"Man Overboard" is a song by Australian rock/pop group Do-Ré-Mi recorded in 1982 for the EP The Waiting Room. The song was re-recorded in 1985 and released in May 1985 as the lead single from the group's debut studio album,
Domestic Harmony.[1][2] The 7" vinyl version has three tracks, which were written by lead vocalistDeborah Conway, drummer Dorland Bray, bass guitarist Helen Carter and guitarist Stephen Philip.[3][4]
The song is the first Australian hit to include lyrics mentioning penis envy and pubic hair;[1] it also had no chorus.[5][6][7] The single version was produced and engineered by Gavin McKillop.[1]
The version on The Waiting Room is much faster than the recording released as a single. Some DJs would unwittingly play the EP at 33+1⁄3rpm. Conway said, "We would hear radio DJs playing the song at the wrong speed and I would sound like Nick Cave incanting. We'd heard this over and over and started thinking, 'Well, why don't we just slow it down?'"[9]
In 2001, Carter recalled the problems Do-Ré-Mi had with their record company over "Man Overboard" for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV series Long Way to the Top, "There was a real hit-maker mentality ... people would say 'It can't be a hit – it doesn't have a chorus... You're talking about pubic hair, oh my God!'"[10] Conway's memory differed. She said, "I remember it was us not wanting to release it as a single. It was us thinking radio would never play it."[9]
Track listing
All tracks were written by Deborah Conway, Dorland Bray, Helen Carter and Stephen Philip.[3]
^Nimmervoll, Ed. "Do-Ré-Mi". HowlSpace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
