(Cast)
Musican (sic) in pub Allan Kemp
Music Chris Neal
The song "Buddies"Performed byJohn Williamson
Written byJohn DingwallJohn WilliamsonChris Neal
Music Advisor Phil MatthewsMusic Co-ordinator Ken LaingOrchestral Conductor/Arranger Neil Thurgate
Curiously the song credited to John Williamson doesn't actually appear over the head or tail credits of the film - instead Chris Neal's instrumental theme is used, and the song appears over a montage of mining activity (around the fifty minute mark in the Umbrella DVD).
Lyrics for the song as heard in the film:
Let's branch out, make new shootsLike a real homeWhat have we got to lose mateThe only way to goUp with the sparrows, we've got some work to doPartners and parties, that's me and youMaking big bikkies and put the changes inIt's all just a game mateWe're in the ringDouble or nothing I reckon what we're sayingPartners and parties together all the wayHey I don't care if I'm rich or poorBut I've got to have a goWe could take on the world mateWe really could you knowCome, we're fair dinkumThat's all we've got to doPartners and parties, that's me and you...Partners and parties, that's me and you...(it then returns as a refrain, after Johnny and Mike have bickered about money and life)… I don't care if I'm rich or poorBut I've got to have a go(then with chorus)
I don't care if I'm rich or poorBut I've got to have a go(then solo)Fed up with the small time, living in a holeReach for the clouds mate, it's good for the soulTake on the big guns, you know if they can pissPartners and parties, you know we can't miss ... Singer and composer in dinkum country style, John Williamson is too well known to detail here. Williamson has a detailed wiki here, and at time of writing, his own extensive official web site here.
(Below: John Williamson)
There is a scattering of actual music in the film. A piano is tinkled in the pub, and the pub juke-box briefly plays a tune, and ostensibly Hans (played by Ralph Albring) plays the mouth organ a number of times, though by the sound of the mix and the way Hans handles the instrument, composer Chris Neal provided the music in the mix:
(Below: Ralph Albring in the film)
Composer Chris Neal:
This was an early outing for Chris Neal, and no doubt a happier one after his first feature film, the ill-fated Crosstalk, which was an early example of Australian feature film electronica. Neal would go on to a long career as a composer of scores for film and television.
At time of writing, Neal had a brief wiki here.
He also had his own website here.
The site contained this biography:
Early years studying classical piano and music theory were followed by an intensive
period of progressive jazz study and practise, inspired by the recordings of such great artists as Bill Evans, Bobby Timmons, Oscar Peterson et al.
By the time of the new excitement delivered by the likes of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, it became obvious that eclecticism was the only way forward.
The 1960's were alive with music. There were gigs around Sydney with my jazz piano trio (usually Tony (Toot) Simon on drums and John Butterworth on Bass)as well as the absolute joy of playing keys and guitars for many gigs with such well established rock bands as The Showmen and The Powerhouse, while the love of songwriting and composing grew.....
In 1968, the opportunity arose to assist legendary composer Peter Sculthorpe create the score for the Anglo/Australian movie The Age Of Consent, starring first-timer Helen Mirren. What a journey. What a gift.
A bizarre, life-changing accident led to a few months in Vietnam entertaining US troops. The time spent "hanging out" in Saigon set up the next extraordinary chapter of this strangely fortunate life....
Then followed the creation of the hippie, flower-power rock musical, Manchild, which toured Australian capital cities during 1971/72, creating several box-office records along the way.
A focal point of the early '70s was the creation of the solo prog rock album Winds Of Isis. This epic instrumental outing developed a small, but committed following and remains in demand to this day.
Another high point of the '70s was the development of an electronic score for Fritz Lang's silent classic, Metropolis. Live concerts featuring the soundtrack played live on the first commercially available microprocessor-based digital sequencer (The Roland MC-8)were presented around Sydney, while a film company sourced a high quality print to synchronise the music to. When the project was well into development, the word got out that Hollywood was working on a similar idea and the release did not go ahead . However, most of the music still exists in demo form.
The commercial scene in Sydney was thriving in the '70s. Movies, TV, TVCs and records - it was all happening. Ads for clients such as : Sunbeam, Goldenia Tea, Levis, Gilbey's Gin, 2UE, 2GB and Home Journal filled in the weekly slots not used up by record production work for The Marshall Brothers Band, Bob Hudson, Maureen Elkner, The Radiators, to name a few....and there was even an extraordinary situation in which I found myself engineering for the great, sublime Stephane Grapelli.....
By the time the '80s arrived, a career in film scoring was well underway, with many features, TV series, documentaries and kids dramas making up the slate. This remains the main focus today.....
In 1980, The Living Room suite of recording studios was setup at Chatswood on Sydney's North Shore. This became home to the creation of many scores and soundtracks for featurs films and television dramas for the next twenty years.
In 2001, we moved to Avalon on the Northern Beaches and set up Springboard Studios, which is still home...
