Cast your mind back to the mid-eighties, mate. The air was thick with the scent of pub beer, the telly was always tuned to Countdown, and if you weren’t bopping along to the synth-pop brilliance of the Models, you probably weren’t out at the pub at all. They were the quintessential Melbourne band, a group that started out with a gritty, post-punk edge before evolving into something slicker, cooler, and far more infectious. But did you ever wonder how this band managed to craft such a massive, chart-topping ripper like Out of Mind, Out of Sight? The secret lies in a collaboration that most fans at the time didn’t even realise was happening.
It turns out the Models had a bit of secret weaponry tucked away in their creative arsenal. They teamed up with none other than Nile Rodgers—the legendary hitmaker who was the golden touch behind Madonna’s favourite tracks. It sounds like a strange collision, doesn’t it? The dark, moody lads from the Melbourne pub circuit joining forces with the king of disco and funk. Yet, when they got into the studio, the chemistry was nothing short of magic. They managed to blend that raw, authentic Aussie pub rock sensibility with a polished, dance-pop sheen that felt entirely fresh for our local music scene.
I reckon it was this exact blend that made the song climb so high on the charts. It was a proper earworm, the kind of track that you’d hear once on the radio and be whistling for the rest of the week. By bringing in someone with the global pedigree of Rodgers, the Models didn’t lose their identity; instead, they elevated their sound. They took the colours of their dark, underground roots and painted them over with the vibrant, upbeat textures that were defining the eighties global soundscape. It was a massive move, and honestly, it paid off in heaps.
Reflecting on that era, it’s easy to see why we hold the Models so close to our hearts. They were a band that refused to sit still, constantly shifting their sound while maintaining that classic Aussie grit. Whether you saw them tearing up a stage at a sweaty local gig or watched them perform on the Countdown stage, you knew you were witnessing a band that was genuinely trying to break new ground. That session with their surprise collaborator wasn’t just about chasing a trend; it was about refining their craft to capture the pulse of a nation.
Even today, when that distinctive guitar riff kicks in, you can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic for a time when Aussie music was taking the world on its own terms. It remains an absolute ripper of a track that still sounds as crisp now as it did when it first hit the airwaves. So, next time you’re spinning your favourite eighties record, give a nod to the boys from Melbourne who bridged the gap between our local pubs and the polished pop stages of the world. It’s a bit of history that makes our music scene the legend it is today, wouldn’t you agree?