Anne Fraser
My introduction to Anne came through Andy Penkow, who is a close friend of hers. They often play shows together and I asked him if he knew of another artist I could potentially work with. He gave me her name and I looked her up. She has the sweetest voice and the most uniquely poetic lyrical style I’ve seen and it’s truely a pleasure to work with her.
We’ve slowly built a friendship via messaging, accounting for my hearing loss and her distance in South Australia. We both have busy lives, so we generally have to schedule our writing time. But whenever we meet online, we have the easiest (and most fun) time bouncing ideas off each other and writing for hours!!
In 2023 we worked on our first co-write, a theme about the past, the future and the childhood home that’s gone. And then another song appeared out of the ethers …..
I confessed to her that ever since I saw the 2020 documentary called Slim and I, I wanted to write a song about their love story. (Slim Dusty and Joy McKean) but I didn’t really know their music and which aspect to write.
Anne loved this idea and we spent several sessions coming up with concepts of how to tell the tale. When the opportunity appeared to work with David and Merelyn Carter, we jumped at it and below is the result.
Just in time for Christmas and the 2024 Tamworth Country Music Festival!
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmxRKytdwtA
BUY: https://music.apple.com/au/album/she-sang-the-harmony-acoustic-version-single/1722594731
15 weeks in Country Songs Top 40 Campfire Publishing (Australia) - debut #25, highest rank #6
Female Single of the Year (Top 10) - 2024 Traditional Country Music Awards of Australia (Capital Country Music Association)
SHE SANG THE HARMONY
(C) Anne Fraser, David Carter, Merelyn Carter and Christine M Kerr
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023
RELEASE DATE: 22nd December 2023
V1
I remember a man
Guitar in his hands
With three chords he told their story
Close by his side
His beautiful wife
A sweet smile as she sang the harmony
V2
They drove the plains
Long dusty miles
Drought and the rain, sun and the sand
Bringing the songs
To the people outback
A life on the road in a caravan
CHORUS
Slim drove an old Ford Fairlaine
And Joy sat there right by his side
She wrote the words
He sang the songs
She was the love of his life
V3
As they rolled into town
The crowd gathered around
Let’s Walk A Country Mile together
Sing the The Lights On The Hill
A Pub With No Beer
And all of the songs we remember
CHORUS
Slim drove an old Ford Fairlaine
And Joy sat there right by his side
She wrote the words
He sang the songs
She was the love of his life
BRIDGE
They captured our hearts, made us feel a part
Of the music that we’ll play forever
Through the good and the hard times
For fifty-two years
Their love brought Australia together
CHORUS
Slim drove an old Ford Fairlaine
And Joy sat there right by his side
She wrote the words
He sang the songs
She was the love of his life
OUTRO
I remember a man
Guitar in his hands
And she smiled as she sang the harmony
credits
Recorded and Produced: Matt Williams - Fattrax Studios Adelaide
Lead Vocals: Anne Fraser
PERMISSION TO USE IMAGES OBTAINED BY ARTIST ON 18 Dec 2023