EPISODE · Mar 12, 2026 · 45 MIN
Encore: Colin Hay's wild ride to fame with Men at Work, and the heartbreak in the aftermath
from Conversations · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Their first album shot the band to international fame. Then quite quickly, everything unravelled, and Colin had to begin again (R).Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s.Their first album shot the band to massive international fame, giving them two simultaneous number ones on the US charts, for album and single.Along with Who Can It Be Now? and Overkill, another enduring hit for the band is the song, Down Under, a song now marked by a tragic legacy.Men At Work enjoyed just four years of intense success, but according to Colin, they band was "over before it began", and they officially broke up after just three albums.When his status as a global star evaporated almost overnight, Colin had to rediscover his origins as a solo performer, re-build his audience, and himself.Songs played in this episode: Overkill, Who Can It Be Now, and Waiting for My Real Life to Begin.Colin's Hay's fifteenth studio album, Now and the Evermore, was released on March 2022.Find details of Colin's 2026 tour on his website.This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores music, Aussie music, Aussie Rock, pub rock, INXS, recording, music industry, fame, fortune, life after fame, relationships, heartbreak, brief, origin story.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
What this episode covers
Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Their first album shot the band to international fame. Then quite quickly, everything unravelled, and Colin had to begin again (R). Colin's band, Men At Work, was one of the biggest acts of the 1980s. Their first album shot the band to massive international fame, giving them two simultaneous number ones on the US charts, for album and single. Along with Who Can It Be Now? and Overkill, another enduring hit for the band is the song, Down Under, a song now marked by a tragic legacy. Men At Work enjoyed just four years of intense success, but according to Colin, they band was "over before it began", and they officially broke up after just three albums. When his status as a global star evaporated almost overnight, Colin had to rediscover his origins as a solo performer, re-build his audience, and himself. Songs played in this episode: Overkill, Who Can It Be Now, and Waiting for My Real Life to Begin. Colin's Hay's fifteenth studio album, Now and the Evermore, was released on March 2022. Find details of Colin's 2026 tour on his website. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney. It explores music, Aussie music, Aussie Rock, pub rock, INXS, recording, music industry, fame, fortune, life after fame, relationships, heartbreak, brief, origin story. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
NOW PLAYING
Encore: Colin Hay's wild ride to fame with Men at Work, and the heartbreak in the aftermath
No transcript for this episode yet