Beautiful People (Australian Crawl song)


"Beautiful People" is the 1979 debut single released by Australian rock band Australian Crawl and later appeared on their debut album The Boys Light Up. The song was written by James Reyne and Mark Hudson, former bandmates.
The music video for "Beautiful People" was filmed in 1979 at the then-maligned, dilapidated & graffitied Bellevue House.
Australian Crawl caught the attention of Little River Band’s guitarist David Briggs, who helped them to a recording contract with EMI and produced their first single. "Beautiful People" was released in August, 1979 and peaked at #22 on the Australian Singles Chart.
The song satirised the vacuous elite of mid-1970s Melbourne's Toorak society:
In 1975, Reyne was living in South Yarra, Victoria whilst attending Monash University and playing drums for Archie Slammit and the Doors.
The Making of "Beautiful People" was a mini-documentary broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV pop show Countdown and featured Geoff Cox guiding the audience from the studio sessions to the pressing of the 7" vinyl and finishing with Australian Crawl's performance on Countdown.
The Crawl made a memorable debut on Countdown performing "Beautiful People" as Reyne appeared with both arms encased in plaster. He was also featured in the official music video with his arms in plaster. He had been hit by a car in Swanston St, Melbourne breaking bones in both wrists, an episode chronicled in the song "Indisposed". Although "Beautiful People" only reached #22, it remains one of their most popular songs.

Track listing

  1. "Beautiful People" - 2:56
  2. "Man Crazy" - 3:40

    Charts