July 29, 2025 • 26 mins
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians
Joe Camilleri's musical journey reads like a masterclass in Australian rock history. From his humble beginnings as a two-year-old Maltese immigrant arriving in Melbourne to becoming one of Australia's most prolific and respected musicians, Joe's story is one of pure passion and relentless creativity.
"If you've got something you love doing, it's a joy and I think it keeps you healthy," Joe reflects, perhaps revealing the secret to his extraordinary longevity in an industry that often burns out its brightest stars. With over 50 albums to his name and counting, Joe shows no signs of slowing down, joking that he's "still trying to write a good one."
Growing up in a crowded Melbourne household as one of ten children, Joe's musical education came first from the radio and later from the streets after leaving school at age 12. His path through Australian music reads like a who's who of influential bands – from his early days with the Drollies and King Bees to being famously expelled from the Adderley Smith Blues Band for being "too flamboyant" and not adhering to their strict triple denim dress code. Joe's trajectory through Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons (now ARIA Hall of Fame inductees) to founding The Black Sorrows in 1983 has cemented his legendary status.
Beyond his performing prowess, Joe's production credits include work with The Sports, Ross Wilson, Paul Kelly, and Renee Geyer – helping shape the sound of Australian rock across generations. Yet despite these achievements, Joe remains remarkably humble, attributing his success to being in the right place at the right time: "I got to do all the things that I thought I'd be able to do with the talent that I had, which was almost zero."
Now collaborating with The Fabulous Caprettos while simultaneously preparing "The Quintessential Black Sorrows" greatest hits collection and tour, plus a forthcoming album titled "Old Friends and New Companions," Joe embodies his own philosophy that "it's not just about the past, it's about the future."
For fans of authentic Australian music delivered with passion and soul, Joe Camilleri remains the gold standard – the GOAT with a goatee who refuses to even consider retirement.
Catch Joe on tour soon and witness firsthand why, after five decades in music, he's still at the top of his game, creating music that matters. As he puts it simply: "I come to play."
What has Joe Camilleri been up to lately? Let's find out!
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cheryl Lee (00:00):
That Radio Chick Cheryl Lee here.
Welcome to the Still Rockin' itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
The amazing GOAT, greatest ofall time, Joe Camilleri, has
just joined the FabulousCaprettos.
We caught up with him for aninterview for the telly, an
(00:21):
episode of the legend series forRider TV, eventually finding a
spare green room before theirgig here in town.
I hope you enjoy being a fly onthe wall after absolute chaos
in Perth airport which threw theentire schedule into disarray.
In fact, we finished shootingthe episode before we were even
(00:44):
scheduled to start.
We've never set up so quick, soplease enjoy.
We had microphone mishaps,interruptions, soundcheck going
on in the background, but Joe,as usual, was the absolute,
consummate professional andthat's why he is both a goat and
a legend.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
(01:05):
go to that radioiochick.
com.
au.
Joe Camilleri (01:11):
You're not taking any film.
I'm rolling.
Cheryl Lee (01:13):
I'm rolling here.
We're rolling.
Way to go.
What camera am I looking at,please?
This is the double camera, thatone Backward and forward.
Thank you, ready, you're withCheryl Lee, that Radio Chick.
I'd like to welcome you toRider TV Legends Series and we
have got an amazing legendjoining us today and he's just
got off the plane, he's justdone a sound check and we've got
(01:37):
to talk really fast becausewe've got a few minutes with him
before he appears at theHindley Street Music Hall today.
Joe Camilleri (01:41):
Thank, you so much.
It's a pleasure, and what abeautiful building it is now.
Cheryl Lee (01:44):
It is, isn't it?
Isn't it great?
They've done a beautiful jobwith it, a great job.
Joe Camilleri (01:47):
Yeah, someone stole my mother's chandelier.
Cheryl Lee (01:49):
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Isn't it great?
Do you reckon I could fit thatin my purse?
We really appreciate yousqueezing us in today.
Oh, it's a pleasure.
It's a pleasure, asked you then.
Have you discovered thefountain of youth?
Joe Camilleri (02:07):
Look at you.
I don't know, I'm too scared tolook at me.
You know, I think if you've gotsomething you love doing, it's
a joy and I think it keeps youhealthy.
You know, I have my fair shareof gremlins and all the things
that everybody goes through.
If we didn't judge life by time, I think we'd be younger anyway
(02:28):
, better off I think we would be, and it's a much nicer concept.
So it's only when someone sortof says man, you know, shouldn't
you be under the grass?
Cheryl Lee (02:34):
You clearly have a passion for what you do and I
think it does keep you young.
My theory is rock and rollkeeps you young.
Yeah, you're living proof ofthat.
You came to Australia aged two,from Malta, one of ten.
Joe Camilleri (02:48):
How was that?
Well, you know, I think I knowexactly how it happened.
My dad, Malta was sort ofwar-torn, pretty much like any
other place when it's beenbombed on a daily basis.
We were British subjects andyou could go to a few different
places.
You could go to Canada, india,you could have gone to Australia
, new Zealand you could havegone to.
And he was on his way toEngland and he met his Sergeant
(03:10):
Major and he said I've just gotback from Australia, it is
paradise.
So my dad left in 49, late 49,left mum with four kids to catch
the Floriana, I think it wascalled.
Now mum came on the Floriana onthe, probably on the five pound
scheme.
It probably took two months toget here because it would have
(03:30):
stopped everywhere.
You know, I don't know how shedid it, because she had four
kids under five.
I was two, Mary Ann was was ababy, Frank was four, Phyllis
was five, so that was kind of.
I don't know how she did it.
You know I don't know how shedid it, you know, I don't know
how.
You know, it was just insane.
And my dad set up in Melbourneand there we were.
(03:52):
We lived in the inner city ofMelbourne.
For all those years We'd gofrom Carlton to St Kilda, st
Kilda to Port Melbourne.
We spent most of our time inPort Melbourne and then he had.
There was so much work that mydad wanted to get ahead and he
would work as a baker at nightand a mechanic during the day,
and that was kind of.
He wasn't the only one therewas, just everybody was working
(04:15):
hard to break free from theshackles and try to have a place
for their family.
You know, the only thing thatused to annoy me is when we
would go rabbit hunting, youknow, and we would catch the
little bunnies, you know, andhe'd kind of think they're yours
, they're yours to keep, can weeat them?
Can we eat them?
Then they're on the plate.
You know, you hear that storymany, many times from many
(04:36):
different people.
It was a shock to the systemand we, you know, we were
originally 13 children, one of10 living.
Now the unbreakable chain isnow one of eight.
Cheryl Lee (04:45):
And you've got five yourself.
Joe Camilleri (04:46):
I've got five.
You know, my dad, you know,keeps rolling over and saying,
eh, you're nothing.
