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INXS

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INXS



 
 
INXS (pronounced "in excess") is an Australian rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
  and New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss

Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
 on keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
, Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss

Jonathon James Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock Rock band INXS.Jon Farriss was born to Dennis and Jill Farriss, and is the second youngest of four children: brothers and fellow band members Andrew Farriss and Tim Farriss, and younger sister Alison, and was the youngest member of INXS until J.D....
 on drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
, Tim Farriss
Tim Farriss

Timothy William Farriss is a member of the Rock music Musical ensemble INXS....
 on lead guitar
Lead guitar

Lead guitar refers to the use of a guitar to perform melody lines, fill , and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock music, heavy metal music, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop music contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays rhythm guitar, which consists of accompan...
 and Kirk Pengilly
Kirk Pengilly

Kirk Pengilly is an Australian musician best known as a member of the rock group INXS....
 on guitar/sax
Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
. For twenty years they were fronted by Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence

Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
 on lead vocals, whose "sultry good looks" and magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their New Wave/ska
Ska

Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and Calypso music with United States jazz and rhythm and blues....
/pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 style, they later developed a harder pub rock
Pub rock (Australia)

Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Music of Australia today....
 style, including funk and dance elements.

INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves
Listen Like Thieves

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth album by the Australian Rock music band INXS. It was released in 1985. Considered a breakthrough album for the band, it featured their first top 5 single in the United States, "What You Need"....
, Kick
Kick (album)

Kick is an album by the Australian Rock music band INXS, released in 1987. It is their best-selling album to date and according to Story to Story: The Official Autobiography has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S....
, X
X (INXS album)

X is Australia Rock music band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. The title, the Roman numerals for "10", represents the band's tenth year since their debut album was released in 1980....
 and Welcome to Wherever You Are
Welcome to Wherever You Are

Welcome to Wherever You Are is an album by the Australian rock and roll group INXS, released in 1992. With grunge music and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, ? la U2 and Achtung Baby, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music...
 and the singles "Original Sin
Original Sin (INXS song)

"Original Sin" is a song by Australian rock group INXS released in 1984 on their fourth album The Swing. It was written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, and produced by Nile Rodgers....
", "Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight

"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album. It was also the only single of the band's to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100....
", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation
New Sensation

"New Sensation" is a song by Australian pop group INXS. It was the third single from their 1987 album Kick . The music was written by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics by Michael Hutchence....
".

Hutchence died in 1997 and INXS did not perform publicly for a year,.






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Encyclopedia


INXS (pronounced "in excess") is an Australian rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
  and New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss

Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
 on keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
, Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss

Jonathon James Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock Rock band INXS.Jon Farriss was born to Dennis and Jill Farriss, and is the second youngest of four children: brothers and fellow band members Andrew Farriss and Tim Farriss, and younger sister Alison, and was the youngest member of INXS until J.D....
 on drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
, Tim Farriss
Tim Farriss

Timothy William Farriss is a member of the Rock music Musical ensemble INXS....
 on lead guitar
Lead guitar

Lead guitar refers to the use of a guitar to perform melody lines, fill , and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock music, heavy metal music, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop music contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays rhythm guitar, which consists of accompan...
 and Kirk Pengilly
Kirk Pengilly

Kirk Pengilly is an Australian musician best known as a member of the rock group INXS....
 on guitar/sax
Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
. For twenty years they were fronted by Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence

Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
 on lead vocals, whose "sultry good looks" and magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their New Wave/ska
Ska

Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and Calypso music with United States jazz and rhythm and blues....
/pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 style, they later developed a harder pub rock
Pub rock (Australia)

Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Music of Australia today....
 style, including funk and dance elements.

INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves
Listen Like Thieves

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth album by the Australian Rock music band INXS. It was released in 1985. Considered a breakthrough album for the band, it featured their first top 5 single in the United States, "What You Need"....
, Kick
Kick (album)

Kick is an album by the Australian Rock music band INXS, released in 1987. It is their best-selling album to date and according to Story to Story: The Official Autobiography has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S....
, X
X (INXS album)

X is Australia Rock music band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. The title, the Roman numerals for "10", represents the band's tenth year since their debut album was released in 1980....
 and Welcome to Wherever You Are
Welcome to Wherever You Are

Welcome to Wherever You Are is an album by the Australian rock and roll group INXS, released in 1992. With grunge music and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, ? la U2 and Achtung Baby, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music...
 and the singles "Original Sin
Original Sin (INXS song)

"Original Sin" is a song by Australian rock group INXS released in 1984 on their fourth album The Swing. It was written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, and produced by Nile Rodgers....
", "Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight

"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album. It was also the only single of the band's to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100....
", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation
New Sensation

"New Sensation" is a song by Australian pop group INXS. It was the third single from their 1987 album Kick . The music was written by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics by Michael Hutchence....
".

Hutchence died in 1997 and INXS did not perform publicly for a year,. The band made appearances with several guest singers including Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock music singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland....
, Terence Trent D'Arby
Sananda Maitreya

Sananda Maitreya , better known by his former stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an United States singer-songwriter. He also plays many of the instruments on and Record producer his own albums....
, and Jon Stevens
Jon Stevens

Jon Stevens is a New Zealand-born singer, now an Australian citizen. Stevens is the brother of New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens.Stevens moved to Australia after success as a pop star in New Zealand in the 1970s ....
; Stevens formally joined the band for a tour and recording session in 2002.

In 2005 members of INXS participated in a reality television
Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors....
 series, broadcast worldwide, culminating in the selection of their new lead singer, Canadian J. D. Fortune, and the release of "Pretty Vegas
Pretty Vegas

"Pretty Vegas" was the first single released from Switch , the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. The single was released on November 29, 2005....
" and "Afterglow" as singles, and its album Switch
Switch (INXS album)

Switch is the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on November 29 2005. It is notable for being the first and only album with new lead singer J.D....
.

INXS has won six Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association

The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australia recording industry. It oversees the collection, administration and distribution of music licenses and royalties....
 awards including three for 'Best Group' in 1987, 1989 and 1992, and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame

Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted under the old format due to time restric...
 in 2001.. To date INXS have sold more than 30 million records.

History


Early years

The origins of the band began with Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss

Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
 convincing his fellow Davidson High School
Davidson High School (New South Wales)

Davidson High School, is a school located in Frenchs Forest Sydney, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia, on Mimosa Street. It is a co-educational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training with students from years 7 to 12....
, New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
 classmate, Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence

Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
, to join his band, Doctor Doctor. The band contained two other classmates, Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders and a bass player, Garry Beers, from a nearby high school, Forest High School. In 1977, Tim Farriss
Tim Farriss

Timothy William Farriss is a member of the Rock music Musical ensemble INXS....
, Andrew's older brother, invited Andrew, Hutchence and Beers to join him and his schoolmate Kirk Pengilly
Kirk Pengilly

Kirk Pengilly is an Australian musician best known as a member of the rock group INXS....
. Andrew and Pengilly had been playing together since 1971 as either an acoustic duo or as a four-piece band called Guinness (named after their bass player's dog). Together with younger brother Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss

Jonathon James Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock Rock band INXS.Jon Farriss was born to Dennis and Jill Farriss, and is the second youngest of four children: brothers and fellow band members Andrew Farriss and Tim Farriss, and younger sister Alison, and was the youngest member of INXS until J.D....
 they formed the Farriss Brothers consisting of Beers on bass guitar
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, Andrew Farriss on keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
, Jon Farriss on drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
, Tim Farriss on lead guitar
Lead guitar

