FEATHERS, FUR OR FINS 40TH ANNIVERSARY DON SPENCER & FRIENDS

Forty years after the release of one of his most loved children’s albums, Don Spencer OAM is marking the milestone with a powerful full-circle moment — a special 40th Anniversary edition of his album Feathers, Fur or Fins featuring recordings by some of Australia’s most respected contemporary and children’s artists. FEATHERS, FUR or FINS 40th Anniversary by Don Spencer & Friends will be released on August 21.

Following his recent recognition during Play School’s, 60th celebrations, Don invited The Wiggles, Rachael Beck, Rob Mills, Justine Clarke, Emma Memma, Mirusia, Bailey Pickles, his daughter Danielle Spencer, and Tim Freedman to record their own versions of these heritage tracks. Joining the line-up are beloved kid’s artists, The Quokkas, Whistle & Trick, Mick McHugh, The Vegetable Plot and The Tip Toe Giants alongside some of Don’s originals.

MICK McHUGH says “I’m very proud to have been invited to work on this Don Spencer project, he’s a living legend of children’s music and entertainment! The track that I was asked to work on, ‘EMU’, was originally a Bluegrass style song with banjo and fiddle. We kept those elements in our re-imagining of the track, while leaning into my Celtic heritage. We used DADGAD tuning on the acoustic guitar, and added accordion alongside the banjo and fiddle, all supported with an EDM rhythm. At the end of the song we play an Irish Reel called ‘Humours of Tulla’ which gives a ‘lift-off’ sensation to the track, as though the EMU was running at, like the song says, “80 on the FLAT!”