Cheryl Lee (04:52):
You've got a lot of catching up to do.
Joe Camilleri (04:53):
I did 13,.
You only got five.
What's wrong with you?
I've got five too.
Yeah, well, isn't it great?
Cheryl Lee (04:59):
Yeah, it is.
It's fantastic, it's a lovelynumber.
Joe Camilleri (05:01):
It was a loving family and it was you know.
Cheryl Lee (05:03):
Was it a musical family, Joe?
Is it in your DNA?
Joe Camilleri (05:07):
Music was in the house, so I think my parents
appreciated the joy that thatbrings.
My brother played the pianoaccordion, my father played the
tuba, which was kind of two ofthe ugliest instruments on the
planet.
Cheryl Lee (05:23):
They're not very sexy.
Joe Camilleri (05:27):
Now, you know, two of my favourite instruments
is the tuba and the pianoaccordion.
But then it was really daggyand of course TV was just about
to hit.
We didn't have a TV in 1956,but we would go, the whole
neighbourhood would go.
We were living in PortMelbourne.
The whole neighbourhood wouldgo to the store where they had
the yeah, watch it in the windowand watch it in the.
That's correct, you know, it'skind of it was.
(05:47):
It gave a sense of thatwonderful community that you
would have.
You know, as a child you don'tthink about the trials and
tribulations of what yourparents are going through.
You know, I mean, there's,there was a lot of mouths to
feed we also our cousin wasliving with us as well.
Me and Frank were top to tail,you know, for a few years.
Cheryl Lee (06:07):
You know it was all this kind of bunks we all did in
those days but it was kind ofokay With our cousins.
Joe Camilleri (06:13):
And we loved.
We kind of loved.
We didn't love it at the timebut it bonded us.
You know, there was that thingwhere you couldn't all eat
together on the same table.
Table wasn't big enough sopeople, you know, you'd have it
in shifts, you do all kinds ofdifferent things.
Travel was kind of.
We went to Mildura or somethinglike it felt like it was like
(06:34):
you know, it felt like you're onthe other end, kind of you
couldn't get there.
You know you weren't gonna quitemake it.
You know it was always a littlebit difficult.
But I look at those times nowwith so much joy and glee and
when I see my brothers andsisters.
You know, we still have thisgreat love for each other and
(06:56):
that foundation that you knowour parents gave us.
You know.
Cheryl Lee (07:00):
That's awesome.
Well, we have got to get youback down there and we've got
like 60 years of stuff to talkabout.
I'll try not to be so shabby Iwanted to ask you what came
first, your love of the sax oryour love of the guitar?
Joe Camilleri (07:13):
My first love was really the radio.
Cheryl Lee (07:16):
Yeah.
Joe Camilleri (07:16):
Okay.
So the radio created everything.
You got to see Elvis with thatJ200, that beautiful Gibson J200
.
You just wanted to havesomething like that.
Some of my relatives hadguitars and played a bit.
I didn't really think too muchof anything really, I was just
kind of interested in music.
The radio was kind of a tinybit of salvation for me.
(07:39):
These are the days when youcould go outside.
You weren't allowed in thehouse till six o'clock at night,
till it got dark night.
So it wasn't kind of like, itwasn't sort of something.
If you came back you're goingto get a belting, so you've got
to stay out sick till you do youhave that kind of concept.
But um, so that was, it wasjust a joy of music.
And and my sisters well, Phyllis, she was kind of totally into a
(07:59):
whole bunch of different thingsthat kind of related to to many
different situations thathelped my brother and me.
And and then there was a tvshows.
You know there's a lot of tvshows in the late 50s.
Not only there was a lot ofbritish shows, some of them were
like bandstand and that sort ofwell, that was later, although
that, you know, there was sixo'clock rock.
(08:20):
Yeah, there was all those sortof shows, but so you got a lot
of americana, a lot of, um,american pop, a lot of english
pop, and so I was kind ofinterested in that, never
thought about anything.
Never thought about anythinguntil we started, until the
british beat really hit 1963 orsomething.
And then me and my friends saidwhy don't we?
(08:41):
Why why don't we?
We can buy the clothes whydon't we buy the instruments too
?
And how hard is it really?
Cheryl Lee (08:49):
We can do that.
Joe Camilleri (08:50):
How hard is it to go?
Boom, boom, boom.
Was that the Drollies?
Well, it ended up being thedrollies.
The drollies only played twoshows and I've just got to say,
you know, we lost Bobby Wright acouple of days ago.
God bless him.
He was the first actor.
Bobby and Laurie were the firstact we played with.
So, and the Rondells and they,we got a lesson that night.
(09:11):
It was good for us and you'vegot to kick it over somewhere.
You know your parents wouldgive up their house not in my
case so the drummer can have thehouse, so we can make a rattle
and hum over a couple of hours,you know, and that was.
And we'd play one song badly,really badly, and then it just
(09:31):
kicked on from there.
I got asked to sing with anotherband and I didn't want to go
with them because my brother wasin the band and uh, and my
friends you know, my schoolfriends were in the we're in the
band and I said but that was sogood, is that in the band?
But they were so good, is thatthe King Bees, the King Bees.
They were so good compared tous that I was a Judas and I'd
jump.
And then I started getting mymusical education and my street
(09:54):
education because I left veryearly.
I left at 12, when I didn't goto school after I was 12 and a
half.
My education came from kind ofworking, getting a job,
pretending that I was 14, allthat nonsense that came with it,
and then one thing just led toanother and you get this kind of
opportunity.
Cheryl Lee (10:10):
that's how it was so was it the Adderley Smith blues
band that they kicked you outof because they said you were
too good.
Joe Camilleri (10:16):
I was just I was too good looking, that's right.
I just too good looking.
I was flamboyant, was just toogood looking.
I was flamboyant.
You know, I'd wear the clothesof the day and the clothes of
the day were very bright and ifyou're in a blues band, you had
to wear triple denim.
Yeah, triple denim.
You know, triple denim wasn'tmy idea of fun.
(10:38):
Really, it was much better inthe 70s than in the 60s, I think
.
Triple denim with a littleleather pad, I think.
The disgruntled singerunfortunately turned up and then
the audience were so pure aboutthe blues.
It's a nuisance really.
You know what's good is good.
It doesn't really matter whatit is.
But you know people like to putyou in a box and it's the last
(10:59):
thing I want to be sort ofinvolved in.
And that's how that happenedand there was more talk than
anything else.
Cheryl Lee (11:05):
We've got to touch on a couple of your achievements
1990 Rock Performer of the Year, the MOs.
Joe Camilleri (11:13):
Yeah, well, I didn't turn up for that.
Are you too cool, were you?
No, no, I just said I ain'tgonna win anything and I go to
these functions, where I used togo.
