Deadstar

Deadstar (styled as deadstar) were an Australian pop rock band

Deadstar
formed in August 1995 by Peter Jones (Crowded House) on drums
and percussion; Caroline Kennedy on lead vocals and guitar; and Origin Melbourne,
Barry Palmer (Hunters & Collectors) on guitar and bass guitar. Victoria, Australia
They released three studio albums, deadstar (October 1995), Milk Genres Pop, rock
(April 1997) and Somewhere Over the Radio (September 1999).
Two singles reached the top 100 on the ARIA Singles Chart, "Run Years active 1995–2001
Baby Run" and "Deeper Water", both in 1999. The group were Labels White, Mushroom,
nominated for three ARIA Music Awards. The group disbanded in Festival
2001.
Past members Peter Jones

History Caroline Kennedy

Barry Palmer
Deadstar were formed in August 1995 in Melbourne as a pop Nick Seymour
music band.[1] Initially they were a side-project for Barry Palmer
Pete McCracken
on guitar and bass guitar who was also in Hunters & Collectors
and Peter Jones (of Crowded House) on drums.[1][2] The pair Kalju Tonuma
invited Caroline Kennedy (ex-Plums) into the studio to write Michael den Elzen
melodies and lyrics over tracks of guitar music on the score they Anna Burley
had recorded for a proposed short film, The Baby Bath
Massacre.[1][2][3]

The group's first album, Deadstar, was issued in October 1995, it was produced by Palmer for the White
Records label and distributed by Mushroom Records and Festival Records.[1][2][4] Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane, described the album as a "mix of trashy pop and indie guitar rock [which] found a ready-
made market. There were plenty of loose arrangements in the songs, with Palmer's guitar and Kennedy's
quavering, imperfect vocals laid down rough and raw".[1] They released CD singles from the album,
"Going Down" / "Valentine's Day" (June 1995), "She Loves She" (October) and "Sister" (April
1996).[1][5] The singles were co-written by Jones, Kennedy and Palmer, except "She Loves She" which
was co-written by the three with Charlie Marshall.[6]

In November 1996 Jones' bandmate from Crowded House, Nick Seymour, joined on bass guitar – allowing
Palmer to concentrate on lead guitar for live performances.[1][2] Stu Thomas had earlier been approached to
join on bass but turned it down due to solid commitments in Kim Salmon and the Surrealists. Deadstar
toured the United Kingdom where "Valentine's Day" was issued as the A-side of their debut single for
Discordant Records.[7] Late that year, Palmer started producing the debut solo album, King Without a Clue,
for Nick's older brother, Mark, which was released in the following year.[1][4][8] Mark was Palmer's
bandmate in Hunters & Collectors, Palmer co-wrote five tracks with Mark and provided lead guitar.[8]
Fellow deadstar members, Nick (on bass guitar, backing vocals and piano) and Jones (on drums and
percussion), also worked on the album.[8]

In January 1997, Deadstar appeared on the Big Day Out tour.[1] In August that year they issued their
second studio album, Milk, which Palmer co-produced with Kalju Tonuma (Nick Barker, The
Mavis's).[1][4][9] McFarlane felt the album contained "garagey pop gems".[1] In Australia two singles were
released from the album, "Don't It Get You Down?" (September 1996) and "I've Got Something to Tell
You" (June 1997).[1] Both singles were co-written by Jones, Kennedy and Palmer.[10] In the UK they
issued "Sex Sell" as their lead single from Milk (titled Deadstar for the European market) on Discordant
Records. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1997 "Don't It Get You Down?" was nominated for Best
Independent Release.[11] Late that year Nick Seymour left Deadstar and was replaced on bass guitar by
Pete McCracken – Kennedy's bandmate from Plum and her future husband.[1][3][7]