Lead guitar refers to the use of a guitar to perform melody lines, fill , and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock music, heavy metal music, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop music contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays rhythm guitar, which consists of accompan...
, Michael Hutchence on lead vocals and Kirk Pengilly on guitar and saxophone
Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
. The band made their debut on 16 August 1977 at Whale Beach
Whale Beach, New South Wales

Whale Beach is a northern beachside suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Whale Beach is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local Government Areas in Australia of Pittwater Council, in the Northern Beaches region....
, 40 km (25 mi) north of Sydney. Andrew Farriss remembers:

The parents of the Farriss boys relocated to Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
 in 1978 taking Jon to continue his schooling and, as soon as Hutchence and Andrew finished school, the rest of the band followed. They briefly performed as The Vegetables, singing "We Are the Vegetables", before returning to Sydney ten months later, where they recorded a set of demos. At a chance meeting in the car park of the Narabeen Antler, a pub in North Narrabeen
North Narrabeen, New South Wales

North Narrabeen is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Narrabeen is located 25 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local Government Areas in Australia of Pittwater Council....
. Tim was approached by Gary Morris, the manager of Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil, or the Oils to fans, was an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drum kit Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard instrument/lead guitarist Jim Moginie....
.

The band began to regularly support Midnight Oil and other local bands. Morris advised that a member of the Oils crew had come up with a new name and suggested they change it to INXS. The name INXS was inspired by English band XTC
XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. Though the band enjoyed some significant chart success , they are more known for their long-standing critical success than for making hit records....
 and Australian jam makers IXL
Henry Jones IXL

Henry Jones IXL is primarily known as a manufacturer of jams, conserves and sauces in Australia....
. Pengilly explained that Morris had some other ideas:

The band's first performance as INXS was on 1 September 1979 at the Oceanview Hotel in Toukley, New South Wales
Toukley, New South Wales

Toukley is a town in the Central Coast region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies approximately 107 km north of Sydney via the F3 freeway....
 and by the end of 1979 they hired Chris Murphy as their manager and continued on the pub circuit without the Christian band image.

Murphy was an adept business manager and negotiator. By early 1980 the band had signed a five-album record deal with a Sydney independent label, Deluxe Records, run by Michael Browning, a former manager of AC/DC
AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock music rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm Young and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock, and considered pioneers of heavy metal music, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll"....
.

1980s


From "Simple Simon" to Shabooh Shoobah
INXS released their first single, "Simple Simon"/"We Are the Vegetables", in Australia and France in May 1980. The single had its debut TV performance on Simon Townsend's Wonder World
Simon Townsend's Wonder World

Simon Townsend's Wonder World was a multi-award winning Australian children's television show that aired on the Ten Network from 1979 until 1986....
. Their self-titled debut album, INXS
INXS (album)

INXS is Australia Rock music group INXS's first album. It was released in Australia only until 1984. INXS recorded the album in between doing, on average, two gigs at the local pubs around Sydney each day ....
, was recorded at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale
Annandale, New South Wales

Annandale is a suburb of Inner West Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Annandale is located 5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local Government Areas in Australia of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
, Sydney, it was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex-Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock (band)

Ayers Rock was a jazz fusion/progressive rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The group formed in 1973, and included many well-travelled rock performers; drummer Mark Kennedy had previously played in Spectrum , and played on sessions for King Harvest and Friends ....
), with all songs attributed to the entire band, at the insistence of Murphy. Deluxe gave them a budget of $10,000 to record the album, so to keep within the budget they had to record from midnight to dawn, usually after doing one of more performances earlier that night. The album was released in October 1980. It featured "Just Keep Walking" which was their first Australian Top 40 single, with the album peaking in the Top 30 of the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report

The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by a music enthusiast, David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998....
 for Australian albums. The album eventually went gold
List of music recording sales certifications

The global music industry typically awards recordings with Music recording sales certification based on the total units sold. These awards and their sales requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide....
 (selling over 35,000 units) but it took a number of years to do so.

These early records demonstrated their New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
/ska
Ska

Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and Calypso music with United States jazz and rhythm and blues....
/pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 style, and were followed by near constant touring with almost 300 shows during 1981 as the band developed their status as a live act.

In 1981 they signed Gary Grant as their tour manager, who then became co-manager a year later. Between touring commitments, the band released their third single in May 1981, "The Loved One", which was a cover of a 1960s song by Australian group The Loved Ones
The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones were an Australian rock band of the 1960s, formed in the wake of the British Invasion. Although the band's career lasted only two years, the group is now regarded as one of the most significant Australian bands of the 1960s....
. The song was recorded at Studios 301 in Sydney, produced by Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton

Richard Clapton is an Australian singer/songwriter. Although not well-known outside Australia, a number of his songs such as "Girls on the Avenue", "Capricorn Dancer", "Deep Water", "Down in the Lucky Country", "The Best Years of Our Lives", and "I am an Island" are staples of FM radio playlists in Australia....
, and peaked in the Top 20.

The success of the single led to Clapton and the band returning to Studio s 301 between July and August 1981 to create an album. In October 1981, their second album Underneath the Colours
Underneath the Colours

Underneath the Colours is Australia Rock music group INXS' second album. It was released in Australia in 1981. It was with this album that Michael Hutchence's songwriting started to mature and the band started to find a unique sound....
 was released and became a hit in Australia peaking at #15.

Soon after recording sessions had finished band members started work on outside projects. Beers, Jon and Andrew Farriss played on Clapton's solo album, The Great Escape. Hutchence recorded "Speed Kills", written by Don Walker
Don Walker

Don Walker may refer to:*Don Walker , Australian musician*Don Walker , American orchestrator...
 of Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel

Cold Chisel were a rock band from Adelaide, Australia. They are regarded as the canonical example of Australian Pub rock , with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they are acknowledged as one of the most popular and successful Australian groups of the period, although this success and acclaim was almost completely restricted...
 for the soundtrack of the film Freedom directed by Scott Hicks
Scott Hicks

Robert Scott Hicks is an Academy Awards nominated film director from South Australia.Hicks graduated from Flinders University of South Australia in 1975 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1997....
. It was his first solo single and was released by WEA Records in early 1982. In January, INXS toured New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
 as support act for Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel

Cold Chisel were a rock band from Adelaide, Australia. They are regarded as the canonical example of Australian Pub rock , with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they are acknowledged as one of the most popular and successful Australian groups of the period, although this success and acclaim was almost completely restricted...
. Band manager, Murphy, became convinced their future no longer lay with Deluxe Records, who had been unable to attract international interest, and decided to record a new song, "The One Thing
The One Thing (song)

"The One Thing" is the first single from the INXS album Shabooh Shoobah.Shabooh Shoobah eventually reached #52 on the Billboard 200 and # 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart....
" at their own expense, with Mark Opitz
Mark Opitz

Mark Opitz is an Music of Australia record producer, who produced many chart albums in the late 1970s and 1980s....
 at Paradise Studios.The song turned out so well that Murphy hired Opitz to produce three more songs. Murphy approached WEA Records Australia
Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is the third-largest of the big four music industry, the others being Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Universal Music Group....
 with copies of the song, leading to INXS signing a recording deal in July 1982 with WEA for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan and New Zealand, Atco Records
Atco Records

Atco Records is an United States record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment....
 (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records is an United States record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz. Long one of the most important American independent labels, Atlantic now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group, which consolidated Atlantic Records and the Elektra Entertainment Group into one...
) for North America and Polygram
PolyGram

PolyGram was the name from 1972 in music of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945....
 for Europe and the UK.