I've got so many arias, youknow, little baby arias, right,
and they used to give you thelittle baby ones, the and if,
the silver ones and the goldones, and I've got about 50 of
these things, you know.
So it's always the bridesmaidand I said I'm not going to that
(11:35):
, and sure enough I.
I went out for dinner with thedrummer's girlfriend, you know,
because, uh, he went, I said tot, I said to Tanya, let's go and
have dinner, everyone else isgone, and it turns out, you know
, I didn't watch anything on TV.
Yeah, that was kind of weird,but I mean, what do those things
mean?
Anyway, you know, it's just apopularity contest, really,
(11:56):
after all.
You've got plenty of time, bythe way.
No, you haven't really.
Oh, no, I, you've got plenty oftime, by the way.
No, you haven't really.
But people are coming at thedoor, they'll be alright.
Cheryl Lee (12:10):
They'll be fine.
Okay, are we good?
Yeah, just straighten your toe.
Joe Camilleri (12:15):
Oh, a flasher Whoopsie.
Whoops, five kids, I tell you2007, JoJo's opened the Falcons.
Cheryl Lee (12:23):
You must be proud.
You guys were inducted into theARIA Hall of Fame.
Joe Camilleri (12:26):
Yeah that was beautiful.
It's just the most beautifulthing in a way, when everybody
gets together again and there'sno animosity there never really
was.
It's just kind of sometimesyou're doing we're doing 300
shows a year, so you're doingthis many shows.
You know you get a little bitdisgruntled, you get a little
bit tired, instead of saying whydon't we take a year off?
(12:49):
But a year in those days waslike a lifetime.
Because it was a disposablecommodity and we would have to
push on and music was just onthe rise.
Australian music was so buoyantand so, you know, aggressive on
so many different levels andeverybody's trying to take
everybody's space and there wasenough room for everybody.
(13:11):
I wouldn't do it unless WayneBurt, who was the original
member of the band.
I wouldn't do it unless he wasgoing to be inducted as well.
So he was the extra member andhe couldn't cope.
There was a lot of disco musicgoing on at the time and a lot
of rock and roll and he couldn'tcope the difference between the
two.
So he bowed out, to my goodfortune, really, because I I
(13:33):
ended up using uh, wilbur wildejoined the band, tony faze
joined the band and it became adifferent outfit to the one that
we started.
Yeah, they were beautiful timesand we got to go.
Not that my bar was low, but Igot to do all the things that I
thought I'd be able to do withthe talent that I had, which was
(13:54):
almost zero.
I get to talk to Ray Charles.
I get to talk to Van Morrison.
I get to play at Montreux JazzFestival.
I get to play with Elvis.
I get to play in Montreux JazzFestival.
I get to play, you know, withElvis.
I get to play with Costello.
I get to play with all thesedifferent people that were my
heroes around that time.
They'll give me the inspirationto be to go forward.
And I thought you know, okay,I've done that, now I can get, I
(14:15):
can get.
I can just get a job 240 hoursa week.
You know I've got now two kidswe a week.
You know I've got now two kids.
We had one more, hurrah.
I kind of wrote a, had a hitwith a song called Taxi Mary.
That was a big hit and so I wasable to sort of rekindle.
It was just called Jojo Zepthen and I was able to do
another side of what I like todo and that lasted for a little
(14:40):
while.
And then I got back togetherwith Wayne Burt around 83 and we
started what is now the BlackSorrows.
Cheryl Lee (14:47):
I also have to congratulate you for just last
year being inducted into theAustralian Songwriters Hall of
Fame.
Joe Camilleri (14:56):
Thank you for that.
That was a lovely function togo to because it was about a
whole bunch of different.
It was about 50 songwriters anddifferent awards for different
things, different achievements,because you've got to pass it on
and people are talking aboutthings that you like to do.
You like to solve a puzzle.
If you're writing a song, youcan write a song about.
(15:19):
You know whether it's in thefirst party, second party, third
party, whatever it is.
However, you want the fragmentskind of come together and
people want to know how you goabout doing those things and
things that I can't answer yeah,and I wouldn't accept that
award once again unless Nickyeah was.
It was also that's so graciousbecause you know he's more
worthy for that award than I am.
(15:39):
So that was kind neat.
Cheryl Lee (15:41):
You certainly have an immense body of work.
I printed this off and it's noteven up to date, and when we
spoke last you had just releasedyour 50th album, St George's
Road.
There's two more since then,yes, you're relentless.
Joe Camilleri (15:58):
Well, you know, I'm trying to write a good one.
You're going to keep goinguntil you get one.
Well, you know, I'm trying towrite a good one, you're going
to keep going until you get one.
If I'm in the studio, I'm tryingto work through a lot of
different, a few differentconcepts, you know.
So there's a lot of movingparts.
There's a lot of things that Ican do.
Sometimes you've got an ideafor a song that you can fulfil,
but it's in the framework of thetime that you're doing
(16:19):
something else.
You know you don't actuallyhave to.
It could be the last two hoursof the session.
You say, well, why don't we trythis, you know, and then you
put that away.
Well, you like to think that,yeah, like, I've got a record
that's been in the can now for14 months, which is Is it this
one?
No, not that one.
No, not that one.
It's Old, old friends and newcompanions, you know, is that a
(16:42):
scoop.
Joe.
Well, it's a Bakelite radiorecord and I was going to put it
out this year and then Ithought well, I've got so much
stuff out.
You know I love the record, itfeels good, it grooves really
nice in that Bakelite radio way.
And of course, now we've got arecord coming out soon which is
the quintessential Black Sorrowsrecord, which is the
(17:05):
quintessential black sorrowsrecord, which is the best of a
double vinyl best of and a tourto match and a tour, a pretty
big tour to match that wouldknock out a man.
There's a few shows, goodnessme, and retirement the r word
doesn't exist I?
I don't think there's any.
I don't know why people want todo that.
I can understand if their bodyor their voice or something that
they're finding it's just animpossibility.
(17:27):
Yeah, I've been fortunateenough not to have that.
I've got a lot of issues, butnot necessarily the issues that
stop me from singing or playingor wanting to do stuff.
I can only speak from.
You know how it works for me,but there's a time to play,
there's a time to play, there'sa time to write, there's a time
to fix up the ideas if they comeyour way.
I'm a great believer.
(17:48):
If an idea comes your way, youeither decide to grab it and
start working with it anddealing with it and try to get
it to a point where you can parkit, and then you kind of you
tank out, you do something else.
It's all about the performance,it's all about the shows and
then.
But you can work on the ideasthat you had and I think all
(18:11):
these steps make a really bigdifference and there are times
when I want to learn something,whether it's how to make a chair
or how to play this beautifulsong, you know, or try to get
inside that wonderful songwriter.
