Sharon O'Neill

Pic of Sharon


Click for Lyrics


My favourite singer/songwriter since early 1980.

Un-Official Web Site

When I first created this web site (4Jan1999), I couldn't find any other web pages dedicated to Sharon O'Neill, so I thought I'd put one together myself. It may have been unofficial, and only based on my knowledge, but at least it gathered together a reasonable amount of detail on the music Sharon has produced over the years.

I now have a lot more up to date info on Sharon, after receiving many E-mails from other Sharon fans.
The info below is now updated using the much more accurate details I have got from the other web sites on Sharon. Those other sites have a mass of pictures from album covers, plus the latest info on Sharon's recent visit (Sep - Oct 2001) back to New Zealand with the female group "When The Cats Away".
You can visit the other sites using these links:
One - The best site ( I think )
Two - Another very good site.
Three - Also good.

Sharon was born in Nelson, New Zealand, on the 23rd November 1952.   I got married in Nov 1985, and my wife and I had our honeymoon in New Zealand. When we visited Queenstown, we discovered that it is 'the' tourist spot to visit in New Zealand. Perfect weather, and lots of things to do. I used to think Sharon was born in Queenstown, but now I know better :) Even so, visiting New Zealand and knowing Sharon was born there was an extra treat - Not that my (now Ex) wife ever thought much of my addiction to Sharon's music.

All the songs on Sharon's albums are written by her. On her albums, she always acknowledges 'The poet and the painter' - I'd love to know who/what that refers to. Maybe someone can let me know....

If you have more information, corrections, or anything you would like to comment on, please send me an e-mail at: john (at) webpathways.com

For now, I'm just getting some information written, to make it available on the 'net.


Some extra information from Eric Wolff in New Zealand:
Just to let you know that Sharon lived for many years in the suburb of Brooklyn here in Wellington before moving to Oz.  From memory she actually comes from the sun capital of New Zealand - Nelson.  Also from memory, she was about 26 when the first album was released and 30'ish when she left to go over the ditch.
 
 


Original Albums (that I know of..)

This Heart This song (1978 - CBS New Zealand)

Words  (1980 - CBS Australia)

Maybe (1981 - CBS Australia)

Smash Palace (1982 ??? - Sound Track to the New Zealand  movie 'Smash Palace')

Foreign Affairs (1983 - CBS Australia)

Danced in the Fire (1987 - Polygram Australia)

Edge of Winter (1990 - Polygram Australia)

Re-Releases, Singles etc

Power (Single)

Sharon O'Neil - How Do You Do ( 2 CD pack - Rainbow)

Words (CD - Rainbow)

The Very Best Of - Collette and Sharon O'Neill (J&B Records)


Information and Play List for each Album

This Heart This Song

Sharon's first album, and definately one of my favourites.

From the cassette tape: Sound recording made by CBS Records New Zealand - first published (p) in New Zealand 1978/1979.  PC7792

Side 1
1.  Face In  Rainbow

2.  Luck's On Your Table

3.  Another Man Fools You

4.  Falling To The Ground

5.  Don't Send Your Love Away

Side 2
1.  This Heart This Song

2.  In The Light Of Day

3.  Sun Song

4.  Lately I'm Your Lady

5.  You Take The Sailor From The Sea

6.  Sweet Thing

Words

The first album to become well known, with the songs 'Words' and 'Asian Paradise' being the biggest hits.

From the cassette tape: Sound recording made by CBS Records Australia - first published (p) in New Zealand 1979, 1980. PC7350

Side 1
1.  Ready To Love

2.  Awkward City

3.  Words

4.  Baby Don't Fight

5.  Love Can Be Cruel

6.  Bitter The Heart

Side 2
1.  Asian Paradise

2.  I'll Be Home Again

3.  Some Of This Heart

4.  Someone Just Like You

5.. Southern Blues

6.  How Do You Talk To Boys

Maybe

Best known tracks are 'Waiting For You' and 'Maybe'.

