Forever Now (Cold Chisel song)

Prestwich, who could only play drums at the time of recording, had to hum the melody to the rest of the band.{{cite book | author= Anthony O'Grady |title=Cold Chisel: The Pure Stuff|year=2001|page=99|publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Crows Nest, New South Wales |isbn=1-86508-196-5}} Producer Opitz said, "The first time Chisel played 'Forever Now' on stage, it was a 7 minute version at Parramatta Leagues Club and I was blown away. I rushed to the dressing room and told the band, 'We've got the single!'" At the time it had the working title "Acapulco Piranha". Walker said, "'Forever Now' was a jammy idea that we were doing at gigs and doing at sound-checks and developing. Mark Opitz recognized very early on that this song has the ideas to be a single and be a very important song for us."{{cite book |author1=Mark Opitz |author2=Luke Wallis |author3=Jeff Jensen |title=Sophisto-Punk|year=2012|page=106 |publisher=Ebury Press |location=North Sydney |isbn=9781742757933}}

Prestwich later commented, "Mark was very happy and so was I. I'd always felt I had the ability. My biggest hurdle was to be unselfconscious about writing." Prestwich further felt that the "very melodic" song balanced out some of the rock songs on Circus Animals.{{Cite book | title = 100 Best Australian Albums | last1 = O'Donnell | first1 = John | author-link1 = John O'Donnell (music journalist) | last2 = Creswell | first2=Toby | author-link2 = Toby Creswell | last3 = Mathieson | first3 = Craig | author-link3 = Craig Mathieson | publisher = Hardie Grant Books | date = October 2010 | location = Prahran, Vic | isbn = 978-1-74066-955-9 }}

Main songwriter Don Walker said at the time, "The songs that the other guys are writing are getting so good these days, you know, like Steve has written a couple of excellent songs for radio, while this time none of mine were suitable for singles or anything like that."{{cite book | author=Michael Lawrence |title=Showtime: The Cold Chisel Story |year=1998

|publisher=Michael Lawrence |location=Belmont, Victoria |isbn=1-86503-118-6|pages=139–140}}

After the release of the single, Walker said, "Steve was drunk in the studio one night and was explaining that "Forever Now" is meant to be read on several different levels. But as far as knowing what those levels are and where they're leading, I haven't sat down with him sober and got right into it."{{cite journal | author =Jane Matheson| title = Cold Chisel: Risk-taking is Part of the Game | journal = Australian Rolling Stone | issue = 17 June 1982|pages = 14–18| publisher = Silvertongues Pty Ltd | location = North Sydney, NSW }}

File:Forever_Now_Cold_Chisel.png

Artists to record covers of "Forever Now" include Pete Murray, The Delltones and Perfect Tripod (a collaboration between Tripod and Eddie Perfect).{{cite news|work=Toorak Times|title=Perfect Tripod Australian Songs|url=http://www.tooraktimes.com.au/showthread.php/15255-PERFECT-TRIPOD-AUSTRALIAN-SONGS-album-release-out-23-August-three-Sydney-Theatre-Shows-in-Septem|accessdate=23 August 2013|archive-date=28 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928083844/http://www.tooraktimes.com.au/showthread.php/15255-PERFECT-TRIPOD-AUSTRALIAN-SONGS-album-release-out-23-August-three-Sydney-Theatre-Shows-in-Septem|url-status=dead}} A version by the Reels reached 135 in the Australian charts.{{cite web|url=https://www.bubblingdownunder.com/2020/01/week-commencing-30-january-1989-part-2.html|title=Week commencing 30 January 1989 - part 2|website=Bubbling Down Under}}

The song was later used in the 2000 Australian movie Chopper.{{cite web|author=Nikki Tranter|work=Pop Matters|title=Chopper (2000) |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/chopper/ |accessdate=20 July 2012}}

A video clip was made to promote the song, directed by Mark Lewis. It featured the band sitting at a table, with Barnes miming & Prestwich pretending to play drums on various objects on the table. It was actually shot in the Four in Hand bar in Paddington with a few modifications to make it appear like an airport departure lounge.{{cite book | author= Jimmy Barnes|title=Icons of Australian Music: Jimmy Barnes|year=2008|page=57 |publisher=roving eye |location=Springwood, New South Wales |isbn=978-0-9804495-0-1}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Cold Chisel}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1982 singles

Category:Cold Chisel songs

Category:The Reels songs

Category:1982 songs

Category:Songs written by Steve Prestwich

Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Opitz