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Margaret Urlich

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Margaret Urlich
Urlich performing in Hawke's Bay, 2008
Urlich performing in Hawke's Bay, 2008
Background information
Birth nameMargaret Mary Urlich
Born(1965-01-24)24 January 1965
Auckland, New Zealand
Died22 August 2022(2022-08-22) (aged 57)
Southern Highlands, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1985–2022
Labels

Margaret Mary Urlich (24 January 1965 – 22 August 2022[1]) was a New Zealand singer who lived in Australia for most of her career.

Urlich's 1989 debut solo album, Safety in Numbers, won "Breakthrough Artist – Album" at the 1991 ARIA Awards.[2] Its 1992 follow-up, Chameleon Dreams, was also a success. Urlich was successful in both New Zealand and Australia, selling over 400,000 albums during her career, ranking her as one of New Zealand's most successful recording artists. She was the cousin of fellow New Zealand singer Peter Urlich.[3]

Life and career

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Urlich began her career as lead vocalist for the new wave band Peking Man with her brother Pat, Tim Calder, Perry Marshall, Jan Foulkes, Neville Hall, John Fearon and Jay F-bula. Peking Man won the 1984 Shazam! Battle of The Bands (a TVNZ pop show) and had a number of hit songs in New Zealand, including "Good Luck to You" (No. 6), "Lift Your Head Up High" (No. 21) and 1985's "Room That Echoes" (No. 1).[4]

Urlich was later a member of an all-girl pop group in New Zealand called When the Cat's Away. Urlich moved to Australia in 1988. She recorded her debut solo studio album, Safety in Numbers, at Studios 301 in Sydney and released it in New Zealand in 1989 and Australia in March 1990. The album peaked at No. 4 on the New Zealand album charts in December 1989[5] and No. 5 on the Australian album charts in December 1990[6] and went triple platinum in Australia. Urlich won an ARIA Award in 1991 for "Best Breakthrough Artist".[7]

In 1990, Urlich, then little known outside New Zealand, provided backing vocals on a track for Australian artist Daryl Braithwaite on his second solo album, Rise, which was released in November 1990. The song she featured in was the Rickie Lee Jones ballad "The Horses", which was a No. 1 hit for Braithwaite.[8] The video clip featured Braithwaite singing on a beach, with a model (riding a horse), lip-syncing Urlich's voice. Urlich chose not to appear in Braithwaite's film clip as she had just released Safety in Numbers and was working to establish herself as a solo artist.

In March 1991, Urlich, armed with a half-million-dollar recording budget, returned to the studio to commence pre-production for her second album, Chameleon Dreams, with English writer/producer Robyn Smith, the man behind her highly successful debut. By mid-year, Urlich and Smith had entered Studios 301 to record their two songs, plus a third track written by Smith and Barry Blue. The same team had been responsible for two of the tracks on Safety in Numbers ("Escaping" and "Guilty People") and their latest offering, "Boy in the Moon", proved pivotal to the sound of the new album. Other tracks were collected by travelling around the world.

Urlich went to London to co-write with writers such as Rob Fisher, with whom she wrote the album's title track, "Chameleon Dreams". She then went on to Los Angeles, where she met with Grammy Award-winning writer/producer Ian Prince, with whom she wrote two songs for the album and he produced four tracks. She returned to London, where she co-wrote a number of songs with Simon Law and Tony Swain, before completing the project with three tracks produced by Swain. The success of Chameleon Dreams earned Urlich the "Best Selling New Zealand Artist of the Year" award at the 1992 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. She attended the awards ceremony and performed "Love Train".

In 1993, Urlich was part of Export Music Australia (EMA) and Austrade's second Wizards of Oz promotion. She toured Japan with fellow singer Rick Price and the group Yothu Yindi. Urlich and Dale Barlow recorded a version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" for Kate Ceberano's 1994 album Kate Ceberano and Friends.

She spent much of 1994 living back in New Zealand and appeared as Mary Magdalene in a major concert production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Urlich released a version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" that reached No. 44 on the New Zealand singles charts.[5]

For her third studio album, The Deepest Blue, Urlich returned to her long-standing partnership with British writer/producer Robyn Smith. She and Smith co-wrote all but two of the tracks on the album. The Deepest Blue was released in August 1995 but failed to have the same impact as her previous two albums, reaching No. 18 on the New Zealand charts[5] and No. 17 on the Australian charts.[6]

