Supernaut’s 1976 hit I Like It Both Ways seemed doomed for oblivion when Australian radio stations banned it. The Women’s Weekly attributed the ban to ‘bad lyrical content’. However, Supernaut possessed a secret weapon – their producer Molly Meldrum. Molly played the song on Countdown and it became a hit and a bisexual anthem.
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Supernaut
Starting out as a pub band called Moby Dick in Perth, they later took on a glam rock look and changed their name to Supernaut. The band comprised young British migrants with the drummer only 17-years-old and lead singer Gary Twinn just 18.
During a night out in Perth with Molly Meldrum, Paul McCartney told Molly Supernaut impressed him more than any other Aussie band he’d seen.
With that encouragement, the band moved to Melbourne and Molly produced I Like It Both Ways as their debut single.
After radio refused to play the song, Molly featured it on Countdown.
The trippy video for the single, recorded for the Countdown appearance resulted from a technical slip-up. A cameraman pointed his camera directly at a television monitor causing a ripple effect and replicated images.
Supernaut: I Like It Both Ways
I Like It Both Ways
While the lyrics never explicitly reference sexuality, no one doubted the meaning at the time – certainly not the wowsers or cautious radio station music programmers.
Johnny is a guy who can’t make up his mind he says “I like it both ways”
Johnny’s world is inside out his daddy thinks he’s insane
He goes out on the town flashes around is his mind deranged
Couples walk by he watches them all to him they’re all the same
I like it both ways.
When glam rock lost its appeal, Supernaut first moved in a punk direction before disbanding.
However, they reunited in 2007 for the ‘Countdown Spectacular 2′.
They reunited again for concerts in Sydney and Melbourne in 2016.
It’s a shame that with singers on television talent shows breathing new life into old Aussie classics like What About Me, no one has yet been brave enough to tackle this bisexual anthem.
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