Cheryl Lee (18:25):
I think that's what keeps you young, Joe.
Joe Camilleri (18:28):
No, it's the moisture.
I should be keeping this.
Cheryl Lee (18:31):
I also just wanted to briefly touch on, because not
only are you a great performerand singer and sax player and
guitarist and songwriter andeverything, but you also did
some producing as well.
I've done a bit of that.
Joe Camilleri (18:43):
Yeah yeah, I love doing that.
I don't like doing it as muchanymore, you know.
And what I actually found and Ihad a few hits with that, but
what I found is that you put somuch effort in someone else's
work, you run out of stuff foryourself.
I'm so selfish.
Cheryl Lee (19:00):
Just to mention some of the acts that you produced
or played for, Skyks ooks, timFinn, ice House, mondo Rock, and
I remember we talked about thecold chisel gig last time when
you had to fight Wilbur Wildefor the gig.
Joe Camilleri (19:13):
Oh yeah, well, that's true.
But I didn't do anything withTim, I just played on his record
.
Ah, yes, right, but I didsomething with Riles and I did a
lot of things.
I did stuff for Jane Clifton.
We had a big hit with the Girlin the Mirror.
We had a big hit with that.
And I did a lot of songs,produced a lot of my own work.
It's kind of fun to a degree,you know, because you really
have to direct traffic.
(19:34):
You've got to be really good atbeing diplomatic.
Sometimes you can get reallyfrustrated with all that,
because you can say to an artistwell, you're gonna hit a brick
wall and they can't see it atthat particular point of time,
and so if it's a hit record,they take the credit, if it's a
flop, it's my, take the credit.
If it's a flop, it's my fault.
I gave up on that.
(19:54):
It was too time consuming forme, so I do my own.
Now I'm trying to not even dothat.
I'm trying to find people thatcan help me get through,
navigate my things you know, Idon't know how you found the
time.
You've got 50 plus albums ofyour own and you still had time
to assist other artists withtheirs it's only a chat, really,
(20:15):
isn't it just a little chat?
Go in there and just in theearly days I remember doing um
paul cully's first hit.
You know I want to be likebilly baxter.
I'd ring it out to within aninch of its life.
Really didn't need to do that,what we needed is just the
feeling and the joy of being inthat song.
It was a big hit, it was a goodhit for him and it was a good,
(20:39):
you know, starting point and Ireally enjoyed that process and
the sports and all those things.
Cheryl Lee (20:45):
But I was young.
I was a lot younger.
I should have put my glasses on.
I'm too vain Because I missedRenee Geyer.
Joe Camilleri (20:52):
Oh, that was a lovely record to make with Renee
.
It's all about communicationtechniques.
You know, we've got a couple ofcameras here.
They're technical, they knowwhat they're doing, they're just
standing there.
Cheryl Lee (21:03):
Looking important.
Joe Camilleri (21:04):
But you know, once you get beyond that it's
really what the song's about.
You've got to get in the song.
It's not about how beautifulthe guitar is or how wonderful
the singer is, it's all aboutthe music.
It's all about the passion thatcomes out of the song that
you're trying to do.
Cheryl Lee (21:21):
I can hear your other band out there If we want
to get on and see the dates.
Where do we go?
Joe Camilleri (21:27):
I haven't got the faintest idea where you go.
I'm the wrong guy.
I haven't the faintest idea.
Where do you go?
Cheryl Lee (21:32):
I'm the wrong guy.
Joe Camilleri (21:33):
JoeCamilleri.
com.
au.
That's where you go.
You go to the Black Sorrow site.
I guess that's right.
It's going to be fun and whatI'm trying to produce.
I want to try to producesomething that's memorable to
people.
I've got a fistful of greatsongs.
I've got a lovely band to playwith.
I've got a lovely band to playwith.
I've got some extra people Iwant to have on the shows.
I want to pay homage to the 40odd years that we've been
(21:56):
playing together with with Grace.
Cheryl Lee (22:04):
That's why I love coming.
I want to be there.
If you want to be there, you'realready a winner, yeah.
So get onto the Googlometer andtrack down when Joe and his
guys are coming to your town.
And if he wasn't busy enoughwith a massive tour and another
new album, I've lost track.
Now I can't count them.
You've joined forces with likea boy band.
Joe Camilleri (22:24):
Well, you know, it's great.
You know, I mean becausethey're beautiful people and
they feel that it's not justabout the past, it's about the
future.
They're going to workcollectively on making a record
together.
I hope I'm going to be involvedin that and I think that's
where the future lies.
You know, there was a time whennobody would play live.
It was all about records.
(22:44):
But now it's all about playinglive.
Cheryl Lee (22:47):
It's sort of a humble circle, isn't it it?
Joe Camilleri (22:48):
has, and it's a joy to be with these lads, and
we normally do.
Oh, this is my first tour.
Yeah, I'm the oldest kid goaton the planet, so goat being the
greatest of all time and I'vegot a goatee.
No, it's wonderful, andsometimes you cross swords with
people on stage but you don'tget to know them.
(23:10):
And all of a sudden you get toknow and their beauty starts
shining.
You know, we also have thiswonderful respect for each other
, so it's lovely great bunch offellows.
Cheryl Lee (23:19):
I was the number one ticket holder, first on the
computer.
I'll see you down there in thefront row a bit later now.
And was there anything else youwanted to touch on, joe?
No, no, I'm good I don't know,I talk a lot all right, I've got
one more question for you, andthen I'll let you go.
We're called rider tv, so Ihave to ask you this question do
(23:39):
you have anything on your riderthat you just have to have?
Joe, oh, I see one no, notreally.
Joe Camilleri (23:46):
Um, pretty easy I used to be.
It was kind of weird.
I'd want to have ginger.
You know, I was kind of crazyon ginger tea and I'd want to
have that because it was goodwhen we were doing, you know, a
lot of shows, 250 shows, and soyour voice is is gonna fade here
and the ginger would help.
And then I started takingsupplements to sort of keep me
strong and I did this gig oncethese were on the rider.
(24:09):
You know there's certainsupplement.
I did this gig and I poured itout and I was going to drink it.
I uh went and did the gig andit was incredible.
I came home so I told you thatfuji stuff was incredible and
they just pointed over to thething still there, mate, I gave,
I gave up on that that night.
No, it's uh.
No, I'm not my thing.
(24:29):
I come to play.
I don't come for drinks, I cometo play.
Yeah, I don't come for drinks,I come to play.
Cheryl Lee (24:33):
Yeah, it's been great that you've spent a few
minutes with us chatting.
You're definitely one of ourAussie legends and we're so
proud of all your achievements.
And there's more, plenty moreto come, isn't there?
Joe Camilleri (24:43):
Let's hope so.
Plenty more.
