Blue Sky Mining

''Blue Sky Mining'' is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released on 9 February 1990 under the Columbia Records label. It received high ratings from critics. In March of that year, the album peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart for two weeks. A limited release of the record featured clear blue vinyl. This was the band's first studio album with bassist and backing vocalist Bones Hillman, who would remain in the group until his death in 2020.

Background

''Blue Sky Mining'', produced by Warne Livesey, was released by CBS/Columbia on 9 February 1990. It peaked at number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums chart. It stayed at number one for two weeks in Australia and had Top 5 chart success in Sweden, Switzerland and Norway. It peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 28 on the UK charts. The album was "more defiant and outspoken" than their previous work; the single " Blue Sky Mine" describes asbestos exposure in the Wittenoom mine tragedy. The lead single peaked at number eight on the ARIA singles charts, top 15 in Norway and Switzerland, number 47 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on both their Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts, and appeared on the UK charts. The second single, "Forgotten Years", was more moderately successful, reaching number 26 on the ARIA singles chart, number 97 in the UK, number 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, and number one on the Modern Rock Tracks.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, Midnight Oil won 'Best Group' and an 'Outstanding Achievement Award', and were awarded 'Best Cover Art', 'Best Video' and 'Album of the Year' for ''Blue Sky Mining''. Manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, was criticised for a speech lasting 20 minutes.

Hirst later said, "Warne's whole thing was to get as close to aural perfection as you possibly could, or as close as we were ever going to get- and Rhino the sort of place to do it. It was indulgent, excessive, and it was the kind of luxury that's afforded to bands with a hit album, which we had." Moginie added, "I didn't realise that we were making a commercial record and we certainty never set out to. We ended up going for good songs and lots of acoustic guitars, and it worked."

Track listing

** Some early Australian copies included the track "You May Not Be Released" - it was the B-side to a 12-inch issue of "Forgotten Years," and it is believed that this only appeared on the first 1,000 LP copies. It also appeared on early cassette copies and CDs.Physical CD media from 1990 release

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Personnel

Midnight Oil
* Peter Garrett - lead vocals, harmonica
* Bones Hillman - bass, vocals
* Robert Hirst - drums, vocals
* Jim Moginie - guitars, keyboards, vocals
* Martin Rotsey - guitars

Additional personnel
* Warne Livesey - additional keyboards
* Jeremy Smith - French horn
* Phillip Hartl - String Leader
* Glad and Carl - Horn Swells

References

External links

Midnight Oil

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1990 albums
Midnight Oil albums
Columbia Records albums
Albums produced by Warne Livesey
ARIA Award–winning albums