The Australian Prime Minister’s latest stunt performing the classic ‘April Sun In Cuba’ on a ukulele for ’60 Minutes’ has earned him scorn from the song’s creators Dragon.
Dragon still features original member Todd Hunter, brother of singer Marc Hunter who co-wrote the song. Todd is not impressed that a Prime Minister who pissed off for a holiday to Hawaii when Australia was burning from bush fires and lives were lost, would have the audacity to sing the song on an instrument so closely identified to the Pacific Island.
In a statement Dragon said, “Like many times before, Dragon is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
This time it’s the Hon. Scott Morrison, MP Prime Minister of Australia’s interpretation of April Sun In Cuba. Written by two New Zealanders ling in Australia (Paul Hewson, Marc Hunter both have passed), about a long-ago diplomatic fracas on the other side of the world.
“It is a cynical move for a politician to co-opt music in an attempt to humanize themselves come election time.
“Maybe if his trip to Hawaii had not been cut short, he could have learnt the lyrics to the rest of the chorus:
‘Take me where the April sun
Gonna treat me so right, so right, so right”
– Dragon
Dragon have taken the 60 Minutes puff piece and given the Australian Prime Minister a more apt background, one of a country being incinerated by fire.
The ’60 Minutes’ advertorial was placed in anticipation of Australia’s next election. (The election must be held by the end of May). There was speculation yesterday that Morrison is ready to call the election early to avoid a leadership spill by his nemesis Dutton.
’60 Minutes’ is broadcast on the Nine Network, the television network run by former Liberal Party treasurer Peter Costello. Since Costello took over the network (Nine also owns the old Macquarie Radio network of 2GB and 3AW) and The Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers), the media company has become aligned with favouring the Liberal Party.
The ’60 Minutes’ interview, hosted by Karl Stefanovic, was a shallow piece attempting to paint the often cruel and homophobic Prime Minister and his wife as the Mike and Carol Brady of politics.
The audience failed to buy the sell. ’60 Minutes’ shed over 400,000 viewers off the show immediately before it and had 200,000 viewers less than the week before. The ABC’s ‘Vera’ outrated it with 587,000 viewers compared to 574,000.
The show focused on Morrison’s wife Jenny, who came across as someone removed from reality, portraying her husband as a victim and referring to rape victim Grace Tame as needing “more manners and respect”.