In 1998, her contract with Sony Music having expired, she moved to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales where she set up home and a new recording studio with her partner. Here she produced her fourth album, Second Nature, a recording project produced by Eddie Rayner from Split Enz that was recorded on and off over 12 months and involved musicians from Australia and New Zealand. The album comprised cover versions of some of Urlich's favourite New Zealand songs that she grew up with. These included songs from artists such as Split Enz, Crowded House, Dave Dobbyn, Max Merritt, Shona Laing, Don McGlashan and Tim Finn. The album was released in New Zealand in 1999 and reached No. 11 on the charts, achieving platinum status. This was her final studio album.[5]

Urlich made a special guest performance on series 1, episode 6 of The Micallef Program, performing a comical duet of the Carly Simon classic "You're So Vain" with Shaun Micallef. The two had previously performed a comical duet of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra song "Somethin' Stupid", with Micallef in his Milo Kerrigan persona, on the sketch comedy programme Full Frontal.

After a two-and-a-half-year struggle with cancer, Urlich died on 22 August 2022, at the age of 57, surrounded by her family at her home in the Southern Highlands.[9]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
NZ
[5]
AUS
[6]
Safety in Numbers
  • Released: November 1989
  • Label: CBS Records Australia (465652 2)
  • Format: LP, cassette, CD
4 5
Chameleon Dreams
  • Released: 25 September 1992
  • Label: Columbia (472118-2)
  • Released: LP, cassette, CD
18 5
The Deepest Blue
  • Released: July 1995
  • Label: Columbia (478315-2)
  • Format: Cassette, CD
18 17
Second Nature
  • Released: May 1999
  • Label: Sony Music NZ (491251-2)
  • Format: CD
11
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

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List of live albums
Title Details
Live
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Columbia (474455-2)
  • Format: CD
  • Recorded in 1992/1993 during Chameleon Dreams tour

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart
positions
Album
NZ
[5]
AUS
[6]
1989 "Escaping" 1 17 Safety in Numbers
1990 "Only My Heart Calling" 46
"Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)" 10 24
1991 "Guilty People / Give Me Some Credit" 99
1992 "Boy in the Moon" 9 21 Chameleon Dreams
"Human Race" 55
1993 "(I Don't Want to Be) Second Best" 39 132
"Burnt Sienna" 33
"Man Overboard" 127
"Where Is the Love" (with Rick Price) 31 Live
1994 "I Don't Know How to Love Him" 44 Jesus Christ Superstar: New Zealand Cast Recording
"All by Myself" 26 100 Non-album single
1995 "Gonna Make You Mine" 29 The Deepest Blue
"Every Little Thing" 50
1996 "All for the Love" 148
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

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ARIA Music Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1991 Safety in Numbers Breakthrough Artist – Album Won
Album of the Year Nominated
Best Female Artist Nominated
1993 Chameleon Dreams Best Female Artist Nominated
1994 "Burnt Sienna" Best Female Artist Nominated
"Where Is the Love?" (with Rick Price) Best Adult Contemporary Album Nominated

New Zealand Music Awards

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The New Zealand Music Awards are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1985 Margaret Urlich Female Vocalist of the Year Won [13]
1986 Margaret Urlich Female Vocalist of the Year Won
1989 Margaret Urlich Female Vocalist of the Year Won
Safety in Numbers Album of the Year Won
Polly Walker and Debbie Watson for Safety in Numbers Album Cover of the Year Won
"Escaping" Single of the Year Won
1990 Margaret Urlich Female Vocalist of the Year Won
Margaret Urlich International Achievement Nominated
"Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)" Single of the Year Nominated
2000 Kimberley Renwick for Second Nature Album Cover of the Year Nominated
2021 Margaret Urlich and When the Cats Away' New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee [14]

World Music Awards

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The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1992 Margaret Urlich Best Selling New Zealand Artist of the Year Won