Murphy and the band weren't entirely convinced that Opitz could produce an entire album that would attract international interest so prior to recording their third album Pengilly, Hutchence and Andrew Farriss visited the UK and USA, with a view to selecting a suitable producer, only to find that no-one they wanted was available and that most people advised them that Opitz's work on their single was as good as they could wish for.

In mid-1982 they commenced recording at Rhinoceros Studios, with Opitz.

In October 1982 Shabooh Shoobah
Shabooh Shoobah

Shabooh Shoobah is Australian Rock music group INXS's third album....
 was released internationally on Atlantic/Atco Records, peaking at #52 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
 and #46 on the Hot Pop Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums

Top Pop Catalog Albums is a weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre....
 chart. In Australia it peaked at #5 and remained in the albums charts for 94 weeks. The single "The One Thing" brought them their first Top 30 hit in United States peaking at #30 on 28 May 1983, it was a Top 20 hit in Canada, and peaked at #14 in Australia on 23 August 1982."One Thing" was their first video to air on the fledgling MTV
MTV

MTV is an United States cable television network based in Media of New York City. Launched on August 1, 1981, the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJ ....
 and siginficantly added to the ultimate success of the single. INXS undertook their first US performance in San Diego in March, 1983, to a crowd of 24 patrons. Their first tour was as support for Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants

Adam and the Ants were a New Romantic band during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were one of the bands at the time that marked the transition from the 70s punk rock era to the New Wave music/post-punk era....
, then support for Stray Cats
Stray Cats

The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 in music by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer with school friends Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York....
, The Kinks
The Kinks

The Kinks are an England rock music group formed in 1963, and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time....
,, Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates

Hall & Oates are a pop music duet made up of Daryl Hall and John Oates.The act achieved its greatest celebrity in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s....
 followed by The Go-Gos. INXS played alongside many of their contemporaries on New Wave Day in May 1983 at the US Festival
US Festival

The US Festivals were two early 1980s music and culture festivals sponsored by Steve Wozniak of, at the time, Apple, Inc., and broadcast live on cable television....
 in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States. The term originally referred to the region's large number of Integrated circuit innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all the high-tech businesses in the area; it is now generally used as a metonym for the high-tech s...
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
. It was during this time that Grant, their co-manager, relocated permanently to New York to ensure a continual presence in the northern hemisphere. The band remained on the road in the US for most of the year, including support for Men at Work
Men at Work

Men at Work were an Australian reggae-influenced rock music band which achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a #1 album and single simultaneously in the United States ....
 and by mid-1983 were headlining venues such as The Ritz
Ritz (rock club)

The Ritz was a New York City rock club in the 1980s....
 in New York.

From "Original Sin" to Listen Like Thieves
Following a performance in Toronto
Toronto

Toronto is the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population in Canada and the Provinces and territories of Canada Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada of Ontario....
 the band was approached by producer Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers

Nile Gregory Rodgers is an United States musician, composer, arranger, and guitarist, and is considered one of the most influential record producers in the history of popular music....
 and by September 1983 recorded "Original Sin
Original Sin (INXS song)

"Original Sin" is a song by Australian rock group INXS released in 1984 on their fourth album The Swing. It was written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, and produced by Nile Rodgers....
", originally titled "Brand New Day", at New York's Power Station Studios.

Three tracks from Shabooh Shoobah were featured in the soundtrack for the 1984 film Reckless
Reckless (1984 film)

Reckless is a 1984 in film love story shot in the Appalachian Mountains and Rust Belt of Steubenville, Ohio, Weirton, West Virginia and Mingo Junction, Ohio....
. The band then travelled to the UK to begin sessions on their fourth album with Nick Launay
Nick Launay

Nick Launay is an England/Australian record producer and recording engineer. He has produced recorded and mixed albums by artists including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, INXS, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Public Image Ltd., Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Midnight Oil, Gang of Four , Grinderman, The Living End, Silverchair, Lou Reed and Supergrass...
 at the Manor Studios in Oxford
Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
.

The album, The Swing
The Swing

The Swing is Australia Rock music band INXS's fourth studio album, released in 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on Backing vocalist....
 released in April 1984, received more significant attention from around the world, as "Original Sin" became their first #1 single and was a highly popular song worldwide with fans and reviewers. During 1984 it was #1 in Australia (for two weeks in January) as well as in Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
 and France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, #11 in Canada, #23 in Switzerland
Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
, #31 in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 and #58 in the U.S. Yet "Original Sin" was largely ignored in the UK, where INXS was described in New Musical Express as a "depressingly definitive example of excruciating, boring, incredibly unimaginative MTV rock", and INXS didn't have any Top 50 chart success until the 1985 album Listen Like Thieves
Listen Like Thieves

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth album by the Australian Rock music band INXS. It was released in 1985. Considered a breakthrough album for the band, it featured their first top 5 single in the United States, "What You Need"....
.

During 1984 INXS toured non-stop performing across Europe, the UK, the United States and Australia and by December 1984, The Swing, was double platinum
List of music recording sales certifications

The global music industry typically awards recordings with Music recording sales certification based on the total units sold. These awards and their sales requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide....
, making it, at the time, one of the five biggest domestic albums in the history of Australian music. In March 1985 the band re-entered Sydney's Rhinoceros Studios to record their next album, together with producer Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas (record producer)

Chris Thomas , is a British record producer who has worked extensively with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pulp and The Pretenders....
 (Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll....
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
, The Pretenders
The Pretenders

The Pretenders are a United Kingdom rock music band. The original band consisted of group founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers ....
, Elton John
Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
).

As the band were finishing the recording sessions Thomas told the band that the album wasn't good enough and it still didn't have a killer track.

Andrew produced a demo tape of a funk song he had been working on "Funk Song No. 13" and evolved it into "What You Need
What You Need (song)

"What You Need" is a song recorded by the Australian band INXS. It is the leadoff track from their 1985 album, Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was the second single off the album after "This Time" and was the band's first American Top Ten hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart....
".

Whilst the band was recording, WEA released Dekadance
Dekadance

Dekadance is the title of two different collections of remixes by Australia rock music group INXS: a 1983 12" EP released in the US of songs from Shabooh Shoobah and a 1984 cassette released in Australia of songs from The Swing....
, a limited edition cassette
Cassette

Cassette may refer to:*In general, a small cartridge. It may refer specifically to:** Compact Cassette, a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback, also known as audio cassette, cassette tape, or tape...
 only EP
Extended play

An extended play is a vinyl record, Compact disc, or music download which contains more music than a Single , but is too short to qualify as an LP album....
 of INXS remixes from their album The Swing.

On 19 May 1985, INXS won seven awards at the 1984 Countdown Music and Video Awards ceremony. They performed "Burn for You", dressed in Akubra
Akubra

Akubra is an Australian brand of hat, whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Culture of Australia, especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering....
s (hats) and Drizabones
Driza-Bone

Driza-Bone, originating from the phrase "dry as a bone", is a trade name for the company making full-length waterproof riding coats and apparel....
 (outdoor coats/oilskin jackets). They performed five songs for the July 1985 Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa

Oz for Africa was an Australian concert held on 13 July 1985 at the Sydney Sports and Entertainment Centre. It was broadcast locally and internationally as part of the worldwide Live Aid performances to raise money for famine relief in Africa....
 concert, in conjunction with the Live Aid
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
 benefit. Two INXS songs, "What You Need
What You Need (song)

"What You Need" is a song recorded by the Australian band INXS. It is the leadoff track from their 1985 album, Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was the second single off the album after "This Time" and was the band's first American Top Ten hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart....
" and "Don't Change", were also in the BBC broadcast and are contained on Live Aid's
Live Aid

Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia....
 four DVD boxed set released in 2004.