By mid-1998 Michael den Elzen (ex-Schnell Fenster, Rebecca's Empire) joined on lead guitar and Deadstar
started recording their third album, Somewhere Over the Radio.[1][2] Its lead single, "Run Baby Run",
appeared in January 1999, which reached the top  100 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[12] "Run Baby Run"
was co-written by Kennedy and Palmer.[13] Deadstar employed The Killjoys' band member, Anna Burley,
as auxiliary keyboardist when performing live.[1][2] A second single, "Deeper Water", appeared in June,
which peaked at No. 28.[14] "Deeper Water" was also co-written by Kennedy and Palmer.[15] The album
followed in September and was co-produced by Palmer, Tonuma and Mark Opitz (AC/DC, The Angels,
INXS).[1][2][16]

During 1999 Mushroom Records owner Michael Gudinski sold his record label to Festival Records.[17] As
a result of the negotiations and subsequent sale of Mushroom Records, the promotion of deadstar's album
was compromised. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1999 "Run Baby Run" was nominated for Best Pop
Release.[18] A third single, "Somewhere Over the Radio", appeared in May 2000 but did not chart.[1] At
the ARIA Music Awards of 2000 Somewhere Over the Radio was nominated for Best Rock Album.[19]
The group disbanded in 2001.[2]

The band enjoyed mixed commercial success during their existence. They had some success in the UK and
toured there after extensive radio play of "Sex Sell". They were played on national Australian radio station
Triple J with two of their tracks listed on its annual Hottest 100: "Don't It Get You Down" at No. 70 in
1996 and "Deeper Water" at No. 74 in 1999.[20] They were picked up by commercial radio stations and
their music was used in TV ("Run Baby Run" on Home and Away,[21] Queen Kat Carmel and St.
Jude,[22] and Good News Week;[23] "Deeper Water" on The Panel)[24] and film productions.

Other projects
Before Caroline Kennedy joined Deadstar she played guitar and sang in The Plums, with Shamus Goble
on drums, Pete McCracken on bass guitar and Stephen Moffatt on guitar.[2][3] McFarlane described their
sound as "mixed strident guitar riffs with melodic pop roots" and Kennedy as "the band's focal point with
her tough-but-graceful presence, opinionated views and emotion-charged, if imperfect, vocals".[3] While a
member of Deadstar she also had her own project, The Caroline Kennedy Conspiracy, with Goble and
McCracken, joined by Ted Cleaver on guitar.[1] After Deadstar had disbanded in 2001 Kennedy,
McCracken and Goble formed The Kicksilvers with McCracken's sister, Jane on bass guitar. In 2002
Kennedy, McCracken and Goble formed The Tulips and they released a country-tinged album, In the
Honeycone (May 2003).[25]

Barry Palmer continued to write, record and perform with Hunters & Collectors during his time with
Deadstar until that group disbanded in March 1998.[4][26] Palmer formed his own label, The Devil's Music,
and continued to record, produce and write.[4]
Peter Jones worked as a session musician for various groups including in Ross Hannaford's Reggaebites
(2002).[27] As a producer he worked on albums by Stephen Cummings Firecracker (3 February 2003),
Close Ups (16 August 2004), Tess McKenna Boom Bam (2003), Rebecca Barnard Fortified (2006) ;[27]
and also worked as a teacher in Melbourne. He died on 18 May 2012 of brain cancer, aged 49.[28][29]

Discography

Studio albums

Peak
chart
Title Details positions
AUS
[30]

Released: October 1995

Deadstar Label: Mushroom Records (D24379) —
Format: CD

Released: April 1997

Milk Label: Mushroom Records (D31616) 91
Format: CD

Released: September 1999

Somewhere Over the Label: Mushroom Records 66
Radio (MUSH33240.2)
Format: CD

Compilation albums

Title Details

Released: August 2004

The Definitive Collection Label: Festival / Mushroom (337722)
Format: CD

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, with Australian chart positions

Peak
chart
Title Year positions Album
AUS
[30]

