Howzat (song)

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"Howzat"
Side A of the Australian single
Single by Sherbet
from the album Howzat
B-side"Motor of Love"
ReleasedMay 1976
GenreRock
Length3:43
LabelInfinity (Festival sublabel), Epic, MCA
Songwriter(s)Garth Porter, Tony Mitchell
Producer(s)Richard Lush, Sherbet
Sherbet singles chronology
"Child's Play"
(1976) 		"Howzat"
(1976) 		"Hollywood Dreaming"/"Gimme Love"
(1976)
Music video
"Howzat" on YouTube

"Howzat" is a song by Australian band Sherbet, released in May 1976.[1] The song reached number 1 in Australia on the Kent Music Report[2] and it also reached number 1 in New Zealand on the Recorded Music NZ. It was released from Sherbet's album of the same name, Howzat. The song was written by band members Garth Porter and Tony Mitchell. The title track was also a number one hit and remains the group's biggest hit, especially outside of Australia, reaching the top 5 of the UK charts and also entering the lower end of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3]

At the Australian 1976 King of Pop Awards the song won Most Popular Australian Single.[4]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Howzat" was ranked number 42.[5]

Title track[edit]

It is often used as a cricket anthem and is sometimes loudly played by ground organisers at limited-overs matches. Howzat is a cry used by cricketers when appealing to the umpire for a wicket.

Song origin[edit]

In 1976, someone suggested to Tony Mitchell and keyboardist Garth Porter that Howzat might make a good title for a song because some of the members of Sherbet loved cricket. Despite Mitchell not being a good cricketer, he sat down with Garth Porter at Porter's Rose Bay home to work on the idea. Mitchell soon came up with the "doo-doo, doo-doo" bass riff, after which the first thing that came into Porter's mind was the phrase "I caught you out."[6]

Reception and legacy[edit]

Cash Box magazine said "The song is refreshing, with a subdued, economical arrangement, and professional, pleasing vocals. Should be top ten in no time at all. Good use of minor chords."[7]

In November 2023, the National Film and Sound Archive added Howzat to the Sounds of Australia register for songs of "cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance".[8] [9]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Howzat"Garth Porter, Tony Mitchell3:43
2."Motor of Love"Garth Porter, Tony Mitchell, Alan Sandow3:21

Personnel[edit]

  • Daryl Braithwaite – lead vocals, tambourine
  • Harvey James – guitar, vocals
  • Tony Mitchell – bass, vocals
  • Alan Sandow – drums
  • Garth Porter – keyboards, vocals

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[12] 1
UK Singles Chart[13] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 61
Thailand Thailand Top 100[15] 2
Israel Music Chart[16] 1
Netherlands Dutch Top 40[17] 6
Norway VG-lista[18] 8

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[19][20] 4

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sherbet - Howzat at 45cat
  2. ^ Sherbet - Howzat at Australian Music Database
  3. ^ Sherbet - Howzat at Music Vf
  4. ^ "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  6. ^ "I write the songs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2003-01-28. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
  7. ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 21 August 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 21 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ "HOWZAT, THE LOVED ONE AND SLIP! SLOP! SLAP!". National Film and Sound Archive. November 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Travers, Penny (November 14, 2023). "Slip! Slop! Slap! jingle, I am Australian, Sherbet's Howzat, Robyn Archer's Menstruation Blues among new Sounds of Australia". ABC.net.au.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1976). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 271. ISBN 0-646-11917-6..
  11. ^ "Sherbet – Howzat". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  12. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  13. ^ Official Charts - Sherbet - Howzat
  14. ^ Sherbet - Howzat at Music vf
  15. ^ Sherbert Howzat charts
  16. ^ It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
  17. ^ Dutch Charts - Sherbet - Howzat
  18. ^ Norwegian Charts - Sherbet - Howzat
  19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 428. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  21. ^ "ABBA and Sherbet Score Gold in the UK" (PDF). Cash Box. 11 December 1976. p. 45. Retrieved 21 November 2021 – via World Radio History.


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