A rare insight into how hitmaker and trailblazer Michael Gudinski inspired the soundtrack of a nation and revolutionised the Australian music industry. We follow Gudinski's relentless pursuit of success over five decades as he launches Mushroom Records and the careers of countless artists, promotes legendary international acts, and takes Australian music to the world.
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - You'd feel he's in the building, he's somewhere.
00:04 - Bam, he blasts through the fucking door.
00:06 We're gonna make you a star, kid.
00:08 - He's always looking for something
00:09 that somebody hasn't heard yet.
00:11 - He had the energy of a rock drummer.
00:13 - Max!
00:14 Michael Ganitsky, how are you?
00:16 (upbeat music)
00:17 - The late '60s radio had hardly any Australian content.
00:21 I couldn't understand why people
00:23 weren't supporting their own more.
00:25 That's why Mushroom started.
00:26 - The whole evolution of Australian music
00:28 was about to erupt.
00:30 (upbeat music)
00:30 - The first few years of Mushroom,
00:32 there was a crazy risk.
00:33 - People said, "Oh, this isn't gonna work."
00:34 If he had faith in it, the more it drove him.
00:37 - He has been so influential
00:39 in an entire continent's music scene.
00:41 That's how expansive he was as a human being.
00:45 - I imagine being a rock promoter
00:47 as the biggest fucking nightmare.
00:50 There has to be a reason why he did it.
00:57 - I'd just like to see that more Australian artists
00:59 get the chance to break overseas.
01:00 - He had something he wanted to prove to himself.
01:05 - Maybe it's an addiction of some sort.
01:06 Never stopping trying to make it happen for someone.
01:09 - There was every chance that I could have been
01:11 another one that had gone off the rails.
01:13 But we give it everything we've got.
01:16 When I get obsessed, I don't like losing.
01:20 - He came on strong, you know?
01:24 - His biggest strength was his ability
01:26 to connect with artists.
01:27 - Giditsky, where are you?
01:28 - Yes!
01:29 - Let's have a big cheer for Mr. Giditsky!
01:31 - Long live Australian rock and roll, thank you.
01:34 - Here we go.
01:35 (upbeat music)
01:37 (upbeat music)