Newspaper Mama

Newspaper Mama Revisited: Peter Combe in focus.

I had hoped yesterday afternoon, to be belting out the lyrics to all the favourite songs I danced around the lounge room to as a child, whilst also watching the smiles on the faces of my husband and son. Yes, I had hoped to be at the Peter Combe concert that took place at ‘The Gov’, 3.30pm SA time yesterday afternoon (I had actually organised to review the concert for ‘Parenting-prattle’); but alas, it was not to be. Instead, the afternoon was spent sweltering under a barely working fan, rocking my sick baby back and forth in my arms, wondering when I was going to get a moment to sleep.

So rather than uploading a review of the concert today, I am instead (partly to not disappoint the people I promised, and partly I am sure to torture myself) taking a closer look at that legendary children’s performer: Peter Combe (pictured below).

Think children’s music today, and no doubt the first names that come to your mind are groups like ‘The Wiggles’ and ‘Hi-5’. Well, think of a time before all of this, the 1980’s. Dubbed as ‘Australia’s first pop star for children’ Peter is the man who is single-handedly often attributed as the man who started the phenomenon that The Wiggles now rule.

With Verses and lyrics like:

“The postman came on a Friday

And put a letter

And a frog
And a mouse
And a spider
And a snail in the letterbox
Put a letter and a frog and a spider and a snail in the letterbox

The postman never ever came again
He was fired
And he was told
That he was a very silly boy”
(Lyrics to ‘The Silly Postman’, one of my personal favourites )

It is no wonder that Combe both enraptured children and amused adults to the extent that he was awarded 3 Arias, and many of his albums went ‘gold’, and then ‘platinum’. The titles of Peter’s career are long and varied, but just a few of the popular ones remembered by his now adult aged fans include Spaghetti Bolognaise (and more songs for little kids) released in 1985, Toffee Apple released in 1987, and Newspaper Mama released in 1988.

Today, Peter has taken his musicianship and memories back to the stage in his Newspaper Mama: Revisited tour. A testament of his versatility and strength of appeal over time, many of these shows have been adult only, with only a couple (including the one I missed) allowing all ages.

His music is certainly the type that I intend to use while raising my son!

info sourced from a variety of websites, including but not limited to petercombe.com and wikipedia

Leave a Comment