Holy Grail (Hunters & Collectors song)

"Holy Grail"
Single by Hunters & Collectors
from the album Cut
Released	March 1993 (1993-03)
Format	CD
Recorded	1991-92 Festival Studios, Sydney
Genre	Pub rock
Length	3:50
Label	Mushroom
Writer(s)	Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard
Producer(s)	Don Gehman, Rick Will
Hunters & Collectors singles chronology
"Tears of Joy" (1992) "Holy Grail" (1993) "Imaginary Girl" (1993)
Holy Grail UK release (Mushroom Records)

"Holy Grail" is a song performed by the Australian band Hunters & Collectors on their 1992 album Cut. With lyrics referring to popular Holy Grail mythology, the song is an anthemic single inspired by Napoleon's march to Russia in 1812, but also referencing the Hunters and Collectors' flagging attempts to "crack" the American market.

Singer Mark Seymour said, "With the lyrics, I'd been reading a Jeanette Winterson novel, "The Passion". It was a story about Napoleon's chef when he invaded Russia. The army was destroyed by the weather. It's a story about survival. It's a really powerful book and somehow I drew this analogy between the idea of this guy managing to survive this incredible ordeal and Hunters and Collectors making this excruciating record."

The song has since become an Australian rules football anthem, particularly with the reference to the Premiership Cup and the AFL Grand Final. Channel Ten used the song to open and close its AFL broadcasts between 2002 and 2006. Seymour performed the song as part of the AFL Grand Final's pre-match entertainment in 1998, 2002 and 2009 and half-time entertainment in 2013. This song was used for many years as the theme song of the Queensland Bulls cricket team in the quest for the Sheffield Shield, its own "Holy Grail". It was also featured as the theme song to the Australian rugby league movie Footy Legends.

In 2013 a cover version of "Holy Grail" by The Rubens appeared on the tribute album, Crucible – The Songs of Hunters & Collectors.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Holy Grail"	3:50
2.	"True Tears of Joy" (live & acoustic)	3:43
3.	"Where Do You Go?" (live & acoustic)	3:14
4.	"When the River Runs Dry" (live & acoustic)	3:49
5.	"Holy Grail" (live & acoustic)	3:21
Total length:		17:57

All songs written and composed by Mark Seymour, Jeremy Smith, Doug Falconer, John Archer, Barry Palmer, Michael Waters, Robert Miles, John Howard. 

UK single (18 April 1994)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Holy Grail"	3:52
2.	"Head Above Water"	4:24
3.	"True Tears of Joy"	4:35
4.	"Grindstone"	3:47
Total length:		16:38

Chart performance

Year	Chart	Peak position	Certifications
1993	Australian Singles Chart	20
	New Zealand Singles Chart	25

Personnel

Credited to:

Hunters & Collectors members

• John Archer – bass guitar
• Doug Falconer – drums
• John 'Jack' Howard – trumpet
• Robert Miles – live sound, art director
• Barry Palmer - lead guitar
• Mark Seymour – vocals, guitar
• Jeremy Smith – French horn
• Michael Waters – trombone, keyboards

Recording details

• Producer – Don Gehman ("Holy Grail")
• Associate Producer/mixing – Rick Will ("Holy Grail")
  • Assistant mixing – Lori Fumer ("Holy Grail")
• Engineer/recording – Gary Cranston (tracks 2-5)
• Remixing – Tony Espie
• Studios – Festival Studios, Sydney (recording); The Grey Room; Larabee Studios, Los Angeles (mixing) ("Holy Grail")
  • MMM Studios, Melbourne (recording/engineering); Platinum Studios, Melbourne (remixing) (tracks 2-5)

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• "Holy Grail" video