Jimmy Barnes
With the disintegration of the Australian band Cold Chisel in 1982, lead singer Jimmy Barnes embarked on a solo career. He teamed up with ex- Baby Jonathan Cain and produced BODY SWERVEand a self-titled album in quick succession. These were characterized by Barnes's rough and raunchy vocal delivery, and included erudite selections of blues, soul and R&B numbers. FREIGHT TRAIN HEART had a much bigger budget, as Geffen Records were hoping to break Barnes in the USA. With contributions from Journey's Neil Schon, Desmond Child, Mick Fleetwood and Jim Vallence, the result was a classic American rock album. Surprisingly, the album did not take off and Geffen dropped Barnes in 1988. A credible double live album, appropriately titled BARNESTORMING, was recorded in Melbourne on his 1987-88 tour of Australia. This surfaced on import on the Mushroom label, and eventually led to a new contract with Atlantic Records. TWO FIRES emerged in 1990; yet another quality album of gritty rockers and gut-wrenching ballads. Once again, it made little impact outside Australia.