Holy Grail (Hunters & Collectors song)

"Holy Grail"
Single by Hunters & Collectors
from the album Cut
Released March 1993 (1993-03)
Format CD
Recorded 1991-92
Festival Studios, Sydney
Genre Pub rock
Length 3:50
Label Mushroom
Writer(s) Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard
Producer(s) Don Gehman, Rick Will
Hunters & Collectors singles chronology
"Tears of Joy"
(1992)		 "Holy Grail"
(1993)		 "Imaginary Girl"
(1993)
Holy Grail
UK release (Mushroom Records)

"Holy Grail" is a song performed by the Australian band Hunters & Collectors on their 1992 album Cut.[1] With lyrics referring to popular Holy Grail mythology, the song is an anthemic single inspired by Napoleon's march to Russia in 1812, but also referencing the Hunters and Collectors' flagging attempts to "crack" the American market.

Singer Mark Seymour said, "With the lyrics, I'd been reading a Jeanette Winterson novel, "The Passion". It was a story about Napoleon's chef when he invaded Russia. The army was destroyed by the weather. It's a story about survival. It's a really powerful book and somehow I drew this analogy between the idea of this guy managing to survive this incredible ordeal and Hunters and Collectors making this excruciating record."[2]

The song has since become an Australian rules football anthem,[3] particularly with the reference to the Premiership Cup and the AFL Grand Final. Channel Ten used the song to open and close its AFL broadcasts between 2002 and 2006. Seymour performed the song as part of the AFL Grand Final's pre-match entertainment in 1998, 2002 and 2009 and half-time entertainment in 2013. This song was used for many years as the theme song of the Queensland Bulls cricket team in the quest for the Sheffield Shield, its own "Holy Grail". It was also featured as the theme song to the Australian rugby league movie Footy Legends.

In 2013 a cover version of "Holy Grail" by The Rubens appeared on the tribute album, Crucible – The Songs of Hunters & Collectors.[4]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard[5][6]. 

No. Title Length
1. "Holy Grail"   3:50
2. "True Tears of Joy" (live & acoustic) 3:43
3. "Where Do You Go?" (live & acoustic) 3:14
4. "When the River Runs Dry" (live & acoustic) 3:49
5. "Holy Grail" (live & acoustic) 3:21
Total length:
 17:57

All songs written and composed by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard[5]. 

Chart performance

Year Chart Peak
position		 Certifications
1993 Australian Singles Chart[7] 20
New Zealand Singles Chart[8] 25

Personnel

Credited to:[1]

Hunters & Collectors members
Recording details

References

  1. 1 2 Holmgren, Magnus; Warnqvist, Stefan; Bamford, Alan. "Hunters and Collectors". Passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Jeff Jenkins (2007). 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 290. ISBN 9781921332111.
  3. ↑ Stephen Alomes (November 2000). "One Day in September: Grass Roots Enthusiasm, invented Traditions and Contemporary Commercial Spectacle and the Australian Football League Finals" (PDF). Sporting Traditions 17 (1). Retrieved 2006-07-18.
  4. ↑ "Hunters & Collectors Crucible Tribute Album of the Week". Triple M. Southern Cross Austereo. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. 1 2 "'Holy Grail' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 9 April 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Holy Grail; or at 'Performer:' Hunters & Collectors
  6. ↑ "ACE Title Search". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 9 April 2014. Note: User may have to enter details e.g. at 'Titles' enter Holy Grail; or at 'Performers' enter Hunters & Collectors
  7. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Hunters & Collectors discography". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Hunters & Collectors". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 9 April 2014.

External links

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