ABC‘s podcast series The Real Thing has really been doing the hard yards when it comes to discovering the sources of various bits of Aussie cultural ephemera. From uncovering Gary the Goat‘s back story, to locating the very first Bronson from Round the Twist, they’ve gone well on booting us right in the collective nostalgia glands.
But this one takes the cake. They’ve tracked down – for the very first time – the woman who did the R-R-R-R-R-RAAAAGE scream at the beginning of Rage. This is like finding the Ark of the Covenant. A reminder in case you’ve forgotten, or you’re too young and are more interested in who came up with the word VEVO.
It is, without question, a satisfying scream:
The famous yell was actress and singer Deni Gordon, who was paid forty bucks for her stellar effort. She told The Real Thing how it went down, and it sounds… fairly boring, actually:
I was doing some ABC TV show, I was in a studio, I think we were putting down some vocal tracks that day. Someone popped into the studio, needing someone to do ‘Rage-Rage-Rage’. I can’t say that it even took 10 minutes. Then I was done with it and never really thought about it again.
She’s actually kinda forgotten about it all, really, and no one really approaches her about it.
Photo: ABC RN / Alex McClintock.
“Maybe if I were receiving little presents or something every year … I’d think it was something that was great to be part of,” Gordan said. “But I hear nothing of it. I don’t have any contact with anyone, there’s no discussion from anyone.
“I thought it was just forgotten. Why would anyone mention it? No one’s ever said, ‘Thanks for Rage.’”
Gordon is a good mate of Marcia Hines, who she met when she arrived in Australia from the United States to play the lead role in the Melbourne production of Hair in 1970. She’s lived here for 45 years now, and has only just now decided to become a citizen.
And yes. They got her to do it again.
Go on. Check out more tasty podcasts from The Real Thing. They’re good. Read the full piece over at the ABC.
Source: ABC.
Photo: Rage.