INXS had started out as a New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 act, gradually moved in a more straight-ahead rock-oriented direction through the first half of the 1980s. Listen Like Thieves
Listen Like Thieves

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth album by the Australian Rock music band INXS. It was released in 1985. Considered a breakthrough album for the band, it featured their first top 5 single in the United States, "What You Need"....
 was released in October 1985, was approved of by critics, reaching #3 on the Australian charts and #11 on the US charts. With the release of Listen Like Thieves, the band had developed a rock sound influenced by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock music band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal music bands....
 and XTC
XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. Though the band enjoyed some significant chart success , they are more known for their long-standing critical success than for making hit records....
, but remained true to the band's original roots in Aussie pubs
Pub rock (Australia)

Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Music of Australia today....
. It was also the first album to feature songs written by a combination of band members, with Andrew Farris and Hutchence becoming the primary songwriters in the years to follow. The first US single from the album, "This Time", stalled at #81 in late 1985, but the next single, "What You Need", released there in early 1986, became a top five Billboard hit, bringing INXS their first breakout U.S. success. The single was also a top 20 hit in Canada, reached #2 in Australia (September 1985) but only #51 on the UK charts.

The British press dismissed the album, with New Musical Express calling the band 'INX-cusable' and a reviewer declaring Listen Like Thieves to be a 'complete and utter turkey'. In the United States however Rolling Stone Magazine wrote "INXS rocks with passion and seals the deal with a backbeat that'll blackmail your feet."

In August 1985, they toured ahead of the album's release, before touring South America before returning to Melbourne to played for Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales at a concert in Australia, it was filmed and later released on home video entitled Living INXS, an edited version of the concert was played on MTV
MTV

MTV is an United States cable television network based in Media of New York City. Launched on August 1, 1981, the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJ ....
 in the US in 1985 on their Saturday night concert series. In November, December, January and February INXS toured North America, Europe and New Zealand. The band then took a two month break, with Andrew Farriss writing and producing "You're Gonna Get Hurt" for Jenny Morris (who had previously been a backing vocalist with the band) and Hutchence featuring in Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein

Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. His mother was author and activist Wendy Lowenstein. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say A Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking & award-winning music vide...
's second feature film Dogs in Space
Dogs in Space

Dogs in Space is a 1987 Australian film set in the "little band scene" in Melbourne in 1978. It was directed by Richard Lowenstein and starred Michael Hutchence as Sam, the drug-addled frontman of the fictitious band from which the film takes its name....
. Lowenstein having previously made the video clip for "Dancing on the Jetty". Whilst a song from the movie, "Rooms for the Memory" written by Ollie Olsen
Ollie Olsen

Ian 'Ollie' Olsen is an Australian composer, synthesizer and sound designer who has been producing and performing rock music, electronic music and experimental music for the past thirty years....
, with vocals by Hutchence charted, the movie was received well by critics but was not a commercial success.

In May 1986 the band returned to the United States and over the next six months performed 32 European shows, 42 US shows and 12 Australian shows. America's influential Musician
Musician (magazine)

Musician was a monthly magazine that covered news and information about United States popular music. It was founded in 1976 by Sam Holdsworth and Gordon Baird....
 magazine calling them "the best live band in the world."

From "Good Times" to Kick
Whilst supposedly taking an eight month break before commencing work on a new album, their manager Murphy decided to stage a series of major outdoor concerts across Australia, featuring INXS, Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock music singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland....
, Models
Models (band)

Models are an alternative rock group from Melbourne, Australia, which formed in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models....
, The Divinyls, Mental as Anything
Mental As Anything

Mental As Anything are an Australia New Wave ?rock music band who, since the late 1970s have released numerous albums and singles and have produced many innovative music videos....
, The Triffids
The Triffids

The Triffids were an Australian rock band who achieved some international success in the 1980s. Formed in Perth, Western Australia in the late 1970s and disbanded in 1989, their best known songs are "Wide Open Road " and "Bury Me Deep in Love"....
 and I'm Talking
I'm Talking

I'm Talking was a 1980s Australian funk-pop music rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles "Trust Me", "Do You Wanna Be?" and "Holy Word" and a top fifteen album, Bear Witness, before disbanding in 1987....
. To promote the tour INXS recorded two songs with Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock music singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland....
 of Cold Chisel: The Easybeats
The Easybeats

The Easybeats were a rock and roll band from Australia. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and split at the end of 1969. They are widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their classic 1966 single "Friday on My Mind" ....
 cover "Good Times" and "Laying Down the Law" which Barnes co-wrote with Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Hutchence and Pengilly. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australia Made series of concerts in the summer of 1986–1987. It peaked at #2 on the Australian charts, and months later was featured in the Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher

Joel Schumacher , is an United States film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is best known for directing St. Elmo's Fire , The Lost Boys, Falling Down, Flatliners, The Client , Batman Forever, A Time to Kill , The Phantom of the Opera , Phone Booth , The Number 23 and Batman & Robin ....
 film The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys is a 1987 in film Cinema of the United States comedy film-horror film about two young Arizonans who move to California and end up fighting a gang of teenage vampires....
 and its soundtrack
The Lost Boys (soundtrack)

The Lost Boys is the film soundtrack from the 1987 film The Lost Boys, released by Atlantic....
, allowing it to peak at #47 in the US on 1 August 1987.

After the success of "What You Need" and Listen Like Thieves, the band knew their new material would have to be even better, according to Pengilly, They recorded Kick
Kick (album)

Kick is an album by the Australian Rock music band INXS, released in 1987. It is their best-selling album to date and according to Story to Story: The Official Autobiography has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S....
 in Sydney and Paris, it was produced by Thomas again, but Atlantic Records was not happy with the result, as manager Chris Murphy remembers:

Despite Atlantic's protests Kick was released in October 1987 and provided the band with worldwide popularity, it peaked at #1 in Australia, #3 on the US Billboard 200, #9 in UK, and #15 in Austria. It was an upbeat, confident album that yielded four Top 10 US singles, "New Sensation
New Sensation

"New Sensation" is a song by Australian pop group INXS. It was the third single from their 1987 album Kick . The music was written by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics by Michael Hutchence....
", "Never Tear Us Apart
Never Tear Us Apart

"Never Tear Us Apart" was a Single released by Australian rock group INXS in August 1988. It was also included on the band's sixth studio album, Kick ....
", "Devil Inside
Devil Inside (INXS song)

"Devil Inside" is a song by Australian band INXS.The song was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence and is one of INXS's best known songs....
" and #1 "Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight

"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album. It was also the only single of the band's to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100....
". "Need You Tonight" peaked #2 on the UK charts, #3 in Australia, and #10 in France. They toured heavily behind the album throughout 1987 and 1988. The video for the 1987 INXS track "Mediate" (which played after the video for "Need You Tonight") replicated the format of Bob Dylan's video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues
Subterranean Homesick Blues

"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally released on the album Bringing It All Back Home in March 1965. The following month it was issued as a single, becoming his first Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit and going Top 10 in the UK....
," even in its use of apparently deliberate errors. In September 1988 the band swept the MTV Video Music Awards with the video for "Need You Tonight/Mediate" winning in 5 categories.

