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May 7, 2006

RIP Go-Betweens' Grant McLennan

Via go-betweens.net:

On Saturday 6th May 2006, legendary Australian singer-songwriter and member of The Go-Betweens Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, whether personally or through his music.

McLennan was only 48 and cause of death is unknown. Two classic tunes from the duo:

The Go-Betweens - "That Way" (MP3 Link Expired)
The Go-Betweens - "Streets Of Your Town" (MP3 Link Expired)

Fans grieve on the official G-B board. Share your thoughts, favorite tunes...

Posted at 12:14 PM in




17 Comments

Jesus, just less than a year ago the Go-Betweens released their LP. They were always a great, underrated & Grant will surely be missed.

Posted by: Apexa at 05/07/06 2:52 PM | Reply
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I've got a big thing for "Love Goes On" and the entire 16 Lovers Lane and Liberty Bell LP's for that matter. R.I.P. So sad.

Posted by: Paul H. at 05/07/06 5:50 PM | Reply
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And to think, the Go-Betweens' last 3 albums were among the best of their career. Utterly, utterly tragic.

Posted by: crittick at 05/07/06 8:37 PM | Reply
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One of the great underheard bands of the last 20-odd years, and Grant one of the great songwriters of the last 50 or so. I remember the first time I heard them, "I Just Get Caught Out"...Truly, a tragedy.

Posted by: John at 05/07/06 8:48 PM | Reply
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that's terrible!

i also really loved that Jack Frost album Grant did with Steve Kilbey.

Posted by: richard at 05/08/06 9:32 AM | Reply
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that's really really sad...

Posted by: Brendan at 05/08/06 12:24 PM | Reply
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The GB's 1980's output could rank alongside the Smiths'. This is a terrible, terrible loss for the music world.

Posted by: drewo at 05/08/06 12:38 PM | Reply
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"caught in your light ray"
Thanks for the music. R.I.P.

Posted by: Lucky at 05/09/06 12:37 AM | Reply
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thank God for Grant McLennan

Posted by: elizreil at 05/09/06 11:12 PM | Reply
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I live in Brisbane quite near Bellavista Terrace. The news is that he died in his sleep while resting before going out to a party. I think it was a heart attack. The Go-Betweens have been such a part of my life for the last 10 years and it mattered to me a great deal that they came from the place that I was born and grew up in. I shed a tear on SUnday and I think I will again. His funeral is this Friday.

Posted by: Brisbane Boy at 05/10/06 8:32 AM | Reply
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What a sad day...much sympathy and love to his family partner and son and friends.

Posted by: Marian Stout at 05/11/06 5:16 PM | Reply
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ahhh, yes, love goes on...

Posted by: cindy at 05/11/06 11:54 PM | Reply
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ouch.... I live in the US and I JUST NOW found out. Wow for a guy I never met, I feel like I've lost a lot. I hope my work mates dont have to see a grown man cry today.

Posted by: Matt at 05/17/06 5:07 PM | Reply
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The album Horsebreaker Star, and all the Go-Betweens' records, helped me get through my PhD dissertation days in Seattle. I used to play on my guitar "From my lips" for friends. McLennan was a great songwriter, and I'm very saddened by this loss.

Posted by: brandon at 05/18/06 9:26 AM | Reply
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Grant and the Go-Betweens formed the sountrack to the last 20 years of my life. I feel really saddened by his death. My thoughts are with his family, the band and friends. Rest in peace.

James.

Posted by: James O' Grady at 05/19/06 5:13 PM | Reply
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McLennan's songs were timeless. For me it was the sheer sonic beauty and tenderness of songs like Bye Bye Pride and Quiet Heart although critics tend to revere songs he wrote such as Streets of Your Town and Cattle and Cane.

His solo album Fireboy from 1993 still gets a regular spin in my CD tray. Haunting songs like The Pawnbroker, Riddle in the Rain, Dark Side of Town, Fingers, Signs of Life, When I Close My Eyes etc.

When a great person dies it can be sad. I felt an immediate sense of loss, which is funny cos I didn't know him, but his songs were such an embodiment of life and the odd one got me thru some dark times in my life.

When Grant McLennan died though he was very happy. Celebrating life with a new house, a new partner and a stitched up deal whereby he'd sold his back catalogue to EMI. He died a few hours after decorating his new house for a house-warming, feeling a little ill and going to bed early. I think that McLennan's death must be incredibly sad for his friends and family. For those of us who loved his music there will be no more live gigs, no doubt some release in the not too distant future of the album of songs he had written but not released. But the classic songs will remain for as long as we wish to recall their magic. If you never quite got around to the Go Betweens go visit them now. Their songs really are timeless.

I'll finish this post with the lyric of his I love the most:
"I tried to tell her, yeah, I could only say it when we're apart,
about this storm inside of me and how I miss her quiet quiet heart"
Quiet Heart 1988.

Posted by: scott at 05/20/06 8:02 AM | Reply
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We are now in 2008. My parents just sold their house and I went there to pickup some of my CD's (I moved out of their house maybe 14 years ago). One of those CD's was Watershed, Grant's solo album from 1991 before he reunited with the Go-Betweens.

This is one of my best albums. I listened to it as many times as Grandaddy's Sophtware Slump I think. So after ripping the album so it stays with me on my iPod I went to read about Grant and was deeply shocked to find out that he had passed away so silently.

It's such a shame that such great talent only reached North America faintly. This is still a very small world, when all the great bands from Australia and New Zealand (Tall Dwarfs, Chills, Verlaines, etc.) lived and died and never got to be known around our waters.

Grant, even though this is two years after your sad departure, I will play your music for a long time to come.

Peace all,
Alain

Posted by: Alain Azzam at 10/22/08 1:24 AM | Reply
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