Kylie Minogue’s music career began 35 years ago today when she released her first ever tune Locomotion.
The Neighbours star gave an impromptu performance of the song at a AFL charity event, which lead her to being signed to Mushroom Records. Originally she recorded the song in a big band style, but after working with producer Mike Duffy it was turned into a pop hit.
The song spent a massive seven weeks in the Number 1 spot on the Australian charts and launched Kylie’s massive music career. It ended up being the highest selling Australian single of the 1980s.
Following it’s success Kylie was flown to London to work with producers Stock, Aitken, and Waterman who wrote her next mega-hit I Should Be So Lucky.
When she returned to London in 1988 to create her debut album she re-recorded the song, and in Britain it was released under a slightly different title The Locomotion. The version that British fans came to love is a completely different recording to what topped the Australian charts.
Minogue recorded the track a third time, in a jazz style, for her Abbey Road Sessions record.
The song’s memorable video was filmed at Essendon Airport and the ABC’s Melbourne studios.
The tune was written by powerhouse songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and was originally recorded by Little Eva in 1962, and was also a hit for US band Grand Funk Railroad in 1974. Goffin and King wrote many other hits including Goin’ Back, One Fine Day, I’m Into Something Good, and Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman.
While Loco-Motion was Kylie’s first single she’s gone on to release over 75 more singles in her career so far, and put out fifteen solo albums.
Kylie’s included her first hit in almost every concert tour of her career, switching up the arrangement on different outings, singing it as a bluesy rock number, a jazz tinged ballad and on her Golden tour it was transformed into a disco-thumper incorporating Donna Summer’s Bad Girls.
Happy 35th anniversary Kylie!
Graeme Watson
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