During 1989, Hutchence collaborated with Ian 'Ollie' Olsen
Ollie Olsen

Ian 'Ollie' Olsen is an Australian composer, synthesizer and sound designer who has been producing and performing rock music, electronic music and experimental music for the past thirty years....
 on a side project, Max Q
Max Q (band)

Max Q was a short-lived Australian rock band in the late 1980s, essentially a vanity recording project for INXS frontman Michael Hutchence .Max Q consisted of Hutchence and Ollie Olsen who were accompanied by key members of the Melbourne post-punk scene, most of whom had previously collaborated with Olsen....
, the two had previously worked together on Lowenstein's film Dogs in Space. The rest of the band also took a break to work on side projects, but soon returned to the studio to record their follow-up album to Kick.

1990–1997: From X to Elegantly Wasted

In October 1990, INXS released X
X (INXS album)

X is Australia Rock music band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. The title, the Roman numerals for "10", represents the band's tenth year since their debut album was released in 1980....
 which was produced by Thomas again and it peaked at #3 in Australia, #5 in the US, #2 in the UK, #5 in Switzerland and #10 in Sweden. It followed in the same vein as Kick, and added harmonica
Harmonica

The harmonica is a free reed aerophone wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes....
 to some songs. X scored hits with "Suicide Blonde
Suicide Blonde

"Suicide Blonde" was the name of the first single from the INXS album X . It reached the top 10 on the US Hot 100 and Australia in 1990 in music and reached a peak of #11 in the UK....
" and "Disappear" (both Top 10 in the US), "Suicide Blonde" peaked at #2 in Australia, #11 in the UK and in Switzerland. Other singles from X were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" but they had less chart success.

Hutchence's romance with Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, Order of the British Empire, , is an Australian pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s through her role in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987....
 brought the group a new audience of fans. INXS performed at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1991, during their "Summer XS" tour stop in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 to a sold out audience of 74,000 fans. This performance was recorded and filmed to become the their live album Live Baby Live
Live Baby Live

Live Baby Live is Australian rock band INXS's first live album. It was released in 1991 and features tracks recorded in Paris, New York, Chicago, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Spain, Switzerland, Melbourne, Sydney, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas....
 (a video version was also released under the same title), which was released in November 1991 and peaked in the Top 30 in both Australia and UK album charts, but had less success on The Billboard 200.

Welcome to Wherever You Are
Welcome to Wherever You Are

Welcome to Wherever You Are is an album by the Australian rock and roll group INXS, released in 1992. With grunge music and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, ? la U2 and Achtung Baby, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music...
, produced by Mark Opitz and released in August 1992, was an experimental album using sitars and a 60-piece orchestra while adding a much more "raw" sound to their music. It received good critical reviews and went #1 in the UK and in Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
; #2 in Australia and Switzerland, and #3 in Norway, but had less chart success in the US peaking at #16. Singles from the album included, "Taste It
Taste It

"Taste It" was the first single from the 1992 album Welcome to Wherever You Are, by Australian rock music band INXS. The song was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence....
" and "Baby Don't Cry
Baby Don't Cry

"Baby Don't Cry" was the second single from the 1992 album Welcome to Wherever You Are by INXS. It was written by Andrew Farriss. Andrew has said it was written about his daughter Grace and how he missed his young child whilst touring....
" which were Top 20 successes in UK but had less success in US or Australian markets.

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts
Full Moon, Dirty Hearts

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts is an album released by Australian band INXS in 1993, through Warner Music Australia. Total running time is 40 minutes....
, produced by Opitz again, was released in November 1993 and peaked at #3 on the UK charts, #4 in Australia, #8 in Sweden, #9 in Switzerland, #14 in Norway, but did not reach the Top 50 in the US. The title track featured The Pretenders
The Pretenders

The Pretenders are a United Kingdom rock music band. The original band consisted of group founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers ....
' Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde

Chrissie Hynde is an American rock musician, best known as the leader of the band The Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history....
 and another track, "Please (You Got That)", featured Ray Charles
Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an United States pianist, singer, and songwriter who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues....
. The band made a full video album for the record using unknown Australian students to direct with help by Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein

Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. His mother was author and activist Wendy Lowenstein. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say A Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking & award-winning music vide...
.
Full Moon, Dirty Hearts received mixed reviews and was the last record under INXS' contract with Atlantic. The band took time off to rest and be with their families, while Hutchence remained in the public eye through modelling and film acting.

In 1997, the group released a comeback album titled
Elegantly Wasted
Elegantly Wasted

Elegantly Wasted is the 10th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 15 April 1997 and is the final album recorded with lead singer Michael Hutchence who was found dead in a Sydney hotel room on November 22 of that year....
, which garnered mixed reviews. It fared respectably in Australia (#14), Canada (#14), France (#30), UK (#16) (where INXS had more success in the 1990s than in the 1980s), Belgium (#7), Switzerland (#13), but only #41 in US.

On 22 November 1997, Hutchence was found dead in his Sydney Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton

'Ritz-Carlton' is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 70 properties that are located in major cities and exclusive resort destinations of 23 countries worldwide....
 hotel room. On 6 February 1998, after an autopsy
Autopsy

An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction, is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a Dead body to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present....
 and coronial inquest
Coroner

A coroner or forensics examiner is an official responsible for investigating deaths, particularly some of those happening under unusual circumstances, and determining the cause of death....
, New South Wales State Coroner
Coroner's Court of New South Wales

The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to proceedings in which a Coroner holds an inquest or an inquiry in New South Wales. Coroners have jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person....
, Derrick Hand, presented his report which ruled that Hutchence's death was a suicide
Suicide

Suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"....
 while depressed and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Despite the official coroner's report, fans and relatives considered his death accidental.

1997–2003: Transitional years

After Hutchence's death, INXS did not perform publicly for almost a year and then only made a few one-off performances with different guest singers until 2000. On 28 November 1998, they played at the Mushroom 25 Concert
Mushroom 25 Live

Mushroom 25 Live is a compilation album, Video and DVD of performance by various Australian musicians and was recorded live at the Mushroom 25 Concert held in Saturday 14 November 1998, Melbourne Cricket Ground.From the early afternoon until late at night, the biggest names in Australian music appear to perform their hits....
 with Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock music singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland....
 fronting for two songs: "The Loved One" and "Good Times". On 12 June 1999, they headlined the opening of Stadium Australia in Sydney, with US singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby
Sananda Maitreya

Sananda Maitreya , better known by his former stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an United States singer-songwriter. He also plays many of the instruments on and Record producer his own albums....
 as guest vocalist, they performed "New Sensation", "Kick", "Never Tear Us Apart" and "What You Need".

Former lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks
Noiseworks

Noiseworks are an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in 1985. The original lineup of Noiseworks was Jon Stevens , Stuart Fraser , Steve Balbi , Justin Stanley and Kevin Nicol ....
, Jon Stevens
Jon Stevens

Jon Stevens is a New Zealand-born singer, now an Australian citizen. Stevens is the brother of New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens.Stevens moved to Australia after success as a pop star in New Zealand in the 1970s ....
 began singing with INXS in May 2000. They played as one of the headline acts at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and then toured through South America and Europe. Stevens was officially named a member of INXS in 2002 and they started recording new material in November. Stevens left in October 2003 to pursue a solo career, only recording a contractual obligation song called "I Get Up
I Get Up

"I Get Up" is a single that was released in 2003 by Australian band INXS.It was written by Andrew Farriss and Jon Stevens. It is notable that it was the first new material by INXS since their former frontman Michael Hutchence died by suicide on November 22nd 1997....
", it was released as a single but did not peak in the ARIA Top 50 singles charts. The song was used in the Rugby Union World Cup 2003 and the
EA Sports Rugby 2004 video game.

