GLENN CARDIER
Rhythms Magazine November 2016
TREVOR J. LEEDEN
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A quick glance at the Australian Blues And Roots Charts sees Cool Under Fire, Glenn Cardier's cracking new album, riding high. Cardier is no overnight sensation, having first carved out a successful career in the halcyon days of 7o's Oz music, touring with the likes of Daddy Cool, La De Das and Country Radio. He was one of the initial recipients (along with Greg Quill and Richard Clapton) of the Australia Council for the Arts travel grants and spent several years touring England. "The industry has changed since the 70's," reflects Glenn, "there are all kinds of grants available for musicians right now, but we need to nurture our younger writers here in Australia, we need more places to play here at home. We travel on the internet now". 

Returning to Australia, disillusionment with the music industry ultimately saw him completely walk away for two decades. Glenn explains: "I taught school. I was a teacher of kids with behavioural and learning difficulties. I built my own studio. I thought I could write songs for other performers, but as it turned out I was the only one crazy enough to sing them! I did teach myself to produce and arrange though." The story then takes a truly  bizarre turn, much like Glenn's idiosyncratic approach  to songwriting. The catalyst for his 2002 re-entry into music with the extraordinary Rattle The Cage album is stranger than fiction: "During the 'Disillusionment Years', my friend Dennis Aubrey kept inviting me to perform  a couple of songs at his open-mic night at the Excelsior Hotel in Surrey Hills. I eventually played and it was like reacquainting myself with an old friend, I wrote the song 'She Flew Away' the next day. My partner (now wife) Caroline had never heard of Loudon Wainwright III and I took her to the Enmore Theatre to see him; she loved him. I said, 'I used to sing stuff like that.' She didn't believe me; she had no idea of who I used to be! It occurred to me then and there I just might have let things slide a little bit, like for twenty years or so. I recorded Rattle The Cage as a gift for my friends and loved ones. ABC Darwin got hold of it, played the heck out of it and the rest, as they say, is history." 

Fourteen years and five albums on, Cool Under Fire  is a career high water mark that draws on Cardier's inspirations and memories, even drawing comparisons with Waits and Dylan. "In a UK review back in 75/76" states Glenn, " I was compared to Bruce Springsteen and I'd never even heard of him! With regard to Tom and Bob, I guess our voices all sound like we gargle with whisky, so  60 Rhythms     there's a similarity there. It seems to me we all draw water from the same well. Cool Under Fire might be closer to Bruce's ethic as I chose to put all the classic rock'n'roll sounds I grew up with in a blender just to see what came out. Lyrically, I've always seemed to come at things from my own particular point of view". A lifetime of influences subtly run through the album: "I still try to get the  Elvis echo going in my productions, I still shoot for the humour and simplicity of Leiber and Stoller" volunteers Glenn, "Win Some, Lose Some' definitely has a Turtles thing going on in the chorus, and on the title track I was trying to sing in a rappy style while channeling Gene Vincent " says Glenn, before adding "I performed at a charity event some years ago. Catherine Britt was on  the bill, probably the headliner, and I was struck by the power of her voice. I needed a voice in that range on the title track. I tried singing the part myself in falsetto but it sounded like the Bee Gees' consumptive grandmother singing, so I sent off my request and couldn't believe  it when she agreed. We recorded her part at her place  in Newcastle; it was exactly what I envisaged. She's an extraordinary talent". 

Glenn's currently a wanted man, having also contributed a sublime rendition of 'I'd Not Let You Be' to the recent Greg Quill tribute album: "I nailed that vocal in one take, rare for me. It was an honour to be among such esteemed company on 'Some Lonesome Picker'. There're some great performances on there". So how would a Glenn Cardier tribute album take shape? "That's a tough one," concedes Glenn. "You could arrange my music for any style and then pick the appropriate performers. I'm not sure if Marianne Faithfull still performs! In her heyday she'd give some of the Brechtian-styled songs a theatrical edge. I'd like to see a batch of my songs presented with new arrangements in a theatre setting by an ensemble cast...or maybe in a circus tent...or Luna Park". 

From being a critically acclaimed 7o's cult figure, history is repeating in the 2000's, so what does the future hold for Glenn Cardier and The Sideshow? "We're a great band," says Glenn. "Our performances are powerful and magical. We should play more, which is probably my fault; I've always been a reluctant performer although once you  get me on stage you can't get me off. After four years of recording Cool Under Fire I swore I'd never make another album, but in the past month or so I've just written three new songs. Who knows?" 

