Tim Finn finds Chrissy Amphlett songs
Lost songs from iconic Australian rockstar found in garage
Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Warm-up
- What old music have you found and enjoyed?
- Do you keep things in a garage or storage? What?
- Who is a famous singer from your country?
Vocabulary
- garage
- a small building or space for keeping a car and storing things
- EP
- a short music record with a few songs
- drummer
- a musician who plays the drums
- studio
- a place where music is recorded
- tape
- a long, thin strip used to record sound
- frontwoman
- the main female singer in a band
- release
- to make a song, film, or book available to the public
- discover
- to find something that was lost or unknown
Reading
Listen to this story
American EnglishThree songs by Divinyls frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett are finally coming out. She recorded them in 1998 with Tim Finn, the former singer of New Zealand band Split Enz. In 2023, Finn discovered the two-inch tape in his garage at home. The songs will be released on Friday on an EP called Some Times.
The pair wrote the songs in Sydney and went into a studio to record them. Charley Drayton, a drummer close to Amphlett, played on the session. Amphlett later married him. Finn said he admired her strong voice and energy.
Amphlett died in 2013, but fans can still hear new work from her. The find was a surprise, and the tape was in good condition. The release should help people remember her hits such as I Touch Myself, Pleasure and Pain, and Boys in Town.
Comprehension
- Who recorded the songs with Chrissy Amphlett in 1998?
- Where did Tim Finn find the old recordings?
- What is the name of the EP that will come out?
- Which musician played drums on the session?
- When did Chrissy Amphlett die?
Grammar focus
Should / ought to
Use should or ought to to give advice or say what is a good idea. Both take the base verb: should/ought to + verb. (Example 2 constructed.)
- The release should help people remember her hits
- Fans ought to listen when the EP is released
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
- Archivists (check) ___ the garage boxes for old tapes.
- Musicians (learn) ___ Amphlett's songs to study her style.
- If you want clearer sound, you (use) ___ good headphones.
- Collectors (store) ___ tapes in dry places to protect them.
- Friends of artists (support) ___ releases that honour their work.
Discussion
- How do you feel when you find something you lost?
- Should old songs be released after a singer dies? Why or why not?
- Which Divinyls song would you like to hear live? Why?
- Where ought artists to store recordings safely?
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