The Swingers - Counting The Beat - 1981 - Official Music Video

[@moshbourne2134]

This track in " SAS Rogue" was perfect, Antarctic while taking of the sunglasses

[@KyleS3m3noff]

I marked out like a lunatic when it came on. Show's got a great classic punk soundtrack, but this came out of nowhere.

[@anjieramirez8977]

I have searched 1000 years for this song. Since I was a kid I remembered this sing but all I could remember was the la da di da part. MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!

[@runner4967]

cool

[@reuireuiop0]

And.. how often did you run into that famous NZ song " How's the air up there " ? ;)

[@ChemKage]

YOU ARE ME, I AM YOU

[@erinrayner5812]

Haha! I'm like that with songs 😅

[@dantealeksander3159]

Impossible, this song is only 40 years old, you could only be looking for a maximum of 40 years. What's more, the average life expectancy of an American (I assume you are american) is 77.28 years. You would have surely passed away before you found this song

[@NoferTrunions]

Man that brings back the memories of WRCT back in the day 1981-83 @ C-MU (I was 30). THANK YOU: SAS Rogue Warriors S2E2 closing scene. This great tune was lost to me until I heard it there!

[@matthewblack7206]

R.I.P. to the Great 'Bones' Hillman; bass player extraordinaire.

[@gettyfanatic8860]

And also a band member of Midnight Oil starting from 1987

[@AStevePiner]

@@gettyfanatic8860 When Midnight Oil played in Auckland in 2022 (I think), they played this song in tribute to him. And thinking about that is what brought me here today!

[@gettyfanatic8860]

@@AStevePiner cool

[@cartledgej]

Fun Fact: The crowd at the end of the song were not actors but instead people on a 'surprise' drinking bus. One of the stops was this music video shoot, where they had 15 minutes to dance.

[@shrekswife6071]

That’s awsome!

[@lovedicedtomatoes9653]

Awesome. This song is fantastic.

[@jamuga60]

That's cool...……………...very fucking cool.

[@zaniac100]

My partner says he was one of the crowd dancing at the end but I've never spotted him. He lived near the factory (Abinger Street, Richmond), they liked his outfit and asked him to be in it. The building is now apartments with balconies making it look like a big boat.

[@amyjohnston1975]

Brilliant! . I wanna go on a surprise drinking bus!!! FARRK!

[@damianmcwilliams8352]

I'm an Aussie..... One of the great kiwi songs ever.

[@moaningpheromones]

It lost some cool points after they thrashed it for a supermarket chain for years. Took me while to like Perfect - Fairground and Put a Little Love in Your Heart after being used by another supermarket chain too. Let's hope we never see the Back in Black Friday sale jingle. I wish I heard that at a fckg supermarket - fat chance.

[@robertwoodroffe123]

@@moaningpheromones Aussies And there’s nothing wrong with Back in Black! Or any acadaca

[@KINGVEGETAHWHM_]

@@moaningpheromones Kmart aye!!!

[@Bungeye75]

I'm an Aussie who lived in Auckland for a few years in the 90s. Everytime I hear this song now I just think about L&P

[@RohanGillett]

Slice of Heaven is right up there too.

[@RaymondReynolds-nk1bu]

Neat bass 😊

[@BigJim629]

This song reminds me of better times.

[@pena.3302]

It oughta..AK79..

[@Jack-r2v9b]

Yep

[@ShaneMcGrath.]

Been more than 25 years since hearing this, What a classic and still holds up, Such a cheery tune.

[@keithkoenig5320]

In those wonderful pre-internet days, I bought this album having only seen this video. The album was really strong with many great tunes. For a teen in Middle-America, who was tired of the same old REO Speedwagon/Styx/Kansas/Bob Seger stuff that we were force-fed on the radio, bands like The Swingers, Split Enz, Devo, and that great debut album by The B52s, to name a few, showed me that cool music existed outside of my FM/AOR Rock existence. I never looked back after that and I thank these 'gateway' bands who lead me into the light...

