The special 40th Anniversary release collection of Jimmy Barnes’ seminal album For The Working Class Man is out now.
First released in 1985, For The Working Class Man is full of undeniable classics, including Jimmy’s first Top 10 solo single I’d Die To Be With You Tonight, the Top 40 smash Ride The Night Away, and the beautiful ballad that he wrote for his wife Jane, Without Your Love. The album’s title track Working Class Man has taken on a life of its own across the last 40 years, its lyrics deeply etched into the Australian psyche.
To celebrate the album’s history and ongoing legacy, all twelve tracks have been newly remastered under the supervision of Bob Ludwig and has also been returned to a suite of limited-edition physical formats, some of which haven’t been in production since the record first hit shelves.
Mushroom Music are also proud to launch a new deluxe CD format – For The Working Class Man (40th Anniversary Tour Souvenir Edition) – with a brand new second disc featuring the 40th anniversary ballad version of Working Class Man plus 8 live Jimmy classics.
The must-see Working Class Man documentary recently screened on the Seven Network and follows on from 2018’s highly successful Working Class Boy, again with unprecedented access to the Barnes family, following the life and career of the Cold Chisel frontman and his award-winning solo career. It premiered at Melbourne International Film Festival earlier this year to rave reviews and now Jimmy will share this chapter of his storied career on the small screen.
And due to overwhelming demand, the year’s biggest party just got bigger, with the addition of three more shows – Saturday 21 March at Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point, QLD; Saturday 28 March at Centennial Vineyards, Bowral NSW; and Friday 10 April at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. Opening each show (aside from the Sydney Opera House and Rod Laver Arena) will be a very special guest – John Rooney.
John and Jimmy have a very special connection. On the night that Jimmy married Jane, Cold Chisel were doing a gig at the Comb and Cutter Hotel in Blacktown. The support act was a band called The Lonelyhearts – fronted by John Rooney. While Jimmy’s career remained on stage, John’s did a detour and he went on to become one of Australia’s best orthopaedic surgeons, operating on Jimmy.
Jimmy Barnes is the most successful artist in Australian chart history. He’s had 16 solo number one albums – no artist has had more – plus six chart-topping albums with Cold Chisel. Jimmy’s 21st solo album, DEFIANT, entered the Australian charts at number one in June this year.
The anniversary also inherently honours a dear friend who was instrumental in the making of the album. The late-great Michael Gudinski said, “I’m as proud of For The Working Class Man as any album the Mushroom Group has released.” Michael called the album Jimmy’s gift to his fans – “a record for everyone who’s believed in him … For The Working Class Man.”
For more information about Jimmy Barnes, the album For The Working Class Man, and tour dates, visit: www.jimmybarnes.com for details.
Images: Jimmy Barnes – photo by Jesse Lizotte | For The Working Class Man (40th Anniversary Tour Souvenir Edition)