three yesterday's heroes

I was happy to come across this in aimless youtubing this morning. As it happens I don't remember the clip at all, and I have a good memory for unconvincing assemblages intended to suggest mass hysteria in visual media. Though I still love the song (and Peter Hogg's version from the same epoch, 'Yesterday's Breakfast') I was also interested to see the scenes from Melbourne in the mid-seventies, starting with Bourke Street before it became a mall. There is a continuity error in the 0:20s where JPY is walking south past the town hall then, suddenly, on the other side of the street northwards (where you see the town hall a second time, on the right). Then he's walking past the town hall (clock) again, going south once more. I don't know if the people responsible want to recall all copies and redo this. But perhaps it's supposed to represent his inner turmoil.

At 1:30ish, you see JPY hanging out at the very unconvincing public space above Princes Bridge Station, where Federation Square is now. It was a most unloved space, presumably because (if I recall rightly) it was not a thoroughfare to anything or anywhere, just a platform you had to ascend to and eat your sandwiches and watch those two women go past. Even seagulls weren't that into it (the one you see to the left at 1:37 is animatronic).

As mentioned previously, I am reading Les McKeown's not that exciting (but then, I was only ever a fan of 'Rock 'n' roll love letter') autobiography, and I was reminded while checking out this JPY one that the Rollers did a 'Yesterday's Hero' too (though I haven't got to that bit in the book yet)* but on listening to it I discover it's a most unusual construction in which it's sung in the plural (except as far as the title is concerned). Odd song for the Rollers to be singing anyway, and the dance they do in the clip is very peculiar too, considering the song's content. Quite a good version but basically a copy of the original.

Check out the weird Japanese (?) celeb at the beginning of the clip, looks a bit like the turtle from Kung Fu Panda.


*Later. I got to that bit. He says he liked singing the song but felt uncomfortable with the sentiment.