# Margaret Urlich

Margaret Mary Urlich (24 January 1965 – 22 August 2022) was a New Zealand singer who lived in Australia for most of her career.
Urlich's 1989 debut solo studio album, Safety in Numbers, won "Breakthrough Artist – Album" at the 1991 ARIA Awards. Its 1992 follow-up, Chameleon Dreams, was also a success. Urlich was successful in both New Zealand and Australia, selling over 400,000 albums during her career, ranking her as one of New Zealand's most successful recording artists. She was the cousin of both fellow New Zealand singer Peter Urlich and Australian musician Jen Cloher.

## Life and career

Urlich began her career as lead vocalist for the new wave band Peking Man with her brother Pat, Tim Calder, Perry Marshall, Jay F-Bula (Jay Foulkes), Neville Hall, John Fearon. Peking Man won the 1984 Shazam! Battle of The Bands (a TVNZ pop show) and had a number of hit songs in New Zealand, including "Good Luck to You" (No. 6), "Lift Your Head Up High" (No. 21) and 1985's "Room That Echoes" (No. 1).
Urlich was later a member of an all-girl pop group in New Zealand called When the Cat's Away. Urlich moved to Australia in 1988. She recorded her debut solo studio album, Safety in Numbers, at Studios 301 in Sydney and released it in New Zealand in 1989 and Australia in March 1990. The album peaked at No. 4 on the New Zealand album charts in December 1989 and No. 5 on the Australian album charts in December 1990 and went triple platinum in Australia. Urlich won an ARIA Award in 1991 for "Best Breakthrough Artist".
In 1990, Urlich, then little known outside New Zealand, provided backing vocals on a track for Australian artist Daryl Braithwaite on his second solo album, Rise, which was released in November 1990. The song she featured in was the Rickie Lee Jones ballad "The Horses", which was a No. 1 hit for Braithwaite. The video clip featured Braithwaite singing on a beach, with a model (riding a horse), lip-syncing Urlich's voice. Urlich chose not to appear in Braithwaite's film clip as she had just released Safety in Numbers and was working to establish herself as a solo artist.
In March 1991, Urlich, armed with a half-million-dollar recording budget, returned to the studio to commence pre-production for her second album, Chameleon Dreams, with English writer/producer Robyn Smith, the man behind her highly successful debut. By mid-year, Urlich and Smith had entered Studios 301 to record their two songs, plus a third track written by Smith and Barry Blue. The same team had been responsible for two of the tracks on Safety in Numbers ("Escaping" and "Guilty People") and their latest offering, "Boy in the Moon", proved pivotal to the sound of the new album. Other tracks were collected by travelling around the world.
Urlich went to London to co-write with writers such as Rob Fisher, with whom she wrote the album's title track, "Chameleon Dreams". She then went on to Los Angeles, where she met with Grammy Award-winning writer/producer Ian Prince, with whom she wrote two songs for the album and he produced four tracks. She returned to London, where she co-wrote a number of songs with Simon Law and Tony Swain, before completing the project with three tracks produced by Swain. The success of Chameleon Dreams earned Urlich the "Best Selling New Zealand Artist of the Year" award at the 1992 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. She attended the awards ceremony and performed "Love Train".
In 1993, Urlich was part of Export Music Australia (EMA) and Austrade's second Wizards of Oz promotion. She toured Japan with fellow singer Rick Price and the group Yothu Yindi. Urlich and Dale Barlow recorded a version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" for Kate Ceberano's 1994 album Kate Ceberano and Friends.
She spent much of 1994 living back in New Zealand and appeared as Mary Magdalene in a major concert production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Urlich released a version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" that reached No. 44 on the New Zealand singles charts.
For her third studio album, The Deepest Blue, Urlich returned to her long-standing partnership with British writer/producer Robyn Smith. She and Smith co-wrote all but two of the tracks on the album. The Deepest Blue was released in August 1995 but failed to have the same impact as her previous two albums, reaching No. 18 on the New Zealand charts and No. 17 on the Australian charts.
In 1998, her contract with Sony Music having expired, she moved to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales where she set up home and a new recording studio with her partner. Here she produced her fourth album, Second Nature, a recording project produced by Eddie Rayner from Split Enz that was recorded on and off over 12 months and involved musicians from Australia and New Zealand. The album comprised cover versions of some of Urlich's favourite New Zealand songs that she grew up with. These included songs from artists such as Split Enz, Crowded House, Dave Dobbyn, Max Merritt, Shona Laing, Don McGlashan and Tim Finn. The album was released in New Zealand in 1999 and reached No. 11 on the charts, achieving platinum status. This was her final studio album.
Urlich made a special guest performance on series 1, episode 6 of The Micallef Program, performing a comical duet of the Carly Simon classic "You're So Vain" with Shaun Micallef. The two had previously performed a comical duet of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra song "Somethin' Stupid", with Micallef in his Milo Kerrigan persona, on the sketch comedy programme Full Frontal.
After a two-and-a-half-year struggle with cancer, Urlich died on 22 August 2022, at the age of 57, surrounded by her family at her home in the Southern Highlands.