[@huwpatt3817]

Well played, raho

[@diden3527]

I'm a kiwi, and was playing rugby in Hobart in 1981, and this song came out.....was awesome, and went to the top , disputing with Mondo Rock - State of the Heart. Great days.

[@gattingbowledwarne]

Liked state of the heart… this is a great song though.

[@grantdensem6991]

Was tapping on my desk at work and it was the same beat. So off I went into my own world and just had to find this tune. God those were the days.

[@allgood6760]

Timeless!.. ON the RADIO in NZ in 2023 🎵👍🇳🇿

[@barbarabutterworth2319]

This was at a Countdown Show with Molly Meldrum - I was invited to watch from the Control Booth and my daughters (7 and 5 at the time) sat on the stage.

[@PaulLea]

R.I.P drummer Mark John Hough, A.K.A..Buster Stiggs(1954-2018). Born in London but a Kiwi legend. Buster was plagued by health problems in the last five years of his life, including multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow......You have now gained immortality as Legends live forever !.

[@haunebu2360]

Paul Lea omg. Maybe something is in the water in NZ.

[@vendoth]

@@haunebu2360 yip it's called good taste

[@kashigata]

😢😢😢

[@traelmate37]

that is so sad.

[@reuireuiop0]

Seems being Kiwi music legend's just not healthy. Bass player Bones Hillman - Wayne Stevens, passed away too, and last December, Hamish Kilgour of the Clean.

[@drewdrewski6278]

Had no idea these guys were Kiwi.. Mad respect to our family across the ditch from Australia -so many great bands for a small nation! Fun fact; the ppl at the end dancing were on a pub crawl - they rocked up, gave them a drink, then got them to dance for 15mins, they got back on the bus and took them to the next pub!

[@leeleefluffy06]

Yep, I'm from Dundin and I saw them up at the ''Captain Cook'' hotel down by the uni in the late 80's along with DD Smash...But a lot of good bands came out of Dunners

[@jamesboulger8705]

Yeah they are. I like these guys and the Divinyls. They have that British streak, so of course they are going to produce some great rock and punk groups.

[@Rupert14]

Singer/guitarist Phil Judd was a founding member of Split Enz.

[@demun6065]

These guys are the most British sounding band ever. No idea they were from NZ. Surprised this song didn't blow up in UK.

[@nocomment4848]

I think most of my fave Aussie bands are originally kiwi lol.

[@stevehinde4364]

I’m from England. And this song, as successful as it was in NZ and Aus, never got to be released over here. Which is a shame, because it would have done well. Excellent piece of new wave pop.

[@Rupert14]

That is insane, it was a single in the US, along with an album, but that was when the US had AUS/NZ fever with Icehouse, Split Enz, Goanna, Men At Work, Radio Birdman...and these guys! Icehouse and The Enz were the best of the 80's bands, but even in the 70s there was Airlord and Ayers Rock...a lot of great music out of a generally ignored part of the world. If you check out Airlord or Ayers Rock, give them a thumbs up! Or Icehouse, or Split Enz, if you don't know them!

[@danieleyre8913]

There is a lot of Nz rock Music from between 1975-90 that could have been big in the UK if they had ever managed to get any attention, AirPlay, release and distribution. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Many British musicians knew of NZ music from that period and knew of it at the time though.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@Rupert14 The forerunner to Icehouse; Flowers, had some exposure and success in the UK. Other good Aussie acts from the time such as the Church also enjoyed UK success. But NZ bands were more stranded. This band were part of the Auckland scene that included split enz (the lead singer started in split enz), th’ dudes/DD smash, blam blam blam, the screaming meemee’s, hello sailor. But there was even better music coming out down south in Dunedin with the Clean, the Verlaines, the tall dwarves, the chills, etc.

[@paulsmartialarts]

Really impressed how Phil Judd went from writing some quite elaborate stuff with Split Enz to having a hit with one of the catchiest songs of all time.