Where that came from?
I hope so.
Joe, we better let you gobefore we get into trouble.
Okay, thank you so much.
Wonderful, did we go good?
Cheryl Lee (24:55):
we got enough.
Joe Camilleri (24:56):
I'm sure we have.
Oh, there we go.
You are listening to StillRocking it the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (25:04):
I hope you enjoyed being a fly on the wall during
the taping of the legend seriesfor Rider TV with the legend
that is Joe Camilleri, and Didwe Dance All Night Later to this
song?
That's going to take us out.
I can't play you a new songfrom the quintessential album as
yet, so I'm going back to oneof my favourites, Harley and
(25:26):
Rose.
It was released in 1990, thefirst single from their sixth
studio album album.
Harley and Rose, peeked at 24on the ARIA charts, was
nominated for ARIA song of theyear.
Won country song of the year atthe APRA music awards.
Joe Camilleri (25:44):
You're with Cheryl Lee that radio chick.
Cheryl Lee (25:59):
Thank you so much for joining me on the Still
Rocking it podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
That Radio Chick Cheryl Lee here.
Welcome to the Still Rockin' itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
The amazing GOAT, greatest ofall time, Joe Camilleri, has
just joined the FabulousCaprettos.
We caught up with him for aninterview for the telly, an
(00:21):
episode of the legend series forRider TV, eventually finding a
spare green room before theirgig here in town.
I hope you enjoy being a fly onthe wall after absolute chaos
in Perth airport which threw theentire schedule into disarray.
In fact, we finished shootingthe episode before we were even
(00:44):
scheduled to start.
We've never set up so quick, soplease enjoy.
We had microphone mishaps,interruptions, soundcheck going
on in the background, but Joe,as usual, was the absolute,
consummate professional andthat's why he is both a goat and
a legend.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
(01:05):
go to that radioiochick.
com.
au.
Joe Camilleri (01:11):
You're not taking any film.
I'm rolling.
Cheryl Lee (01:13):
I'm rolling here.
We're rolling.
Way to go.
What camera am I looking at,please?
This is the double camera, thatone Backward and forward.
Thank you, ready, you're withCheryl Lee, that Radio Chick.
I'd like to welcome you toRider TV Legends Series and we
have got an amazing legendjoining us today and he's just
got off the plane, he's justdone a sound check and we've got
(01:37):
to talk really fast becausewe've got a few minutes with him
before he appears at theHindley Street Music Hall today.
Joe Camilleri (01:41):
Thank, you so much.
It's a pleasure, and what abeautiful building it is now.
Cheryl Lee (01:44):
It is, isn't it?
Isn't it great?
They've done a beautiful jobwith it, a great job.
Joe Camilleri (01:47):
Yeah, someone stole my mother's chandelier.
Cheryl Lee (01:49):
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Isn't it great?
Do you reckon I could fit thatin my purse?
We really appreciate yousqueezing us in today.
Oh, it's a pleasure.
It's a pleasure, asked you then.
Have you discovered thefountain of youth?
Joe Camilleri (02:07):
Look at you.
I don't know, I'm too scared tolook at me.
You know, I think if you've gotsomething you love doing, it's
a joy and I think it keeps youhealthy.
You know, I have my fair shareof gremlins and all the things
that everybody goes through.
If we didn't judge life by time, I think we'd be younger anyway
(02:28):
, better off I think we would be, and it's a much nicer concept.
So it's only when someone sortof says man, you know, shouldn't
you be under the grass?
Cheryl Lee (02:34):
You clearly have a passion for what you do and I
think it does keep you young.
My theory is rock and rollkeeps you young.
Yeah, you're living proof ofthat.
You came to Australia aged two,from Malta, one of ten.
Joe Camilleri (02:48):
How was that?
Well, you know, I think I knowexactly how it happened.
My dad, Malta was sort ofwar-torn, pretty much like any
other place when it's beenbombed on a daily basis.
We were British subjects andyou could go to a few different
places.
You could go to Canada, india,you could have gone to Australia
, new Zealand you could havegone to.
And he was on his way toEngland and he met his Sergeant
(03:10):
Major and he said I've just gotback from Australia, it is
paradise.
So my dad left in 49, late 49,left mum with four kids to catch
the Floriana, I think it wascalled.
Now mum came on the Floriana onthe, probably on the five pound
scheme.
It probably took two months toget here because it would have
(03:30):
stopped everywhere.
You know, I don't know how shedid it, because she had four
kids under five.
I was two, Mary Ann was was ababy, Frank was four, Phyllis
was five, so that was kind of.
I don't know how she did it.
You know I don't know how shedid it, you know, I don't know
how.
You know, it was just insane.
And my dad set up in Melbourneand there we were.
(03:52):
We lived in the inner city ofMelbourne.
For all those years We'd gofrom Carlton to St Kilda, st
Kilda to Port Melbourne.
We spent most of our time inPort Melbourne and then he had.
There was so much work that mydad wanted to get ahead and he
would work as a baker at nightand a mechanic during the day,
and that was kind of.
He wasn't the only one therewas, just everybody was working
(04:15):
hard to break free from theshackles and try to have a place
for their family.
You know, the only thing thatused to annoy me is when we
would go rabbit hunting, youknow, and we would catch the
little bunnies, you know, andhe'd kind of think they're yours
, they're yours to keep, can weeat them?
Can we eat them?
Then they're on the plate.
You know, you hear that storymany, many times from many
(04:36):
different people.
It was a shock to the systemand we, you know, we were
originally 13 children, one of10 living.
Now the unbreakable chain isnow one of eight.
Cheryl Lee (04:45):
And you've got five yourself.
Joe Camilleri (04:46):
I've got five.
You know, my dad, you know,keeps rolling over and saying,
eh, you're nothing.
Cheryl Lee (04:52):
You've got a lot of catching up to do.
Joe Camilleri (04:53):
I did 13,.
You only got five.
What's wrong with you?
I've got five too.
Yeah, well, isn't it great?
Cheryl Lee (04:59):
Yeah, it is.
It's fantastic, it's a lovelynumber.
Joe Camilleri (05:01):
It was a loving family and it was you know.
Cheryl Lee (05:03):
Was it a musical family, Joe?
Is it in your DNA?
Joe Camilleri (05:07):
Music was in the house, so I think my parents
appreciated the joy that thatbrings.
My brother played the pianoaccordion, my father played the
tuba, which was kind of two ofthe ugliest instruments on the
planet.
Cheryl Lee (05:23):
They're not very sexy.
Joe Camilleri (05:27):
Now, you know, two of my favourite instruments
is the tuba and the pianoaccordion.
But then it was really daggyand of course TV was just about
to hit.
We didn't have a TV in 1956,but we would go, the whole
neighbourhood would go.
