THE MUSHROOM 50 SINGLES
CELEBRATING THE ARTISTS AND MUSIC OF THE MUSHROOM GROUP
[10 August 2023] Today the Mushroom Group shares the latest single from its Mushroom 50 project, with The Rubens putting their spin on Split Enz’s 1980 single ‘One Step Ahead’. Throughout 2023, Mushroom is commemorating fifty years of unforgettable songs with a project of reimagined singles, with artists across the Group covering some of Mushroom’s stellar catalogue.
The Rubens’ cover of ‘One Step Ahead’ brings together two bands that Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski absolutely loved. Split Enz gave Mushroom Records their first Top 40 album in the US (True Colours, 1980) and The Rubens delivered MG’s final number one with their fourth album, 0202, debuting at #1 on the ARIA Album Charts just one week before Michael’s passing.
Recorded during sessions for their own new music, the magnitude of the track wasn’t lost on The Rubens:
“It was a nice reason to take a break from recording our own stuff and have a crack at a classic. We wanted to make sure we were true and respectful of the original song while hopefully making it kinda sound like us. It’s always scary taking on an iconic song by an iconic band like Split Enz. You don’t want to let down the original group or the fans who have always loved the track, so the most difficult thing was probably just taking on the challenge in the first place!”
Split Enz is a seminal Mushroom band and undeniably part of the Group’s DNA. The New Zealand outfit featuring brothers Tim and Neil Finn, ‘One Step Ahead’ was the first single from Split Enz’s 1981 studio album, Corroboree (released as Waiata in rest of world). A pop gem written and sung by Neil Finn, ‘One Step Ahead’ was a Top 5 hit in Australia and peaked at #6 in New Zealand, #17 in Canada and #104 in the US.
ALL MUSHROOM 50 RELEASES
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Photo Credit: Giulia McGuaran