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | NZ | AUS | Certifications |
| Safety in Numbers | Released: November 1989 Label: CBS Records Australia (465652 2) Format: LP, cassette, CD | 4 | 5 | NZ: Gold AUS: 3× Platinum |
| Chameleon Dreams | Released: 25 September 1992 Label: Columbia (472118-2) Released: LP, cassette, CD | 18 | 5 | AUS: Platinum |
| The Deepest Blue | Released: July 1995 Label: Columbia (478315-2) Format: Cassette, CD | 18 | 17 | |
| Second Nature | Released: May 1999 Label: Sony Music NZ (491251-2) Format: CD | 11 | — | NZ: Gold |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||

### Live albums

List of live albums :
| Title | Details |
| Live | Released: 1994 Label: Columbia (474455-2) Format: CD Recorded in 1992/1993 during Chameleon Dreams tour |

### Singles

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | NZ | AUS | Album |
| 1989 | "Escaping" | 1 | 17 | Safety in Numbers |
| 1990 | "Only My Heart Calling" | — | 46 | Safety in Numbers |
| 1990 | "Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)" | 10 | 24 | Safety in Numbers |
| 1991 | "Guilty People / Give Me Some Credit" | — | 99 | Safety in Numbers |
| 1992 | "Boy in the Moon" | 9 | 21 | Chameleon Dreams |
| 1992 | "Human Race" | — | 55 | Chameleon Dreams |
| 1993 | "(I Don't Want to Be) Second Best" | 39 | 132 | Chameleon Dreams |
| 1993 | "Burnt Sienna" | — | 33 | Chameleon Dreams |
| 1993 | "Man Overboard" | — | 127 | Chameleon Dreams |
| 1993 | "Where Is the Love" (with Rick Price) | — | 31 | Live |
| 1994 | "I Don't Know How to Love Him" | 44 | — | Jesus Christ Superstar: New Zealand Cast Recording |
| 1994 | "All by Myself" | 26 | 100 | Non-album single |
| 1995 | "Gonna Make You Mine" | — | 29 | The Deepest Blue |
| 1995 | "Every Little Thing" | — | 50 | The Deepest Blue |
| 1996 | "All for the Love" | — | 148 | The Deepest Blue |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||

## Awards and nominations
### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1991 | Safety in Numbers | Breakthrough Artist – Album | Won |
| 1991 | Safety in Numbers | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 1991 | Safety in Numbers | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1993 | Chameleon Dreams | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1994 | "Burnt Sienna" | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1994 | "Where Is the Love?" (with Rick Price) | Best Adult Contemporary Album | Nominated |

### New Zealand Music Awards

The New Zealand Music Awards are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1985 | Margaret Urlich | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| 1986 | Margaret Urlich | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| 1989 | Margaret Urlich | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| 1989 | Safety in Numbers | Album of the Year | Won |
| 1989 | Polly Walker and Debbie Watson for Safety in Numbers | Album Cover of the Year | Won |
| 1989 | "Escaping" | Single of the Year | Won |
| 1990 | Margaret Urlich | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| 1990 | Margaret Urlich | International Achievement | Nominated |
| 1990 | "Number One (Remember When We Danced All Night)" | Single of the Year | Nominated |
| 2000 | Kimberley Renwick for Second Nature | Album Cover of the Year | Nominated |
| 2021 | Margaret Urlich and When the Cats Away' | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | inductee |

