"Live It Up" was written by Mental As Anything keyboardist and singer Greedy Smith.[2] Smith did not initially think the song would be a hit when he wrote it, but became more confident as the song was completed; he explained, "You know when I felt that was going to be a hit? When we finished mixing it. It took about half an hour to write in my head. But then two years to get it right. We had no idea of how big it would be."[3]
After the song's success, Smith did not seek to directly replicate its style. He later said, "it's not about duplicating the song, you have to duplicate all the conditions around it. Which is an art in itself. It's not really that possible. It's a bit like cricket. You can't understand how a team can win or lose, but it's just the vibe of it as Michael Caton would say."[3]
"Live It Up" appears on the band's 1985 album, Fundamental. It was released in Australia as the album's second single in May 1985 and quickly climbed the Kent Music Report chart to peak at No. 2 for three weeks behind Madonna's "Angel / Into the Groove". It spent 12 weeks in the Top 10, becoming the fourth biggest-selling single of 1985 in Australia.[citation needed]
The single was later released in 1986 and 1987 in Europe after it was featured in the hit film Crocodile Dundee. "Live It Up" is the band's most successful and most popular song, reaching the top 20 in various countries. The song peaked at No. 2 in Ireland, No. 3 in the UK,[4] No. 4 in Norway, No. 6 in Germany and New Zealand, No. 15 in Austria and No. 20 in Sweden.
Greedy Smith later recounted the single's success. "And I remember when 'Live It Up' went to number three in the UK… that was a special moment. It had been a hit in Australia but nobody was interested over there and in Europe. Then, when Crocodile Dundee came out, our record company over there said 'Let's put the poster on the single pack. After that, it was a huge hit. So we were very grateful to have a bit of a go around there."[5]
"Live It Up" has been placed in the collection of the Australian National Film and Sound Archive, with the song being described as "wistful and yet danceable".[6]
"Live It Up" remains a mainstay of Mental As Anything's live setlist. Greedy Smith explained, "We mainly concentrate on the songs that people know off the radio: 'If You Leave Me', 'Too Many Times', 'Live It Up', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Rock and Roll Music'."[8]
^Live It Up (Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Mental As Anything. WEA. 1985. 0-259017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Live It Up (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). Mental As Anything. Epic Records. 1985. EPCA 12.6797.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Live It Up (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Mental As Anything. Epic Records. 1986. ANY T1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
