Beds Are Burning

Midnight Oil

The Oils as we like to call them here in Australia, delivered one of the greatest Australian rock albums of all time, and it made them global stars.
AMS DMX 15-80S Stereo Digital Delay
Bel BD-80 Digital Delay
Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier
Yamaha SPX900 Professional Multi-Effect Processor
Midnight Oil Beds Are Burning
Recorded: 1987
Released: 10 August, 1987
Producer: Midnight Oil & Warne Livesey
Recording Engineer: Guy Grey & Greg Henderson
Mix Engineer: Nick Laune

Growing up in the 1980s in Sydney, Australia was a musical wonderland. Every Saturday night, the city was alive with the sounds of local bands playing in pubs and clubs. There was an abundance of musical talent to choose from, including Icehouse, Cold Chisel, Men At Work, Divinyls, INXS, Crowded House, and Midnight Oil.

Australian bands were known for honing their craft in the pub scene before making it big outside of the country. Midnight Oil was a standout band with their electrifying live performances and high-energy shows.

When they finally broke into the US market with their hit song Beds Are Burning, they had already been performing and recording music in Australia for nearly a decade. Midnight Oil recorded their album Diesel And Dust at Alberts Studios in Sydney, where they were more than prepared to capture their sound. (Originally, they had planned to record at Studio 301, but it was unavailable at the time.)

For Beds Are Burning, the band used an SSL 4018 E Series console and recorded to two Sony 3324 Digital multi-track recorders. They also utilized the AMS DMX 15-80 to trigger drum samples and the Bel BD-80 delay, which Peter Garrett loved for his vocals. Additionally, the Yamaha SPX90 was used for chorusing effects.

It’s no surprise that Midnight Oil’s hard work and dedication paid off, as Beds Are Burning became a huge success and helped to solidify their place in the international music scene.

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