2004–2005: Rock Star: INXS

INXS returned to the news in 2004 when it was announced that a new reality television
Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors....
 program titled
Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star: INXS

Rock Star: INXS was the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
would feature a contest to find a new lead vocalist for the band. The show, which had its debut on the CBS
CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American radio network and television network. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name....
 network 11 July 2005, (on Global in Canada, VH1
VH1

VH1 is an United States cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in television, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slighter older demographic than its sister channel, focusing on the lighter, softer side of popular music....
 in the UK and FOX8
FOX8

FOX8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television subscription platforms. It is the most watched subscription television channel in Australia ....
 in Australia), featured 15 contestants vying for the position of lead singer. The show was executive produced by
Survivor
s Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett is a United Kingdom television producer. He is known for introducing reality television as a genre to the United States....
 and hosted by Brooke Burke
Brooke Burke

Brooke Lisa Burke is an American television personality, Model , and occasional dancer known for hosting Wild On! and Rock Star and for winning the Dancing with the Stars of Dancing with the Stars ....
 and former Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. For most of its career, the band was composed of vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, guitarist Dave Navarro, and drummer Stephen Perkins....
 and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Grammy Award-winning American Rock music band formed in Los Angeles, California, California, in 1983. For most of the band's existence, the members are vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Flea , and drummer Chad Smith....
 guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro

David Michael Navarro is an United States guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and Cover version band Camp Freddy....
.

On 20 September 2005, J. D. Fortune (born Jason Dean Bennison, but uses his mother's maiden name) of Salt Springs, Nova Scotia
Salt Springs, Nova Scotia

Salt Springs is a small Canada rural community located in the central-western part of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia....
, Canada won the eleven-week competition, which culminated in his singing the Rolling Stones's "You Can't Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."...
" and INXS' "What You Need" in the finale of the show to become the new lead singer of INXS. With Fortune they recorded their 2005 album, Switch
Switch (INXS album)

Switch is the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on November 29 2005. It is notable for being the first and only album with new lead singer J.D....
 produced by Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers

Guy Chambers is an England songwriter and record producer best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams....
 and went on a world tour in 2006. Runner-up Marty Casey
Marty Casey

Martin Xavier "Marty" Casey is an United States Rock music musician who is the lead singer, primary songwriter and second guitarist of the band Lovehammers....
 was the opening act during the first leg of the tour, along with his band, The Lovehammers
Lovehammers

Lovehammers is a Chicago-based, Alternative rock band. Their sound is best described as a combination of Pop-punk, and Grunge influences.Since 1997, Lovehammers have independently released five full-length albums and EPs and one major label LP....
.

During the Rock Star: INXS competition, the contestants were challenged to write the lyrics and melody to music written by Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss

Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
. Originally this challenge was divided up into two teams. When Fortune did not see eye-to-eye with his team (that included Casey), he decided to venture out on his own and write his own lyrics. At first Fortune's move seemed to have doomed his chances to win the competition (because it was perceived he couldn't work in a team), but it was this move that resulted in his creation of the lyrics to "Pretty Vegas
Pretty Vegas

"Pretty Vegas" was the first single released from Switch , the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. The single was released on November 29, 2005....
". This song became a favourite of both fans and INXS and played a major role in Fortune being able to win the competition . "Pretty Vegas" was released 4 October 2005 and reached #5 on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store

The iTunes Store is a software-based online shopping digital media store operated by Apple Inc. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, it proved the viability of online music store and is now the number-one music vendor in the United States....
 ranking of top downloaded songs on its first day, it peaked at #9 in Australia, #37 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a huge radio airplay hit (going platinum and reaching number one) in Fortune's native Canada.

2005 to 2008 Reworked line up JD fortune era

On 29 November 2005, the band's first album with Fortune as lead singer, entitled Switch, was released in the United States via Epic Records
Epic Records

Epic Records is an United States record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was founded in 1953 as a jazz label, and was eventually expanded to several genres of music....
. In September 2006, the band and Epic parted ways. The new lineup toured in support of Switch and in 2006 was reported to be working on material for another album, as of January 2009 it is unreleased.

INXS toured Australia and New Zealand in March 2007, with Simple Minds
Simple Minds

Simple Minds are a rock music band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the south side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s, and later went on to produce some politically inspired and critically praised work....
 and support band Arrested Development
Arrested Development (hip hop group)

Arrested Development is a two-time Grammy Award-winning United States alternative hip hop music group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s....
. After the cancellation of a 31 August 2007 show in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
, INXS placed a statement on their website stating "Due to ongoing medical issues with Garry Beers' hand, the band's doctor has urged the band to not play more than three shows in a row or risk permanent damage to Garry's hand."

2009

The band is once again without a frontman. The band signed with Petrol Records in December 2008, reuniting them with former manager Chris Murphy. The band were preparing to enter the studio in March 2009 to record a new project without a singer.

On 16 February 2009, JD Fortune revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight Canada

Entertainment Tonight Canada is a Canada entertainment newsmagazine series, launched on September 12, 2005 on Global Television Network. The program is patterned after the United States series Entertainment Tonight, and collaborates closely with its American parent....
 that INXS let him go from the band with a shake of the hand at an airport in Hong Kong. Fortune admits to becoming addicted to cocaine during his stint with the band.. J.D. Fortune is back to living out of his car (pickup truck) and saving every dime to try and get his solo album released (provisionally titled, "Death Of A Motivational Speaker"). He said he's been off of all drugs including cocaine for the past two years. He discussed his story, along with with a live performance, on Toronto's Virgin Radio.

On 23 February 2009, Chris Murphy, INXS creative director and global business strategist and former manager, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, said JD was not sacked and, in fact, "the band made it known to him that they had not ruled out seeing a return by Fortune." He also states JD was next on his list to call regarding a major recording contract he was negotiating for the band. In an interview with Confidential on March 1, 2009, Murphy stated "The whole thing has been bizarre - he was basically a contractor and his contract had ended." Speaking with Billboard, Murphy stated that he would rather part ways with the band than work with Fortune. "If the band said to me tomorrow, 'We'd still like you to make that call and talk to him about working on a project,' I'd have to say 'Sorry, I have to go.'

In an interview with Sun Media published on 6 March 2009, J. D. Fortune clarified his claim that he had been fired at an airport. After returning to Canada from Hong Kong, Fortune believed there were still two more legs of the INXS 2007 tour to complete. When the rest of the tour was cancelled and the band did not return his calls for 10 months, he believed he was out of the band.

