The Chrome Daddies: One Love.

18 February 2002 | 1:01 am | Helen Farley
Originally Appeared In

Chrome Alone.

The Chrome Daddies launch Who’s Your Daddies at the Story Bridge Hotel on Friday.


There can be no denying the Chrome Daddies have a great time on stage. Their infectious energy spills out into the audience and within a short span, the dance floor’s overflowing with punters intent on a good time. With grooves as fat as the Grand Canyon, the Daddies take the crowd on an epic journey through some of the meatiest roots music this side of the Mason-Dixon line. Who’s Your Daddies? is their new CD, prodigiously loaded with that big Daddies’ beat.

“The band’s musical influences have changed lately as the line-up has changed. We find nowadays we have more freedom to explore our love for traditional country, jazz, swing and blues. I would have to say, our sound is evolving out of a more cheesy rockabilly rock ‘n’ roll style, into a more musical rootsy style. We have a lot more freedom, trust and creativity in this lineup.”

Who’s Your Daddies?, the follow-up to their self-titled debut, is a solid hour’s bitchin’ groove ‘n’ grunt. Fifteen hot tracks with nary a dull note, crossing back and again from rockabilly to blues, Western swing to country. The timeless themes of trucks and double-crossing women are well-represented, starring in songs laden with wit and perilous infidelity.

“Our new album is vastly different from our last one in many respects. The overall motivation for the album is different. Our last album was produced by Preston Records in Melbourne for distribution in Europe, and wasn’t a true representation of us live. I like to think of this album as being the real Chrome Daddies, more like what you see at gigs.”

Doug wrote eight of the tracks and it’s within this selection that my faves reside. Virginia Belle is a wicked, wicked song and a great dance tune, guaranteed to have the stiffest stiff up on the floor. I’m Not Happy and You’re Not Here is another full tilt track, acoustic and foot stompin’ fun.

“I do all the songwriting. I don’t know what you’d call the process of my writing; I have heard it referred to as song catching rather than song writing, that’s more how it works for me. I draw on personal experiences. I can say that every love song I have ever written is for the same girl though - no bullshit!”