Egypt was written by Reg Mombassa and appeared on the 1979 album Get Wet by Mental As Anything. <br /><br />Music video directed by John Moyle. <br /><br />Mental As Anything were a legendary band from Sydney, Australia. The members met at art school, and each was a visual artist as well as a musician. Guitarist Reg Mombassa also became widely known in Australia for his iconic artwork for the surfwear brand Mambo. Even if the band is unfamiliar to you, their reach was remarkable: Elton John bought their artwork in the 1980s, and Elvis Costello produced one of their singles. <br /><br />The band’s creative and commercial peak stretched across the entire 1980s, when they were a dominant presence on the Australian charts. If you’re from the Northern Hemisphere, you may know their song “Live It Up”, which featured in the film Crocodile Dundee. <br /><br />The Mentals were a little New Wave, mostly Pop Rock, and always full of flair, humour, and charm. They had a rare gift for writing catchy songs, delivering them both live and on record with fine musicianship and a style that was entirely their own. <br /><br />In 2026, a brilliant documentary about the band was released called Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story. It is well worth your time and makes a terrific entry point into the colourful world of Mental As Anything. <br /><br />The Mentals were: <br /><br />Martin Plaza — lead vocals, guitar <br />Wayne DeLisle — drums <br />Reg Mombassa — guitar, vocals <br />Greedy Smith — lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica <br />Peter O’Doherty — bass guitar, vocals
