Holy Grail (Hunters & Collectors song)

"Holy Grail" is a song performed by the Australian band Hunters & Collectors on their 1992 album Cut.[1] With lyrics referring to popular Holy Grail mythology, the song is an anthemic single inspired by Napoleon's march to Russia in 1812, but also referencing the Hunters and Collectors' flagging attempts to "crack" the American market.

"Holy Grail"
Single by Hunters & Collectors
from the album Cut
ReleasedMarch 1993 (1993-03)
Recorded1991-92
Festival Studios, Sydney
GenrePub rock
Length3:50
LabelMushroom
Songwriter(s)Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard
Producer(s)Don Gehman, Rick Will
Hunters & Collectors singles chronology
"Tears of Joy"
(1992)		 "Holy Grail"
(1993)		 "Imaginary Girl"
(1993)
Holy Grail
UK release (Mushroom Records)

Singer Mark Seymour said, "With the lyrics, I'd been reading a Jeanette Winterson novel, "The Passion". It was a story about Napoleon's chef when he invaded Russia. The army was destroyed by the weather. It's a story about survival. It's a really powerful book and somehow I drew this analogy between the idea of this guy managing to survive this incredible ordeal and Hunters and Collectors making this excruciating record."[2]

The song has since become an Australian rules football anthem,[3] particularly with the reference to the Premiership Cup and the AFL Grand Final. Channel Ten used the song to open and close its AFL broadcasts between 2002 and 2006. Seymour performed the song as part of the AFL Grand Final's pre-match entertainment in 1998, 2002 and 2009 and half-time entertainment in 2013. This song was used for many years as the theme song of the Queensland Bulls cricket team in the quest for the Sheffield Shield, its own "Holy Grail". It was also featured as the theme song to the Australian rugby league movie Footy Legends.

In 2013 a cover version of "Holy Grail" by The Rubens appeared on the tribute album, Crucible – The Songs of Hunters & Collectors.[4]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Holy Grail" was ranked number 30.[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard[6][7].

No.TitleLength
1."Holy Grail"3:50
2."True Tears of Joy" (live & acoustic)3:43
3."Where Do You Go?" (live & acoustic)3:14
4."When the River Runs Dry" (live & acoustic)3:49
5."Holy Grail" (live & acoustic)3:21
Total length:17:57

All tracks are written by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard[6].

UK single (18 April 1994)
No.TitleLength
1."Holy Grail"3:52
2."Head Above Water"4:24
3."True Tears of Joy"4:35
4."Grindstone"3:47
Total length:16:38

Chart performance
Year Chart Peak
position		 Certifications
1993 Australian Singles Chart[8] 20
New Zealand Singles Chart[9] 25

Personnel

Credited to:[1]

Hunters & Collectors members
Recording details
  • Producer – Don Gehman ("Holy Grail")
  • Associate Producer/mixing – Rick Will ("Holy Grail")
    • Assistant mixing – Lori Fumer ("Holy Grail")
  • Engineer/recording – Gary Cranston (tracks 2-5)
  • Remixing – Tony Espie
  • Studios – Festival Studios, Sydney (recording); The Grey Room; Larabee Studios, Los Angeles (mixing) ("Holy Grail")
    • MMM Studios, Melbourne (recording/engineering); Platinum Studios, Melbourne (remixing) (tracks 2-5)

References
  1. Holmgren, Magnus; Warnqvist, Stefan; Bamford, Alan. "Hunters and Collectors". Passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  2. Jeff Jenkins (2007). 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 290. ISBN 9781921332111.
  3. Stephen Alomes (November 2000). "One Day in September: Grass Roots Enthusiasm, invented Traditions and Contemporary Commercial Spectacle and the Australian Football League Finals" (PDF). Sporting Traditions. 17 (1). Retrieved 18 July 2006.
  4. "Hunters & Collectors Crucible Tribute Album of the Week". Triple M. Southern Cross Austereo. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  6. "'Holy Grail' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 9 April 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Holy Grail; or at 'Performer:' Hunters & Collectors
  7. "ACE Title Search". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014. Note: User may have to enter details e.g. at 'Titles' enter Holy Grail; or at 'Performers' enter Hunters & Collectors
  8. Hung, Steffen. "Hunters & Collectors discography". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  9. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Hunters & Collectors". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
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