"Maxine" is a song by New Zealand singer and songwriter

Sharon O'Neill Sharon Lea O'Neill (born 23 November 1952) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with " Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association ...

. The song was released in May 1983 as the second single from her fourth studio album, ''

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'' (1983). The song peaked at number 16 in Australia and New Zealand. It remain's O'Neill's highest charting single in Australia.

Background and release

Late in 1981, O'Neill moved from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

to pursue her music career. It was here that she wrote "Maxine", a song that chronicled the life of a Kings Cross

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. In a 2016 interview, O'Neill said; "I was living in a hotel in Kings Cross when I got the inspiration to write "Maxine". She was always out there working at 3am when we'd get home bleary-eyed from a gig" Two music videos were filmed: one in New Zealand for general audiences, and the other in Sydney with far more explicit themes.

Track listing

7" (BA 223082) *Side A "Maxine" – 4:35 *Side B "All The Way Down" – 2:02

Charts

Cover versions

* In 1996, Lizzie Brennan recorded a version on her album, ''Statues in the Park''. * In 2006, Rietta recorded a version on her album, ''Cut Me Loose''. * In 2016, Handsome Young Strangers recorded a version on their EP ''Battle of Broken Hill''.

References

1983 songs 1983 singles Sharon O'Neill songs Songs written by Sharon O'Neill Rock ballads {{1980s-pop-song-stub