[@MissShell1975]

OMG I absolutely loved this song as a kid. 6 yrs old when it was released. Loving it still!! The 80's were the best!!

[@matt20092]

Masterful songwriting and arrangement. One of the best songs of the 80's. Him leaving Split Enz at least got Neil in and the rest is history!

[@carmel7]

I remember this being played at the Upfield Rollerskating Rink back in the 80s!

[@Vitorio582]

I was really surprised when I found out this is from 1981, this honestly sounds like a 90s alternative band

[@yourbestfriend671]

this song is so catchy

[@dameowcat4909]

your best friend yah

[@star0084]

Ah I just heard this track on a Nz movie “Juniper” and it made me homesick for Nz shores! Nothing like Nz music with a Nz film!

[@darkdirk]

Great song. And an awesome guitar. An Australian Maton L-202 from 1967, only 133 were made

[@communicationbreakdown256]

It is very cool!!! And opening to a video

[@DeidreL9]

This song is what OCD is like in your mind. I have chronic OCD and this song just nails it. It’s an awesome song!❤️

[@raezeebyme8106]

Just the beginning of that guitar beat and it gets you !! ohh haven’t heard this for years far out I’ve missed it too just amazing beat , and just watched a Midnight Oul disco not realising he was with them after this just from Nz to OZ RIP Bones Hillman 😢

[@wayneturner8575]

Legendary song 🕺

[@oldjack-mi8gk]

Best song of the ’80s. Always waited for this video on MTV.

[@Jacquelinsane]

The "Ba dah dee dah" part got caught in my head today, and I'm so glad I found it!

[@flamencoprof]

After all these years I still like when they all start the feet together. So minimal. Also, that shirt w/the horizontal stripes is a style I know my father wore about the time I was born in the early 1950s. So, very retro then, even more so now.

[@amyjohnston1975]

Awesome. I love the feet too.

[@MysticOblong]

Tapping feet 👍

[@mattfreke8207]

This was the ONLY soundtrack on a long return bus trip from Hamilton to Wairoa for a Maardi cup regatta. Heard in 300 times in a week! Good times.

[@petervad]

one of the greatest pop songs of all time. Phil Judd is/was a genius.

[@melindawakley7859]

This was my favourite song in 1981. Loved it. But hardly ever heard it. And has anyone noticed how good at dancing the lead singer is? Is it dancing? It’s close enough for me. And it’s way cooler.

[@alistairmelhuish2168]

BRILLIANT - Sweetwaters !!!!!

[@Mensa989]

Mark John Hough (8 December 1954 - 7 January 2018), known by the stage name Buster Stiggs, was a New Zealand rock drummer. The drummer of the classic NZ band The Swingers + Suburban Reptiles + Models. (aged 63)

[@Grandpa_Shark007]

“Radio with Pictures” fav ❤️ Miss u NZ! See you in 2023 when you open International travel again!

[@masta12ful]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!LOVE THE BEAT!

[@communicationbreakdown256]

love this song, loved them in the 80s

[@jeffferoce2633]

First song on one my old party-mix cassette tapes way back when. Always got people up on their feet. Song is irresistibly fun.

[@KM-mx4kh]

Summer 2022 and still fresh. Three legends right there.

[@DuskyJewel]

Memories! Oh my! Thank you.

[@MrRhysReviews]

Such great memories.... I remember my friends Mum loved this song and we would always play it at least once when we where in the Car going to the Beach or the Mall etc. etc. and it was always a GOOD TIME ☺ 👍

[@AntiProUltra]

gives me the nostalgic feels

[@jamuga60]

Ya need a good dose of Counting The Beat every now and then...………………………...more often then may think.

[@TimChuma]

There is a restored version of this now, saw it at MIFF in 2024

[@nedd.8479]

In my opinion, the best song to ever come out of New Zealand.

[@traindriva]

I'm old but loved this when it came out. There was another song that felt similar, You spin me right round. Fucking loved them.

[@robocop5935]

Nz had better music than australia. My opinion.