Influence and recognition

Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, INXS was a major force in Australian popular music
Music of Australia

The music of Australia ranges across a broad spectrum of styles and genres. Whilst most modern Timeline of trends in Australian music in Australian music are based on similar trends from Music of the United States or Music of the United Kingdom, traditional Australian Aboriginal music dates back more than 60,000 years to the prehistory of Aus...
, leading the way into worldwide popularity for several Australian bands. The band worked closely with several other Australian artists, such as Models
Models (band)

Models are an alternative rock group from Melbourne, Australia, which formed in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models....
 and ex-patriate New Zealander Jenny Morris, helping to establish their careers. By the mid-nineties, however, their popularity had waned, especially in the US, where their Greatest Hits compilation failed to reach the Top 100. At the 1996 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards

The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of British or Britannia, but has subsequently become a "backronym" for British Record Industry Trust....
, Michael Hutchence presented Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
 with an award, after which their lead guitarist Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher

Noel Thomas David Gallagher is the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and occasional vocalist of English rock band Oasis . Raised with younger brother Liam Gallagher in Burnage, Manchester, Gallagher began to get guitar lessons from Dayle Robertson at the age of thirteen during a period of probation....
 remarked "Has-beens shouldn't be presenting awards to gonna-bes".

INXS was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association

The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australia recording industry. It oversees the collection, administration and distribution of music licenses and royalties....
 (ARIA) Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame

Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted under the old format due to time restric...
 on 30 October 2001. INXS has won six other ARIA Awards including three for 'Best Group' in 1987, 1989 and 1992. The band has also received three Grammy nominations over their 30-year career. In 2007, The Farriss Brothers were inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Awards
West Australian Music Industry Awards

The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian music Industry Association Inc ....
 Hall of Fame. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Recording Industry Association of America

The Recording Industry Association of America is the trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of a large number of private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, which the RIAA claims "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recor...
, INXS have sold 15 million units in the United States alone, becoming the 3rd highest selling Australian Music Act in the United States, behind AC/DC and The Bee Gees.

Commercials

In America, 2002, McDonald's
McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants, serving nearly 58 million customers daily. McDonald's primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts....
 and Toyota used "New Sensation
New Sensation

"New Sensation" is a song by Australian pop group INXS. It was the third single from their 1987 album Kick . The music was written by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics by Michael Hutchence....
" for a promo campaign. "New Sensation" also was featured in the 2003 movie, Shattered Glass
Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass is a 2003 in film United States drama film written and directed by Billy Ray . The screenplay is based on a September 1998 Vanity Fair article by Buzz Bissinger....
.

"What You Need" featured in a Chevy trucks advertising campaign.

Whilst in Australia "By My Side
By My Side

By My Side may refer to:*"By My Side," a song by the band 3 Doors Down*"By My Side," a 2009 song by Jadakiss and Ne-Yo off the album The Last Kiss ...
" has been used by NRMA
NRMA

NRMA refers to either of two historically-related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering roadside assistance, travel advisory, vehicle inspections and other services in New South Wales and The Australian Capital Territory....
 Insurance on and off for 8 years.

"The One Thing
The One Thing (song)

"The One Thing" is the first single from the INXS album Shabooh Shoobah.Shabooh Shoobah eventually reached #52 on the Billboard 200 and # 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart....
" is featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories under the fictional radio station Flash FM.

Type (Movie/Game/Ad) Title Song
Movie Reckless "The One Thing"
Movie Reckless "To Look At You"
Movie Reckless "Soul Mistake"
Movie Donnie Darko "Never Tear Us Apart"
Movie 40 Days and 40 Nights "New Sensation"
Movie Coyote Ugly "Need You Tonight"
Movie Crocodile Dundee Different World
Movie Face-Off "Don't Lose Your Head"
Movie Hysterical Blindness What You Need
Movie Mystery Date Disappear
Movie Mystery Date On My Way
Movie Mystery Date Suicide Blonde
Movie Pretty In Pink Do Wot You Do
Movie Shattered Glass New Sensation
Movie Rock Star Devil Inside
Movie Drop Zone Strangest Party (These Are The Times)
Movie Towelhead New Sensation
Advert Chevy Trucks What You Need
Advert NRMA Insurance By My Side
Advert McDonalds New Sensation
Advert Toyota New Sensation
Game Grand Theft Auto - Vice City Kiss the Dirt
Game Grand Theft Auto - Vice City The One Thing
Game Name That Tune Eighties Need You Tonight
Game Name That Tune Eighties New Sensation
Game Name That Tune Eighties Never Tear Us Apart
Game Name That Tune Eighties What You Need


Discography

For a complete discography, see INXS discography
INXS discography

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by the Australian Rock music band INXS....
.


  • INXS
    INXS (album)

    INXS is Australia Rock music group INXS's first album. It was released in Australia only until 1984. INXS recorded the album in between doing, on average, two gigs at the local pubs around Sydney each day ....
     (1980)
  • Underneath the Colours
    Underneath the Colours

    Underneath the Colours is Australia Rock music group INXS' second album. It was released in Australia in 1981. It was with this album that Michael Hutchence's songwriting started to mature and the band started to find a unique sound....
     (1981)
  • Shabooh Shoobah
    Shabooh Shoobah

    Shabooh Shoobah is Australian Rock music group INXS's third album....
     (1982)
  • The Swing
    The Swing

    The Swing is Australia Rock music band INXS's fourth studio album, released in 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on Backing vocalist....
     (1984)
  • Listen Like Thieves
    Listen Like Thieves

    Listen Like Thieves is the fifth album by the Australian Rock music band INXS. It was released in 1985. Considered a breakthrough album for the band, it featured their first top 5 single in the United States, "What You Need"....
     (1985)
  • Kick
    Kick (album)

    Kick is an album by the Australian Rock music band INXS, released in 1987. It is their best-selling album to date and according to Story to Story: The Official Autobiography has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S....
     (1987)
  • X
    X (INXS album)

    X is Australia Rock music band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. The title, the Roman numerals for "10", represents the band's tenth year since their debut album was released in 1980....
     (1990)
  • Welcome to Wherever You Are
    Welcome to Wherever You Are

    Welcome to Wherever You Are is an album by the Australian rock and roll group INXS, released in 1992. With grunge music and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, ? la U2 and Achtung Baby, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music...
     (1992)
  • Full Moon, Dirty Hearts
    Full Moon, Dirty Hearts

    Full Moon, Dirty Hearts is an album released by Australian band INXS in 1993, through Warner Music Australia. Total running time is 40 minutes....
     (1993)
  • Elegantly Wasted
    Elegantly Wasted

    Elegantly Wasted is the 10th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 15 April 1997 and is the final album recorded with lead singer Michael Hutchence who was found dead in a Sydney hotel room on November 22 of that year....
     (1997)
  • Switch
    Switch (INXS album)

    Switch is the 11th studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on November 29 2005. It is notable for being the first and only album with new lead singer J.D....
     (2005)


Members

Listed chronologically:
  • Garry Gary Beers — bass guitar
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
    , double bass
    Double bass

    The double bass or contrabass is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow string instrument used in the modern orchestra. It is a standard member of the string section of the orchestra and smaller string musical ensembles in European classical music....
     (1977–present)
  • Andrew Farriss
    Andrew Farriss

    Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
     — keyboards
    Keyboard instrument

    A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
    , guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
     (1977–present)
  • Jon Farriss
    Jon Farriss

    Jonathon James Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock Rock band INXS.Jon Farriss was born to Dennis and Jill Farriss, and is the second youngest of four children: brothers and fellow band members Andrew Farriss and Tim Farriss, and younger sister Alison, and was the youngest member of INXS until J.D....
     — drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
    , keyboards (1977–present)
  • Tim Farriss
    Tim Farriss

    Timothy William Farriss is a member of the Rock music Musical ensemble INXS....
     — lead guitar
    Lead guitar

