- Chain Reaction (John Farnham album)
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Chain Reaction 
Studio album by John Farnham Released 
24 September 1990Recorded 1990 Genre Pop, Rock Length 51:59 Label Sony BMG, RCA, Wheatley Producer Ross Fraser John Farnham chronology Age Of Reason
(1988)Chain Reaction
(1990)Full House
(1991)Singles from Chain Reaction - "Chain Reaction"
Released: August 1990 - "That's Freedom"
Released: September 1990 - "Burn For You"
Released: November 1990 - "In Days To Come"
Released: March 1991
Chain Reaction is a studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 24 September 1990. "Chain Reaction" was the highest selling album in Australia in 1990 and debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts in September.
The album's first three singles yielded top 10 status, with "Chain Reaction" reaching #3 in August, "That's Freedom" at #5 in September and "Burn For You" reaching #5 in December. A fourth single was also released in early 1991 titled "In Days To Come," which peaked at #41.
This album was promoted by a nationwide tour titled, "The Chain Reaction Tour," which provided a televised performance at Flinders Park National Tennis Centre in Melbourne in 1990. This performance aired on Australia's Channel Seven, and was released shortly after as a VHS video cassette. This cassette was re-released as a DVD on 13 November 2005.
Contents
Track listing
- "That's Freedom" (T. Kimmel, J. Chapman) – 4:19
- "In Days To Come" (J. Farnham, D. Hirschfelder, R. Fraser) – 4:06
- "Burn For You" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 3:33
- "See The Banners Fall" (J. Farnham, D. Hirschfelder, R. Fraser) – 4:35
- "I Can Do Anything" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 4:27
- "All Our Sons And Daughters" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 4:09
- "Chain Reaction" (D. Stewart, S. Stewart) – 3:12
- "In Your Hands" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 4:21
- "New Day" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 4:16
- "The Time Has Come" (J. Creighton, J. Farnham, R. Fraser) – 4:58
- "The First Step" (C. Thompson, J. Kravetz, K. Reid) – 4:54
- "Time And Money" (P. Buckle, J. Farnham, R. Faser) – 5:13
Significance to Australians
More than 20 years after the album's initial release, Chain Reaction is considered one of Farnham's best works. It also received much praise from critics at the time, even though many of the songs on this album have serious lyrics. "See The Banners Fall", "That's Freedom" and "Chain Reaction" were all delivering a similar message: the world is changing, whether Australians (or anyone in the West, for that matter) like it or not. In addition, "See the Banners Fall" is an accurate depiction of the world at the time, and "Chain Reaction" alludes in part by the globalisation that was (eventually) caused by the break-up of the Soviet Union. Many Australians consider "That's Freedom" and "In Days to come" as symbols of the urgency for the world to wake up and solve the world's problems. This may be the reason why Chain Reaction (both the single and the album) was a commercial success.
These themes were evident on the Age Of Reason album, Farnham's previous, and to a lesser extent, Whispering Jack. They have also been covered since on Then Again... and Romeo's Heart.
Personnel
- John Farnham - vocals, acoustic guitar
- David Hirschfelder - keyboards, bass, string arrangements, programming, piano
- Brett Garsed - guitars
- Angus Burchall - drums & percussion
- Phil Buckle - guitars
- Jack Jones - guitars
- Tommy Emmanuel - guitars
- Ross Fraser - guitars
- Steve Williams - harp, tenor sax, harmonica
- Venetta Fields - vocals
- Lindsay Field - vocals
Chart positions
Year Chart Position 1990 Australian Recording Industry Association Albums Chart 1 Studio albums Sadie (1968) • Everybody Oughta Sing a Song (1968) • Looking Through a Tear (1970) • Christmas Is... Johnny Farnham (1970) • Johnny (1971) • Together (1971) • Johnny Farnham Sings the Shows (1972) • Hits Magic & Rock 'N Roll (1973) • Johnny Farnham Sings Hits from the Movies (1974) • J.P. Farnham Sings (1975) • Uncovered (1980) • Whispering Jack (1986) • Age of Reason (1988) • Chain Reaction (1990) • Then Again... (1993) • Romeo's Heart (1996) • 33⅓ (2000) • The Last Time (2002) • I Remember When I Was Young: Songs from the Great Australian Songbook (2005) • Jack (2010)Live albums Johnny Farnham Sings the Big Hits of 1973 Live! (1973) • Full House (1991) • Live At The Regent Theatre (1999) • Highlights from The Main Event (1999) • John Farnham & Tom Jones – Together in Concert (2005)Compilation albums The Best of Johnny Farnham (1971) • Johnny Farnham's Greatest Hits (1976) • The Best Of John Farnham (1980) • The John Farnham Phenomenon (1987) • Another Side of John Farnham (1987) • Time Brings Change (1988) • The Classic Gold Collection - Through The Years (1967-1985) (1995) • Where Do I Begin (1995) • Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986–1997 (1997) • Anthology 2: Classic Hits 1967–1985 (Recorded Live) (1997) • Anthology 3: Rarities (1997) • Love Songs (2002) • One Voice: The Greatest Hits (2003) • Collections (2008) • The Essential John Farnham (2009) • Greatest Hits (2009) • The Essential 3.0 (2009)Videos & DVDs Whispering Jack Live In Concert (1987) • Classic Jack Live! (1989) • Chain Reaction Live in Concert (1990) • Talk of the Town Tour (1994) • The Main Event (1999) • Anthology - The Videos (1999) • 33⅓ (2000) • An Audience with John Farnham (2002) • The Last Time (2002) • One Voice: The Greatest Clips (2003) • John Farnham & Tom Jones – Together in Concert (2005) • Classic Jack Live! (2005) • Chain Reaction Live in Concert (2005) • With The Sydney Symphony Live at the Sydney Opera House (2006)EPs & Singles "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" (1967) • Johnny Farnham (EP) (1967) • "Underneath the Arches" / "Friday Kind of Monday" (1968) • "Jamie" / "I Don't Want To Love You" (1968) • "Rose Coloured Glasses" (1968) • "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (1968) • "One" / "Mr Whippy" (1969) • "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969) • Number One (EP) (1970) • "Comic Conversation" (1970) • "Christmas Happy" (1970) • "Acapulco Sun" (1971) • "Baby Without You" (1971) • "Walking the Floor On My Hands" (1971) • "For Christ's Sake Help The Kids" (1972) • "Rock Me Baby" (1972) • "Charlie Girl" (1972) • "Don't You Know It's Magic" (1972) • "Everything Is Out of Season" (1973) • "I Can't Dance to Your Music" (1973) • "Shake a Hand" (1973) • "Corner of the Sky" (1974) • "One Minute Every Hour" (1974) • "Things To Do" (1975) • "Don't Rock the Boat" (1975) • "You Love Me Back To Life Again" (1976) • "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" (1977) • "Help!" (1980) • "She Says To Me" (1980) • "She's Everywhere" (1980) • "Please Don't Ask Me" (1981) • "Too Much Too Soon" (1981) • "That's No Way To Love Someone" (1981) • "Justice For One" (1984) • "Love (It's Just The Way It Goes)" (1985) • "Break The Ice" (1986) • "You're the Voice" (1986) • "Pressure Down" (1986) • "A Touch of Paradise" (1987) • "Reasons" / "One Step Away" (1987) • "Age Of Reason" (1988) • "Two Strong Hearts" (1988) • "Beyond The Call" (1988) • "Communication" (1989) • "Chain Reaction" (1990) • "That's Freedom" (1990) • "Burn For You" (1990) • "In Days To Come" (1991) • "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1991) • "Please Don't Ask Me (Live)" (1991) • "Help! (Live)" (1991) • "You're the Voice (Live)" (1992) • "Everything's Alright" (1992) • "Angels" (1993) • "Seemed Like A Good Idea (At The Time)" (1993) • "Talk Of The Town" (1993) • "Fight For Survival (EP)" (1994) • "A Simple Life" (1996) • "Heart's On Fire" (1996) • "Have A Little Faith (In Us)" (1996) • "Everytime You Cry" (1997) • "Trying To Live My Life Without You" (2000) • "Man Of The Hour" (2000) • "You're The Only One" (2000) • "Dare To Dream" (2000) • "The Last Time" (2002) • "Keep Talking" (2002) • "No Ordinary World" (2002) • "We Will Rock You" (2003) • "Hold On I'm Coming" (2005) • "Downhearted" (2005) • "Even When I'm Sleeping" (2005)Soundtracks Charlie Girl (1972) • Pippin (1974) • Savage Streets (1984) • Voyage Of The Rock Aliens (1984) • Fletch (1985) • RAD (1986) • The Sluggers Wife (1986) • Beyond My Reach (1990) • Jesus Christ Superstar (1992) • The Real Macaw (1997) • 102 Dalmations (2000) • Hot Rod (2007)Tours & Major Concerts John Farnham In Concert Tour (1987) • Jack's Back Tour (1987-1988) • World Expo '88 Concert (1988) • Age Of Reason Tour (1988-1989) • Summer Tour (1989) • Chain Reaction Tour (1990-1991) • Talk Of The Town Tour (1994) • Concert For Rwanda (1994) • Jack of Hearts Tour (1996) • The Main Event (1998, 2001) • I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour (1999) • 50th Birthday Concert (1999) • Tour of Duty Concert (1999) • 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (2000) • Man Of The Hour Tour (2000) • The Last Time Tour (2002-2003) • John Farnham & Tom Jones - Together In Concert Tour (2005) • John Farnham Symphony Tour (2006) • John Farnham & Stevie Nicks Tour (2006) • 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony (2006) • Sound Relief Concert (2009) • Live By Demand Tour (2009) • John Farnham Live! (2010)Related articles Discography • Awards • Little River Band • Glenn WheatleyCategories:- 1990 albums
- John Farnham albums
- "Chain Reaction"
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