Molly Meldrum Confirms He's Cutting Back The Booze As He Returns To Studio

After Australia fell in love with Ian "Molly" Meldrum all over again thanks to the Molly miniseries, the beloved music critic has confirmed he will return to record producing and is cutting back on the drink as he continues to recover from an injury he sustained while holidaying in Thailand. 

Appearing on Channel Seven's Sunday Night program last night, the 73-year-old announced the move shortly after revealing he hadn't drunk vodka in six weeks.

"I'm doing a cover version of a song that was so big way, way back and mine goes, 'I can see clearly now the vodka's gone,' he said. 

"I enjoy life and now I'm going back to one of my first great loves, back into record production. That’s the thing I enjoy the most."

His return marks an over-30 year absence from the studio, having produced music for the likes of Russell Morris, Colleen Hewett, Supernaut, The Ferrets and more throughout the '60s and '70s.

Meldrum is currently producing a single for new act Sarah Rzek in a Melbourne studio.

He went on to say that the fall he suffered in Thailand was a wake-up call to stop hard drinking, even though he claims he was not drinking at the time of the accident.

'No, I hadn't, that was the most amazing thing…After that I definitely wanted some drink because the pain was just ridiculous."

The success of the recently-screened miniseries resulted in huge TV ratings, as well as an ARIA chart-topping soundtrack which recently received Platinum status, however Meldrum claims he never saw it coming, let alone the fact that he is considered a national icon. 

"Even today I get embarrassed about it," he said.

"Because I'm a country boy…no one’s above you, no one’s below you and treat everyone the same, you know? 

It’s bloody weird now because the success of the miniseries, the success of the documentary, the success of the album – it seems that everything’s going up the charts and I keep falling down the bloody thing."

See the full interview below.