/Dragon.htm |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Pigott became the first Australian woman to write an Australian number one hit.

Keith Urban

Hunter and Pigott wrote Keith Urban's first single "Only You" (1990), also on his first album, "Keith Urban" (1991). [cite web |title= Keith Urban - Only You lyrics |publisher=Lyrics Donwnload |url=http://www.lyricsdownload.com/keith-urban-only-you-lyrics.html |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

creenwriter and songwriter

TV series

During 1983-1984 Pigott and Gooding created the ABC TV series "Sweet and Sour" (1984), they also wrote episodes. [cite web |title="Sweet and Sour" |publisher=British Film Institute (BFI) |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/363893?view=credit |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Shared experiences in the music industry lent authenticity to their scripts. Pigott also wrote (or co-wrote) four songs for the two soundtrack albums. [cite web |title="Sweet and Sour" |publisher=Australian Soundtracks |url=http://www.tvmem.com/OZST/tv/A-Z/S/SWEETAND/SWEETAND.html |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

1994-1999 "Heartbreak High" theme (Hunter, Pigott) was nominated for 1994 APRA Television Theme of the Year. [cite web |title=APRA music awards - nominations 1994 |publisher=APRA|url=http://www.apra.com.au/awards/music/noms1994.asp#tv |accessdate= 2007-10-02 ] Hunter was the composer for the series and with Pigott wrote over 20 songs for the series (mostly performed by Abi Tucker, Fleur Beaupert or themselves). [cite web |title=How "Heartbreak High" kicked off |publisher=Heartbreak High unofficial website |url=http://www.cosmicdancer.nl/heartbreakhigh/thestart.htm |accessdate= 2007-10-02 ] Pigott also wrote episode scripts. Episode 61 featured six songs written by Hunter & Pigott: "Down To The River", "Rest In Peace" and "Second Chance" performed by Tucker and Terry Serio; and "You've Changed", "Only You" and "Whatever I Had With You" by Tucker alone. [cite web |title=Music of series 2/3 |publisher=Heartbreak High unofficial website |url=http://www.cosmicdancer.nl/heartbreakhigh/music23.htm |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Hunter and Pigott performed their own songs: "I'll Be There" episode #70, "Gravity And Psyche" #92, "Love Is Here To Stay" #125. [cite web |title="Heartbreak High" |publisher=Australian Television Information Archive |url=http://www.australiantelevision.net |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

In 1995 a combined American ABC and Australian ABC production, "ABC's World Of Discovery: Australia's Outback: The Vanishing Frontier", featured music by Pigott, Hunter, Stacey Widelitz and Lee Holdridge. [cite web |title="Australia's Outback: The vanishing frontier |publisher=BFI |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/530003?view=credit |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

2006-2007 "Mortified" episodes # 1.7 "Flag Fall" and # 1.12 "Being Me" were written by Pigott.cite web |title="Mortified" |publisher=Australian Television Information Archive |url=http://www.australiantelevision.net |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Her close friend Angela Webber created the TV series and Gooding also wrote scripts for some episodes.

2008-Pigott co-wrote the Title Theme (with Hunter) of the new BBC/Southern Star TV Serial "Out Of The Blue".

Films

"The Girl Who Came Late" aka "Daydream Believer" (1991) original music by Hunter and Pigott. [cite web |title=IMDb entry for "The Girl Who Came Late" (1991) |publisher=IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101953/fullcredits#cast |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] Pigott performed "I'll Stand By You" for the soundtrack and, with Hunter, wrote: "The Love Theme", "The Polo Factor" and "Nell Rides Out" for the film score.cite web |title="Daydream Believer" Press Kit PDF |publisher= Beyond Films |url=http://www.beyond.com.au/pdfs/daydreambeliever.pdf |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] "Daydream Believer" is their first major feature film as composers". End titles song performed by Sam Brown, "With You" (Hunter, Pigott, Brown) involved exchanges of tapes and long-distance phone calls.
"Alex" aka "Alex: The Spirit of a Champion" (1993) original music by Hunter and Pigott. [cite web |title=IMDB entry for "Alex" (1993) |publisher=IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106240/fullcredits#cast |accessdate=2007-10-02 ] "Alex (theme)" aka "Aotearoa" written by Hunter and "For The Rest Of My Life'" by Hunter and Pigott. ]
"Broken English" (1996) was co-written by Pigott with director Gregor Nicholas and James Salter. The New Zealand film won six awards and is a Romeo and Juliet for Māori Eddie, and an immigrant Croatian Nina.

References

ee also

*List of Old Girls of PLC Sydney