OK so it’s not really payola when you’re promoting your own product… but you can hear the $$$ light up in The 12th Man AKA Billy Birmingham’s (playing Richie Benaud) eyes when he realises he gets paid for the job!

As Richie says… The 12th Man’s marvellous new CD box set collection. All 7 of The 12th Man’s ARIA #1 albums, all undigitally unremastered, in a deluxe 25th anniversary box set collection.

Last week we had the fabuloso Paul Dempsey in the office to come play for us at our Head of HR Jo Perkin’s farewell.

After some really lovely speeches from key people Jo worked with at EMI over her ten years, we presented her with a plaque containing a framed lyrics sheet of her favourite song by her favourite artist Paul Dempsey Take Us To Your Leader as a token of appreciation from EMI past and present…and then Paul Dempsey himself arrived to sing for us Jo’s favourite song Take Us To Your Leader.

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It was 1984. I was 12 years old, in Year 8 and a friend of mine had a tape deck. It’s between third and fourth period I think, he said “You’ve gotta listen to this”. I thought “what the f**k!… I don’t remember Ritchie Benaud being this funny….and dropping the F bomb like it’s everyday conversation”. That was my first introduction to The 12th Man.

Ever since, I’ve always made sure I got his new albums as soon as they were released. I love sport, just like most red blooded Australians, it’s in our DNA, and I love it when someone takes the piss out of someone else – all in good fun of course – so really it’s a match made in heaven (or Australia as it were). Over the years Billy Birmingham has achieved the incredible feat of debuting every 12th Man album at #1. That’s 7 albums at #1! No other Australian recording artist has done this. Where else but in Australia could this happen?

Favourite 12th Man moments? Ritchie “Typical stinking f**king hot day here today in Bombay”. Bill Lawry on Merv Hughes “I love him, I want to boof him, get him up here”.
Fave sub continent cricketer name “Ramatunga Downthe Throata”.