Mary Mac

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"Mary Mac"
Single by The Blackeyed Susans
from the album Mouth To Mouth
ReleasedOctober 1996
RecordedFortissimo Sound Studios
South Melbourne
Autumn 1995
GenreRock / Folk rock
Length16:11
LabelHi Gloss Records
Songwriter(s)Phil Kakulas
Producer(s)Phil Kakulas
The Blackeyed Susans singles chronology
"Let’s Live"
(1995)
"Mary Mac"
(1996)
"Smokin' Johnny Cash"
(1997)

"Mary Mac" was the second single released by Australian rock band The Blackeyed Susans from their fourth studio album, Mouth To Mouth. It was released on the Hi Gloss Record label in October 1996, three months after the album's release. The song was recorded as part of the band's recording of Mouth to Mouth during the autumn of 1995 at the Fortissimo Sound Studios in Melbourne. The single proved to be the band’s most successful thus far and the song an essential part of The Blackeyed Susans' catalog. The B-sides were bonus tracks, comprising: a cover of The Go-Betweens song, "Dive for Your Memory"; a cover of Canadian country music artist Hank Snow's "Ninety Miles Per Hour"; and an original, "Someone Watching Over Me", which was recorded by Phil Kakulas on an 8-track in a spare room in Abbotsford 1992.

In a review of the album on AllMusic, Ned Raggett describes the lyrics of the song as being "unsurprisingly not quite as easygoing as the music" and the backing vocals from Kathryn Wemyss as adding "to the jaunty feeling of the piece".[1] In David Landgren's album review he states that "after you've heard it [Mary Mac] a couple of times it's difficult to avoid not wanting to singing along (i.e.: bellowing at the top of your voice) yourself."[2]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Mary Mac"Phil Kakulas[3]Phil Kakulas3:40
2."Dive for Your Memory"Grant McLennan, Robert Forster[4]Phil Kakulas5:22
3."90 Miles Per Hour (Down a Dead End Street)"Don Robertson, Hal BlairThe Blackeyed Susans3:17
4."Someone Watching Over Me"David McComb, Will Akers[5] 3:52

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

Track 1
  • Rob Snarski - vocals, guitars, robeno
  • Phil Kakulas - bass, percussion
  • Kiernan Box - piano, organ
  • Dan Luscombe - fuzz guitar
  • Kathryn Wemyss - backing vocals
  • Nick Elliott - tambourine
  • Ashley Davies - drums
Track 2
  • Rob Snarski - vocals, guitars
  • Phil Kakulas - electric, double bass
  • Kiernan Box - piano, organ
Track 3
  • Rob Snarski - vocals, guitars
  • Phil Kakulas - electric, double bass
  • Kiernan Box - piano, organ
Track 4

Production credits[edit]

  • Phil Kakulas - Producer (tracks 1 and 2), Recording (track 4), Mixing (track 4)
  • Victor van Vugt - Recording (track 1)
  • Andy Parsons - Recording (tracks 2 and 3), Mixing (track 2)
  • Tony Cohen - Mixing (tracks 1 and 3)
  • Julian Wu - Mixing (track 4)
  • Don Bartley - Mastering
  • Tony Mahony - Photography

References[edit]

  1. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Mouth to Mouth - The Blackeyed Susans". AllMusicz. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ^ Landgren, David. "The Blackeyed Susans: Mouth to Mouth". Wesnet. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  3. ^ "'Mary Mac' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015. Note: User may have to click on 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:', e.g. Mary Mac; or at 'Performer:' Blackeyed Susans.
  4. ^ "'Dive For Your Memory' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015. Note: User may have to click on 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:', e.g. Dive For Your Memory; or at 'Performer:' Blackeyed Susans.
  5. ^ "'Someone Watching Over Me' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015. Note: User may have to click on 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:', e.g. Someone Watching Over Me; or at 'Performer:' Blackeyed Susans.