Cate Stamps her Name

Wonder of wonders last Friday night for Australian television viewers (well, those who love Cate as much as we do, anyway!) Channel 9, our oldest, strongest and most popular network ran a retrospective entitled "Studio 9 Unplugged", - a two and a half hour look back at the live entertainment that had been produced in that Melbourne studio since TV began in this country back in 1956. Hosted by the evergreen Don Lane it was a highly entertaining piece of nostalgia which showcased the fact that Aussie TV (channel nine especially) does live variety so very well. At least they did - costcutting has virtually killed the genre in this country.

Anyway, a program that's highlights featured prominently was "Hey Hey It's Saturday". Beginning in 1971, it was compered by Daryl Somers and Ozzie Ostrich (a stuffed pink bird). One of their best loved segments was "Red Faces" - a sort of Gong Show - in which three acts competed for prizes, the winner judged by a panel of visiting showbiz celebrities... And on this talent quest is where we find Cate.

Host Don Lane, after we had a giggle at some of the appalling acts to grace the airwaves told us - "Not every young performer appeared, just to disappear, some of them went on to make it big. Including a future Academy Award nominee." And then, to my jaw dropping surprise, appeared Cate from 1987, singing a song with a friend on guitar. Now sadly they screened only a miserable 10 seconds of her performance and I have no idea of the song's title or whether it was an original composition. Perhaps if our readers have any further information, they can let us know. The lyrics we got to hear -

"If I were a stamp and you were my mail,
I'd cling on tight as we travelled,
But if you licked my back too much
I'd make your tongue go dry"

So make of that what you will! But it seemed rather a tuneful little number and Cate delivered it nicely, capturing the high notes in a jazzy sort of style. Her dress sense here was a cause for concern though. An olive green set of pants and top that appeared to be of velour or felt. She could fit in to the jungles of East Timor alongside our troops with that get up! Mind you, it is 1987 and she would have been 17/18 at the time and I doubt if that year was a watershed in fashion history. That may also account for the bottle blonde look, with a tinge of dark roots showing under the shock of neck length hair.

So there you have it! What may very well be Cate's earliest recorded performance. For all of us here an important historical document of our favourite actress. As a matter of interest, on Saturday, the night after "Studio Nine Unplugged" went to air, "Hey Hey It's Saturday" made its final appearance. 28 years as an Australian institution came to a close, as did an outlet and training ground for much of our homegrown talent - Cate Blanchett being only one of very, very many.

Deano B. Aussie Cate Blanchett News. November 24, 1999.

Aussie Cate Online © 1999 Lin, Dean, Lance
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