[@kieronpratt3174]

@@robocop5935 Oh! Come on Robo - we "Southsiders" gotta stick together, eh! Typing as an Old (50ish) OrstaIyin, I reckon 'we' (as in "us" - two of the most individual looking land masses on the planet) got some better music than those buggers up north, or anywhere. Admittedly, some bloody good vibes have come from our neighbours (you folks - Nextdoor neighbour makes good!!!). One of my 'Go-To' albums is The Mutton Birds "Envy of Angels"! (As I typed earlier, 50ish)... BUT!!! Who has a song in which the audience from anywhere can chant the unwritten lyric after the line "Am I ever gonna see your face again..?"? Not much of an Angels fan myself... I 'd much prefer Crowded House. ... (Oh! Damn!!!) Stay Groovy, RC!!! ("Dick, you're fired!")

[@jodiwest3534]

I used to get up and play this tape every morning. I showed this to my son (7) this morning. He asked why they made a video if I played a tape. I said for tv but you can't make the tv play what you want in the morning. He looked puzzled then asked why didnt I just play it on the internet. I said there was no internet then. He screamed with hilarity "you are older than the INTERNET MUM?!?!" Anyway, if anyone wants a kid 😂

[@David-yo5ws]

LOL. Priceless. Just a Kiwi going down a 'Rabbit Hole' at 1am. But that (and the song) just made my night. Thanks. 🇳🇿

[@burnpixieburn]

bro I was googling “da da dee da” for so long trying to find this

[@swordblaster2596]

A good pop song. Very high praise.

[@fossie32]

Great clip and song 🎉

[@IKONtheband]

A true legend Bones. RIP.

[@ianrandell3154]

Totally agree with all the other great feedback Kmart Australia used it in their TV ads many years ago 👍

[@soggybroccoli9111]

This was my fave song when I was 9

[@orthotech9758]

That's because us 70's babies have the best taste.

[@cornerofthemoon]

This was one of the first videos I saw on the early days of MTV.

[@jaynehamilton8261]

Nostalgia overload 😏🤟

[@j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j]

this is my guilty pleasure

[@Rupert14]

No reason to feel guilty, this is a great fucking song. Try playing the bass part sometime, it's a blinder.

[@RohanGillett]

I think these guys are going to be huge!

[@mushroomman52]

*Were huge

[@dameowcat4909]

Rohan Gillett LOL Huge....

[@dameowcat4909]

How heavy??

[@dimitribalanski9121]

I wouldn't say one hit wonder is huge

[@haunebu2360]

In 1981

[@lozcapaldi4248]

NZ Advertising just killed this Song, & I get it.. just how many times can hear a song?, but its been a while & this video helps, Judd underrated pure artist.. almost there but I just needs more healing❤

[@kieronpratt3174]

(Damn... edited...) And Oz ads too, eh... But yer right Loz - the Vid clip makes the "endurance" of the ACTUAL SONG more groovy to handle (it reminds you that it was a song, and not an advertising jingle). Also - lovin' the humour, like the sunnies flying off for no reason!!! Reminds me of early Madness vids - Just doin' funny stuff because..!!! - just having fun! Still, good song but, eh. Could've been worse - they could've used the song for an ad about nappies...

[@Ragecr1tter]

Thank you singstar for introducing me to this banger.

[@GBV1436]

Just discovered this. It's cool!

[@TimJackson-eq6iy]

This song could have fitted on any early Split Enz album. He and Tim were such a great song writing duo.

[@johnprestigiacomo2134]

Just plain awesome!

[@Horners_chopshop]

after all this time. I found you

[@rubyrue69]

man i sure would love this song more if my brain didn't immediately assosiate it with GOING TO THE FUCKING SUPERMARKET

[@BedfordLevelExperiment]

Bones Hillman on bass, about 6 years before he joined Midnight Oil!

[@olivereverything2776]

Sadly now the late Bones Hillman

[@proviuy]

Blue water high💕😍

[@tqsuited]

I feel like going to K-mart for some reason

[@davidcooltions4523]

Countdown.

