Flowers - We Can Get Together (International Version)

JUL 01 1981 · 12:00

Flowers - We Can Get Together (International Version) (1981) Director: Russell Mulcahy Era: Australian New Wave Emergence (1980–1981) - Transitional moment when Sydney synth-rock band Flowers rebranded as Icehouse for international markets; video produced concurrent with Chrysalis Records UK/US push, placing it at the cusp of Australia's MTV-era global crossover. High curatorial value as one of three documented versions of this historically significant video, representing the international distribution cut produced for Chrysalis Records' 1981 global push. As a Russell Mulcahy-directed work predating his landmark Duran Duran collaborations and the formation of MGMM, it offers a rare window into his early kinetic style applied to Australian new wave. The Flowers-to-Icehouse identity transition embedded in this artifact makes it a unique primary source for both music history and music video studies. Context: This video documents a pivotal transition in Australian popular music: Flowers, formed in Sydney in 1977, released 'We Can Get Together' in September 1980 on the independent label Regular Records as the second single from their debut album Icehouse. The song peaked at #16 on the Australian Kent Music Report charts. When the band signed with Chrysalis Records in early 1981 for European, Japanese, UK, and US distribution, they were legally required to rename themselves Icehouse to avoid confusion with a Scottish group also called The Flowers. The International Version of this video was thus produced and deployed as a market-entry artifact for the UK and global release. It captures the band at the precise moment of identity transformation, still billed as 'Flowers' in archival contexts yet operating under the new commercial infrastructure that would carry them to international prominence through the mid-to-late 1980s. Director notes: The 'We Can Get Together' video was directed by Russell Mulcahy and exists in multiple versions: an Australasian Version, a UK Version, and the International Version (this file). IMDB lists the video as a 1981 production, consistent with the Chrysalis Records international release campaign. The International Version is catalogued on Apple Music with a 1980 metadata date and a runtime of 3:36, slightly shorter than the file duration of 216.2s (3:36.2), confirming a tight match. All known versions of the 'We Can Get Together' video are attributed to Mulcahy on both IMDB and IMVDb. The International Version label aligns with the band's 1981 rebranding from Flowers to Icehouse for overseas markets.