That Is Molly Meldrum's Voice You Can Hear In 'The Real Thing'

The Ian 'Molly' Meldrum-produced hit The Real Thing is lauded as a "monumental moment in our history" by singer Brian Cadd in an upcoming tribute on Foxtel's Max channel.

Cadd, who features on the 1969 hit by Russell Morris, is amongst a host of local music industry royalty who discuss the game-changing track in Max's The Molly Meldrum Story.

Set to screen Thursday 27 November, the special pays to tribute to Meldrum's life as a journalist, TV presenter and record producer — going behind the scenes of the making of the epic psychedelic anthem The Real Thing.

While Meldrum's golden period as a producer of artists such as Morris, Colleen Hewett, The Masters Apprentices and The Ferrets is often over-looked, this special explores the part of his career that Paul Dempsey decrees "is not talked about enough".

The Molly Meldrum Story delves into the eight-month period that it took to record the 6:20-length track The Real Thing, including stories of how Meldrum drew on influences of The Beatles, The Kinks and Donovan to create a sound not heard come out of an Australian studio previously.

It's also revealed how the song's famous "oh mama mama mow" refrain originated from Meldrum's attempts to create a guide track for the guitar.

Meldrum also explains that the voices heard talking towards the track's climactic finale are himself (trying to 'impersonate Winston Churchill') and Cadd (attempting a combination of accents while reading the conditions off the back of a tape box).

The Molly Meldrum Story screens 8.30pm, Thursday 27 November on Max.