Midnight Oil biography
Midnight Oil (also known informally as The Oils to fans), were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie. While vocalist Peter Garrett was studying at Australian National University in Canberra, and by 1975 the band was touring the east coast.
Important to their development was manager Gary Morris who was able to negotiate favourable contracts with tour promoters and record companies and frustrate rock journalists.
Midnight Oil's albums which peaked in the Australian Top Ten were 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Red Sails in the Sunset, Species Deceases, Diesel and Dust, Blue Sky Mining, Scream in Blue (Live), Earth and Sun and Moon, Breathe, 20,000 Watt R.S.L., Redneck Wonderland, The Real Thing, Capricornia and Flat Chat. Australian Top Ten singles were "Power and the Passion", "The Dead Heart", "Beds Are Burning" and "Blue Sky Mine". In December 2002, Garrett announced that he would seek to further his political career and Midnight Oil disbanded. But they would reform for two warm-up shows in Canberra leading up to their performance at one of the "Sound Relief" charity concerts, in honour of the victims of the "Black Saturday" fires and the "Queensland floods".
Midnight Oil won eleven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards during its career, including induction into the Hall of Fame in 2006. At the induction, ARIA chairman Denis Handlin described Midnight Oil as true legends that always led by example in a uniquely Australian way with music that is powerful, uncompromising, inspiring, entertaining and enduring.
In 2010 their album Diesel and Dust ranked No. 1 in the book 'The 100 Best Australian Albums' by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell.
Farm: 1972-1976
In 1971, drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James, and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie were performing together. They adopted the name Farm in 1972, and played covers of Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Led Zeppelin songs. They placed an advert for a band member and Peter Garrett (ex-Rock Island Line) became their new vocalist and synthesiser player, and began introducing progressive rock elements of Focus, Jethro Tull and Yes, as well as their own material. Garrett was studying at Australian National University in Canberra, so Farm was only a part-time band. They played for the northern Sydney surfing community, and by 1975 the band was touring the east coast. In late 1976, Garrett moved to Sydney to complete his Law degree. Farm then became a full-time group and so changed its name to Midnight Oil by drawing a name out of a hat, leaving behind "Television," "Sparta" and "Southern Cross." Midnight Oil came from the Jimi Hendrix song "Burning of the Midnight Lamp".
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