GLENN CARDIER
The Strange Brew
Jason Barnard

Australian singer-songwriter Glenn Cardier is known in the UK for his time there in 1974-78 where he was produced by Labi Siffre and opened for Fairport Convention and Man. Glenn's material was also recorded by Fairport's Dave Pegg (Dance Numbers) and Olivia Newton-John (New Born Babe). Glenn re-emerged 20 years ago and shares his story with Jason Barnard.
Where were you born and raised? What were your early influences and first steps in music?
I was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland. Brisbane used to be described as an overgrown country town. Music on the radio was mainly easy listening and country and western till Elvis Presley hit in the mid 50's. I didn't realise until much later that I was a Leiber and Stoller fan since they wrote many of his early hits. I loved the lyrics. Also the lyrics of Chuck Berry. Later on I fell under the spell of Hank Marvin of the Shadows. My parents saved up and bought me an electric guitar and amp. I started writing guitar instrumentals in the Shadows/ surf style pretty much straight away. I embraced the Brisbane folk scene and my interest in lyric writing grew from around the mid to late 60's.

What led to your first deal with Festival Records?
I won a tv talent show called New Faces. This led to an appearance on Australia's Bandstand. Festival liked what they saw and signed me up.

What do you remember about writing and recording your first LP Days Of Wilderness?
Looking back, I suppose my performing style was reflective of the Brisbane folk scene. I was a rather gentle and poetic artist. All that changed once I relocated to Sydney.

Why did you base yourself in Britain from 1974?
I was lucky enough to secure a travel grant from the Australian Council for the Arts to play the folk clubs in the UK. I hung out with Trevor Lucas, Sandy Denny, Dave Pegg and the Fairport crowd. Dave liked my song Dance Numbers which was about a guy who suddenly finds that the street he's walking down has turned into a Hollywood musical.

What was Labi Siffre like as a producer for your eponymous 1976 album?
At that stage, I was still writing for voice and guitar and I left the production and arranging up to others. I was quite starry eyed about being produced by a master songwriter in a studio in London. I couldn't believe Brian Bennett from the Shadows was playing drums on my record.

Some of your material was recorded by other artists including Olivia Newton-John (New Born Babe). Did you have any contact with her?
I met Olivia once or twice in London. We shared the same manager, Peter Gormley. I think she was in the States filming Grease when John Farrar was laying down that track at Abbey Road.

What was the music scene like when you were in England at the time?
The folk club scene in the UK really toughened me up. You really had to project from the stage. Grabbing an audience from the get go. I was playing solo and could still support a rock band such as Man to a pre-punk audience. It was a time of upheaval in the music scene. On the other hand, you could catch Randy Newman, John Prine or Loudon Wainwright at a gig just up the road.

What led you to leave and go back to Australia?
My daughter was about to start school and we thought it would be best to relocate to Sydney.

Do you have any memories/stories of supporting other acts?
I supported Cheech and Chong. AND I can still remember much of it. Dave Van Ronk. John Hammond. It was a thrill supporting Ray Davies more recently.

How have you adapted to changes in the music industry since the 1980s?
Computer home recording is very sophisticated now. I play most of the instruments on my recordings. I miss being in the same room as other musicians. The upside is that you can perfect the arrangement and recording over a longer time. Or you can dare to be spontaneous without having to worry about the meter running.

The last 20 years has seen you reinvigorated as a songwriter – what are your key songs and albums from this period?
I gave it all away for about 20 years before that. Once a writer, always a writer. I played an open mike night for a friend and the songs started flowing. I enjoyed writing and performing in the same way as the 70's. Rattle The Cage was the first cd recorded at home. It was quirky and roots and led to gigs at folk and blues festivals and such. She Flew Away, Invisible Ink, Signs And Wonders, Water Finds It's Own Level are all key songs. All are lyrically intriguing. Rust In The Tailfin, Wild At Heart, A Case Of Mistaken Identity. The list is long.

What are your future plans?
With the recent Covid lockdowns, I've decided to revisit many of those older songs and re-record them solo. I think I may have two or three volumes of songs which could be presented in this solo acoustic style. It's quite exciting. They sound as fresh as ever.