We were living in PortMelbourne.
The whole neighbourhood wouldgo to the store where they had
the yeah, watch it in the windowand watch it in the.
That's correct, you know, it'skind of it was.
(05:47):
It gave a sense of thatwonderful community that you
would have.
You know, as a child you don'tthink about the trials and
tribulations of what yourparents are going through.
You know, I mean, there's,there was a lot of mouths to
feed we also our cousin wasliving with us as well.
Me and Frank were top to tail,you know, for a few years.
Cheryl Lee (06:07):
You know it was all this kind of bunks we all did in
those days but it was kind ofokay With our cousins.
Joe Camilleri (06:13):
And we loved.
We kind of loved.
We didn't love it at the timebut it bonded us.
You know, there was that thingwhere you couldn't all eat
together on the same table.
Table wasn't big enough sopeople, you know, you'd have it
in shifts, you do all kinds ofdifferent things.
Travel was kind of.
We went to Mildura or somethinglike it felt like it was like
(06:34):
you know, it felt like you're onthe other end, kind of you
couldn't get there.
You know you weren't gonna quitemake it.
You know it was always a littlebit difficult.
But I look at those times nowwith so much joy and glee and
when I see my brothers andsisters.
You know, we still have thisgreat love for each other and
(06:56):
that foundation that you knowour parents gave us.
You know.
Cheryl Lee (07:00):
That's awesome.
Well, we have got to get youback down there and we've got
like 60 years of stuff to talkabout.
I'll try not to be so shabby Iwanted to ask you what came
first, your love of the sax oryour love of the guitar?
Joe Camilleri (07:13):
My first love was really the radio.
Cheryl Lee (07:16):
Yeah.
Joe Camilleri (07:16):
Okay.
So the radio created everything.
You got to see Elvis with thatJ200, that beautiful Gibson J200
.
You just wanted to havesomething like that.
Some of my relatives hadguitars and played a bit.
I didn't really think too muchof anything really, I was just
kind of interested in music.
The radio was kind of a tinybit of salvation for me.
(07:39):
These are the days when youcould go outside.
You weren't allowed in thehouse till six o'clock at night,
till it got dark night.
So it wasn't kind of like, itwasn't sort of something.
If you came back you're goingto get a belting, so you've got
to stay out sick till you do youhave that kind of concept.
But um, so that was, it wasjust a joy of music.
And and my sisters well, Phyllis, she was kind of totally into a
(07:59):
whole bunch of different thingsthat kind of related to to many
different situations thathelped my brother and me.
And and then there was a tvshows.
You know there's a lot of tvshows in the late 50s.
Not only there was a lot ofbritish shows, some of them were
like bandstand and that sort ofwell, that was later, although
that, you know, there was sixo'clock rock.
(08:20):
Yeah, there was all those sortof shows, but so you got a lot
of americana, a lot of, um,american pop, a lot of english
pop, and so I was kind ofinterested in that, never
thought about anything.
Never thought about anythinguntil we started, until the
british beat really hit 1963 orsomething.
And then me and my friends saidwhy don't we?
(08:41):
Why why don't we?
We can buy the clothes whydon't we buy the instruments too
?
And how hard is it really?
Cheryl Lee (08:49):
We can do that.
Joe Camilleri (08:50):
How hard is it to go?
Boom, boom, boom.
Was that the Drollies?
Well, it ended up being thedrollies.
The drollies only played twoshows and I've just got to say,
you know, we lost Bobby Wright acouple of days ago.
God bless him.
He was the first actor.
Bobby and Laurie were the firstact we played with.
So, and the Rondells and they,we got a lesson that night.
(09:11):
It was good for us and you'vegot to kick it over somewhere.
You know your parents wouldgive up their house not in my
case so the drummer can have thehouse, so we can make a rattle
and hum over a couple of hours,you know, and that was.
And we'd play one song badly,really badly, and then it just
(09:31):
kicked on from there.
I got asked to sing with anotherband and I didn't want to go
with them because my brother wasin the band and uh, and my
friends you know, my schoolfriends were in the we're in the
band and I said but that was sogood, is that in the band?
But they were so good, is thatthe King Bees, the King Bees.
They were so good compared tous that I was a Judas and I'd
jump.
And then I started getting mymusical education and my street
(09:54):
education because I left veryearly.
I left at 12, when I didn't goto school after I was 12 and a
half.
My education came from kind ofworking, getting a job,
pretending that I was 14, allthat nonsense that came with it,
and then one thing just led toanother and you get this kind of
opportunity.
Cheryl Lee (10:10):
that's how it was so was it the Adderley Smith blues
band that they kicked you outof because they said you were
too good.
Joe Camilleri (10:16):
I was just I was too good looking, that's right.
I just too good looking.
I was flamboyant, was just toogood looking.
I was flamboyant.
You know, I'd wear the clothesof the day and the clothes of
the day were very bright and ifyou're in a blues band, you had
to wear triple denim.
Yeah, triple denim.
You know, triple denim wasn'tmy idea of fun.
(10:38):
Really, it was much better inthe 70s than in the 60s, I think
.
Triple denim with a littleleather pad, I think.
The disgruntled singerunfortunately turned up and then
the audience were so pure aboutthe blues.
It's a nuisance really.
You know what's good is good.
It doesn't really matter whatit is.
But you know people like to putyou in a box and it's the last
(10:59):
thing I want to be sort ofinvolved in.
And that's how that happenedand there was more talk than
anything else.
Cheryl Lee (11:05):
We've got to touch on a couple of your achievements
1990 Rock Performer of the Year, the MOs.
Joe Camilleri (11:13):
Yeah, well, I didn't turn up for that.
Are you too cool, were you?
No, no, I just said I ain'tgonna win anything and I go to
these functions, where I used togo.
I've got so many arias, youknow, little baby arias, right,
and they used to give you thelittle baby ones, the and if,
the silver ones and the goldones, and I've got about 50 of
these things, you know.
So it's always the bridesmaidand I said I'm not going to that
(11:35):
, and sure enough I.
I went out for dinner with thedrummer's girlfriend, you know,
because, uh, he went, I said tot, I said to Tanya, let's go and
have dinner, everyone else isgone, and it turns out, you know
, I didn't watch anything on TV.
Yeah, that was kind of weird,but I mean, what do those things
mean?
Anyway, you know, it's just apopularity contest, really,
(11:56):
after all.
You've got plenty of time, bythe way.
No, you haven't really.
Oh, no, I, you've got plenty oftime, by the way.
No, you haven't really.
But people are coming at thedoor, they'll be alright.
Cheryl Lee (12:10):
They'll be fine.
Okay, are we good?
Yeah, just straighten your toe.
Joe Camilleri (12:15):
Oh, a flasher Whoopsie.
