Alison McCallum - Superman and beyond

...a soul / blues stylist of considerable flare and passion (Ian Macfarlane)

1. Superman..... yes I am....

The present writer was born in Australia during 1956, and in 1972, at the age of 16, one of his favourite songs was Superman, written by former Easybeats lead and rhythm guitarists Harry Vanda (b.1946) and George Young (1946-2017), produced by English record producer Simon Napier Bell (b.1939) of Yardbirds and T. Rex fame, and sung by local artist Alison MacCallum / McCallum (b. 1951). The song was extraordinary as it was well produced, had an obvious American soul / funk feel, with some early 70s rock thrown in for good measure, and seemed beyond the realm of Australian production values. In fact, it was a proto-disco-funk recording way before its time, and the subsequent 1979 disco remixed version is difficult to distinguish from standard disco fare. Of course Vanda and Young - who were in England at the time of the song's production - went on to produce a series of hit records in Australia from the 70s through the the 80s and were behind the creation of AC/DC, which starred George Young's two brothers Malcolm and Angus. But back to Alison McCallum, the star vocalist of Superman.

Alison MacCallum is undoubtedly one of the most significant female vocalists of the early rock era in Australia, yet she is largely forgotten. Her voice at times was reminiscent of Janis Joplin, but then it also harks to later vocalists such as Amy Winehouse. Her preference for soul and blues was perhaps the reason she "disappeared" from the Australian music scene in the mid' 70s, where rock was dominant from that time through to the 90s, as seen with The Divinyls and others. Looking back, the writer was frankly amazed to rediscover her in 2025, and remember the impact of Superman, even though it only reached no.12 in the pop charts. Some songs are classics from the get-go, and this was one of those. The following article therefore pays due homage to it, and to Alison MacCallum.

Information herein has been compiled from a variety of sources (refer References section below). However, readers are directed to the Alison MacCallum Facebook page for a host of interesting material, links and commentary by fans.

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2. Chronology

The following chronology deals with biographical aspects of Alison MacCallum's life, though with a focus on her studio and live television recordings (1971-6) and career as a performer and backing vocalist from 1964 through to the early 1980s. She made a surprise return in 2022 for the Ted Mulry Memories concerts.

1951

* 7 April 1951 - Alison MacCallum is born at Maroubra, near Sydney, Australia. The beach becomes an important part of her early life.

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1964

* 26-31 November 1964 - Alison performs with Geoff Bull's Olympia Jazz Band at the Australian Jazz Convention, Newcastle, singling Careless Love, a song initially made famous by Bessie Smith. A live recording is know, duration: 4.21 minutes. This is Alison's earliest known recorded performance - a traditional black blues, with jazzy backing reminiscent of a recording from the 1920s or 1930s.

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1966

* Performs at the Australian Jazz Convention, Melbourne, with the York Gospel Singers, comprising Alison, Jeannie Lewis, John Bates, Bob Connery, Chris Dawe & Adrian Ford.

* Performs with the Gary Dartnell Jazz Group at venues such as the Sydney Jazz Club.

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1967

* Performs with Dr. Kandy's Third Eye - regarded as Australia's first psychedelic band which played a mix of soul and R&B. She shared vocals with Gulliver Smith, who later formed Company Caine. Members included: Mal Capewell on saxophone, Arthur Eizenberg on bass guitar, Zane Hudson on saxophone, Dave Kain on guitar (ex-Untamed), Alison McCallum on co-lead vocals with Gulliver Smith, Daryl McKenzie on drums, Kevin Patterson on trumpet and Bob Walsh on organ.

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1968

* Alison McCallum performs with the Big Apple Union, a Sydney soul band which grew out of the disbanded Dr Kandy's Third Eye.

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1969

* June - joins This Hallelujah Chorus.

* Records To Love Somebody (2.53) by the Bee Gees for Albert Productions and with backing by the band Tully for the TV show Fusions. Not released until 1979 on the Albert Archives LP. The backing features organ and flute.

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1970

* At the end of the year Alison joins New Zealand band Freshwater. She is with the band for approximately one year.

