VARIOUS ARTISTS
''THE MONEY OR THE GUN: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN''
1992
72:24
01 - Kate Ceberano And The Ministry Of Fun - Stairway To Heaven 4:16
02 - John Paul Young - Stairway To Heaven 3:08
03 - Pardon Me Boys - Stairway to Heaven 3:18
04 - Nick Barker And The Reptiles - Stairway to Heaven 3:25
05 - Rolf Harris - Stairway To Heaven 3:39
06 - The Australian Doors Show - Stairway To Heaven 4:00
07 - Sandra Hahn And Michael Turkic - Stairway To Heaven 4:17
08 - Helen Jones - Stairway To Heaven 1:31
09 - Robyne Dunn - Stairway To Heaven 3:29
10 - Neil Pepper - Stairway To Heaven 1:59
11 - The Rock Lobsters - Stairway To Heaven 1:54
12 - Toys Went Berserk - Stairway To Heaven 2:39
13 - Jodie Gillies - Stairway To Heaven 2:56
14 - The Beatnix - Stairway To Heaven 2:43
15 - The Fargone Beauties - Stairway To Heaven 3:31
16 - Etcetera Theatre Company - Stairway To Heaven 2:45
17 - Judi Connelli - Stairway To Heaven 3:24
18 - Barry Crocker And Doug Anthony Allstars - Stairway To Heaven 5:33
19 - Vegemite Reggae - Stairway To Heaven 4:06
20 - The Whipper Snappers - Stairway To Heaven 3:48
21 - Sydney Philharmonia Chorus - Stairway To Heaven 3:12
22 - Leonard Teale - Stairway To Heaven
REVIEW
By Batfink (July 9, 2004)
So you've heard Rolf Harris' cover of "Stairway To Heaven" on the wobbleboard and wanna get it on CD? Well this is where you'll find it, along with 21 other cover versions of the same song. These 22 cover versions are not so much a tribute to the Led Zep song but a wooden dagger driven through its heart by tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. Once you listen through all 22 the song has been well-n-truly killed. You'll be waking in a cold sweat at night with nightmares of a dystopic Orwellian world where the only song is "Stairway". The original won't ever sound the same again.
The concept comes from Australian TV compere Andrew Denton. Every week on his early 90s tonight show "The Money Or The Gun" a different artist would come on and slaughter "Stairway" in a different style. This album compiles some of the more memorable. Not only do you get Rolf singing it "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" style, you also get: John Paul Young singing it "Love Is In The Air" style; The Rock Lobsters (B52s cover band) singing it "Rock Lobster" style; The Beatnix (Beatles cover band) singing it "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" style; Elvis impersonator Neil Pepper superbly singing it "Viva Las Vegas" style; Barry "Neighbours" Crocker singing it Barry Crocker style; and Doors cover band The Australian Doors Show singing it "When The Music's Over" style, sounding as though this song was always supposed to be done by Jim Morrison! The one that had Radio One listeners the most up in arms in 1995 when it broke through in the UK was the version by actor Leonard Teale. His droll poetic recitation of the lyrics, sounding like a smooth-talking used car salesman, was just too much for some to bear -- the BBC's switchboard was jammed by complaints from irate Led Zep fans!
These 22 tracks are by no means an exhaustive collection, there were more versions from what I recall (after seeing all of them played back-to-back on late night music show Rage). Lamentably, one of my favourites, the Castanet Club's "toora loora loora lie" sea shanty version is missing. And a great opportunity was missed not to kick it off with the Hard-Ons own demolition of the song (from their Yummy album) where, after trying (and failing) to pick the opening guitar piece, guitarist Blackie swears and smashes his guitar instead. I guess putting Rolf Harris, Barry Crocker and the Hard-Ons on the same album would have been just a tad too surreal.
''THE MONEY OR THE GUN: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN''
1992
72:24
01 - Kate Ceberano And The Ministry Of Fun - Stairway To Heaven 4:16
02 - John Paul Young - Stairway To Heaven 3:08
03 - Pardon Me Boys - Stairway to Heaven 3:18
04 - Nick Barker And The Reptiles - Stairway to Heaven 3:25
05 - Rolf Harris - Stairway To Heaven 3:39
06 - The Australian Doors Show - Stairway To Heaven 4:00
07 - Sandra Hahn And Michael Turkic - Stairway To Heaven 4:17
08 - Helen Jones - Stairway To Heaven 1:31
09 - Robyne Dunn - Stairway To Heaven 3:29
10 - Neil Pepper - Stairway To Heaven 1:59
11 - The Rock Lobsters - Stairway To Heaven 1:54
12 - Toys Went Berserk - Stairway To Heaven 2:39
13 - Jodie Gillies - Stairway To Heaven 2:56
14 - The Beatnix - Stairway To Heaven 2:43
15 - The Fargone Beauties - Stairway To Heaven 3:31
16 - Etcetera Theatre Company - Stairway To Heaven 2:45
17 - Judi Connelli - Stairway To Heaven 3:24
18 - Barry Crocker And Doug Anthony Allstars - Stairway To Heaven 5:33
19 - Vegemite Reggae - Stairway To Heaven 4:06
20 - The Whipper Snappers - Stairway To Heaven 3:48
21 - Sydney Philharmonia Chorus - Stairway To Heaven 3:12
22 - Leonard Teale - Stairway To Heaven
REVIEW
By Batfink (July 9, 2004)
So you've heard Rolf Harris' cover of "Stairway To Heaven" on the wobbleboard and wanna get it on CD? Well this is where you'll find it, along with 21 other cover versions of the same song. These 22 cover versions are not so much a tribute to the Led Zep song but a wooden dagger driven through its heart by tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. Once you listen through all 22 the song has been well-n-truly killed. You'll be waking in a cold sweat at night with nightmares of a dystopic Orwellian world where the only song is "Stairway". The original won't ever sound the same again.
The concept comes from Australian TV compere Andrew Denton. Every week on his early 90s tonight show "The Money Or The Gun" a different artist would come on and slaughter "Stairway" in a different style. This album compiles some of the more memorable. Not only do you get Rolf singing it "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" style, you also get: John Paul Young singing it "Love Is In The Air" style; The Rock Lobsters (B52s cover band) singing it "Rock Lobster" style; The Beatnix (Beatles cover band) singing it "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" style; Elvis impersonator Neil Pepper superbly singing it "Viva Las Vegas" style; Barry "Neighbours" Crocker singing it Barry Crocker style; and Doors cover band The Australian Doors Show singing it "When The Music's Over" style, sounding as though this song was always supposed to be done by Jim Morrison! The one that had Radio One listeners the most up in arms in 1995 when it broke through in the UK was the version by actor Leonard Teale. His droll poetic recitation of the lyrics, sounding like a smooth-talking used car salesman, was just too much for some to bear -- the BBC's switchboard was jammed by complaints from irate Led Zep fans!
These 22 tracks are by no means an exhaustive collection, there were more versions from what I recall (after seeing all of them played back-to-back on late night music show Rage). Lamentably, one of my favourites, the Castanet Club's "toora loora loora lie" sea shanty version is missing. And a great opportunity was missed not to kick it off with the Hard-Ons own demolition of the song (from their Yummy album) where, after trying (and failing) to pick the opening guitar piece, guitarist Blackie swears and smashes his guitar instead. I guess putting Rolf Harris, Barry Crocker and the Hard-Ons on the same album would have been just a tad too surreal.