    Lead guitar refers to the use of a guitar to perform melody lines, fill , and guitar solos within a song structure.In rock music, heavy metal music, blues, jazz and fusion bands and some pop music contexts as well as others, the lead guitar lines are usually supported by a second guitarist who plays rhythm guitar, which consists of accompan...
     (1977–present)
  • Michael Hutchence
    Michael Hutchence

    Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
     — lead vocals (1977–1997 d.)
  • Kirk Pengilly
    Kirk Pengilly

    Kirk Pengilly is an Australian musician best known as a member of the rock group INXS....
     — guitar, saxophone
    Saxophone

    The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
    , backing vocals (1977–present)
  • Jon Stevens
    Jon Stevens

    Jon Stevens is a New Zealand-born singer, now an Australian citizen. Stevens is the brother of New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens.Stevens moved to Australia after success as a pop star in New Zealand in the 1970s ....
     — lead vocals (2002–2003, guest vocals 2000–2002)
  • J.D. Fortune
    J.D. Fortune

    Jason Dean Bennison, better known by his stage name J. D. Fortune is a Canada rock music, winner of the 2005 CBS reality television series Rock Star: INXS, and was the lead singer of Australian rock band INXS from 2005-2009....
     — lead vocals (2005–2009)


On tour/special performances:
  • Jimmy Barnes
    Jimmy Barnes

    Jimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock music singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland....
     — guest vocals (1998)
  • Terence Trent D'Arby
    Sananda Maitreya

    Sananda Maitreya , better known by his former stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an United States singer-songwriter. He also plays many of the instruments on and Record producer his own albums....
     — guest vocals (1999)


Awards and nominations

INXS has won and been nominated for numerous music awards. These include ARIA Awards, Grammys
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
,, MTV Awards
MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 in television by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year....
.

ARIA Awards

INXS has won seven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame

Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted under the old format due to time restric...
 in 2001 alongside The Saints
The Saints (band)

The Saints are an Australian rock band, formed in Brisbane in 1974. They are considered to be one of the first and most influential punk rock groups....
. This induction recognised their achievement of a "significant body of recorded work" and that they "had a cultural impact within Australia". INXS has won six other ARIA Awards including three for 'Best Group' in 1987, 1989 and 1992.

|- |rowspan="1"| 1987 ||rowspan="1"| INXS || Best Group || |- |rowspan="3"| 1989 |||INXS || Outstanding Achievement || |- | | "Never Tear Us Apart
Never Tear Us Apart

"Never Tear Us Apart" was a Single released by Australian rock group INXS in August 1988. It was also included on the band's sixth studio album, Kick ....
" || Best Video || |- | | INXS || Best Group || |- | 1992 ||| Live Baby Live
Live Baby Live

Live Baby Live is Australian rock band INXS's first live album. It was released in 1991 and features tracks recorded in Paris, New York, Chicago, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Spain, Switzerland, Melbourne, Sydney, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas....
 || Best Group || |- |rowspan="2"| 1993 ||| "Baby Don't Cry
Baby Don't Cry

"Baby Don't Cry" was the second single from the 1992 album Welcome to Wherever You Are by INXS. It was written by Andrew Farriss. Andrew has said it was written about his daughter Grace and how he missed his young child whilst touring....
", "Heaven Sent", "Taste It
Taste It

"Taste It" was the first single from the 1992 album Welcome to Wherever You Are, by Australian rock music band INXS. The song was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence....
" || Engineer of the Year || |- | Welcome to Wherever You Are
Welcome to Wherever You Are

Welcome to Wherever You Are is an album by the Australian rock and roll group INXS, released in 1992. With grunge music and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, ? la U2 and Achtung Baby, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music...
 || Best Group || |- |rowspan="2"| 1994 ||| "The Gift" || Best Video || |- | | Full Moon, Dirty Hearts
Full Moon, Dirty Hearts

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts is an album released by Australian band INXS in 1993, through Warner Music Australia. Total running time is 40 minutes....
 || Best Group || |- | 2001 || INXS || Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame

Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted under the old format due to time restric...
 || |- | 2004 || I'm Only Looking || Best Music DVD ||

Countdown Awards

Countdown was an Australian pop music
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV
ABC Television

ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcaster, the ABC provides two main channels within Australia as well a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
 from 1974–1987, it presented music awards from 1979–1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week
TV Week

TV WEEK is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne, Australia-only publication in 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV....
 but then independently. The Countdown Music and Video Awards
Australian pop music awards

Australian pop music awards have included the TV Week King of Pop Awards , TV Week/Countdown Music Awards and Countdown Music and Video Awards ....
 were succeeded by the ARIA Awards. INXS won seven awards at the 1984 awards ceremony, which was broadcast on 25 May 1985. On 20 April 1986 they won three further Countdown awards for 1985.

|- | 1980 ||rowspan="1" | INXS || Johnny O'Keefe
Johnny O'Keefe

John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s and ended with his early death in the late 1970s....
 New Talent || |- |rowspan="7" | 1984 ||| "Burn for You" || Best Group Performance in a Video || |- | | The Swing
The Swing

The Swing is Australia Rock music band INXS's fourth studio album, released in 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on Backing vocalist....
 || Best Album || |- | | INXS || Most Popular Australian Group || |- | | Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss

Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and key composer for the Australian band INXS....
, Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence

Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS....
  || Best Songwriter || |- | | "Burn for You" || Best Promotional Video || |- | INXS || Most Outstanding Achievement || |- | | Michael Hutchence || Most Popular Male || |- |rowspan="3" | 1985 ||"What You Need
What You Need (song)

"What You Need" is a song recorded by the Australian band INXS. It is the leadoff track from their 1985 album, Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was the second single off the album after "This Time" and was the band's first American Top Ten hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart....
" || Best Video || |- | INXS || Most Popular Australian Group || |- | INXS || Most Outstanding Achievement ||

Grammy Awards

INXS received two nominations for 'Rock Vocal Group' at the Grammys
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
.

|- | 1988 || Kick
Kick (album)

Kick is an album by the Australian Rock music band INXS, released in 1987. It is their best-selling album to date and according to Story to Story: The Official Autobiography has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S....
 || Rock Vocal Group || |- | 1990 || "Suicide Blonde
Suicide Blonde

"Suicide Blonde" was the name of the first single from the INXS album X . It reached the top 10 on the US Hot 100 and Australia in 1990 in music and reached a peak of #11 in the UK....
" || Rock Vocal Group ||

MTV Video Music Awards

INXS won five MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 in television by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year....
 for their 1988 song "Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight

"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album. It was also the only single of the band's to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100....
".

|- |rowspan="1"| 1986 ||rowspan="1"| "What You Need
What You Need (song)

"What You Need" is a song recorded by the Australian band INXS. It is the leadoff track from their 1985 album, Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was the second single off the album after "This Time" and was the band's first American Top Ten hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart....
" || Best Group Video || |- |rowspan="9"| 1988 |||"Need You Tonight" || Viewer's Choice || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Video of the Year || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Special Effects || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Group Video || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Concept Video || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Art Direction || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Editing || |- | | "Need You Tonight" || Best Breakthrough Video || |- | | "Devil Inside" || Best Editing || |- | 1989 || "New Sensation
New Sensation

"New Sensation" is a song by Australian pop group INXS. It was the third single from their 1987 album Kick . The music was written by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics by Michael Hutchence....
" || Best Art Direction ||

External links

  • at the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database

    The Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to film, actors, Television program, production crew personnel, video games, and most recently, fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media....
  • at Billboard
  • at MusicBrainz
    MusicBrainz

    MusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB....