INXS Biography.
When Andrew Farriss first crossed Michael
Hutchence, they were both high school students. They met when
Andrew broke up a fight that Michael was involved in. The two
became instant friends, and found that they shared a very strong
interest in one thing - music. By the end of their high school
days, circa 1977, they formed a band called "The
Farriss Brothers" which was composed of Andrew, his
two brothers Tim and Jon, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers, and
Michael. Within a couple of years, the sextet refined their sound
and changed their name to INXS (pronouned IN EXCESS.) Little did
the Perth, Australia-based band realize the magnitude of success
that awaited them in the years to come.
Their first single, "Simple Simon" was
heavily influenced by the declining punk scene and also found
roots in ska and pop. With their initial single finished, the
band began touring the Australian continent, and slowly began to
establish a fan base in the pub touring scene. It is this initial
dedication of INXS to touring that helped to establish their
credentials and begin to create a solid fan base of support. It
is estimated that they were playing nearly 360 shows a year in
the sweaty pubs of Australia during their early years. It sure
payed off...
In 1980, the band released their first album, the self-titled
"INXS" on Deluxe Records. The album
featured their first major hit in Australia, "Just
Keep Walking", and was quickly followed in 1981 by
their second LP, "Underneath the Colours".
These two albums, in conjunction with continual touring, helped
refine their sound and style, and paved their way for the hugely
successful "Shabooh Shoobah" album.
This legendary record, released in 1983, became the first INXS
album released worldwide, and its impact was very strong. The
album's major hit, "The One Thing" was
a worldwide smash hit, and with the help of a worldwide tour,
INXS began the road to world domination. The album is also
important in that it is the first album to feature the trademark
INXS style of dance rock. "The One Thing"
was followed by a string of hits, including "Black
and White" and "Don't Change",
which is still many fans' favorite INXS song of all time.
1984 saw the band release "The Swing".
"The Swing" continued to push INXS
toward the top of rockdom, with such classic singles as "Original
Sin", "Burn For You",
and "Melting in the Sun". "Original
Sin", the lead single from the album, established
what the band had always tried to do with the help of Nile
Rodgers - namely, allow rock music to still be danceable. The
controversial single dealing with interracial relationships was
banned in several countries, including the United States. "Burn
For You" began the creative relationship between
INXS and filmmaker Richard Lowenstein. Lowenstein created the
video for the song, and has since served as video director for
most subsequent INXS singles. The album, "The Swing",
did phenomenally well around the world, and became one of the
five biggest selling albums in Australian music history.
Though INXS had become well-known around the world, it was not
until 1985' "Listen Like Thieves" that
they became house-hold names. The album was the first to go
platinum (1 million units sold) in the US, and featured their
first US Top 10 single, "What You Need".
Behind their growing popularity were two things - their unique
style of rock rhythms and their continual touring of the world.
The album features such singles as "This Time",
"What You Need", "Listen
Like Thieves", and "Kiss the Dirt (Falling
Down the Mountain)".
In the interim between "Listen Like Thieves"
and their next record, the band continued to branch out and
diversify. Michael Hutchence entered the world of acting with his
memorable performance in Lowenstein's "Dogs in Space",
featuring the Australian hit song, "Rooms for the
Memory". The band also contributed songs to various
soundtracks, including "American Anthem",
"Crocodile Dundee", "Pretty
in Pink", and most notably, "The Lost
Boys".
1987 saw INXS explode into one of the most famous bands in the
world... ever. "Kick" not only sold 4
million copies in the US, but 10 million worldwide, and still
stands today as one of the most famous albums of all time. "Need
You Tonight", the lead single, hit #1 in the US and
many other countries, and went on to win 5 awards at the MTV
Video Music Awards show in 1988. The string of hits on
the album is near legendary: "Devil Inside",
"New Sensation", "Never
Tear Us Apart", and "Guns in the Sky".
The album featured killer hooks and rhythms, great melodies, well-written
lyrics, and more. With two successful stadium tours INXS had
finally scaled the world.
The price of success, though, was very high on the band, and they
took a two year break to recuperate from the INXS hysteria that
had flooded the world. In the words of Hutchence, "Another
Kick would finish the band". In the ensuing break, every
member went his separate way to work on solo projects. The most
notable side-project was Hutchence's teaming with Australian punk
rocker, Ollie Olson, on the Max Q album. The
album is a testament to creativity and innovation, and was a
success on the alternative music scene.
In 1990, INXS returned with "X", named
to commemorate ten years in recording. The album went platinum,
and featured the hit singles "Suicide Blonde",
"Disappear", "Bitter
Tears", and "By My Side".
Their subsequent world tour, which sold out stadiums and arenas
around the world, culminated in the Summer XS show at Wembley
Stadium in July of 1991, where they performed before 80,000
people. Their 1991 album, "Live Baby Live",
was released to showcase their live style and celebrate their
Wembley show.
"Welcome to Wherever You Are", the
1992 offering from INXS, has become an instant classic for all
those who have followed INXS over the years. Their most
innovative work to date, the album showcases a re-energized and
new INXS. Teeming with creativity and catchy hooks, songs like
"Not Enough Time", "Heaven
Sent", "Taste It",
"Beautiful Girl", and "Communication"
demonstrate the ability of the band to persevere and change to
suit the times. "Communication"
features a dizzying area of computer generated sounds and
samples, and for "Baby Don't Cry" and
"Men and Women", they employ a full 60
piece orchestra to back them up. Though the album fell just short
of the platinum mark, it remains many fans' favorite.
Following a brief world "pub" tour designed to honor
longtime fans with small performances in intimate clubs, INXS
emerged with "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts".
Recorded in early '93, the album was originally intended to serve
as a companion for WTWYA, though the styles of
both are quite disparate. "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts"
features INXS returning to their roots, and creating songs that
are quick, stripped down, and raw. The band also performs two
duets on the album: "Please (You've Got That...)"
with the legendary Ray Charles; and "Full
Moon, Dirty Hearts", with Chrissy Hyndes of the
Pretenders. The lead single, the rocking guitar anthem
"The Gift", was accompanied by a video
release of every single song on the new album, created by the
protegees of director Richard Lowenstein.
Following the "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts"
album, which was clearly not a commercial or critical success,
INXS switched record labels from Atlantic to Polygram and began
work on a best of compilation disc. "INXS The
Greatest Hits", features two new songs, including
"The Strangest Party", a throwback to
their extremely popular and successful hook-filled songs of the
late 1980's. The album, released in late 1994, is a dizzying trip
of perfection, showcasing the strength and influence INXS has
wielded over the music industry for over a decade. From their
earliest major hit "The One Thing", to
their current smash hit, "The Strangest Party",
the greatest hits collection proves to all that INXS has a
continued relevance to rock music, and that they are sure to
continue reaching new heights for many years to come.