On the 26th of December, 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake created a massive tidal wave in the Indian Ocean. Over 48,000 people from 11 different countries lost their lives that day, and millions of people lost their homes and possessions. The island region of Sumatra, Indonesia (close to where the epicentre of the quake was) lost over 15,000 people alone, and aid took days to reach most places because the infrastructure was swept away. Island paradises such as Phuket, Thailand, were almost completely destroyed by the Boxing Day Tsunami.
Millions of people around the world would soon reach into their pockets and donate hundreds of millions of dollars, and thanks to the organisations like The Red Cross, aid was quickly dispatched and lives and homes slowly began to rebuild. One source of donations came from a band, The Wrights.
Before the Boxing Day tsunami, a group of Australian musicians had been gathering together, toying with the idea to make an EP in honour of Stevie Wright who was in ailing health. Stevie Wright was the former front man of the rock band ‘Easybeats’ (1965-1969) and also had a successful solo career. Unfortunately with fame and fortune, Stevie Wright battled with alcohol and drug addictions which ripped his life apart. The Wrights originally planned to donate all proceeds from their EP to the Salvation Army to help with drug and alcohol rehabilitation for thousands around the country, but after the Boxing Day tsunami, the Red Cross was included to receive a sizable amount from each disc sold.
‘Evie’ was originally written by Stevie Wright, and preformed by him during his solo career. The 7 minute, 3 part song is considered a classic rock track. The Wrights recorded the whole song, with band members rotating for each track.
Evie Part 1 (Let You Hair Hang Down)
The Wrights in Part One are:
- Nic Cester from Jet (Lead Vocals)
- Chris Cheney from The Living End (Lead Guitar)
- Davey Lane from You Am I (Rhythm Guitar)
- Pat Burke from Dallas Crane (Bass)
- Kram from Spiderbait (Drums)
- Daniel Vanda (Piano)
The track starts of with a few strums and the drums. But Nic Cester soon starts up with his very rock style vocals “I Got Some Money In My Pocket, I Got My Car Keys In My Hand, I Got Myself a Couple Of Tickets To See A Rock and Roll Band!”. The song is about a dude meeting with the very attractive Evie for the first time at a concert. She is 17, shy, but in the eyes of the songwriter she is the god. As Chris Cheney provides the backing for the chorus, and the whole group shouts “Evie! Evie! Let You Hair Hang Down!”. Soon the song progresses and Chris Cheney provides a very nice solo, highlighting why he is one of Australia’s greatest guitarists. Pat Burke’s bass work is solid throughout the track, and Kram’s few drum fills work well. The track builds up and Cester screams out and the track ends, ends into Part Two.
Evie Part 2 (Evie)
The Wrights in Part Two are:
- Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger (Lead Vocals)
- Pig Morgan (Piano)
- Harry Vanda (Strings)
While part one was solid rock, part two is the ballad. Bernard Fanning does a stellar job with the vocals. His soft yet powerfully striking voice that has led Powderfinger (with songs like These Days and My Happiness) combine well with the soft melodic piano from Pig Morgan. The backing violins from Harry Vanda give the song a whole different dimension as Fanning goes “Oh Evie! So Much In Love With You”. While not as complex as part one, part two is the classic love ballad, written to show how much someone cares for her.
Evie Part 3 (I’m Losing You)
The Wrights in Part Three are:
- Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon (Lead Vocals)
- Davey Lane from You Am I (Lead Guitar)
- Chris Cheney from The Living End (Rhythm Guitar)
- Pat Burke from Dallas Crane (Bass)
- Dan Knight (Hammond Organ)
- Kram from Spiderbait (Drums)
This is the albums climax. Part One was the meeting of Evie. Part Two was in love with Evie, and Part Three is losing her. The organ and the guitars open up part three, Davey Lane, and Chris Cheney swapping roles, and the powerful and arrogant style of singing from Phil Jamieson start up “When I Woke This Morning I Was King Of The World!”. The verse is laid back, with minimal guitar work, Kram’s drumming keeping the track moving forward. The chorus moves up with the backing vocals going “Before I Know It, Im Losing You!” with Jamieson screaming Oh Yeahs and Losing You over the top. The bridge works very nicely, bringing the song into its ending. Dead note strumming add some extra energy to the verse here as it leads into Davey Lane’s solo. The solo is short and sharp and fits nicely. The chorus goes through again until the song fades out. A very fitting end as Phil Jamieson sings “Im Losing You” one final heartfelt time as the song ends.
One song. Three very different parts, and dozens of musicians from the Australian industry bring you The Wrights with ‘Evie’. Each of the songs deserves a perfect 5 out of 5. Essentially, this album is just a cover song though, but it’s for a massively good cause, and The Wrights did such a good job of it too. The rotating singers showcase their respective talents, and it works well, it would probably be stupid to have it any other way (ie Cester sing Evie, and Fanning sing Hair Hang Down).
This album raised thousands of dollars for the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and all the musicians donated their time and equipment and it highlights human camaraderie. Unfortunately in today’s world it takes a massive natural disaster or tragic event for people to join in harmony for a project such as The Wrights.
Backing Vocals for The Wrights are:
- Chris Cester from Jet
- Kram from Spiderbait
- Harry Vanda from Easybeats
- Louise Anton
