Swanee (singer)

John Swan
John Swan
	Swanee in 2011
Background information
Birth name	John Archibold Dixon Swan
Also known as	Swanee
Born	15 March 1952 (age 72); Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Genres	Rock, hard rock
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	1966–2014
Signature

John Archibold Dixon Swan OAM (born 15 March 1952), better known as Swanee, is an Australian rock singer.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1952. He is the older brother of singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes, and an uncle of stage performer David Campbell.

In 2015, Swan was announced as South Australia's Senior Australian of the Year^[1] and in 2017 was appointed an Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

Career

1952–1978: Early life and bands

John Swan migrated to Australia with his family in 1961. When his mother remarried in the mid-1960s, he was the only child to keep his biological father's surname, who was an adept boxer. Swan joined his first professional band, Happiness, as a drummer when he was fourteen. When he was seventeen, he enlisted in the Australian Army, and was discharged after two years of service. In early 1974 he was the drummer with The James Wright Band, moving on to Jim Keays' Southern Cross for a short time.

In 1975 he joined Adelaide band Fraternity replacing Bon Scott on vocals for two years. In 1977, Swan became the vocalist with Feather. This band had been known as Blackfeather in the early 1970s, but by 1977 no original members were left so the name was shortened. Feather recorded one single with Swan, "Girl Trouble", before he left in 1978 to establish himself as a solo artist.

1979–1986: Early solo career

Under the name Swanee by which he was already known, Swan released his debut solo single "Crazy Dreams" in 1979. An album, Into the Night, and several other singles followed but met with little commercial success.

In late 1981, his version of "If I Were a Carpenter" became a national hit, peaking at number 5. The single was followed by the 1982 studio album This Time It's Different which spawned another two hits, "Temporary Heartache" and "Lady What's Your Name", with the latter peaking at number 13 and was the 66th biggest-selling single in Australia in 1982.^[2]

In 1986 Swanee featured in an advertising campaign for West End Draught, a South Australian beer. The brewer provided financial support to Swanee's tours and he in turn appeared in the company's TV commercials.

1987–1989: The Party Boys

In 1987, Swanee replaced Angry Anderson as the lead singer of The Party Boys, a touring band with floating membership, formed in 1983 by Paul Christie of Mondo Rock. Swan's tenure with the band was the group's most successful period. A cover of the John Kongos song "He's Gonna Step On You Again" peaked at number 1 on the Australian charts. The band's self-titled album made the Australian top 20. Swan remained with the band until 1989 before going solo again.

1990–present: Later solo career

Since 1990, Swan's recording career has been less than prolific, producing only two singles that year, including a cover of Little Richard's "Lucille" for The Delinquents film.

In 1997, Swan released Heart and Soul produced by Danny Bryan.

In 2007 Swan released the album Have a Little Faith (Liberation Records). The project was recorded with producer /guitarist Mark Moffatt. The album was recorded with Nashville musicians. The album is a reflection of his past troubles and his love for the Blues.^[3]

In 2013 he worked with fellow Australian artists Ray Burgess, Tommy Emmanuel, John St Peeters and Marty Rhone, to release the single "Legends of the Southern Land".^[4]

In July 2014 Swanee released the album One Day at a Time, consisting of entirely original work, in collaboration with Darren Mullan from the Adelaide Recording Studio and Tony Minniecon.^[3]

In 2017 Swanee was recognised for his work with various charitable organizations with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM).^[3]

In June 2021, Melodic Rock Records released a 20-track compilation titled Greatest Hits.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
Title	Album details	AUS ^[5]
Into the Night	Released: October 1980 Format: LP Label: WEA (600076)	66
This Time It's Different	Released: June 1982 Format: LP, cassette Label: WEA (600121)	22
Bushido	Released: April 1985 Format: LP, cassette Label: Starcall (SFL1 0126)	73
Heart And Soul	Released: 1997 Format: CD Label: EastWest (0630188252)	—
Have a Little Faith (As John Swan)	Released: 2007 Format: CD, DD Label: Liberation Music (LIBCD9236 2)	—
One Day at a Time	Released: 2014 Format: CD, DD Label: Swanee (SWAN001)	—

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
Title	Album details	AUS ^[5]
Ready for Action! Live in the Snow	Released: October 1983 Format: LP, cassette Label: WEA (250241.1)	31

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
Title	Album details	AUS ^[5]
Days Gone By – The Best of Swanee	Released: October 1984 Format: LP, cassette Label: WEA (251477-1)	52
Greatest Hits	Released: 3 June 2021^[6] Format: CD, digital Label: Melodic Rock (MRR137)	—

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year	Title	Peak chart positions	Album
Year	Title	AUS ^[5]	Album
Credited as Swanee
1979	"Crazy Dreams"	68	Non-album singles
1979	"Samantha"	—	Non-album singles
1980	"Ol' Rosie"	—	Into the Night
1980	"Linda"	—
1981	"Mathew"	—
	"If I Were a Carpenter"	5	This Time It's Different
	"Samantha" (re release)	93	Non-album single
1982	"Temporary Heartache"	18	This Time It's Different
1982	"Lady What's Your Name"	13	This Time It's Different
1983	"Sail Away"	52	Non-album single
1983	"Motor Down"	—	Ready for Action! Live in the Snow
1984	"I'm Ready" / "Carrie-Ann"	22	Non-album single
1985	"You Ought to Know by Now"	—	Bushido
1985	"Turn Away"	—	Bushido
Credited as John Swan
1985	"Say You'll Do Something"	—	Non-album singles
1985	"It Could Have Been You"	—
1986	"(I'm in Love with An) Angel"	—
1986	"West End Girls"	—
Credited as Swanee
1990	"Lucille"	—	The Delinquents (soundtrack)
1990	"Blood Is Thicker Than Water"	—	Non-album single
Credited as John Swan
2013	"Legends of the Southern Land"^[4] (with John St Peeters, Marty Rhone and Ray Burgess featuring Tommy Emmanuel)	—	Non-album single

Other singles

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions
Year	Title	Peak chart positions
Year	Title	AUS ^[7]
1985	"The Garden" (as Australia Too)	22

References

^ 2015 SA Australian of the Year Recipients Announced, australianoftheyear.org.au, 12 November 2014
^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. 3 January 1983. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bio Swanee Music". Swanee Music. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
^ ^a ^b Pascuzzi, Carmine. "'Legends of the Southern Land' – a new Australian anthem". MediaSearch. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 302. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Swanee Greatest Hits". melodicrockrecords. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 22. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.