Graham Russell Interview – Co-Founder of Air Supply

Via Omny.fm

In the thirty-sixth episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Graham Russell, co-founder of Air Supply. Since Graham was kid, all he wanted to be was a songwriter. Growing up amongst Beatlemania in 1960s UK, the music of the Beatles inspired him greatly. On the other side of the world in Australia, Russell Hitchcock was also inspired by the Beatles. Russell and Graham would meet on the set of a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975, and together would form Air Supply.  It was their love of The Beatles that brought them together.

Their first single “Love and Other Bruises” would come out in 1976 and would be a top ten hit in Australia. A few years later, they would find international success with their song “Lost in Love” which in 1980, would go to number 3 on the Billboard Top 100. This would be the beginning of a string of hits they would have in the US, with other US hits for the group being “All Out Of Love” (Number 2 on the Billboard Top 100) , “Every Woman in the World” (Number 5 on the Billboard Top 100) and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” (Number 2 on the Billboard Top 100).

The band has been touring non-stop since 1975 and in December 2022 released a new single, “Be Tough”. Graham is currently working on book about his life leading up to Air Supply’s worldwide success and the band plans to return down under in 2024.

Jack zoomed Graham to discuss his early music beginnings, the impact the Beatles had on him, his time in his first band Union Blues, his moving to Australia in 1968, meeting Russell Hitchcock in 1975, the band’s first single “Love and Other Bruises”, playing on Countdown, why “Lost in Love” brought the band worldwide success, touring China and Vietnam at a time when most bands did not, the writing of “All Out of Love”, music videos and MTV, the group’s new single “Be Tough”, Graham’s upcoming book, and when the band is coming to Australia to play again.

“(Russell) would sing one take for pretty much everything in those days, he just did it, nobody said to him ‘ah, I want you to go up in the end and hold that note’ – he just did it . . . he just used intuition, and just went with the flow and I think that’s what became part of the song, part of the record, that energy and the freedom was inherent in the song.” – Graham Russell on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about Russell Hitchcock’s singing on All Out Of Love

Listen to the full interview HERE !