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1971

* November - Freshwater single I Ain't Got the Time (3.11) / Hello Sunshine (4.34) features Alison MacCallum in her first studio recording to be released. The first track has Alison on lead, whilst she is backup on the second. A live mimed performance video of the first is available from the TV show Happening 71, duration: 1.25 minutes, and a live performance from the Doncaster Sound Theatre as presented on GTK is included below. Comment: Alison McCallum's rich vocals raised this fairly average rock double to a new level, resulting in a great Australasian-penned release for the Sydney-based band (songwriter Kiwi Murray Partridge being one of the group's singing guitarists). The release charted in both Sydney (peaking at #19) and Brisbane (#11), resulting in a national peak of #30. This was the last Freshwater release prior to Alison's departure.

* Freshwater videos include a live studio version of Rare Earth's Born to Wander (3.17), Country Lady (4.24), and High Up in the Air (5.32) from GTK, and I Ain't Got the Time (3.05) live from the Doncaster Sound Theatre also on GTK.

* Freshwater, Together till the end of time (3.31), Live, Loud and Sweaty! Australia's live music scene of the seventies, CD, Canetoad Records, 1999. Bass – Dalls McDermott, Drums – Joe Vella, Guitar – Al Johns, Vocals – Alison MacCallum, Ian Johnson, Vocals, Guitar – Murray Partridge, Vocals, Organ – Peter Shane, Written by – Wilson. The song had been released as a single in 1969, prior to Alison joining the band. This recording is undated, though likely 1971.

* December - leaves Freshwater and joins Ray Brown's One Ton Gypsy for a brief period.

1972 Australian Pop Poster Pinups.

* circa 1971 - Harry Vanda and George Young record a demo of their song Superman in London and send it to Australia, where it is subsequently picked up by Alison MacCallum's manager and released in March 1972. The demo lyrics present a male perspective; MacCallum's are slightly altered and present an appropriate female perspective.

Vanda & Young, Superman (demo), circa 1971, duration: 2.28 minutes.

Lyrics (demo)

Superman was born and came into my life like a fire
Shooting through the sky, flying to the moon, even going higher
I know I'm going be like you, trying just as hard as I can
To be a superman

Whoa, Superman, if you can, I'm gonna be your lover
Whoa, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna be your lover

Indestructible, saving all the world from the bad guys
Looking through the wall, he can see it all, using X-Ray eyes
I know it's a matter of time, I'm going to do the best I can
To be a Superman

Oh whoa, Superman, yes yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
Oh, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me

Whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm going to be so happy, flying high up in the sky
I'm gonna be a good good man
Because everybody knows, that I can never die

Yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm gonna make you love me
Oh, oh, oh, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
Oh, oh, oh, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
I'm gonna make you love me

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1972

* circa January - Alison MacCallum and Copperwine perform the following live on GTK: I Believe in You, duration: 2.53 minutes; and I Just Wanna Make Love With You, duration: 3.50 minutes. Vocal backing by Jeff St. John and Wendy Saddington. The first track is a slow blues, whilst the second is more rocking and energetic on the part of MacCallum. Here she wears her Superman t-shirt.

* circa February - Alison goes solo and records an album for RCA.

* March - Fresh Water LP released on RCA Victor. Produced by UK producer Simon Napier Bell. First LP by an Australian female pop / rock singer to make the album charts.

Fresh Water (Simon Napier-Bell) (3:52)
Ain't Eatin' Dinner Tonight (Simon Napier-Bell) (3:19)
Anyway You Want Me (Chip Taylor) (2:34)
Lean Woman Blues (Marc Bolan) (4:25)
Take Me Back (Ted Mulry) (4:30)
The Last Time (Jagger-Richards) (3:25)
Organ Grinder Blues (Clarence Williams) (5:59)
Hippy Gumbo (Marc Bolan) (2:53)
If It Ain't Hard, It Ain't Easy (Simon Napier-Bell) (4:11)
Superman (Vanda-Young) (2:28)

* March - Superman (Vanda and Young) (2.37) / Take Me Back (Ted Mulry) (4.27) single released on RCA off Fresh Water LP. Recorded at United Sounds Studios, Sydney, with Laurie Pryor, Ronnie Peel, Lindsay Wells and others.

7" single sleeve, Australia.

Superman [sheet music], Albert Publications, Sydney, 1972.