From the cassette: CBS Records Australia 1991 - PC7604

Side 1
1.  Waiting For You

2.  She's Gonna Hurt You

3.  Maybe

4.. Betcha

5.  Long Distance From Singapore

Side 2
1.  Street Boys

2.  Anytime You Want

3.  Hold Me Again

4.  For All The Tea In China

5.  I Don't Wanna Touch You (I Just Wanna Ride In Your Car)

Around the start of 1983, Sharon visited a shopping centre at Marion, a suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. I heard that she was there about a 1/2 hour before she was due to make her appearance, and I was living on the other side of the city. After a mad dash across town I arrived just as she had finished singing. *sigh*.  I lined up with the crowd that was waiting to get cassettes and CD's (or was it vinyl albums?) autographed. I didn't have an album of hers to get signed, but I did have a small address book I carried. After some dissaproving looks from her 'minders', and a hesitant 'should I' look from Sharon, she signed her autograph in the address book!   Happy Happy me!!   I then asked for her phone number, with a cheeky grin - but, I didn't get it.   Oh well.    Sadly, I've managed to lose that address book now.  *double sigh*

Smash Palace

Sound Track to the movie 'Smash Palace', I only have this on LP vinyl record. The movie is available on video, but the LP has more tracks than I could hear in the movie.  I need to find the old LP, which is burried somewhere in a box... and I'll also get the details for the Smash Palace video and include them here. E-mail me if you want the info now.
Side 1
1.  Smash Palace

2.  Jacqui's Theme / Hold On Love

Side 2
1.  Don't Say I'm Crazy

2.  White Lines

3.  If It Was Love

Foriegn Affairs

A few popular tracks from this album were: 'Danger', 'Maxine' and 'Losing You'.

Another CBS Australia recording, 1983, PC7889

Side 1
1.  Danger

2.  Maxine

3.  One Of A Crowd

4.  Radio Lover

5. .Kids In Our Town

Side 2
1.  Losing You

2.  I've Got You To Thank

3.  Take The Fall

4.  Hearts On The Run

5.  All The Way Down

After a lot of heart ache and contract problems, and not releasing anything for a few years, Sharon moved to Polygram, and then released 'Danced In The Fire'.  I've always assumed it was a sort of comment on the way she felt coming through the problems with CBS.

Around the time this album was released, I moved to Melbourne for two years. About one day after my family got to Melbourne, and were staying in an appartment off St. Kilda Rd south of Melbourne, I saw that Sharon was doing a gig at a small club near where we were staying. After a bit of sweet talking to my wife I headed off to see Sharon again, and this time see her performing the whole gig, without getting there late!   It was FANTASTIC !!!!   I still remember it well, and would love the chance to see her perform again.  Maybe... one day.....

Danced in the Fire

This cassette has a fold out insert with all the words to the tracks.

From the cover: 1987 Polygram International Music, Marketted in Australasia by Polygram Records. 833 557-4

Side 1
1.  physical favours

2.  we're only human

3.  trojan horse

4.  far away

5.  take me to paris

Side 2
1.  danced in the fire

2.  shock to the heart

3.  thirst for love

4.  under suspicion

5.  in control

The track 'in control' was written for the Australian television series called "Sweet and Sour". The series never had much success, and only lasted one season - but that was due to the script writers, Not the intro song by Sharon. The track on this album is slightly different to the one heard on the TV series, and from memory, I believe Sharon wasn't happy with the track they mixed for the TV series, so the one on this album is the mix she wanted.

Edge Of Winter

This is the last original album I bought, although there was another released as a 'best of' with the single 'Power' also on it.  I didn't buy it at the time and now it's not available anywhere.  I have recently manged to find a second hand CD with 'Best of' tracks from 'Collette' and Sharon, that includes the track 'Power'.

This cassette also has a fold out insert with the words to each track. It also includes a Post Office address for a fan club, although I don't think it will be current anymore. It's listed as:

Heather Armstrong

 

(Fan Club)

PO BOX 1428

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

AUSTRALIA

From the cassette cover: 1990 Polygram Pty Ltd, 843 883-4

Side 1

1.  Prelude (To The Edge Of Winter)

2.  Satin Sheets

3.  In Our Dreams

4.  Stramger Come

5.  Sunday Driving

6.  Little One

Side 2

1.  Edge Of Winter

2.  Losing You (remix from 'Foreign Affairs')

3.  I Know You Love Me

4.  Missing Person

5.  Poster Girl


That's it for the original albums I have info on. The combination 'Best of' CD with 'Collette' has Sharon's tracks on the second half of the CD, starting at track 9.

9.  Danger

10. Maxine

11. Losing You

12. Waiting For You

13. Asian Paradise

14. For All The Tea In China

15. Words

16. Power


The Rainbow release of 'Sharon O'Neill - How Do You Do' contains the Words and Maybe albums, as per the info listed above for the originals.  The Rainbow release of  'Words'  that I have on CD is also the same as the original album.


I'll spare you any further thoughts and comments on my memories of Sharon and her music career. I'm hoping that one day I'll manage to get most of her albums on CD, which may involve me trying to contact CBS and Polygram, or even try and track Sharon down, somewhere in Sydney I assume.

I hope someone manages to find some useful info in this page.

Happy listening......

--

John,

06Sep2002