October 30, 1982
Finally hitting the top in America after 17 months of toiling on music charts elsewhere, the labors of the five-man Australian band Men At Work finally paid off for their debut single Who Can It Be Now?.
Recorded and released initially in Australia and New Zealand in June one year prior, the record climbed to #2 in the ‘Land Down Under’ and to #45 on the Kiwi charts.
It was next issued in Canada in early 1982 where it hit #8 there in late July.
Those achievements finally led to an American release in July of ’82, and after a long 17-week climb, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 on this day.
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WHO CAN IT BE NOW?
Men At Work
[1982]
Filled with paranoia, the song was written by group co-founder, vocalist-guitarist Colin Hay and was evidently due to real (or imagined) continual hounding by bill collectors and others at the doorstep of a recluse.
The narration also includes the loner’s fear of again being taken away to a mental institution.
The guy blowing his lips off throughout on the saxophone is band member Greg Ham.
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‘Who Can It Be Now?’ ended the four-week stay at #1 by John Cougar with his little ditty about Jack And Diane. But only a week later, Men At Work was laid off from the top by the great ballad from Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes called Up Where We Belong, from the hit movie that year, An Officer And A Gentleman.
From Melbourne, AU, Men At Work won a Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” in 1982.
‘Who Can It Be Now’ was from Men At Work’s 1981 debut album Business As Usual.
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BONUS TRAK!
I couldn’t resist playing their followup #1 hit – and their biggest – Down Under … in which “women glow and men plunder.” It’s such a GREAT song!
A rare one-sided single issued in the U.S. by Columbia Records
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DOWN UNDER
Men At Work
[1982]
Of course, the most memorable line in the song is “He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.”
Made from leftover brewer’s yeast mixed with various vegetable additives, Vegemite is a popular spread enjoyed by the Aussies in sandwiches, on toast or crackers and as a pastry filling (I’m wondering if you can order a foot-long Vegemite at a Subway in Sydney?).
Released in November of 1982, ‘Down Under’ spent four weeks at #1 on Billboard beginning January 15, 1983. It also topped the music charts of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and five other countries.
‘Down Under’ was co-written by Hay and band co-founder, lead guitarist Ron Strykert and this time, keyboardist-horn player Ham plays a mean flute!
Billboard’s annual singles ranking placed ‘Down Under’ at #7 for all of 1983.
The singles Overkill (1983 • #3) and It’s A Mistake (1983 • #6) completed a run of four consecutive records in the U.S. Top 10 for Men At Work.
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BONUS VIDS!
WHO CAN IT BE NOW?
Men At Work
(Official “Live” Video)
[1983]
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Songs Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
