RIP Greg Ham, 1953-2012

I guess it depends on where you live. Greg Ham died last week on the same day we lost Levon Helm. Helm’s passing was a pretty substantial news item that day (as it deserved to be), while Ham’s passing was noted on Yahoo or CNN.com, buried in the links at the bottom of the webpage somewhere for about half the day. In Australia, however, it was front page news. So, this was a notable passing if you A. live in Australia, or B. you are a pretty serious Men At Work fan.

Colin Hay was the face and voice of Men At Work, which was one of those “they’re huge!/Whatever happened to…?” bands that seemed to come and go with such frequency in the 1980’s. But Greg Ham was as responsible for Men’s quirky humor and sound as Hay. Perhaps even more than Hay, it was Ham’s contributions that made Men At Work stand out as a different kind of 80’s band. Ham played the saxes, flutes, keyboards, harmonica and some occasional guitar, and anything else that was needed to fill out Men At Work’s sound.

It was Ham’s soaring sax lines and solos that helped make “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Overkill” such great 80’s singles that still sound fresh and interesting today. But if there is one indelible contribution that he made, it was the improvised flute part on Men At Work’s most beloved song, a song that has become the unofficial national anthem in Australia, “Down Under.”


ABOVE: Ham (left) and Hay grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in '83 during the peak of Men At Work's fame

Unfortunately for Ham (and the rest of Men At Work), the triumph of “Down Under” has been tarnished a bit. Ham steadfastly claimed that he improvised the iconic flute riff in “Down Under,” but in 2009, music publisher Larrikin Music sued Men At Work for plagiarism. They claimed that the flute riff was nicked from the 1934 nursery rhyme, “Kookaburra,” to which they owned the rights. A court in Australia agreed, awarding Larrikin the modest award of 5% royalties on the song dating back to 2002. Men At Work and label EMI appealed the decision but to no avail. Since it was Ham’s riff, he took the judgment especially hard. In an interview, he felt that his reputation had been damaged and that “I’m terribly disappointed that’s the way I’m going to be remembered – for copying something.” I think that Ham was being a bit tough on himself there.

My guess, and this is pure speculation, is that Ham did not consciously copy the riff, but perhaps it was there in his subconscious somewhere, and so the similarity is nonetheless real. I imagine it is much like the case against George Harrison, when he was similarly sued in the 70’s for copying the Chiffon’s “He’s So Fine” for his own “My Sweet Lord.” The judge in Harrison’s case came to the conclusion that Harrison copied it “subconsciously.” I haven’t seen the reporting on the Men At Work case, but judging by the relatively minor award (only 5% based on earnings starting at a date decades after the song made the most money), I bet it was a similar deal.

Aside from occasionally reuniting with Colin Hay to tour as Men At Work, Ham’s life in Australia settled down a bit after their 80's heyday. He still played in regional bands, taught music, appeared on an Australian TV show in a recurring role…but his globetrotting days in a huge band were far behind him. The circumstances of his death are still somewhat hazy, he was found in his home in Melbourne by some concerned friends. He had fallen on hard times lately, especially after the “Down Under” court decision, and so perhaps drugs were a factor. Regardless, his work will live on in a handful of perfect 80’s hits. RIP Greg Ham.


ABOVE: A fantastic clip and tribute to Greg Ham. This is a New Year's Eve show that a modernday version of Men At Work played in Sidney for the turn of the millenium. It starts with a little interview clip featuring Colin Hay and Greg ("I always know he's there"), then you get the tail end of "Who Can It Be Now?", and finally a fantastic "Down Under" which features some excellent flute playing from Greg in the extended solo break. I love the clip because the New Year's countdown comes right in the middle of the song, and Colin throws it in, and just as the fireworks go off for the turn of the millenium they break back into the chorus of the song. Perfect.