Lyrics + chords (Alison MacCallum version)

Bm
Superman was born and came into my life, like a fire
Shooting through the sky, flying to the moon, even going higher
D                                                                                             E
I know I'm going to have to get you, trying just as hard as I can
                          F#
To get my superman

F#                            Bm                               G            A        Bm
Whoa, whoa whoa, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
                               G            A            Bm
Superman if I can, I'm gonna make you love me

Bm
Indestructible, saving all the world from the bad guys
Looking through the wall, he can see us all, using X-Ray eyes
D                                                                                           E
I know it's just a matter of time, I'm going to do the best I can
                          F#
To get my Superman

F#                                Bm                            G                A            Bm
Oh Whoa, whoa whoa, Superman, yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
                                   G                A            Bm
Superman oh, if I can, I'm gonna make you love me

|G A    | Bm |
|Bm   | Bm |
|G A    | Bm |

G                                    A
I'm going to be so happy, flying high up in the sky
G                            A
I'm gonna get my Superman
               G            A                            Bm
Because everybody knows, that we can never die
|G A | Bm |

Bm                                G                A            Bm
Superman. oh if I can, I'm gonna make you love me
Bm                            G               A            Bm
Superman. yes I am, I'm gonna make you love me
Bm                                        G               A            Bm
Superman, oh what a man, I'm gonna make you love me

* Live mimed performance of Superman, introduced by Geoff Phillips:

* Vol.3 Chartstoppers, Select Records, 1972. Includes Superman, plus picture of Alison on the cover.

* 6 May 1972 - Alison MacCallum - It's been a long time coming, Go-Set.

* circa May - Ol' Rock 'n Roll Boogie Woogie Blues / Have You Seen Your Mother Baby? single released on RCA off Fresh Water LP.

* 17-23 June 1972 - TV Times article plus photograph (illustrated at the head of this article).

* August - It's Time / Hippy Gumbo recording for the ALP election campaign, released on RCA. Song plus film clip (2.04) Written and produced by Pat Aulton.

* Would You Believe / Lonely single released on RCA. Recorded in England. There is no information available regarding a visit by Alison MacCallum to England during the second half of 1972.

* Alison MacCallum and Celebration, Hello Sunshine / You Can't Have Sunshine single released on Warner Brothers.

* 30 December 1972 - Go-Set music awards - most popular female artist: (1) Colleen Hewitt, (2) Allison Durbin, (3) Alison MacCallum.

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1973

* Fire / Teach Me How to Fly single released on RCA.

* Travels to the UK and Europe to perform Superman at the 8th MIDEM International Trade Fair, Cannes, 1973. Video recording, duration: 2.31 minutes.

* Delta Dawn - clothing parody of the Helen Ready hit of 1973, duration: 3.10 minutes. YouTube comment: Aussie singer Alison MacCallum sings the virtues of Delta Sportwear in one of their 1970's advertising campaigns. The tune is the familiar Helen Reddy #1 hit from '73, but with lyrics in the chorus amended appropriately e.g. "Delta Dawn, what's that outfit you have on, could it be what makes you hold your head up high" Alison's vocal is a bit more restrained than on her own records but nonetheless it's certainly interesting to hear this 40 years later. The song was also released on a 33 1/3 Flexi Disc through Embassy Records which is the source of the audio.

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1974

* March - Fresh Water LP re-released as Any Way You Want Me on RCA Camden.

* October - signed with Albert Productions.

* October 1974 - Excuse Me / Honk, Honk single released on Albert Productions. Duration: 3.10 minutes.

* To Know His is to Love Him (Spector) (2.37) / So Tough (Slater) single released on Albert Productions by the Hooter Sisters - Alison MacCallum, Bobbie Marchini and Janice Slater.

The Hooter Sisters.

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1975

* July - Alison aka. Excuse Me LP released on Albert Productions. Mostly Oz funk with strings.

Hot Burrito 3:49
Fade In, Fade Out 2:30
Hear My Voice On the Radio 3:09
Cry For Me 4:08
See What You Can Do 2:42
Like a Child 3:41
If Your Eyes Could Smile 4:01
Things To Do 3:07
Then 3:09
Excuse Me 3.10

* 13 August 1975, Juke music magazine article plus photographs.

* Outa Sight [compilation], K-Tel / Majestic, 12" LP. Includes Excuse Me.

* September 1975 - Gram Parsons' Her Kind of Guy (Hot Burrito) / If Her Eyes Could Smile single released on Albert Productions, off Alison / Excuse Me LP.

