"Jukebox in Siberia" is a song by the Australian group, Skyhooks, released as the lead single from the group's compilation album The Latest and Greatest. The song's lyrics take a look at Russia under the rule of Gorbachev, the era of glasnost ("openness") and perestroika ("restructuring").
The single was released in October 1990—the group's first release in eight years—and debuted on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart at No. 14, peaking at No. 1 the following month. It was their only ARIA #1 single; they had previously achieved a #1 single on the Kent Music Report with "Horror Movie" in 1975.
"Jukebox in Siberia" peaked at #1 in Australia for 2 weeks.
Coordinates: 60°0′N 105°0′E / 60.000°N 105.000°E / 60.000; 105.000
Siberia (/saɪˈbɪəriə/; Russian: Сиби́рь, tr. Sibir'; IPA: [sʲɪˈbʲirʲ]) is an extensive geographical region, and by the broadest definition is also known as North Asia. Siberia has been historically part of Russia since the 17th century.
The territory of Siberia extends eastwards from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between the Pacific and Arctic drainage basins. Siberia stretches southwards from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and to the national borders of Mongolia and China. With an area of 13.1 million square kilometres, Siberia accounts for 77% of Russia's land area, but it is home to just 40 million people – 27% of the country's population. This is equivalent to an average population density of about 3 inhabitants per square kilometre (approximately equal to that of Australia), making Siberia one of the most sparsely populated regions on Earth.
Some sources say that "Siberia" originates from the Siberian Tatar word for "sleeping land" (Sib Ir). Another account sees the name as the ancient tribal ethnonym of the Sipyrs, a mysterious people later assimilated to Siberian Tatars. The modern usage of the name appeared in the Russian language after the conquest of the Siberian Khanate. A further variant claims that the region was named after the Xibe people. The Polish historian Chycliczkowski has proposed that the name derives from the proto-Slavic word for "north" (север, sever), but Anatole Baikaloff has dismissed this explanation on the grounds that the neighbouring Chinese, Arabs and Mongolians (who have similar names for the region) would not have known Russian. His own suggestion is that the name represents a combination of two words, "su" (water) and "bir" (wild land).
Siberia is an opera in three acts by Umberto Giordano from a libretto by Luigi Illica. There is no direct source for the plot of Siberia and it is quite possible that this is an original work by Illica. It was suggested at the New York premiere that it was based on Leo Tolstoy's novel Resurrection or one of the novels within it.
The première took place on 19 December 1903 at La Scala in Milan and was revised in 1927. The première was not successful, despite having an illustrious first-night cast (Puccini's Madama Butterfly had been cancelled and Siberia took the same vocal distribution so the singers were re-engaged for Giordano's opera), it received more praise in its opening in Genoa and then in Paris in May 1905. It was premièred in the USA, in New Orleans at the French Opera House on 31 January 1906. The composer Gabriel Fauré thought highly of the first act when he heard it in Paris in 1905.
Saint Petersburg, August, during the Festival of Saint Alexander
Never Gone is the fifth (fourth in the U.S.) studio album released by American vocal group Backstreet Boys as the follow up to their fourth (third in the U.S.) studio album Black & Blue after a short hiatus. Never Gone was originally due for release in 2004, but the release date for the album was pushed to June 14, 2005 for unknown reasons. The album varies musically from their previous albums, with a rock sound to the album. Unlike previous albums, the album featured only live instruments. The album is named after a song on it which mourns the loss of Kevin Richardson's father.
Never Gone was the last album to feature Kevin Richardson, who departed from the group in 2006 to pursue other interests, until his return in 2012.
The Never Gone Tour commenced soon after the album's release. On December 20, 2005, the group released the DVD Never Gone: The Videos, which included behind the scenes footage and the music videos for "Incomplete", "Just Want You to Know", and "I Still...". The DVD also includes a slideshow with the instrumental audio of "Just Want You to Know", and an interview in Germany regarding their upcoming tour.
Way up on the Arctic coast
There's a club that's just the most
It's the place where the Russians go
When the party lines on hold
The best nightclub in the USSR
Music vodka caviar
It's the cossacks local spot
Where they come in from the cold to that...
Jukebox in Siberia
Pounding out hysteria
Get down get down Vladivostock
Drop a rouble in the slot of that
Jukebox in Siberia
Jukebox in Siberia
In the land of the midnight sun
Rasputin's having so much fun
Trotsky, Marx and Lenin too
They're all drinkin' at the bar
Kruschev he's there looking cool
Michael and Breznev shooting pool
Ivan's up from Gorky Park
To hang out with the Tzar at that...
Jukebox in Siberia
Deep in the interior
Get down get down Vladivostock
All the Russians wanna rock to that
Jukebox in Siberia
Pounding out hysteria
All the Russians wanna rock
Drop a rouble in the slot of that
Jukebox in Siberia
Jukebox in Siberia
When the needle hits that 45
All of Russia starts to jive
When Chuck Berry rings that bell
You know the revolution's alive and well
Deep beneath the Polar ice
The Yankee sailors are dressed up nice
Take the sub up to the top
So they can get on down
If you're CIA or KGB
They might let you in for free
There's a Red Star on the door
You can hear the sound...
Of Balalaika's ringing out
The Beatles singing Twist and Shout
I love the West I love their beer
I'm so glad Glasnost is here at that...
Jukebox in Siberia
Pounding out hysteria
Get down get down Vladivostock
Drop a rouble in the slot of that
Jukebox in Siberia
Jukebox in Siberia
All the Russians wanna rock
Drop a rouble in the slot of that
Jukebox in Siberia