"Going Down"/"Valentine's Day" — Deadstar

1995
"She Loves She" —

"Sister" 1996 —
 "Sex Sells" (UK release) —
"Don't It Get You Down" — Milk

"I've Got Something To Tell You" 1997 —

"Run Baby Run" 64[12]

1999
"Deeper Water" 28 Somewhere Over the Radio

"Over the Radio" 2000 —

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry
Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the
music of Australia. They commenced in 1987. Deadstar were nominated for three ARIA Music Awards[31]

Year Nominee / work Award Result

1997 "Don't it Get You Down" Best Independent Release Nominated

1999 "Run Baby Run"' Best Pop Release Nominated

2000 Somewhere Over the Radio Best Rock Album Nominated

References
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40813100815/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=263). Encyclopedia
of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1.
Archived from the original (http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=263) on
13 August 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
2. Holmgren, Magnus; Warnqvist, Stefan; Wood, Kelly. "Deadstar" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20000517002128/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/d/deadstar.html). Australian Rock
Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original (http://hem.passagen.s
e/honga/database/d/deadstar.html) on 17 May 2000. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
3. McFarlane 'The Plums' (https://web.archive.org/web/20040828074644/http://www.whammo.
com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=638) entry. Archived from the original (http://www.wham
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4. Holmgren, Magnus. "Barry Palmer" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120217093936/http://he
m.passagen.se/honga/database/p/palmerbarry.html). Australian Rock Database. Passagen
(Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original (http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/p/p
almerbarry.html) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
5. "Artists :: Deadstar" (https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20041219130000/http://pandora.nla.
gov.au/pan/45627/20041220-0000/www.amo.org.au/artistb5df.html?id=1489). Australian
Music Online (Government of Australia). Archived from the original (http://www.amo.org.au/ar
tistb5df.html?id=1489) on 19 December 2004. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
6. " 'Going Down' at APRA search engine" (http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=
Going%20Down). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 August
2013. Note: For further information click on Search again and 'Enter a title:' or 'Performer:'.
 7. Demalon, Tom. "Deadstar – Music Biography" (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p294785).
Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
8. King Without a Clue (Media notes). Mark Seymour. Mushroom Records. 1997.
MUSH33040.2.
9. Holmgren, Magnus. "Kalju Tonuma" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121002233015/http://he
m.passagen.se/honga/database/t/tonumakalju.html). Australian Rock Database. Passagen
(Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original (http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/t/to
numakalju.html) on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
10. " 'Don't It Get You Down' at APRA search engine" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140222032
916/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Dont%20It%20Get%20You%20Dow
n). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original (http://ww
w.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Dont%20It%20Get%20You%20Down) on 22
February 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2013. Note: For further information click on Search
again and 'Enter a title:' or 'Performer:'.
11. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 1997" (http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/
1997). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
12. Savage, Grant (20 December 2012). "Top Singles of 1999" (https://web.archive.org/web/201
60311132850/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&search=deadstar&id
=33323&pages=). Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Archived from the
original (http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&search=deadstar&id=333
23&pages=#1095603) on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
13. " 'Run Baby Run' at APRA search engine" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140222033027/htt
p://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Run%20Baby%20Run). Australasian
Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original (http://www.apra-amcos.co
m.au/worksearch.axd?q=Run%20Baby%20Run) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 27 August
2013. Note: For further information click on Search again and 'Enter a title:' or 'Performer:'.
14. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Deadstar" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121104215553/http://
australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Deadstar). Australian Charts Portal. Hung
Medien (Steffen Hung). Archived from the original (http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.
asp?interpret=Deadstar) on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
15. " 'Deeper Water' at APRA search engine" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140222032914/htt
