Skyhooks’ debut album ‘Living In the 70s’ was a massive success, so much so that it Mushroom Records as the number one Australian record label, a title it arguably holds to this day. But did Mushroom make Skyhooks or Skyhooks make Mushroom.
As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of ‘Living In The 70s’, Skyhooks co-founder and principal songwriter Greg Macainsh spoke to Noise11.com.
Greg recalls how there was nothing really before Skyhooks to base sales success on. “Mushroom, I heard they didn’t have a lot of money,” he said. “There was no precedent for selling records and making a profit really in Australia but Australian companies. Daddy Cool, sure they sold a few records and Billy Thorpe sold a few but it really wasn’t serious amounts.
By 1974 standards, ‘Living In the 70s’ was a costly exercise and a huge gamble for Michael Gudinski and Mushroom. Greg says, “I think the ‘Living In The 70s’ album might have cost $10000 to $15000. At that time you could buy a two bedroom flat in East Malvern with that. By today’s dollars it was probably $700,000. It was a massive amount of money to invest in an album. We did it quickly within three weeks but studio time as expensive back then. It was like 100 something bucks an hour in 1974 money so it was a very expensive process”.
Greg has no doubt that it was Michael Gudinski’s leap of faith that contributed to the success of Skyhooks. “Michael took the risk. I think some of his business partners thought he was crazy but it paid off. Just as well because if it hadn’t Mushroom might have gone bankrupt. Michael was the sort of guy, as you know, he was a fighter. He would have promoted something else that worked and we all got lucky at the same time”.
Check out the full Noise11 interview with Greg Macainsh of Skyhooks.
Skyhooks debut album ‘Living In The 70s’ has been reissued for its 50th anniversary.
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