You Should Know About: Cold Chisel
Tim B joins me for a look at the Australian pub rock band
Welcome to You Should Know About, a series focusing on one music producer, artist, or genre in ten tracks. This Week: Tim B of World Of Sound joins me for a look at Cold Chisel.
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I'm not familiar with the work of Australian band Cold Chisel outside of “Breakfast at Sweethearts”, so I had Tim send me ten of his personal favourites. I will be commenting on them as I listen to them for the very first time.
Who are Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is an Australian pub rock band formed in 1973. They've been recording off and on since 1978. While they have attempted to break both North America and the UK, they have remained most successful in their home country.
1). “Khe Sanh” (1978)
Chart Position: #41 (AUS)
Tim: One of Cold Chisel’s signature songs, written by Don Walker and released in 1978. It’s a gritty pub-rock classic about an Australian Vietnam veteran struggling to reintegrate into civilian life, grappling with aimlessness, alienation, and the party/backpacker culture. Musically, it’s driven by hard rock riffs and Barnes’s raw vocals. Though it peaked modestly at No. 41 in Australia at first, it has since become a cultural staple and one of the band’s most enduring anthems.
Mark: This Creedence Clearwater Revival-sounding track was added to North American editions of Cold Chisel’s 1981 album East. East would be the band’s only album to enter the Billboard album charts, peaking at #171.
2). “Breakfast at Sweethearts” (1979)
Chart Position: #63 (AUS)
Tim: Released in 1979 as the title track of the band’s second album, this song paints a vivid snapshot of Sydney’s Kings Cross nightlife and characters hanging around the iconic café of the same name. It blends rock with reggae-like grooves and bluesy piano, reflecting the band’s early eclectic pub sound. The single reached No. 63 in Australia.
Mark: Last fall, I went through a period of watching old episodes of the Australian pop music show Countdown on YouTube. A full performance of “Breakfast at Sweethearts” was shown during a documentary look at Countdown in 1979 that was similar to those year-by-year Top of the Pops documentaries that dropped about a decade ago.
Hosted by Molly Meldrum, Countdown lasted from 1974-1987, and was basically an Australian variation on Top Of The Pops. While the show presented a large number of local acts, many international artists, including Elton John and Kate Bush, also appeared as guests on the show.
While Sweethearts was a popular Sydney cafe in the 1970s and 1980s It has since been demolished, with a McDonald's built in its place.
3). “Choirgirl” (1980)
Chart Position: #14 (AUS)
Tim: A melodic ballad and one of Cold Chisel’s first big hits, “Choirgirl” was the lead single from East (1980). Don Walker wrote it with a pop-pub rock sensibility, encapsulating themes of youthful turmoil and emotional conflict. Its soulful groove and hook helped it reach No. 14 on the Australian chart.
4). “Cheap Wine” (1980)
Chart Position: #8 (AUS)
Tim: Also from East (1980), this track is classic pub rock/pop rock, featuring rollicking guitars and Barnes’s emotive vocals. The lyrics depict using cheap wine and nightlife to mask life’s disappointments and longing — a relatable theme in working-class storytelling. It became one of the band’s first Top 10 hits, peaking at No. 8 in Australia.
Mark: When Elektra Records released East in North America in early 1981, “Cheap Wine” was relegated to the B-side of the chosen single “My Baby”.
5). “Forever Now” (1982)
Chart Position: #4 (AUS)
Tim: Written by drummer Steve Prestwich, this 1982 single from Circus Animals is a melodic, reflective rock song about love and the passage of time. It represents a slightly more polished, introspective side of the band, and became their highest-charted single at the time — reaching No. 4 in Australia and No. 2 in New Zealand.
Mark: This was the last attempt that Elektra Records made to break Cold Chisel in North America. I can see why they went with this as a single over in North America, because it does sound like something that would have cracked the Hot 100 charts at the time.
6). “When the War Is Over” (1982)
Chart Position: #25 (AUS)
Tim: Another Prestwich composition, this emotionally resonant power ballad from Circus Animals deals with the aftermath of personal conflict and longing for peace or reconciliation. Its nostalgic lyricism and lush vocal harmonies made it a live favorite. It originally peaked at No. 25 in Australia and remains one of their most covered songs.
Mark: There's a rocking guitar solo in the middle of this that is probably air guitar gesture worthy.
7). “My Baby” (1980)
Chart Position: #40 (AUS)
Tim: Released in 1980 from East, this track stands apart for its poppier, soulful feel led by bassist Phil Small’s songwriting and Ian Moss on lead vocals. The upbeat melody and lighthearted love-song theme differ from the band’s harder edges and helped it become one of their memorable staples, reaching No. 40.
Mark: “My Baby” was the track Elektra Records chose to try to break Cold Chisel in America, with “Cheap Wine” being buried on the B side. I would imagine that the label went with “My Baby” because it sounds a lot like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
8). “Misfits” (1980/1991)
Chart Position: #55 (AUS)
Tim: Originally a B-side from the East era and later issued as a single in 1991, this Don Walker tune was written for a (ultimately unreleased) documentary about homeless youth. Its lyrics empathize with society’s outsiders, and the gritty rock sound aligns with the band’s rawer material. It charted modestly at No. 55 in Australia.
Mark: Again, definitely a Springsteen influence going on.
9). “No Sense” (1983)
Chart Position: #14 (AUS)
Tim: A 1983 single from Twentieth Century co-released with “Hold Me Tight,” “No Sense” showcases a reggae-tinged rock groove and quirky, narrative lyrics inspired by fan letters to Jimmy Barnes. It peaked at No. 14 in Australia and reflects the band’s willingness to experiment beyond straightforward rock.
Mark: Cold Chisel broke up in 1983, reforming a couple of times over the years. Jimmy Barnes had a very successful solo career in Australia. He is still recording and, as of last year had put a new album out. As for a Cold Chisel, their most recent album was 2019's Blood Moon.
10). “Hold Me Tight” (1983)
Chart Position: #14 (AUS)
Tim: Also from Twentieth Century, this brief, upbeat rock song combines humour with retro ’50s rock style — lyrically cheeky as it lists humorous group comparisons, and musically punchy. Released as a double A-side with “No Sense,” it reached No. 14 in Australia, though it received less enduring airplay than some other Chisel hits.
Mark: Thanks for that, Tim!
Suggested Listening
Circus Animals (WEA, 1982)
Tim: It’s probably Circus Animals. The Album Cover is fantastic, and “When the War is Over” is such a beautiful song. I’d say it carries that record more than any other track.
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