Very evocative and I didn't know that Tina Turner had done ads for Rugby League, but perhaps that comes from growing up in WA, which at the time was Aussie Rules all the way and very parochial with it, just the annual State of Origin match against Victoria.
You did what you set out to do. Or, maybe I'm thinking of what I set out to do with pieces in this vein.
I could see, hear, and feel the world of your youth reading this. The fact that an American song, from a quintessentially American singer, connected to an Australian girl's (and boy's) world is touching and I didn't expect it.
Before your account, I didn't know Turner had done anything for Australian Rugby. Nor did I know football in your country had a class split (fascinating). It makes me smile that Turner sang for the working class boys.
You put a bittersweet smile on my face. Really well done. Thank you.
"Aussie Rules" I've always thought was invented becuase you were too far away to have a proper war with anyone and no one in their right minds fights Aussies by choice anyway! :-)
My Dad played for Salford Colts in his youth. A League game and Eddie "Up and under" Waring on 'Grandstand' were a staple of Saturday afternoon. 'Nutbush City Limits' was the theme song of the Sod Off Squad, a CB radio club I belonged to in the Eighties, we even had a regimented club dance we did to it.
This, you can imagine, was a very welcome post! RIP my Dad and Tina.
PS: There are other codes of football? Wash your mouth out with soap, young lady! :-)
That video of the rugby stuff by Tina was amazing. What a stark contrast to what Australia is today, no hatred for masculinity in this video whatsoever. That was back when western countries were still mostly free of woke communism, and men were not looked down upon or hated for simply being masculine.
May 28, 2023·edited May 28, 2023Liked by Helen Dale
Thanks for a great piece. Interesting to get a glimpse of all that. Your solid writing chops really deliver and it would be much appreciated if more recall moved you to go on from there. Tina had an amazing career and is worthy of all the praise that can possibly come her way, but the details of the place and time are the best things about this bit. Untangling the odd threads of the past few decades - well, not ‘few’ anymore - is an endless task, but a fascinating one. Stuff like this helps. More please!
Oh my heart, Helen, this was amazing. Thank you for your sharing and of course, RIP dear dear Tina.
I grew up going to North Sydney Bears games, Dad a bear, mum a Rabbitoh’s (South Sydney) fan. Honestly I’d forgotten all about ‘league’ in my life (having lived in the US for 20 years now) until the last 2 weeks. Two things happened:
1) Mal Meninga was staying in the same little hotel as me in Sydney last week and when we passed by in the elevator it was such an odd remembering of his glory days. Unlike you I’m a child size adult at 5ft on a good day so he pretty much took up all the room in the elevator, and;
(2) When news of Tina’s passing hit me I said aloud “you (were) simply the best, Tina” and I remembered the footy videos and how that song would play all the time at games.
So grateful to have been guided here to your post. So looking forward to reading more.
Grew up in the Tweed Valley. We took advantage of Twin Towns and all the other huge clubs funded by pokies. My non-gambling parents saw them as a great pace for a cheap feed and world-class entertainment.
If Mark Knopfler didn't like the guitar solo, I'm with him. He's a guitar god (and indirectly
And the next time you visit Brisbane during footy season, I'll take you to a Lions game. Real footy!
Powerful writing, and such exhilarating video footage - makes you want to start lifting weights immediately! We Americans were totally ignorant of Tina’s influence outside the States. I never saw her in concert but watching videos of her singing and dancing always raised my blood pressure, in a good way, as her energy was contagious. Your writing and the images it brought up from the ‘80s reminds us of the power and the beauty of the human spirit, of how much we’ve lost in our present woke and broke world.
Fun story. I am a big Beck fan (RIP!), so I am biased, but not sure if it ruined the song. He plays perhaps a more appropriate solo on another cut on the album (Tina calls him out by name).
Very evocative and I didn't know that Tina Turner had done ads for Rugby League, but perhaps that comes from growing up in WA, which at the time was Aussie Rules all the way and very parochial with it, just the annual State of Origin match against Victoria.
