R.I.P - Bones Hillman of Midnight Oil

Played on the just-released Makarrata Project and shouldn't be forgotten for his pre-Oils stint with The Swingers which produced Counting the Beat, one of the great Australasian pop moments.

Wait, what? This was literally just released not more than a few weeks ago. I will be giving it another listen today. RIP.

That’s a shame. He was a great player.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yeah, this definitely makes me sad. I got to see Bones Hillman play with Midnight Oil at Red Rocks. A superb show, and a very fine musician. He will be missed.

I saw Midnight Oil at the Woodlands Pavilion in Houston on the Blue Sky Mining tour, and was impressed not only by his playing, but also his singing. He sang beautifully on "One Country."

Wasn't he living and playing in Nashville before the Oils reunited?

I've told a story on here before about how I saw the Oils play at the bandshell at University of Florida back in 1993. The bandshell was right outside my dorm room (more of an on-campus apartment), and I awakened from a nap to the sounds of "Bullroarer" being played at soundcheck.

Anyway, after the show I went back to my apartment. The living room window looked out at the parking lot, where the tour bus was waiting. I hung out by the window so I could see the band, toying with the idea of going out to say hi (which I never did). After some time, the guys came out and started to board. Bones was the only one with a girl at his side. He saw me watching from the window, and looked my way a few times, finally giving a nod and quick wave.

I saw the band again in 2002. No "One Country" on the setlist, but Bones got his vocal solo on "Luritja Way" and sounded great. His lines from that song seem appropriate as we remember him:

Oh guiding light you will shine
You'll pick me up, you'll hold me up
Oh guiding light you will shine
You will shine on me in eternity

Midnight Oil owns a special place in my heart...possibly my favorite band of all time. Bones is the first band member to pass, and this one hurts.

Never really listened to The Oils but remember fondly Phil Judd's Swingers. Since I never really paid attention to Midnight Oil, I never realized the bass player of The Swingers was in The Oils under a different name.

Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®

Fellow Oils member Jim Moginie played a club gig over the weekend with Jim Moginie & The Family Dog.
The night was dedicated to Bones, including a cover of Counting the Beat.
There were three Oils covers of Redneck Wonderland, Say Your Prayers, plus Short Memory.
They've just put out a new album and feature former Celibate Rifle Kent Steedman in their ranks.

A new tribute to Bones on the anniversary of this death...a very touching song and video that brought a tear to my eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIkM6b4GhLg

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It’s 12 months today since Bones Hillman exited the stage ... and what better way to commemorate his singular memory than with a new bittersweet song featuring some of his many friends. "One Voice” can be downloaded right now for free here [www.midnightoil.com]...

The initial inspiration came to Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst soon after Bones’ passing. Rob recorded the song live at Jim Moginie’s Oceanic Studio, with Hamish Stuart on drums, Jim producing and playing guitar and Mellotron, and Rob singing and playing acoustic. The track also features contributions by Martin Rotsey (guitar), Peter Garrett (vocals) and Warne Livesey (bass), plus the distinctive vocals of Rob’s daughter Jay O’Shea. Their joint tribute even includes an apt slice of the Kiwi classic “Counting The Beat” (co-written by Bones along with his Swingers bandmates, Phil Judd and Buster Stiggs). “One Voice”was mixed by Warne Livesey with a stirring music video by Robert Hambling, using Bones’ home movie footage.

As Peter Garrett exhorts near the end of the piece ... “hey Bonesy, can you believe it? We’re singing this song about you, without you!”.

On this sad anniversary The Hillmans add their voice to all those sending their best wishes to Denise from across the waves. They also send their love to Bones who is hopefully holding court right now in some celestial bar, surrounded by eternal laughter.