John Farnham’s benchmark 1986 album Whispering Jack is being reissued as a limited-edition 40th anniversary release, pairing the original LP with Whispering Jack Live In Concert, recorded in Melbourne in 1987 at the peak of the album’s success. The live recording has never been available on vinyl until now, having been originally distributed on DVD only.
The limited-edition release is pressed on black and white vinyl and individually numbered from one to 2,500, with an inverted design reimagining the iconic original artwork. Shipping is expected September 18. A two-CD set is also available. Merchandise including apparel, t-shirts, mugs and accessories will accompany the release.
Whispering Jack spent 25 weeks at No. 1 in Australia and sold more than one million copies, becoming the first homegrown LP to achieve that milestone. It remains the highest-selling album by an Australian artist in the country. The album features the hits “Pressure Down,” “A Touch Of Paradise,” and Farnham’s signature song “You’re The Voice,” which reached the top 10 in the U.K. and remains Australia’s unofficial anthem.
Farnham’s career and catalogue are being celebrated through the musical Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical, with its world premiere scheduled for November 15 at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, presented by the Sydney Theatre Company. The ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted singer was the subject of the 2023 documentary John Farnham: Finding the Voice, the highest-grossing Australian music documentary on record.
Source: Billboard