(Below: Chris Neal)
The site also provided this TV and filmography up to 2010:
(* Co-composed with Braedy Neal)
2010 CASTAWAY series Northway Prod2008 BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE doco PrecisionPics2006 THE SLEEPOVER CLUB 2 series Southern Star*
2005 MDA – Eps 5–8 series ABC2004 FOREIGN EXCHANGE series Sth Star/Magma* NOAH & SASKIA series ACTF/BBC*2003 THE CROP feature Miracle Pics*2001 THE CRASH ZONE 2 series ACTF/Disney2000 FARSCAPE 2 series Jim Henson Co*1999 FARSCAPE series Nine TV/Henson* TIME AND TIDE telemv ABC Prod1998 THE CRASH ZONE series ACTF/Disney* MUMBO JUMBO telemv Artist Services 13 GANTRY ROW telemv Rob Bruning Prod1997 PACIFIC DRIVE 2 series Village Roadshow*1996 PACIFIC DRIVE series Village Roadshow*1995 CORRELLI series ABC JOHNSON & FRIENDS 6 series Film Australia*1994 HEARTLAND series Northway Prod* THE DAMNATION OF HARVEY MCHUGH series ABC GP 6 series ABC/Matt Carroll* LIFT OFF 3 series ACTF Prod* JOHNSON & FRIENDS 5 series Film Australia*1993 LAW OF THE LAND series Roadshow Coote Carroll JACK BE NIMBLE feature Zee Films (NZ) GP 5 series ABC/Matt Carroll LIFT OFF 2 series ACTF Prod JOHNSON & FRIENDS 4 series Film Australia FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY 4 series Pro Films (NZ)1992 THE NOSTRADAMUS KID feature Simpson leMesurier LIFT OFF 1 series ACTF Prod FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY 3 series Pro Films (NZ) BUTTERFLY ISLAND series Mediacast GP 4 series ABC/Matt Carroll JOHSON & FRIENDS 3 series Film Australia1991 TURTLE BEACH feature Village Roadshow GP 3 series ABC/Matt Carroll JOHNSON & FRIENDS 2 series Film Australia FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY 2 series Pro Films (NZ)1990 JOHNSON & FRIENDS series Film Australia FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY series Pro Films (NZ) THE PAPER MAN series Roadshow Coote Carroll TROUBLE IN PARADISE feature Regency Pictures1989 SHADOW OF THE COBRA series View Films CELIA feature Seon Films THE BIG WISH telemv ACTF Prod1988 EMERALD CITY feature Limelight Prod GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM feature Smiley Films MARY McKILLOP telemv Film Australia
SOLDIER SETTLER telemv Film Australia PETER & POMPEY telemv ACTF Prod PRINCESS KATE telemv ACTF Prod BARRACUDA telemv Amalgamated Portman1987 GROUND ZERO feature GZ Productions THE SHIRALEE series SA Film Corp1986 BULLSEYE feature PBL Prod THE PLACE AT THE COAST feature Daedalus Films ARMY WIVES series Village Roadshow1985 NIEL LYNNE feature David Baker Films SHORT CHANGED feature Ross Matthews Prod AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 WAYS feature Palm Beach Pictures 5 TIMES DIZZY series Samson Films THE LONG WAY HOME telemv ABC DOUBLE SCULLS telemv Smiley Films ARCHER telemv Village Roadshow NATURAL CAUSES telemv ABC1984 BUDDIES feature JD Prod REBEL feature P Emmanuel Prod BODYLINE series Kennedy Miller PALACE OF DREAMS series ABC CRIME OF THE DECADE telemv ABC TOP KID telemv ACTF Prod TARFLOWERS telemv ACTF Prod QUEST BEYOND TIME telemv ACTF Prod1983 THE CITY'S EDGE feature CB Films1981 CROSSTALK feature Walltowall Films
The score for the film was released on LP and on 45, but as the film did no business, neither did the music. The LP title continued the tendency for the film to be called Buddies: Getting Even!, though this was the promotional title and not the main title seen in the film:
LP Festival L-38196 (CA C-38196) 1984 "BUDDIES: GETTING EVEN!"Composed and Produced by Chris NealArranged by Chris Neal, Neil ThurgateBrass and Strings Conducted by Neil ThurgateMusical Co-ordination: Ken LaingExecutive Producer: Phil Matthews
SIDE 1: Buddies: Getting Even! - Main Theme (2'24")Drive Like A Madman (1'20")Andy The Menace (1'43")Victory Drive (3'13")The Bellbirds (1'32")(Henry Kendall) (Spoken by Simon Chilvers) (Control)Buddies: Getting Even Song (Have A Go) (3'17 ') (John Dingwall - Chris Neal - John Williamson) Vocals: John WilliamsonBad News (0'30")The Scam (3'49")
SIDE 2:Goodbye (2'30")On The Scoot (0'43")Mike And Johnny (3'33")The Battle (4'50")Goodbye (Reprise) (1'13")Buddies: Getting Even! Theme - Driving Version (3'51")
45 Festival K-9204 1983Produced by Chris Neal J. D. Productions Pty. Ltd. Australia
Side A:The Buddies Song (Have A Go) (3'17") (J. Dingwall - C. Neal - J. Williamson) Vocals:
John Williamson (J. D. Prods/Matthews)
Side B: The Main Theme “Buddies” (Instrumental) (2'24") (C. Neal) Chris Neal (J. D. Prods/Matthews)
The Buddies Song by Williamson was also released on Humble Beginnings, Gumleaf/Festival 1985, a two album compilation of his early works (it was also released on CD):