Television appearances

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Year Title Performance Type
1984 Shazam! Battle of the Bands Herself - Peking Man "Good Luck To You" TV series (NZ)
1985;1986 Aotearoa Music Awards Herself - Peking Man winner "Room That Echoes" TV special NZ
1989 Countdown Revolution Herself singing "Escaping" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1989 Countdown Revolution Herself singing "Escaping" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1989 The Midday Show Herself singing "Only My Heart Calling" TV series, 1 episode
1989 MTV Herself in concert series singing "Escaping", "Number One", "Only My Heart Calling", "Give Me Some Credit", "The Tide Keeps Rolling In" TV series, 1 episode
1989 Aotearoa Music Awards Herself singing "Escaping" winner Best female singer TV special NZ
1990 MTV In Concert Herself singing "Escaping" TV special
1990,1990 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Number One"/"Escaping" TV series, 1 episode
1990 Countdown Revolution Herself singing "Number One" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1990 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself singing "Number One" TV series, 1 episode
1990 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Number One" TV series, 1 episode
1990,1991 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself sings "Number One" TV series, 1 episode
1990 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself singing "God Bless the Child" TV series, 1 episode
1990 Aotearoa Music Awards Herself singing "Number One" - Winner Best female singer TV special NZ
1991, 1992 Aotearoa Music Awards Herself singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" TV series, 1 episode
1992;1993 Aria Awards Herself - presenter TV special
1992 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" TV series, 1 episode
1992 In Sydney Today Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Midday Show Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" TV series, 1 episode
1992 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" TV series, 1 episode
1992 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself singing "Human Race" TV series, 1 episode
1992 Video Smash Hits Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 In Sydney Today Herself singing "Human Race TV series, 1 episode
1992 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Human Race" TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Midday Show Herself singing "Human Race" TV series, 1 episode
1992 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 Video Smash Hits Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Morning Show Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" TV series, 1 episode
1992 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" TV series, 1 episode
1992 Aotearoa Music Awards Herself as Best New Zealand singer TV special NZ
1992 1992 World Music Awards Herself singing "Love Train" as winner Best NZ singer TV special
1993 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Man Overboard" TV series, 1 episode
1993 The Midday Show Herself singing "Man Overboard" TV series, 1 episode
1993 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Australian Fashion Awards 1993 Herself singing "Fashion" TV special
1993 Ernie and Denise Herself singing "Second Best" TV series, 1 episode
1994 Aria Awards Herself - presenter with Wendy Matthews TV special
1993 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Second Best" TV series, 1 episode
1993 Good Morning Australia Herself singing "Second Best" TV series, 1 episode
1993 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "My Baby Just Cares for Me" TV series, 1 episode
1993 Video Smash Hits Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Vidiot Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
1993 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Ray Martin at Midday Herself singing "Second Best" TV series, 1 episode
1993 Tonight Live Herself singing "Second Best" TV series, 1 episode
1993 Real Life Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Live It Up Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Live and Sweaty Herself sings "Boy in the Moon", "Second Best" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1993 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Where Is the Love?" with Rick Price TV series, 1 episode
1994 Kate Ceberano And Friends Herself singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1994 Full Frontal Herself singing "Somethin' Stupid" with Shaun Micallef TV series, 1 episode
1994 1994 Rugby League Grand Final Herself singing the Australian National Anthem TV special
1995 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself sings "Gonna Make You Mine" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Midday Herself sings "Gonna Make You Mine" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Ernie and Denise Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Good Morning Australia Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Australia's Funniest People Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 At Home Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Midday Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Today Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Herself singing "Every Little Thing" TV series, 1 episode
1995 Today Herself singing "All By Myself" TV series, 1 episode
1994 The Australia Remembers When Gala Tribute Concert Herself singing "Lilli Marlene" ABC TV special
1995 Carols By Candlelight Herself singing "Song For The Unborn Child" TV special
1996 Good Morning Australia Herself singing "All By Myself" TV series, 1 episode
1996 Monday to Friday Herself singing "All For The Love" TV series, 1 episode
1996 Talking Telephone Numbers Herself singing "All For The Love" TV series, 1 episode
1996 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself singing "All For The Love" TV series, 1 episode
1996 Carols in the Domain Herself singing "God Bless the Child" TV special
1998 Good Vibrations: The Concert for Marc Hunter Herself singing "Young Years" with Kevin Bennett and Sharon O'Neill TV special
1999 The Micallef Program Herself singing "You're So Vain" with Shaun Micallef TV series, 1 episode
2003 Mornings with Kerri-Anne Guest - Herself sings "Killing Me Softly With His Song" TV series, 1 episode
2012 The Morning Show Herself singing "Escaping", "Boy in the Moon" TV series, 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ "ASCAP – ACE search engine results". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. ^ "1991 ARIA Award winners". ALLdownunder.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  3. ^ "Margaret Urlich – AudioCulture". audioculture.co.nz.
  4. ^ "charts.org.nz > Peking Man in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "charts.nz > Margaret Urlich in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
  7. ^ "ARAI Awards – Margaret Urlich". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  8. ^ "Daryl Braithwaite – The Horses". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  9. ^ "New Zealand musician Margaret Urlich dies after cancer battle". Newshub. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Top 40 Albums". Recorded Music NZ. 15 April 1990. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  11. ^ a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 290.
  12. ^ "Official Top 40 Albums". Recorded Music NZ. 22 August 1999. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Aotearoa Music Awards". aotearoamusicawards.nz. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ Skipwith, David (17 December 2021). "L.A.B. and Teeks reign supreme at 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards". Stuff. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
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