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.

Blue Sky Mining
Studio album by Midnight Oil
Released	9 February 1990
Recorded	June−September 1989
Studio	Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney
Genre	Rock
Length	46:52
Label	Columbia
Producer	Warne Livesey & Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil chronology
Diesel and Dust (1987) Blue Sky Mining (1990) The Green Disc (1990)
Singles from Blue Sky Mining
"Blue Sky Mine" Released: January 1990 "Forgotten Years/Shakers & Movers" Released: April 1990 "King of the Mountain" Released: July 1990 "Bedlam Bridge" Released: October 1990 "One Country" Released: 1991

Background

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Sun-Times	[2]
Daily News	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
NME	8/10[6]
Orlando Sentinel	[7]
Q	[8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[10]

Blue Sky Mining, produced by Warne Livesey, was released by CBS/Columbia on 9 February 1990.^[11] It peaked at number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums chart.^[12] It stayed at number one for two weeks in Australia and had Top 5 chart success in Sweden, Switzerland and Norway.^[13] It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200^[14] and number 28 on the UK charts.^[15] The album was "more defiant and outspoken" than their previous work;^[16] the single "Blue Sky Mine" describes asbestos exposure in the Wittenoom mine tragedy.^[16] The lead single peaked at number eight on the ARIA singles charts,^[12] top 15 in Norway and Switzerland,^[17] number 47 on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on both their Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts,^[18] and appeared on the UK charts.^[15] 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.^[19][20] Manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, was criticised for a speech lasting 20 minutes.^[20][21]

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."^[22]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Blue Sky Mine"	Garrett, Hillman, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey	4:18
2.	"Stars of Warburton"	Garrett, Moginie	4:43
3.	"Bedlam Bridge"	Hirst	4:25
4.	"Forgotten Years"	Hirst, Moginie	4:21
5.	"Mountains of Burma"	Hirst	4:50

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"King of the Mountain"	Hirst, Moginie	3:58
7.	"River Runs Red"	Hirst, Moginie	5:28
8.	"Shakers and Movers"	Garrett, Moginie	4:32
9.	"One Country"	Garrett, Moginie	5:56
10.	"Antarctica"	Garrett, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey	4:22

Bonus track on some pressings

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"You May Not Be Released**"	Moginie	3:38

• • 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^[23][24] and CDs.^[25]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] 13 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[28] 6 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 27 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32] 2 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 3 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[34] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[35] 28 US Billboard 200[36] 20

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[37] 3 Canadian Albums (RPM)[38] 28 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[39] 19 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[40] 8 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 12 US Billboard 200[42] 67

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[43]	5× Platinum	350,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[44]	Platinum	100,000^
France (SNEP)[45]	Platinum	300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[46]	Gold	250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[47]	Platinum	15,000^
Sweden (GLF)[48]	Gold	50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[49]	Platinum	50,000^
United States (RIAA)[50]	Gold	500,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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