Rock veterans Adalita, Mick Harvey, and Models’ Andrew Duffield have teamed up to record a cover of Michael Hutchence’s ‘Rooms for the Memory’. The cover was done to raise funds for songwriter Ollie Olsen, who composed ‘Rooms For The Memory’ for the cult film Dogs In Space, which came out in 1987 and starred Hutchence.
The track remains Hutchence’s only solo single released during his lifetime, and it shot to the top 10 of the charts upon its release. Harvey, Duffield, and Adalita recorded the rendition at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios in January 2023 – Richard Lowenstein, who directed Dogs In Space, was on hand to capture footage for the video.
Adalita, Mick Harvey, Andrew Duffield: ‘Rooms For The Memory’
Olsen, a renowned local artist, was diagnosed in 2020 with Multiple System Atrophy (a form of Parkinson’s) . Broadcaster Jane Gazzo has been helping rally the industry to raise funds for Olsen’s care – including starting a GoFundMe which you can donate to here. Gazzo also exec-produced the new cover track.
“‘Rooms for the Memory’ was well overdue for a rebirth,” Gazzo shared in a statement. “It’s just a hauntingly brilliant and beautifully written song and when myself and a few of Ollie’s friends heard he was not well, we felt we needed to do something to help.
“Remarkably all the musicians, including Adalita and Mick Harvey – two of the country’s finest artists – were completely up to donating their time and had belief in the project. I think this is a stunning rework and I really hope the music industry and public get behind it and give it the new lease of life we know it deserves.”
The cover is out digitally now, and there’ll be an extended release on Friday, 14th July that includes Olsen’s ‘Win/Lose’ from Dogs In Space, alongside a cover by Eskimo Joe’s Kav Temperley. All proceeds will go to Olsen and his family.
Further Reading
Michael Hutchence Documentary ‘Mystify’ Will Air On ABC And iview Next Month
Tia Gostelow Announces ‘Head Noise’ National Tour, Shares New Single
