Australian rock legend Brian Cadd has a new song for 2024. ‘You Know What To Say’ previews Brian’s upcoming album ‘Dream Train’.
“This album has been an exceptional journey,” Brian says. “It has taken me so long to actually make a country album, I was unsure how it would feel for me. I have been writing country and country-rock songs for many years, yet I remained locked into my ‘Brian Cadd – rock artist’ persona on stage and particularly in the studio.
“But with Dream Train I found a new freedom which allowed me to think ‘outside the musical artist box’ that I’d existed within for so long.”
‘You Know What To Say’ comes ahead of Brian’s first shows for 2024 starting in Tamworth next week on 24 January at West Leagues Club. Brian will perform with Melbourne country act The Long and Short of It.
The Tamworth show will be the first of 15 for Brian who will spend this tour across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
‘Dream Train’ follows on from 2019’s ‘Silver City’ featuring a country version of his 1972 rocker ‘Silver City Birthday Celebration Day’. Brian’s first solo album was ‘Brian Cadd’ in 1972, featuring the classic ‘Ginger Man’ as well as the original version of ‘Silver City’, creating somewhat of a bookend to the career.
By the time 1972’s ‘Brian Cadd’ rolled around, Brian had already been established as one of Australia’s finest performers and songwriters. His first band The Groop generated a number of hits including the Cadd originals ‘Woman You’re Breaking Me’ (no 6, 1967) and ‘Such A Lovely Way’ (no 13, 1969).
After The Groop, Brian formed Axiom with Glenn Shorrock (ex-Twilights) and had three more Top 10 hits with ‘Arkansas Grass’ (no 7, 1969), ‘A Little Ray of Sunshine’ (no 5, 1970) and ‘My Baby’s Gone’ (no 8, 1971).
1972 (pre the debut solo record) also had another hit with Axiom’s Don Mudie ‘Show Me The Way’ (no 15, 1972). There were also the Cadd hits for others ‘Don’t You Know Its Magic’ by John Farnham and ‘Marshall’s Portable Music Machine’ for Robin Jolley.
Brian’s songs have been recorded by Ringo Starr, Pointer Sisters and Bonnie Tyler.
‘Dream Time’ is coming soon through Ambition Entertainment. “We are thrilled to have such a legendary and fine artist on the Ambition label,” says Robert Rigby, Ambition Entertainment Managing Director. “Brian Cadd has been making music for over six decades. He is truly Australian music industry royalty. This new, long-awaited album is somewhat autobiographical and features some of his finest songwriting in years.”
“I am so proud of this album,” Brian says. “The studio I chose, the engineer who guided me all the way, and the beautiful ‘cream of country music’ musicians who joined me for the ride, made it all feel so natural and easy, like I’d been doing this forever.”
Brian Cadd spoke with Paul Cashmere at Noise11.com