[@DangerAngelous]

Gotta get in for that 10% off Manchester, socks and hoserie :D

[@tqsuited]

But for this week only! Ends Sunday.

[@dameowcat4909]

tqsuited Yaaaaaah same here

[@elvispresleygirlfirendwand3007]

Sorry your not from new zealand so shh

[@chunkygroove9038]

This was a big hit in Australia. Not really a fan, but undeniably a catchy track.

[@jamesskinner7364]

i feel like going to countdown supermarket for some reason

[@MichaelKilley]

James Skinner it's the same song they used

[@TimmyTickle]

You picking up some L&P while you're there?

[@lorzah2772]

Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Kɪʟʟᴇʏ r/wooosh

[@TheFightwear]

Just a Great Song !

[@jerrylynn6962]

i was four years old when this came out.

[@LegendLength]

going for that knitted jumper look nice

[@pete7179]

Stranger than fiction,the life and times of Split Enz by Mike Chunn brought me here.

[@tomparker-s7j]

I had the album and gave it away when I was young and stupid!

[@marvinmartian7941]

Think i first heard this song on 92.3 eon fm .... way back in either the 70s or 80s ....

[@vars666]

Do you people realise it's the bass player from Midnight oil. Also the band from the best musical film from Australia. Starstruck

[@tjay45]

this song has eluded me for a week now lmao

[@bossleonie7658]

Great song

[@leemurray2035]

Soundtrack of my life!!!!

[@mattking3445]

I suddenly feel like I am 12 years old again

[@SamKabiru]

This song gooooes!!! 🔥🔥🇰🇪

[@ninapearman]

This has been my brain worm for about three days now - sheesh…

[@OU818-d1g]

Groovy baby

[@fazelfarhat]

R.I.P…😢😢I like your song

[@djackman4229]

Back in 1981 I had no idea this song was by a New Zealand group. It was a huge hit here in Australia but I assumed it was from the UK and probably a worldwide hit. No, apparently just in Australia which is a great injustice if true.

[@areyashore]

Heard it while lookin for a new passionfruit tree..today..picked my first gorgeous raspberries yesterday..bout 2 to 3 punnets of blueberries...a tonne of leaf n tip again...got mad nectarines growing...few apples..n me garden...hauls butt dis year...so F.U VERY MUCH

[@rudy6884]

I'm thinking about when this was new. Power pop..

[@DMSProduktions]

Counting tha sheep! \m/

[@akala-bluesaville9866]

Slept in my Swingers t-shirt,woke up Counting the Beat. Funny because I went to sleep counting the sheep!🤔😉RIP ‘Bones’ thanks for Midnight oil

[@heathergibson3590]

The lead singer looks just like my Pop when he was a kid.

[@Laurenlee996]

Released on Monday 2/3/1981.

[@roguemayhem3651]

Great band, i lived in coogee beach Sydney in 1981, i remember this song and seeing posters for gig at coogee bay hotel. Phill judd is music genius. I chatted with him on facebook. Hes made new music recently. Support him. Buy his music! Judd was the original founder member of split enz.

[@douglasosullivan4512]

Listened to whole song 21/09/2019

[@PhilipStaniland]

saw them playing this song at the "Logan concrete center" opening for Mi-sex I think and can't remember the year. :-)

[@slugerama]

I was looking up this band just last week. Also trying to find a copy of a movie they did the soundtrack for, Star Struck. Cannot find it anywhere.

[@benradford6467]

Time to go to Countdown lol

[@miguelsoto7526]

Uffff❤

[@jimyoung6271]

Did you see the ghost look out from behind the door? It looks like the one standing next to the statue in the font yard during The Mentals' "If you leave me can I come, too?"

[@GilmoreLion]

Why isn't this album available on CD? My vinyl copy is shot to pieces!

[@dm7626]

it is. both practical jokers and counting the beat have been released on cd (in 1990 and 1998)