15 June 2026
Mark Holden emerged on the Australian music scene just as Countdown came to our television screens. It was a match made in music and TV heaven, with Holden’s youthful good looks and catchy pop songs perfect for the Countdown cameras.
With strong radio support, Mark shot to the top of the charts with songs like Never Gonna Fall in Love Again, I Wanna Make You My Lady, Last Romance and Reach Out for the One Who Loves You – songs that appear in a new audio collection called Mark Holden – the 70s.
From this Friday, these songs and more will be available for the first time on all streaming platforms via Mark’s own label, Dream Dealers, which has a distribution partnership with MGM.
Originally recording for EMI Australia, Holden came to be known on Countdown as “The Carnation Kid”, thanks to his clean-cut image, his white dinner suit, and for handing out long-stemmed red carnations to his teenage fans.
“I was thinking, this is my first big shot on Countdown“, Holden said. “I know there’s going to be girls there, I’ll bring flowers!”
Mark described appearing on the weekly program as “life-changing”. It gave him a strong national profile, opening doors to other opportunities. He was the first pop star in the world to play Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He also co-hosted Target on the ABC with Jane Fennel from Mr Squiggle, and presented Sunday Mornings on ABC Radio. Holden also appeared as Dr Greg Mason in the The Young Doctors in 1976 and ’77.
Not bad for a young guy who started out studying Law at the University of Adelaide and the University of New South Wales.
In the 1980s, Holden worked as a songwriter in Los Angeles, providing material recorded by Meat Loaf, Joe Cocker, Gladys Knight, Bob Welch and Steve Jones. Later, he was one of three original judges on the television series Australian Idol and the first season of The X Factor.
As for Law, Mark eventually graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide, which he completed externally at Monash University in Melbourne.
Mark Holden – the 70s, with a fine collection of his hits and other songs worth remembering, will be released this Friday for streaming and downloading. See: www.markholdenmusic.com
As well, a brand new album with a fresh set of songs is coming soon. Mark is back and on top of his game! Watch out for that in August.
On Bang a Gong: Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
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