Nail that original!

I can’t explain this obsession some of us have about tracking down the original version of every song ever recorded in the universe or, in my case, Australia. Either you get it or you don’t: maybe Arnold Rypens would have a better idea. But here are four rules of song history that I’ve learnt along the way:

1. After you nail an original, wait: someone, some day, will email you with an earlier version.

2. Ask the singer, producer or songwriter for information, but don't be surprised if they turn out to be wrong.

3. There's a bloke in Belgium or Finland who knows more about this stuff than Australia's Rock Brain of the Universe.

4. If you've dug up a really obscure original version of a well-known song, don't expect friends, family, neighbours or the guy at the post office to get excited about it or even understand why you bothered in the first place.

(Also on the About page.)