Whoops, five kids, I tell you2007, JoJo's opened the Falcons.
Cheryl Lee (12:23):
You must be proud.
You guys were inducted into theARIA Hall of Fame.
Joe Camilleri (12:26):
Yeah that was beautiful.
It's just the most beautifulthing in a way, when everybody
gets together again and there'sno animosity there never really
was.
It's just kind of sometimesyou're doing we're doing 300
shows a year, so you're doingthis many shows.
You know you get a little bitdisgruntled, you get a little
bit tired, instead of saying whydon't we take a year off?
(12:49):
But a year in those days waslike a lifetime.
Because it was a disposablecommodity and we would have to
push on and music was just onthe rise.
Australian music was so buoyantand so, you know, aggressive on
so many different levels andeverybody's trying to take
everybody's space and there wasenough room for everybody.
(13:11):
I wouldn't do it unless WayneBurt, who was the original
member of the band.
I wouldn't do it unless he wasgoing to be inducted as well.
So he was the extra member andhe couldn't cope.
There was a lot of disco musicgoing on at the time and a lot
of rock and roll and he couldn'tcope the difference between the
two.
So he bowed out, to my goodfortune, really, because I I
(13:33):
ended up using uh, wilbur wildejoined the band, tony faze
joined the band and it became adifferent outfit to the one that
we started.
Yeah, they were beautiful timesand we got to go.
Not that my bar was low, but Igot to do all the things that I
thought I'd be able to do withthe talent that I had, which was
(13:54):
almost zero.
I get to talk to Ray Charles.
I get to talk to Van Morrison.
I get to play at Montreux JazzFestival.
I get to play with Elvis.
I get to play in Montreux JazzFestival.
I get to play, you know, withElvis.
I get to play with Costello.
I get to play with all thesedifferent people that were my
heroes around that time.
They'll give me the inspirationto be to go forward.
And I thought you know, okay,I've done that, now I can get, I
(14:15):
can get.
I can just get a job 240 hoursa week.
You know I've got now two kidswe a week.
You know I've got now two kids.
We had one more, hurrah.
I kind of wrote a, had a hitwith a song called Taxi Mary.
That was a big hit and so I wasable to sort of rekindle.
It was just called Jojo Zepthen and I was able to do
another side of what I like todo and that lasted for a little
(14:40):
while.
And then I got back togetherwith Wayne Burt around 83 and we
started what is now the BlackSorrows.
Cheryl Lee (14:47):
I also have to congratulate you for just last
year being inducted into theAustralian Songwriters Hall of
Fame.
Joe Camilleri (14:56):
Thank you for that.
That was a lovely function togo to because it was about a
whole bunch of different.
It was about 50 songwriters anddifferent awards for different
things, different achievements,because you've got to pass it on
and people are talking aboutthings that you like to do.
You like to solve a puzzle.
If you're writing a song, youcan write a song about.
(15:19):
You know whether it's in thefirst party, second party, third
party, whatever it is.
However, you want the fragmentskind of come together and
people want to know how you goabout doing those things and
things that I can't answer yeah,and I wouldn't accept that
award once again unless Nickyeah was.
It was also that's so graciousbecause you know he's more
worthy for that award than I am.
(15:39):
So that was kind neat.
Cheryl Lee (15:41):
You certainly have an immense body of work.
I printed this off and it's noteven up to date, and when we
spoke last you had just releasedyour 50th album, St George's
Road.
There's two more since then,yes, you're relentless.
Joe Camilleri (15:58):
Well, you know, I'm trying to write a good one.
You're going to keep goinguntil you get one.
Well, you know, I'm trying towrite a good one, you're going
to keep going until you get one.
If I'm in the studio, I'm tryingto work through a lot of
different, a few differentconcepts, you know.
So there's a lot of movingparts.
There's a lot of things that Ican do.
Sometimes you've got an ideafor a song that you can fulfil,
but it's in the framework of thetime that you're doing
(16:19):
something else.
You know you don't actuallyhave to.
It could be the last two hoursof the session.
You say, well, why don't we trythis, you know, and then you
put that away.
Well, you like to think that,yeah, like, I've got a record
that's been in the can now for14 months, which is Is it this
one?
No, not that one.
No, not that one.
It's Old, old friends and newcompanions, you know, is that a
(16:42):
scoop.
Joe.
Well, it's a Bakelite radiorecord and I was going to put it
out this year and then Ithought well, I've got so much
stuff out.
You know I love the record, itfeels good, it grooves really
nice in that Bakelite radio way.
And of course, now we've got arecord coming out soon which is
the quintessential Black Sorrowsrecord, which is the
(17:05):
quintessential black sorrowsrecord, which is the best of a
double vinyl best of and a tourto match and a tour, a pretty
big tour to match that wouldknock out a man.
There's a few shows, goodnessme, and retirement the r word
doesn't exist I?
I don't think there's any.
I don't know why people want todo that.
I can understand if their bodyor their voice or something that
they're finding it's just animpossibility.
(17:27):
Yeah, I've been fortunateenough not to have that.
I've got a lot of issues, butnot necessarily the issues that
stop me from singing or playingor wanting to do stuff.
I can only speak from.
You know how it works for me,but there's a time to play,
there's a time to play, there'sa time to write, there's a time
to fix up the ideas if they comeyour way.
I'm a great believer.
(17:48):
If an idea comes your way, youeither decide to grab it and
start working with it anddealing with it and try to get
it to a point where you can parkit, and then you kind of you
tank out, you do something else.
It's all about the performance,it's all about the shows and
then.
But you can work on the ideasthat you had and I think all
(18:11):
these steps make a really bigdifference and there are times
when I want to learn something,whether it's how to make a chair
or how to play this beautifulsong, you know, or try to get
inside that wonderful songwriter.
Cheryl Lee (18:25):
I think that's what keeps you young, Joe.
Joe Camilleri (18:28):
No, it's the moisture.
I should be keeping this.
Cheryl Lee (18:31):
I also just wanted to briefly touch on, because not
only are you a great performerand singer and sax player and
guitarist and songwriter andeverything, but you also did
some producing as well.
I've done a bit of that.
Joe Camilleri (18:43):
Yeah yeah, I love doing that.
I don't like doing it as muchanymore, you know.
And what I actually found and Ihad a few hits with that, but
what I found is that you put somuch effort in someone else's
work, you run out of stuff foryourself.
I'm so selfish.
Cheryl Lee (19:00):
Just to mention some of the acts that you produced
or played for, Skyks ooks, timFinn, ice House, mondo Rock, and
I remember we talked about thecold chisel gig last time when
you had to fight Wilbur Wildefor the gig.
Joe Camilleri (19:13):
Oh yeah, well, that's true.
But I didn't do anything withTim, I just played on his record
.
