"Let the Franklin Flow" is a song written by Shane Howard (credited as Franklin River)[1] and recorded by Australian band Goanna (credited as Gordon Franklin and the Wilderness Ensemble). The song was released in April 1983 as a protest song to save the Franklin River from being dammed in Tasmania, Australia. "Let the Franklin Flow" peaked at number 12 on the Australian Kent Music Report.
| "Let the Franklin Flow" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gordon Franklin And The Wilderness Ensemble | ||||
| Released | April 1983 | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Franklin River | |||
| Producer(s) | Trevor Lucas | |||
| Gordon Franklin And The Wilderness Ensemble singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
On 13 February 1983, Gordon Franklin & the Wilderness Ensemble performed, "Let the Franklin Flow" at the Stop The Drop nuclear disarmament concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.[2][3] The ensemble included members of folk rock groups Goanna and Redgum, together with their mutual producer, Trevor Lucas.[2] In April, "Let the Franklin Flow" was issued as a single with Lucas and Jeff Campbell as its producers.[4] Shane Howard (of Goanna), the song's writer, was initially credited as F. River.[1][5] The single reached No. 12 nationally.[6] Proceeds supported the Tasmanian Wilderness Society's campaign against the proposed damming of Tasmania's Gordon and Franklin rivers for a hydroelectricity project.[7][8] Howard physically supported the protests by joining the picket lines.[7] The B-side of the single, "Franklin River – World Heritage", was written and recorded by the society's director, Bob Brown, who later became a senator and the leader of Australian Greens.[3][9]
Track listing edit
- 7" WEA (7-259941)
Side A: "Let the Franklin Flow" - 3:30
Side B: "Franklin River - World Heritage" (credited to Bob Brown) - 2:40
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 12 |
Year-end charts edit
| Chart (1983) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 98 |
References edit
- ^ a b ""Let the Franklin Flow" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ a b Hogan, David; Kimball, Duncan (2002). "All Fired Up: Lost Treasures of Australian Music – Various artists". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ a b Gordon Franklin and the Wilderness Ensemble (1983). Let the Franklin Flow (Media notes). Melbourne: WEA. 7-259941.
- ^ Holmgren, Magnus; Pertout, Alex; Phillips, John; Baird, Paul; Howard, Shane. "Goanna". Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 24 February 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "'Let the Franklin Flow' [music] / by Gordon Franklin and the Wilderness Ensemble; music and lyrics by F. River". National Library of Australia. 1983. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b Nimmervoll, Ed. "Goanna". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ^ Swift, Brendan. "Goanna > Biography". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ Havlicek, Irma (2010). "Senator Bob Brown, Leader of the Greens : The 80s Are Back". Powerhouse Museum. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
