Reflected

[threemonkeys]

Jordan Luck has just been inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. In fact, the first person to be so honoured. A little surprising that he was put there ahead of some others - say for example a Finn brother or Dave Dobbin. Personally, I couldn't be happier - Jordan penned some truly memorable songs. Of course I may be biased - he grew up in the same small country town as me and went to the same school - we were in the same soccer team for a season. Even then you could tell he was destined for some sort of fame. He was a bit strange and a bit different which isn't usually a good thing in the rural heartland and yet he managed to have the sort of charisma that made him popular with everybody. Quite a trick and something that you may wish you could bottle and sell.

Comments

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Interesting, in that I have absolutely no idea who Jordan Luck is. I used to DJ and have very eclectic taste, so I usually have at least some idea of who a notable musician is.

Though for me New Zealand music mostly means Flying Nun Records. I loved that label. Chris Knox especially.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

He was lead singer and songwriter for The Exponents. I'm pretty sure they were originally released on the Propeller label but I'm not 100% sure of that (not being close enough to my vinyl collection to check). Their first hit single "Victoria" was so big that one of the bigger labels picked them up and paid way more than Flying Nun could have afforded to sign them.

Flying Nun does represent by far the largest chunk of my local music collection too. Although Knox wrote some wonderful songs, I believe that the biggest contribution he made was the running around the country with his portable "studio" recording anything that moved and thus giving all sorts of artists a chance to have their music heard.

[lobelet.livejournal.com]

I too have absolutely no idea who Jordan Luck is. This probably means one of two things. Either he peaked (and possibly troughed) before I emigrated to New Zealand (in which case I feel no guilt) or he simply passed me by, overwhelmed by other talents such as the Finns and the Dobbyn of this world (in which case I probably ought to feel slightly ashamed, but I don't).

Sorry...

[lobelet.livejournal.com]

As an aside -- I've heard several songs performed by the Exponents and I detested every single one of them. They always struck me as being singularly talentless.

But my middle name is curmudgeon...

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

The Exponents big peak (if it can be called that) was in the early '80s. I suspect that personal contact has made me a bigger fan than I would otherwise be.

Which when all wrapped together does make you wonder at why he was chosen for the hall of fame. I can think of a couple of contributing factors. 1 - he has retired from performing while others are still active - not that that is much of an indication in the music biz. 2 - he has always stuck with NZ rather than heading offshore as all the other big names have done at some point or another - The Exponents have probably done more live gigs around the country than any other band around.

[russellk.livejournal.com]

'Darlin' I'll Say Goodbye Even Though I'm Blue' was for me the nadir of New Zealand music - which is a pity, as 'Victoria' was excellent.

Interesting these comments about Flying Nun records. As a kid I was best mates (and I mean best mates - we were going to be astronauts together) with Roger Shepherd, who went on to set up Flying Nun records. He grew up around the corner from me.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Darlin' I'll say goodbye... may well be moronically simple but it does seem to have become an anthem of sorts and still gets play.

Roger Shepard is somebody who really really deserves to get into the Hall of Fame. This also adds weight to my notion that everybody in New Zealand knew somebody at school who went on to become famous. I wonder how many of your old schoolmates are looking at your books on the shelves and glowing in the knowledge of such a short degree of separation from fame.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Err - thats "Shepherd". I couldn't even get it right when I had your post in front of me.