Freud Facts

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday September 19, 2002

His real name is Colin Joseph McGlinchey.

The name James Freud was inspired by a cat called Sigmund Freud who was owned by a flatmate. The James part was an acknowledgement of his best friend from primary school.

He chose his middle name of Randall (giving him the initials JR Freud) because he was a big fan of the TV series Dallas and character JR Ewing.

He joined his first band, called Sabre, when he was 16.

His 1980 solo hit Modern Girl was inspired by the opening riff in Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run.

He wrote the Models' hit Out of Mind, Out of Sight.

He cracked his sternum while swimming in a hotel pool. He was swimming on the surface while bandmate Sean Kelly was down below. Kelly launched himself to the surface, spearing Freud. Kelly got an injured neck for his troubles.

The Models' trophy for winning Single of the Year at the 1985 Countdown Awards was broken after their manager threw it at someone backstage.

During the 1987 Australian Made tour, he and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence had a competition to see who could wear the worst outfit. There is no news as to who won.

His 1989 solo album Into The Heat cost $750,000 and was believed to be the most expensive Australian record ever made to that date.