You did what you set out to do. Or, maybe I'm thinking of what I set out to do with pieces in this vein.
I could see, hear, and feel the world of your youth reading this. The fact that an American song, from a quintessentially American singer, connected to an Australian girl's (and boy's) world is touching and I didn't expect it.
Before your account, I didn't know Turner had done anything for Australian Rugby. Nor did I know football in your country had a class split (fascinating). It makes me smile that Turner sang for the working class boys.
You put a bittersweet smile on my face. Really well done. Thank you.
RIP Tina.
This was lovely. You really took us all there.
"Aussie Rules" I've always thought was invented becuase you were too far away to have a proper war with anyone and no one in their right minds fights Aussies by choice anyway! :-)
My Dad played for Salford Colts in his youth. A League game and Eddie "Up and under" Waring on 'Grandstand' were a staple of Saturday afternoon. 'Nutbush City Limits' was the theme song of the Sod Off Squad, a CB radio club I belonged to in the Eighties, we even had a regimented club dance we did to it.
This, you can imagine, was a very welcome post! RIP my Dad and Tina.
PS: There are other codes of football? Wash your mouth out with soap, young lady! :-)
That video of the rugby stuff by Tina was amazing. What a stark contrast to what Australia is today, no hatred for masculinity in this video whatsoever. That was back when western countries were still mostly free of woke communism, and men were not looked down upon or hated for simply being masculine.
Thanks for a great piece. Interesting to get a glimpse of all that. Your solid writing chops really deliver and it would be much appreciated if more recall moved you to go on from there. Tina had an amazing career and is worthy of all the praise that can possibly come her way, but the details of the place and time are the best things about this bit. Untangling the odd threads of the past few decades - well, not ‘few’ anymore - is an endless task, but a fascinating one. Stuff like this helps. More please!
Oh my heart, Helen, this was amazing. Thank you for your sharing and of course, RIP dear dear Tina.
I grew up going to North Sydney Bears games, Dad a bear, mum a Rabbitoh’s (South Sydney) fan. Honestly I’d forgotten all about ‘league’ in my life (having lived in the US for 20 years now) until the last 2 weeks. Two things happened:
1) Mal Meninga was staying in the same little hotel as me in Sydney last week and when we passed by in the elevator it was such an odd remembering of his glory days. Unlike you I’m a child size adult at 5ft on a good day so he pretty much took up all the room in the elevator, and;
(2) When news of Tina’s passing hit me I said aloud “you (were) simply the best, Tina” and I remembered the footy videos and how that song would play all the time at games.
So grateful to have been guided here to your post. So looking forward to reading more.
Grew up in the Tweed Valley. We took advantage of Twin Towns and all the other huge clubs funded by pokies. My non-gambling parents saw them as a great pace for a cheap feed and world-class entertainment.
If Mark Knopfler didn't like the guitar solo, I'm with him. He's a guitar god (and indirectly
And the next time you visit Brisbane during footy season, I'll take you to a Lions game. Real footy!
I came here with reverence to write the following: Two men enter, one man leaves. Thunderdome.
P.S. Bust a deal, face the wheel. Thunderdome.
Powerful writing, and such exhilarating video footage - makes you want to start lifting weights immediately! We Americans were totally ignorant of Tina’s influence outside the States. I never saw her in concert but watching videos of her singing and dancing always raised my blood pressure, in a good way, as her energy was contagious. Your writing and the images it brought up from the ‘80s reminds us of the power and the beauty of the human spirit, of how much we’ve lost in our present woke and broke world.
The life behind the stack! More memories please.
Fun story. I am a big Beck fan (RIP!), so I am biased, but not sure if it ruined the song. He plays perhaps a more appropriate solo on another cut on the album (Tina calls him out by name).
Thanks for this memory! Recall Tina and Ike days ~ 1964; fell in love with Janis about the same time.
Tina was essential femaleness complete. RIP - simply the best.