Ah, yes, right, but I didsomething with Riles and I did a
lot of things.
I did stuff for Jane Clifton.
We had a big hit with the Girlin the Mirror.
We had a big hit with that.
And I did a lot of songs,produced a lot of my own work.
It's kind of fun to a degree,you know, because you really
have to direct traffic.
(19:34):
You've got to be really good atbeing diplomatic.
Sometimes you can get reallyfrustrated with all that,
because you can say to an artistwell, you're gonna hit a brick
wall and they can't see it atthat particular point of time,
and so if it's a hit record,they take the credit, if it's a
flop, it's my, take the credit.
If it's a flop, it's my fault.
I gave up on that.
(19:54):
It was too time consuming forme, so I do my own.
Now I'm trying to not even dothat.
I'm trying to find people thatcan help me get through,
navigate my things you know, Idon't know how you found the
time.
You've got 50 plus albums ofyour own and you still had time
to assist other artists withtheirs it's only a chat, really,
(20:15):
isn't it just a little chat?
Go in there and just in theearly days I remember doing um
paul cully's first hit.
You know I want to be likebilly baxter.
I'd ring it out to within aninch of its life.
Really didn't need to do that,what we needed is just the
feeling and the joy of being inthat song.
It was a big hit, it was a goodhit for him and it was a good,
(20:39):
you know, starting point and Ireally enjoyed that process and
the sports and all those things.
Cheryl Lee (20:45):
But I was young.
I was a lot younger.
I should have put my glasses on.
I'm too vain Because I missedRenee Geyer.
Joe Camilleri (20:52):
Oh, that was a lovely record to make with Renee
.
It's all about communicationtechniques.
You know, we've got a couple ofcameras here.
They're technical, they knowwhat they're doing, they're just
standing there.
Cheryl Lee (21:03):
Looking important.
Joe Camilleri (21:04):
But you know, once you get beyond that it's
really what the song's about.
You've got to get in the song.
It's not about how beautifulthe guitar is or how wonderful
the singer is, it's all aboutthe music.
It's all about the passion thatcomes out of the song that
you're trying to do.
Cheryl Lee (21:21):
I can hear your other band out there If we want
to get on and see the dates.
Where do we go?
Joe Camilleri (21:27):
I haven't got the faintest idea where you go.
I'm the wrong guy.
I haven't the faintest idea.
Where do you go?
Cheryl Lee (21:32):
I'm the wrong guy.
Joe Camilleri (21:33):
JoeCamilleri.
com.
au.
That's where you go.
You go to the Black Sorrow site.
I guess that's right.
It's going to be fun and whatI'm trying to produce.
I want to try to producesomething that's memorable to
people.
I've got a fistful of greatsongs.
I've got a lovely band to playwith.
I've got a lovely band to playwith.
I've got some extra people Iwant to have on the shows.
I want to pay homage to the 40odd years that we've been
(21:56):
playing together with with Grace.
Cheryl Lee (22:04):
That's why I love coming.
I want to be there.
If you want to be there, you'realready a winner, yeah.
So get onto the Googlometer andtrack down when Joe and his
guys are coming to your town.
And if he wasn't busy enoughwith a massive tour and another
new album, I've lost track.
Now I can't count them.
You've joined forces with likea boy band.
Joe Camilleri (22:24):
Well, you know, it's great.
You know, I mean becausethey're beautiful people and
they feel that it's not justabout the past, it's about the
future.
They're going to workcollectively on making a record
together.
I hope I'm going to be involvedin that and I think that's
where the future lies.
You know, there was a time whennobody would play live.
It was all about records.
(22:44):
But now it's all about playinglive.
Cheryl Lee (22:47):
It's sort of a humble circle, isn't it it?
Joe Camilleri (22:48):
has, and it's a joy to be with these lads, and
we normally do.
Oh, this is my first tour.
Yeah, I'm the oldest kid goaton the planet, so goat being the
greatest of all time and I'vegot a goatee.
No, it's wonderful, andsometimes you cross swords with
people on stage but you don'tget to know them.
(23:10):
And all of a sudden you get toknow and their beauty starts
shining.
You know, we also have thiswonderful respect for each other
, so it's lovely great bunch offellows.
Cheryl Lee (23:19):
I was the number one ticket holder, first on the
computer.
I'll see you down there in thefront row a bit later now.
And was there anything else youwanted to touch on, joe?
No, no, I'm good I don't know,I talk a lot all right, I've got
one more question for you, andthen I'll let you go.
We're called rider tv, so Ihave to ask you this question do
(23:39):
you have anything on your riderthat you just have to have?
Joe, oh, I see one no, notreally.
Joe Camilleri (23:46):
Um, pretty easy I used to be.
It was kind of weird.
I'd want to have ginger.
You know, I was kind of crazyon ginger tea and I'd want to
have that because it was goodwhen we were doing, you know, a
lot of shows, 250 shows, and soyour voice is is gonna fade here
and the ginger would help.
And then I started takingsupplements to sort of keep me
strong and I did this gig oncethese were on the rider.
(24:09):
You know there's certainsupplement.
I did this gig and I poured itout and I was going to drink it.
I uh went and did the gig andit was incredible.
I came home so I told you thatfuji stuff was incredible and
they just pointed over to thething still there, mate, I gave,
I gave up on that that night.
No, it's uh.
No, I'm not my thing.
(24:29):
I come to play.
I don't come for drinks, I cometo play.
Yeah, I don't come for drinks,I come to play.
Cheryl Lee (24:33):
Yeah, it's been great that you've spent a few
minutes with us chatting.
You're definitely one of ourAussie legends and we're so
proud of all your achievements.
And there's more, plenty moreto come, isn't there?
Joe Camilleri (24:43):
Let's hope so.
Plenty more.
Where that came from?
I hope so.
Joe, we better let you gobefore we get into trouble.
Okay, thank you so much.
Wonderful, did we go good?
Cheryl Lee (24:55):
we got enough.
Joe Camilleri (24:56):
I'm sure we have.
Oh, there we go.
You are listening to StillRocking it the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (25:04):
I hope you enjoyed being a fly on the wall during
the taping of the legend seriesfor Rider TV with the legend
that is Joe Camilleri, and Didwe Dance All Night Later to this
song?
That's going to take us out.
I can't play you a new songfrom the quintessential album as
yet, so I'm going back to oneof my favourites, Harley and
(25:26):
Rose.
It was released in 1990, thefirst single from their sixth
studio album album.
Harley and Rose, peeked at 24on the ARIA charts, was
nominated for ARIA song of theyear.
Won country song of the year atthe APRA music awards.
Joe Camilleri (25:44):
You're with Cheryl Lee that radio chick.
Cheryl Lee (25:59):
Thank you so much for joining me on the Still
Rocking it podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
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