### World Music Awards

The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1992 | Margaret Urlich | Best Selling New Zealand Artist of the Year | Won |

## Television appearances

| Year | Title | Performance | Type |
| 1984 | Shazam! Battle of the Bands | Herself - Peking Man "Good Luck To You" | TV series (NZ) |
| 1985;1986 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself - Peking Man winner "Room That Echoes" | TV special NZ |
| 1989 | Countdown Revolution | Herself singing "Escaping" | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Countdown Revolution | Herself singing "Escaping" | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Midday Show | Herself singing "Only My Heart Calling" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | MTV | Herself in concert series singing "Escaping", "Number One", "Only My Heart Calling", "Give Me Some Credit", "The Tide Keeps Rolling In" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself singing "Escaping" winner Best female singer | TV special NZ |
| 1990 | MTV In Concert | Herself singing "Escaping" | TV special |
| 1990,1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Number One"/"Escaping" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Countdown Revolution | Herself singing "Number One" | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself singing "Number One" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Number One" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990,1991 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Number One" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself singing "God Bless the Child" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself singing "Number One" - Winner Best female singer | TV special NZ |
| 1991, 1992 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992;1993 | Aria Awards | Herself - presenter | TV special |
| 1992 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | In Sydney Today | Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Midday Show | Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Boy in the Moon" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself singing "Human Race" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Video Smash Hits | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | In Sydney Today | Herself singing "Human Race | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Human Race" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Midday Show | Herself singing "Human Race" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | A Current Affair | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Video Smash Hits | Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Morning Show | Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself singing "Burnt Sienna" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself as Best New Zealand singer | TV special NZ |
| 1992 | 1992 World Music Awards | Herself singing "Love Train" as winner Best NZ singer | TV special |
| 1993 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Man Overboard" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | The Midday Show | Herself singing "Man Overboard" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | A Current Affair | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Australian Fashion Awards 1993 | Herself singing "Fashion" | TV special |
| 1993 | Ernie and Denise | Herself singing "Second Best" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Aria Awards | Herself - presenter with Wendy Matthews | TV special |
| 1993 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Second Best" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Good Morning Australia | Herself singing "Second Best" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "My Baby Just Cares for Me" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Video Smash Hits | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Vidiot | Herself | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | A Current Affair | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Ray Martin at Midday | Herself singing "Second Best" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Tonight Live | Herself singing "Second Best" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Real Life | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Live It Up | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Live and Sweaty | Herself sings "Boy in the Moon", "Second Best" | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Where Is the Love?" with Rick Price | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Kate Ceberano And Friends | Herself singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Full Frontal | Herself singing "Somethin' Stupid" with Shaun Micallef | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | 1994 Rugby League Grand Final | Herself singing the Australian National Anthem | TV special |
| 1995 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Gonna Make You Mine" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Midday | Herself sings "Gonna Make You Mine" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Ernie and Denise | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Good Morning Australia | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Australia's Funniest People | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | At Home | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Midday | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Today | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Don't Forget Your Toothbrush | Herself singing "Every Little Thing" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Today | Herself singing "All By Myself" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Australia Remembers When Gala Tribute Concert | Herself singing "Lilli Marlene" | ABC TV special |
| 1995 | Carols By Candlelight | Herself singing "Song For The Unborn Child" | TV special |
| 1996 | Good Morning Australia | Herself singing "All By Myself" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Monday to Friday | Herself singing "All For The Love" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Talking Telephone Numbers | Herself singing "All For The Love" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself singing "All For The Love" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Carols in the Domain | Herself singing "God Bless the Child" | TV special |
| 1998 | Good Vibrations: The Concert for Marc Hunter | Herself singing "Young Years" with Kevin Bennett and Sharon O'Neill | TV special |
| 1999 | The Micallef Program | Herself singing "You're So Vain" with Shaun Micallef | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | Mornings with Kerri-Anne | Guest - Herself sings "Killing Me Softly With His Song" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2012 | The Morning Show | Herself singing "Escaping", "Boy in the Moon" | TV series, 1 episode |