John Farnham: Finding the Voice

John Farnham: Finding the Voice is a 2023 Australian documentary film following recording artist John Farnham's career in an authorised biopic.[1] The film's trailer was released on 11 April 2023 whilst the film was released in Australian cinemas on 18 May 2023.[2] It was broadcast on the Seven Network on 24 July 2023.[3]

John Farnham: Finding the Voice
Theatrical film poster
Directed byPoppy Stockell
Written byPoppy Stockell
Produced byMikael Borglund, Paul Clarke, Martin Fabinyi, Olivia Hoopmann and Elizabeth Daley
StarringJohn Farnham
CinematographyAaron Smith
Edited byScott Gray, Steven Robinson
Production
companies
Beyond Oz Pty Ltd, Finding the Voice Pty Ltd in association with Blink TV Pty Ltd
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing (Australia), Sony Pictures International (Rest of World)
Release date
18 May 2023
Running time
96 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The film includes commentary from Jimmy Barnes, Daryl Braithwaite, Celine Dion, Tommy Emmanuel, Brett Garsed, Graeham Goble, Bev Harrell, Richard Marx, Olivia Newton-John, Robbie Williams and Glenn Wheatley.[2]

The film is the biggest theatrical Australian music documentary (excl. Imax), exceeding $2.57 million in its second weekend.[4]

The television premiere on 24 July 2023 had 866,000 viewers across the five city metro spread, and was the third most viewed program of the evening.[5]

At the 2023 ARIA Music Awards, the soundtrack was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album.[6]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on twelve reviews. Reviewer Jim Schembri notes "A fitting, lovingly made tribute to a singer who evolved into the definitive Australian pop artist...a very good, richly detailed biographical documentary that chronicles Farnham's stellar, decidedly bumpy career."[7]

Sandra Hall from Sydney Morning Herald gave the film 4 out of 5 stars saying "Reality rarely produces biographies that fit neatly into three acts, but John Farnham's life so far is a stirring exception. Success came early to him, followed by a midlife slump and a triumphant comeback. It's a story with everything – laughter, tears, love and rock 'n' roll... [and the documentary] captures it all, with Farnham's large roster of friends taking an obvious delight in reminiscing about times spent with a man they both like and admire."[8]

Peter Gray from The AU Review gave the film 4 out of 5 stars saying "'Finding the Voice' finds the love for its subject and envelops his presence, and in a day and age where talent is fleeting and prominence is temporary, there's a warmth in being reminded of longevity and the facility behind it."[9]

David Michael Brown from Flicks said it "Traces the singer's life and career, his journey to find an artistic voice and become one of Australia's most beloved performers. It's an enthralling new doco that helps us try and understand 'The Voice' calling it "a must-see" for any Farnham fan".[10]

Graeham Goble, who produced Farnham's Uncovered album and recommended that Farnham replace Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band, took issue with Wheatley's description in the film that managing Little River Band was like managing a war. Wheatley had been the manager of both Farnham and Little River Band.[11]

Soundtrack
John Farnham: Finding the Voice: Music from the Feature Documentary
Soundtrack album by
John Farnham and various artists
Released19 May 2023
LabelWheatley Records, Sony
John Farnham albums chronology
Friends for Christmas
(2016)		 John Farnham: Finding the Voice: Music from the Feature Documentary
(2023)

A double-disc soundtrack was released on 19 May 2023. It features live tracks from Farnham's career, as well as music that had an impact on his career. Opening and closing compositions were written by music producer/director and former Farnham band keyboardist David Hirschfelder.[12] The album debuted at number 2 on the ARIA Charts with 2520 sales.[5]

Track listing

All songs performed by Farnham except where noted.

Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lay Down Misère" (by David Hirschfelder)
    		 
    2."Age of Reason" (Live In Melbourne)
    		 
    3."In My Room"
    • Farnham
    		 
    4."Don't You Know It's Magic"
    		 
    5."You're the Voice" (Live in Germany)
    		 
    6."A Touch of Paradise" (Live in Melbourne)
    		 
    7."Playing to Win" (Live in Melbourne)
    		 
    8."Burn for You" (Live in Melbourne)
    • Farnham
    • Ross Fraser
    • Phil Buckle
    		 
    9."When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" (with Jimmy Barnes)
    		 
    10."One"
    		 
    11."When the War Is Over" (Live in Germany)
    		 
    12."Help" (Live in Melbourne)
    		 
    Disc 2
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Amazing Grace" (Live in Melbourne)
    		 
    2."Sadie the Cleaning Lady" (Live In Melbourne)
    		 
    3."Help Is on Its Way" (by Little River Band)
    		 
    4."Pressure Down"
    • Harry Bogdanovs
    		 
    5."Please Don't Ask Me"
    • Goble
    		 
    6."Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"
    		 
    7."As the Days Go By" (by Daryl Braithwaite)
    		 
    8."Because I Love You" (by Masters Apprentices)
    		 
    9."Going Going Gone"
    • Farnham
    • Hirschfelder
    • Fraser
    		 
    10."You're the Voice"
    • Thompson
    • Ryder
    • Qunta
    • Reid
    		 
    11."Finding the Voice (End Credit Suite)" (by David Hirschfelder)
      		 

      Charts
      Chart performance for John Farnham: Finding the Voice (Music from the Feature Documentary)
      Chart (2023) Peak
      position
      Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 2

      References
      1. Mary Varvaris (11 April 2023). "John Farnham Feature Documentary 'Finding The Voice' Coming To Cinemas Next Month". The Music. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
      2. "Watch the trailer for John Farnham documentary film 'Finding The Voice'". NME. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
      3. Mediaweek (10 July 2023). "Seven announces premiere date for John Farnham: Finding The Voice documentary". Mediaweek. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
      4. "'John Farnham: Finding the Voice' Becomes Biggest Australian Music Doco". The Music Network. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
      5. "John Farnham Finding The Voice Scores 866,000 Viewers For the Seven Network". noise11. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
      6. "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
      7. "John Farnham: Finding the Voice - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
      8. "John Farnham doco Finding the Voice is a tribute to singer's incredible talent". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
      9. "Film Review: John Farnham: Finding the Voice is a warm reminder of one of Australia's leading talents". The AU Review. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
      10. "For any John Farnham fan, doco Finding the Voice is a must-see". Flicks. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
      11. Varvaris, Mary. "Little River Band's Graeham Goble Claims John Farnham Doco Is Untruthful & 'Dramatic'". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
      12. "John Farnham Finding The Voice". Sanity (music store). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
      13. "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.


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