RM WILLIAMS OUTBACK UTES ANNUAL 2010


Who knew that a drag race at a country NSW showground could end up sounding like a tension-filled duel straight out of the wild, wild west? Jayne Denham opens the song Feral Kev & General Leeroy with the line ‘On a steamy day in Cessnock, two men faced the truth,’ the tune is somehow imbued with an epic quality – complete with twangy guitar setting a dark, ominous mood. The song was directly inspired by two real-life ute-lovin’ characters who got the shock of their lives when the legendary producer Garth Porter phoned to say he was immortalising them in song. In fact, the road inspires other numbers on this collection including the wonderful girl-power anthems Trucker Chicks and A Women’s Touch. While Jayne knows how to belt out a rollicking good tune, this album also shows off her more thoughtful side. Note From a Soldier tells the touching story of a war time romance beginning with a soldier’s hand written plea fluttering from a troop train. And it’d be hard to find a more lovely closer than the hula-infused Beneath the Stars, which describes the simple beauty of lounging around an outback camp fire wrapped in the arms of the one you love.

“After her debut album Sudden Change In Weather, JAYNE DENHAM has worked out where she belongs in the scheme of things and made that ground her own with Shake This Town. It’s impossible not to love this album. It’s full of spirit, strength, humour and passion – a celebration of being alive, being Australian and being a woman. The women and trucks theme continues on Trucker Chicks and Road Train Fever. But she’s also captured so many other elements of Australian culture with songs like Road To Our Town, Wild And Free, Beneath The Stars and the energy–packed Shake This Town. Drag racing is celebrated on Feral Kev and General Leroy (based on a true story), the girls get the glory again on A Woman’s Touch and a distinctly Australian way of life is captured perfectly on Mad Professor. But for me it was the gentler song – the wonderful A Farmer’s Wife, Note From A Soldier and the magical Girls Of 75 that really brought a smile. Once again, Jayne has delivered a corker of an album full of personality, fun and great music.”

SUSAN JARVIS
Capital News


COUNTRY UPDATE DECEMBER 09


Country music chick Jayne Denham grabbed our attention a few years back with her hit song ‘Chick Ute’ lifted from her debut album. Now she’s looking to replicate that success with her latest album Shake This Town. There’s nothing tame about this album, the songs are catchy, the vocals are strong, and the result is world class. Jayne has had a large hand in the song writing, along with producer Garth Porter, and Colin Buchanan, and together they have brought together a significant collection of country tunes. Although they are on the whole pretty rocky, like the title track ‘Shake This Town’ or the captivating ‘Trucker Chicks’, conversely there are some beautiful and gentle numbers like ‘Note From A Soldier’ and ‘Road To Our Town’, while the energetic banjo and fiddle give the bluegrass based number ‘A Farmer’s Wife’, a sense of urgency.
There are a number of potential hits on this album, but for my mind ‘Road Train Fever’ might be the chart topper.

*Shake This Town- There is nothing better than a party happening in a country town. People come from miles away to get together, so that’s what this song is all about. Hope I get an invite to be the party entertainment!

*Trucker Chicks- This song is ‘Girl Power’ all the way, it just happens to be behind the wheel of a big rig. More and more women are taking up this career and enjoying it, so I wanted to write a song for them. We need good truck drivers in Australia to keep the country moving. Cheers to you “Trucker Chicks’’, I say.

*Girls Of 75- Cheryl Byrnes Manager County Music Capital News quote:
There’s a romance in the fables and facts of Jayne Denham’s music but The Girls of ’75 has a romance all of it’s own – a sentimental ballad looking back at youth with all the power that this Chick Girl can invoke. Girls everywhere will make it their own.

Garth Porter 27th July, 2009."
"Colin Buchanan, Jayne and I met to co-write for Jayne's album. Jayne talked about her life, and from that sprung the idea for 'Girls Of 75'. During that session we wrote a lot of the lyrics, but the music eluded us.
A few days later I was tinkering on the piano, and the melody just popped out. This is perhaps Jayne's finest vocal performance ever, she delivers, big-time !

*Road To Our Town- Matt and Adele, my song writing friends, were heading up the coast from Sydney and were reminiscing about when they use to drive through small towns, stopping for ice cream or Fish ‘n Chips. Now it’s a fast ride on the freeway and you miss the beauty of the small town. This song is a reminder to sometimes go the old road and visit a small town and when you do grab an ice cream while you’re there!

*Feral Kev & General Leeroy- After 'Chick Ute' I knew this next album had to have a ute song for all my ute fans. I had met one ute character along the way called Feral Kev. I found out that his main rival at Ute Musters was General Leeroy. I was performing at the Cessnock Ute Muster and these two had a neck and neck drag race. I knew straight away the direction this song would take. I wanted a western feel like you see in old gun fighter movies, so Garth went to town and wrote a ripper song. One of my favs.

*Note From A Soldier- A friend of mine was telling me about how his parents met. Myra Jean was on the station waiting for the mail train to come. Curly was a soldier on a troop train going to war and saw her on the platform. He threw a piece of paper out the window with his serial number on it so she wrote to him while he was away. The rest is history. A beautiful Australian love story during the Second World War.

*A Farmer’s Wife- I just had to have a cut time (ie fast tempo) song on this Album. In my live shows I have done a few songs in this style and they go off! A Farmer’s Wife certainly has a fast-paced life so the music had to match it. Garth thought it was a great topic to fit into a song. “So all you Farmer’s wives out there, take a bow. “You’re a bloody Legend'.”

* Road Train Fever- Colin Buchanan wrote this song for me as he knew I was wanting a few trucking songs. I really love this one, it’s too cool. Thanks Colin.

*Wild And Free- Luke and I came up with this song thinking about guys that live in the outback & love the life that’s 'Wild and Free'. This is about one of them called Jack. He is too cool.


*A Woman’s Touch- Oh man, we had fun writing this one. You got it - it’s a ‘cheer on the chicks’ song!

* Mad Professor- I came up with this idea about 7 years ago so I am excited that Matt, Adele and I have finally finished writing this one. There are a lot of women out there with husbands like this! They live on a farm or on huge block and there is still not enough room for all his stuff. They always have some new gadget they are inventing. They collect things from the side of the road and say “I could use that” and the list goes on. Their wives love them to bits but at the same time, they drive them crazy. They are the most lovable MAD PROFESSORS. I think every husband secretly, in some way is a Mad Professor……including mine. God love him!

*Beneath The Stars- This song reflects a side of my voice I don't often get to show so it was the most fun of all the songs to record. When Garth played it I just knew I had to record it. It is so romantic. The lyrics so beautifully paint a picture of sleeping beneath the stars in the Australian bush next to the one you love. The sound is old style 1940's country. I love it.