Power and the Passion (song)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Power and the Passion
| cover = Power and the Passion Midnight Oil Australian edition.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Standard artwork (Australian 7-inch vinyl single pictured)
| type = single
| artist = Midnight Oil
| album = 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
| released = March 1983
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| length = 5:39
| label = Columbia
| writer = James Moginie
Robert Hirst
Peter Garrett
| producer = Midnight Oil, Nick Launay
| prev_title = US Forces
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Read About It
| next_year = 1983
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|6pKPNnk-JhE|Power and the Passion}}}}
}}
"Power and the Passion" is the second single from Midnight Oil's 1982 album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (following "US Forces"). The song is one of the band's most famous, and it was performed on every Midnight Oil tour since the issue of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 as well as at the WaveAid concert.
At the 1983 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Australian Single.{{Cite web | url = http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | title = Australian Music Awards | publisher = Ron Jeff | access-date = 16 December 2010 }}
In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Power and the Passion" was ranked number 29.{{cite news|work=Musicfeeds|title=Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'|url= http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/songs-made-triple-ms-ozzest-100/|access-date=4 January 2020|date=27 January 2018}}
Lyrics and composition
The lyrics mention former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam and his dismissal in 1975, as well as the Pine Gap spy base, which remain controversial issues in Australia to this day. The song also makes reference to the McDonald's Big Mac and paraphrases Emiliano Zapata with the line "It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."
The song includes a drum solo by Rob Hirst; it is the only studio recording by Midnight Oil to feature a drum solo.
Legacy
In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Power and the Passion" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.{{cite web |url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History/2001Top30Songs.aspx |title=APRA/AMCOS 2001 Top 30 Songs |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)|access-date=2008-11-03 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.debbiekruger.com/pdfs/aprathirty.pdf |last=Kruger |first=Debbie |title=The songs that resonate through the years |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |date=2001-05-02 |access-date=2008-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709004348/http://www.debbiekruger.com/pdfs/aprathirty.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-09 |url-status=dead }} It was the second Midnight Oil song in the list with "Beds Are Burning" declared third behind the Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind" and Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock".{{cite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/awards/music/2001_topten.asp |title=The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |date=2001-05-28 |access-date=2008-11-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080803151339/http://www.apra.com.au/awards/music/2001_topten.asp |archive-date = 2008-08-03}}
It was performed by the band at the 2009 Sound Relief concert in Melbourne.
On 5 June 2012, the song was released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band 3.
Music video
The video for "Power and the Passion" was filmed in 1982 amongst the "Woolloomooloo Mural Project" in Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Track listing
- "Power and the Passion" - 4:45
- "Power and the Passion" (Dub Version) - 4:39
Compilations
This track was placed on the band's collection 20,000 Watt R.S.L.
More recently, the title of the collection Flat Chat was derived from the lyrics of this song. However, this song was not featured on that collection.
A newly remastered version was then featured on the band's second "greatest hits" album, Essential Oils, in 2012.
US 12-inch version
The US 12-inch single release features a little-known specially remixed version, mixed by François Kevorkian and Dominic Malta at RPM Sound Studios specifically for the North American market.{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/Midnight-Oil-Power-And-The-Passion/release/852177 |title=Midnight Oil - Power And The Passion (Vinyl) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs |access-date=2010-10-09}} This special version, titled "Glitch Baby Glitch", did not appear on the 12-inch single as released elsewhere in the world, including in Australia, whose 12-inch single featured the standard album version which runs for 5:38. The remix features echo effects added to Peter Garrett's vocals and a continuation or reprise of Rob Hirst's drum solo after the nominal ending of the song.{{cite web |url=http://twelveinch80s.blogspot.com/2010/10/midnight-oil-power-and-passion-special.html |title=Midnight Oil - Power And The Passion - Special Version |publisher=Blogspot |access-date=2010-10-09}}
Live versions
Live versions of "Power and the Passion" were not available legally until 2004, when the Best of Both Worlds CD/two-DVD set featured two. One (on the Oils on the Water CD/DVD) was from early 1985 (the Red Sails in the Sunset tour) and the other (on the Saturday Night at the Capitol DVD) was from 1982 ( the 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 tour).
The song's drum solo was often performed significantly faster.
Personnel
- Peter Garrett - lead vocals
- Peter Gifford - bass, backup vocals
- Martin Rotsey - guitar
- Jim Moginie - guitar, keyboards
- Rob Hirst - drums, percussion
;with
- Gary Barnacle, Peter Thoms, Luke Tunney - brass
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1983–1984)
!Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=200}} NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
|8 |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|4|artist=Midnight Oil|song=Power & The Passion|rowheader=true|access-date=8 February 2022}} |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1983)
!Position |
|---|
| scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web |url=https://i.imgur.com/860ttad.jpg |title=Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983 |publisher=Kent Music Report |via=Imgur.com |access-date=22 January 2023}}
|82 |
| Chart (1984)
!Position |
| scope="row"|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1984-12-31|title=End of Year Charts 1984|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=8 February 2022}}
|39 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Midnight Oil}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Nick Launay
Category:Songs written by Jim Moginie