The Aussie Music Blog: Michael Hutchence

Showing posts with label Michael Hutchence. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2025

INXS - A Collection

INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, guitarist Tim Farriss, lead singer and main lyricist Michael Hutchence, and guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. For 20 years, INXS were fronted by Hutchence, whose stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their new wave/ska-pop style, the band then developed a harder pub rock style that included funk and dance elements.

In 1984, INXS had their first number-one hit in Australia with "Original Sin". The band achieved international success in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s with the hit albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, and X, and the singles "What You Need", "Need You Tonight" (the band's only US number-one single), "Devil Inside", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Suicide Blonde" and "New Sensation".

After Hutchence's death on 22 November 1997, INXS made appearances with several guest singers, and toured and recorded with Jon Stevens as lead singer, beginning in 2000. In 2005, members of INXS participated in Rock Star: INXS, a reality television series that culminated in the selection of Canadian J.D. Fortune as their new lead singer. Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin replaced Fortune as lead singer in 2011. During a concert on 11 November 2012, INXS stated that the performance would be their last, although they did not announce the band's permanent retirement.

INXS have won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, including three for "Best Group" in 1987, 1989 and 1992; the band were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001. They have sold over 50 million records worldwide, making them one of Australia's best-selling music acts of all time.

INXS - 1980

Underneath the Colours - 1981

Shabooh Shoobah - 1982

The Swing - 1984

Listen Like Thieves - 1985

Kick - 1987

X - 1990

Live Baby Live - 1991

Welcome To Wherever You Are - 1992

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts - 1993

Greatest Hits - 1994

Elegantly Wasted - 1997

The Years 1979-1997 - 2002

Switch - 2005

Friday, May 16, 2025

The Soundtracks Collection - Part VII

Head On is a 1998 Australian LGBT-related romantic drama film directed by Ana Kokkinos, who wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bovell and Mira Robertson. The film is based on the 1995 novel Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas. The film stars Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis, Elena Mandalis and Damien Fotiou. The film tells the story of Ari (Dimitriades), a dissolute 19-year-old second generation Greek-Australian in Melbourne. Ari is caught between his conservative Greek background and modern Australia, amid his homosexual desire.

1 Ollie Olsen– Head On Opening Theme 0:37

2 Lunatic Calm– Leave You Far Behind 3:11

3 Death In Vegas– Opium Shuffle 5:03

4 The Saints – Know Your Product 3:12

5 Silverchair– Freak (Remix For Us Rejects) 4:12

6 Hot Chocolate– You Sexy Thing 3:55

7 The Habibis– Thrash 9 4:06

8 Underground Lovers– Las Vegas 5:31

9 Danii*– Everything I Wanted 4:40

10 Ammonia – You're Not The Only One Who Feels This Way 3:48

11 The Visitors – Tiny Little Engines 8:26

12 The Master's Apprentices– Living In A Child's Dream 2:38

13 The Habibis– The Spaso Kupes (I'll Break Cups) 5:21

14 Isaac Hayes– Theme From "Shaft" 3:15

15 Ollie Olsen– End Theme 3:22

16 Primal Scream– Loaded 7:01

Head On

Garage Days is a 2002 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Alex Proyas and written by Proyas, Dave Warner and Michael Udesky. Garage Days is the story of a young Sydney garage band desperately trying to make it big in the competitive world of rock music. Its soundtrack includes the song "Garage Days" composed by David McCormack and Andrew Lancaster and performed by Katie Noonan. The climax of the film was filmed at the Homebake festival in Sydney in 2001.

The film made its US premiere at the 2003 Sundance film festival.

1 The D4– High Voltage 3:55

2 Supergrass– Alright 3:02

3 Motor Ace– Kooks 2:59

4 Spiderbait– Buy Me A Pony 1:43

5 David McCormack* / Andrew Lancaster– Rockin' It 0:19

6 David McCormack* / Andrew Lancaster Featuring Katie Noonan– Garage Days 3:04

7 Roxy Music– Love Is The Drug 3:59

8 Sonicanimation*– Add It Up 4:30

9 David McCormack* / Andrew Lancaster– Walk Up 0:48

10 Rhombus– Ghost Town 3:54

11 The (International) Noise Conspiracy*– Smash It Up 3:12

12 28 Days– Say What? 3:32

13 The Jam– That's Entertainment 3:32

14 David McCormack*– Masterplan 2:36

15 Joey Ramone– Stop Thinking About It 2:57

16 The Hives– Mad Man 2:19

17 David McCormack* / Andrew Lancaster / Antony Partos– Get The Tarp 1:05

18 The Moldy Peaches– Lucky Number Nine 2:12

19 Tom Jones– Help Yourself 2:51

Garage Days

Dogs in Space is a 1986 Australian drama film set in Melbourne's "Little Band" post-punk music scene in 1978. Written and directed by Richard Lowenstein, the film stars Michael Hutchence as the drug-addled frontman of the fictitious band from which the film takes its name.

The script was based on Lowenstein's personal experiences of living in a shared house in Melbourne in the late '70s. Prior to making the film, Lowenstein had made a series of promotional clips for songs from the INXS album The Swing and wrote the lead role with singer Michael Hutchence in mind.

1 Iggy Pop– Dog Food 1:42

2 Michael Hutchence– Dogs In Space 2:57

3 Ollie Olsen– Win / Lose 4:55

4 Gang Of Four– Anthrax 2:57

5 Brian Eno– Skysaw 3:20

6 The Marching Girls– True Love 3:01

7 The Boys Next Door– Shivers 4:23

8 Thrush& The C**ts*– Diseases (Instrumental) 2:55

9 Primitive Calculators– Pumping Ugly Muscle (Instrumental) 5:10

10 Michael Hutchence– Golf Course 2:54

11 Michael Hutchence– The Green Dragon 2:21

12 Marie Hoy & Friends– Shivers 4:03

13 Iggy Pop– The Endless Sea 4:52

14 Michael Hutchence– Rooms For The Memory 5:04

Dogs In Space

Saturday, October 15, 2016

INXS.....INXS (1980) and Underneath the Colours (1981)...origins of a legendary band

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INXS formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney.They began playing covers in Western Australian pubs and clubs, occasionally playing some of their original music. Mainstays were main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, guitarists Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly, bassist Garry Gary Beers and main lyricist and vocalist Michael Hutchence. For twenty years, INXS was fronted by Hutchence, whose "sultry good looks" and magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their new wave/pop style, the band later developed a harder pub rock style that included funk and dance elements.

The origins of the band began with Andrew Farriss convincing his fellow Davidson High School classmate, Michael Hutchence, to join his band, Doctor Dolphin. The band contained two other classmates, Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders and a bass player, Garry Beers and Geoff Kennely, from a nearby high school, Forest High School. In 1977, Tim Farriss, Andrew's older brother, invited Andrew, Hutchence and Beers to join him and his schoolmate Kirk Pengilly. Tim and Pengilly had been playing together since 1971 as either an acoustic duo, Kirk and Tim, or as a four-piece band called Guinness (named after their bass player's dog). Together with younger brother Jon Farriss they formed the Farriss Brothers, who consisted of Garry Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar, Geoff Kennelly on drums, Michael Hutchence on lead vocals and Kirk Pengilly on guitar and saxophone.The band made their debut on 16 August 1977 at Whale Beach,40 km north of Sydney.