* Alison MacCallum, Fire, circa 1975, duration: 1.59 minutes. Performance on the Norman Gunston Show (ABC-TV Australia), probably from the first series in 1975. This was a non-charting single she released in 1973. The original recording had a more rocky arrangement, as opposed to the show band feel (probably Brian May) in this case. Her vocals cut through it easily, though.

* Play Me, live performance on The Norman Gunston Show, 1975, duration: 2.44 minutes.

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1976

* February 1976 - Love Grows Cold / Lunatic Love Part II single released on Albert Productions.

* 23 March 1976 - Standing on the Inside, Naked Vicar Radio Show, duration: 3.30 minutes. YouTube comment: Alison MacCallum sings a terrific, fiery version of Neil Sedaka's 1971 hit "Standing On The Inside" live on the Naked Vicar Radio Show, broadcast on the 23rd March 1976. Never before recorded or released by Alison, this is certainly a true rarity by one of Australia's greatest female rock/soul voice.

* November 1976 - Appeared on the satirical radio comedy, The Naked Vicar Show, series 2, episodes 1 and 2.

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1977

* May & September - Appeared on the satirical TV comedy, The Naked Vicar Show, series 1, episodes 1 and 9, May and September 1977.

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1978

* 7" EP Alison - Superman / Take me Back, Alison MacCallum (side 1) and Digby Richards (side 2), RCA Custom.

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1979

* August - Superman: The Best of the RCA Years compilation LP released on RCA.

* August - Superman (disco version) (5.03) / Take Me Back single released on RCA.

* Albert Archives – The Best Kept Secrets of Albert Productions 1965–76 – "To Love Somebody" (Albert Productions, credited as Alison McCallum & Tully, 1979.

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late 1970s

* Backing vocals on John Robinson, Pity for the Victim LP. Also on recordings by Billy Thorpe, Mark Holden and Doug Parkinson.

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2016

* 26 February 2016 - The Essential Alison MacCallum compilation (2 CDs) released by Sony Music Australia. Includes the following songs, of which 9 are previously unreleased:

CD 1
To Love Somebody - With Tully
I Ain't Got The Time - With Freshwater
Are You Coming? (Live) - With Freshwater (Previously Unreleased)
Hello Sunshine - With Celebration
You Can't Have Sunshine Every Day - With Celebration
Fresh Water
Ain't Eating Dinner Tonight
Any Way You Want Me
Lean Woman Blues
Take Me Back
The Last Time
Organ Grinder Blues
Hippy Gumbo
If It Ain't Hard, It Ain't Easy
Superman (Single Version)
Ol' Rock'n'Roll Boogie Woogie Blues
Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
19th Nervous Breakdown (Previously Unreleased)
Bedtime Blues (Previously Unreleased)
Would You Believe
Lonely
Fire
Teach Me How To Fly

CD 2
It's Time
Seven Nights A Week (I'm A Widow) (Previously Unreleased)
Can't You See It (The Writing's On The Wall) (Previously Unreleased)
Her Kind Of Guy (Hot Burrito #1)
Fade In Fade Out
Hear My Voice On The Radio
Cry For Me
See What You Can Do
Like A Child
If Your Eyes Could Smile
Things To Do
Then
Excuse Me
Honk Honk
Love Grows Cold
Lunatic Love, Part II
Play Me (Live) (Previously Unreleased)
So Tough - With The Hooter Sisters
Superman (Disco Version)
Lovesick Blues (Previously Unreleased)
In My Life (Previously Unreleased)
Deep In The Night (Previously Unreleased)
Political Science (Previously Unreleased)

* 7 September 2016 - Interview for a podcast: The Purple Haze Archive presents Alison MacCallum: Australia's greatest female singer of the 1970s, 88.3 Southern FM, duration: 133.46 minutes.

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2020

* Superman - Tom Mix 12", duration: 9.45 minutes. Disco mix by disco DJ Tom of Newcastle.

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2022

* 2 -5 September 2022 - performs at the Ted Mulry Memories concerts: Anita's Theatre, Thirroul; The Joan, Penrith; Enmore Theatre, Sydney; and Newcastle Civic Theatre. Live video from the Enmore Theatre concert includes the following three songs: Take Me Back (4.57), Deep in the Night (4.59) and How Long (4.44).