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. The ticking at the start was sampled into an Akai S900 so it could be played back in time with the song.
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.