p://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Deeper%20Water). Australasian
Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original (http://www.apra-amcos.co
m.au/worksearch.axd?q=Deeper%20Water) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 27 August
2013. Note: For further information click on Search again and 'Enter a title:' or 'Performer:'.
16. Holmgren, Magnus; Shaw, Julian. "Mark Opitz" (https://web.archive.org/web/201311271640
26/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/o/opitzmark.html). Australian Rock Database.
Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original (http://hem.passagen.se/honga/da
tabase/o/opitzmark.html) on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
17. Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). "Mushroom Records - Magic Mushroom". Molly Meldrum
Presents 50 years of Rock in Australia. Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 87–94. ISBN 978-1-
921332-11-1.
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1999). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
19. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2000" (http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/
2000). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
20. National radio station Triple J's listeners have voted for Deadstar's tracks on annual Hottest
100 lists:
1996: "Don't It Get You Down" No. 70. "Hottest 100 History 1996" (https://www.webcitatio
n.org/6ELYWZg5I?url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/history/1996.htm). Triple J.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original (http://www.abc.n
et.au/triplej/hottest100/history/1996.htm) on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 27 August
2013.
1999: "Deeper Water" No. 74. "Hottest 100 History 1999" (https://www.webcitation.org/6
ELevkUZN?url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/history/1999.htm). Triple J.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original (http://www.abc.n
et.au/triplej/hottest100/history/1999.htm) on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 27 August
2013.
21. Home and Away: Songs from and Inspired by the Television Series (http://trove.nla.gov.au/w
ork/35488386), Mushroom Records. National Library of Australia, 2000, retrieved 27 August
2013
22. McCarthy, Maureen (1999), Queen Kat Carmel and St. Jude (http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/386
25850), Mushroom. National Library of Australia, retrieved 27 August 2013
23. McDermott, Paul (2000), Live Songs (http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7121463), Good News
Week Productions for GNWF Records. National Library of Australia, retrieved 27 August
2013
24. More Music Live from The Panel (http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/33149339), Liberation Music /
Working Dog. National Library of Australia, 2000, retrieved 27 August 2013
25. Kennedy, Caroline (23 October 2005). "Pregnant Pause, Then as Good as It Gets" (http://ww
w.theage.com.au/news/music/pregnant-pause-then-as-good-as-it-gets/2005/10/22/1129775
997154.html). The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
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whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=93) entry. Archived from the original (http://ww
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nespeter.html) on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
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Brain Cancer" (http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/crowded-house-drummer-peter
-jones-dies-after-battle-with-brain-cancer/story-e6frfn09-1226361115652). Sunday Herald
Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
29. Cashmere, Paul (29 May 2012). "Crowded House Drummer Peter Jones Loses Battle with
Cancer" (http://www.noise11.com/news/crowded-house-drummer-peter-jones-loses-battle-w
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Retrieved 27 August 2013.
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Moonlight Publishing. p. 76.
31. "ARIA Awards Winners" (http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/search?q=deadstar).

External links
Deadstar (https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bc121507-c6c6-48d9-95da-8807e9487abe)
discography at MusicBrainz
 "Poster advertising performance by Deadstar at The Continental Café, Prahran, Victoria" (htt
p://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/102332), performance date: 14 January 1999, copy held at
State Library of Victoria
Photos:
"26th September 99 @ The Royal Melbourne Show, Melbourne": "Caroline Kennedy" (ht
tps://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20030806140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36937/
20030807-0000/www.ozmusicproject.net/multimedia/photo/mel_mckenna/deadstar/ds26
999-1.jpg), "Peter McCracken" (https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20030806140000/htt
p://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36937/20030807-0000/www.ozmusicproject.net/multimedia/p
hoto/mel_mckenna/deadstar/ds26999-2.jpg), "Michael den Elzen" (https://webarchive.nl
a.gov.au/awa/20030806140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36937/20030807-0000/w
ww.ozmusicproject.net/multimedia/photo/mel_mckenna/deadstar/ds26999-4.jpg) taken
by Melissa McKenna, stored at the Oz Music Project
deadstar Interviews and Articles (http://www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/mezzanine/8704/ds_ia.
html)

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