"Come Said the Boy" is a song by Australian rock band Mondo Rock, released in November 1983[1] as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album The Modern Bop (1984). The song became the band's highest-charting single, peaking at number 2 on the Kent Music Report.[2][3] It was written by the group's lead guitarist, Eric McCusker, and was co-produced by John Sayers and the band.

"Come Said the Boy"
Single by Mondo Rock
from the album The Modern Bop
Released28 November 1983[1]
RecordedAugust 1983
StudioFast Forward Studios
GenreRock, pop rock
Length4:41
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)Eric McCusker
Producer(s)John Sayers, Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock singles chronology
"In Another Love"
(1983)
"Come Said the Boy"
(1983)
"Baby Wants to Rock"
(1984)

The music video and vinyl single's cover artwork was filmed at Maroubra Beach in Sydney in 1983.[4]

At the 1983 Countdown Music Awards, the song was nominated for Best Australian Single.[5]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Come Said The Boy" was ranked number 73.[6]

Background

edit

By 1983 the Mondo Rock line-up were James Black (ex-Rum Jungle, Russell Morris Band) on keyboards and guitar; James Gillard on bass guitar; John James Hackett (ex-Stars, the Fabulaires) on drums; Eric McCusker (ex-The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band) on guitar and Ross Wilson (ex-Daddy Cool) on lead vocals.[7][8] They started recording their fourth studio album, The Modern Bop (March 1984), in August 1983 with co-production by John Sayer and the band.[7][8]

In November 1983 the album's lead single, "Come Said the Boy", was released, which peaked at number 2 on the Kent Music Report singles chart in the following month.[7][9] It was written by McCusker as a provocative tale about the loss of virginity—it was banned by some radio stations, including Sydney's then top-rated 2SM, which was affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.[10] McCusker later recalled, "I can't remember if [the title] was a smutty pun. I think there was a little bit of that."[10] He elaborated, "[It's] a linear song with a lot of ocean imagery... Back then, I was interested in seeing what you could get away with."[10]

Track listings

edit
Aus 7" Single
  1. "Come Said the Boy" (Eric McCusker) – 4:41
  2. "Gotta Get Out" (Ross Wilson) – 3:27
US 7" Single
  1. "Come Said the Boy" (Eric McCusker) – 3:57
  2. "Cost of Living" (Eric McCusker, John James Hackett, Ross Wilson, James Black) – 4:06

Charts

edit

Weekly charts

edit
Chart (1983/84) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 43

Year-end charts

edit
Chart (1984) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 13

Damon Boyd version

edit
"The First Time"
 
Single by Damon Boyd vs. Mondo Rock
from the album Mondo Rock The Greatest
ReleasedMay 2004[13]
GenreProgressive house
Length3:16
LabelVicious Vinyl
Songwriter(s)Eric McCusker
Mondo Rock singles chronology
"Soul Reason"
(1991)
"The First Time"
(2004)

Melbourne-based DJ Damon Boyd provided a cover version as "The First Time" (DJ Damon Boyd vs. Mondo Rock), in May 2004. "The First Time" samples the opening riff and vocal of the original. The single peaked at number 79 on the ARIA Charts.[14]

Track listings

edit
Aus CD single (VV12058CD)
  1. "The First Time" (original radio edit) – 3:16
  2. "The First Time" (Ivan Gough's starfish remix – radio edit) – 3:16
  3. "The First Time" (original 12" vocal) – 6:27
  4. "The First Time" (Ivan Gough's starfish remix) – 8:32
  5. "The First Time" (original 12" dub) – 8:13
  6. "The First Time" (Ivan Gough's starfish dub) – 6:16

Charts

edit
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Charts[15] 79
Australian Dance ARIA Report[16] 8

Other cover versions

edit

John Farnham released his cover version of the track on his 19th studio album, I Remember When I Was Young (November 2005). Tex Perkins' rendition appeared on his 5th studio album, No. 1's and No. 2's (October 2008).[17]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Kent Music Report No 492 – 28 November 1983 > Singles: New Releases". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 17 July 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  2. ^ Mondo Rock - Come Said The Boy at Australian Music Database
  3. ^ Mondo Rock - Come Said The Boy at Australian-Charts
  4. ^ Video on YouTube
  5. ^ "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b c McFarlane, 'Mondo Rock' entry. Archived from the original on 14 June 2004. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  8. ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus; Warnqvist, Stefan. "Mondo Rock". Australian Rock Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 16 May 2000. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  10. ^ a b c Clarke, Melisande (19 June 2003). "You Don't Sing Me Love Songs any More". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Mondo Rock – Come Said the Boy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 17 July 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  13. ^ "The First Time (single)". iTunes Australia. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  14. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  15. ^ "ARIA Report w/c 31 May 2004 Issue No 744" (PDF). ARIA. 31 May 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2017..
  16. ^ "ARIA Report w/c 31 May 2004 Issue No 744" (PDF). ARIA. 31 May 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2017..
  17. ^ "No. 1's and No. 2's". iTunes Australia. January 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
edit