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

Little River Band - A Collection (1975-1983)

 

Little River Band (LRB) originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums reached the top 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart including Diamantina Cocktail (April 1977) and First Under the Wire (July 1979), which both peaked at No. 2. Nine singles appeared in the top 20 on the related singles chart, with "Help Is on Its Way" (1977) as their only number-one hit. Ten singles reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Reminiscing" their highest, peaking at No. 3.

They have received many music awards in Australia. The 1976 line-up of Glenn Shorrock, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles, George McArdle, David Briggs and Derek Pellicci were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) hall of fame at the 18th annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004. Most of the group's 1970s and 1980s material was written by Goble and/or Shorrock, Birtles and Briggs. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, named "Cool Change", written by Shorrock, as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. "Reminiscing", written by Goble, received a 5-Million Broadcast Citation from BMI in 2020.

The group have undergone numerous personnel changes, with over 30 members since their formation, including John Farnham as lead singer after Shorrock first departed in 1982. None of the musicians now performing as Little River Band are original members, nor members in the 1970s. In the 1980s, members included Farnham, Wayne Nelson, Stephen Housden, David Hirschfelder and Steve Prestwich.

Little River Band (1975)

After Hours (1976)

Diamantina Cocktail (1977)

Sleepercatcher (1978)

First Under the Wire (1979)

Time Exposure (1981)

The Net (1983)

The Angels - A Collection (1977 - 1998)

 

The Angels are an Australian rock band that formed in 1974 in Adelaide as the Keystone Angels with Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, John Brewster on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Peter "Charlie" King on drums. In 1976, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey took over bass duties so Neeson could focus solely on vocals, and they changed their name to just 'the Angels'. 

Their studio albums that peaked in the Australian top 10 are No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking" (both 1990).

They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October 1998 with the line-up of Bailey, John and Rick Brewster, Eccles and Neeson. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane declared that "The Angels had a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970's/early 1980's. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition... [their] brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers. In turn, The Angels' shows raised the standard expected of live music. After 20 years on the road, the band showed little sign of easing up on the hard rock fever." Chris Bailey died of throat cancer on 4 April 2013, aged 62. Doc Neeson died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67.

The current line-up are touring Australia with their 50th anniversary tour in 2025.

The Angels (1977)

Face To Face (1978)

The Tour EP (1978)

No Exit (1979)

Out of the Blue EP (1979)

Dark Room (1980)

Live - Denver, Colorado (1980)

Greatest Hits (1980)

Live At The El Mocambo (1980)

Live - Melbourne (1980)

Night Attack (1981)

Two Minute Warning (1984)

Howling (1986)

LiveLine (1988)

Beyond Salvation (1989)

Red Back Fever (1991)

Their Finest Hour..and Then Some (1992)

Evidence (1994)

Skin and Bone (1998)

Oz Rock (The Rock Collection) - various artists - 70's/80's

 

This collection from Time-Life was originally released in the early 90's and is now out of print and collectible. It features an excellent cross section of popular Australian and New Zealand artists from the 70's and 80's with many songs that were top 10 and some that went to all the way to number one!

1-1 John Farnham– Age Of Reason

1-2 Models – Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight

1-3 1927– If I Could

1-4 Air Supply– Love And Other Bruises

1-5 Little River Band– Love Is A Bridge

1-6 Choirboys– Run To Paradise

1-7 Mental As Anything– Live It Up

1-8 Skyhooks– Horror Movie

1-9 Mi-Sex– People

1-10 Divinyls– Boys In Town

1-11 Dragon – Celebration

1-12 Dave Dobbyn– Slice Of Heaven

2-1 Split Enz– I Got You

2-2 Cold Chisel– Forever Now

2-3 The Dynamic Hepnotics– Soul Kind Of Feeling

2-4 Tim Finn– Fraction Too Much Friction

2-5 Jenny Morris– Break In The Weather

2-6 Goanna– Solid Rock

2-7 Moving Pictures – What About Me

2-8 The Chantoozies– Witch Queen (of New Orleans)

2-9 Noiseworks– Touch

2-10 Paul Kelly – To Her Door

2-11 Men At Work– Overkill

2-12 Mondo Rock– Come Said The Boy

Oz Rock (The Rock Collection)

Dragon - A Collection

 

Dragon is a New Zealand rock band which was formed in Auckland in January 1972, and, from 1975, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The band was originally fronted by singer Graeme Collins, but rose to fame with singer Marc Hunter and is currently led by his brother, bass player and co-founder Todd Hunter. The group performed, and released material, under the name Hunter in Europe and the United States during 1987.

The name "Dragon" came from a consultation of I Ching cards by founder vocalist Graeme Collins.

Keyboard player Paul Hewson wrote or co-wrote most of the group's 1970's hits: "April Sun in Cuba" peaked at No. 9 in New Zealand and No. 2 in Australia; "Are You Old Enough?" reached No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 1 in Australia in 1978; and "Still in Love With You" reached No. 35 and No. 27 in each country respectively that same year. Later hits, from when the band re-grouped in the 1980's, were written by other band members, often working with outside associates: The Hunter brothers, with Todd's partner, Johanna Pigott, wrote "Rain", a No. 2 hit in 1983, while other, more minor hits were written by the Hunters and/or Alan Mansfield, frequently in collaboration with any combination of Pigott, Mansfield's partner Sharon O'Neill, Marc Hunter's partner Wendy Hunter, or producers Todd Rundgren and David Hirschfelder.

Dragon were a premiere live act in their heyday, and released a stack of classic singles. As Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane writes, ‘Dragon were one of the most popular and notorious acts on the Australian scene … the band earned a reputation for fierce live shows, arrogant behaviour and a decadent lifestyle.’

Universal Radio -1974

Scented Gardens For the Blind - 1975

Sunshine - 1977

Running Free - 1977

O Zambezi - 1978

Greatest Hits Vol.1 - 1979

    

                                      Power Play - 1979                                         

Body and The Beat - 1984

Live One - 1985

Dreams Of Ordinary Men - 1986

Bondi Road - 1989

Cuts From the Tough Times - 1990

Incarnations - 1995

Sunshine To Rain - 2006

The Essential - 2007

Remembers - 2009

It's All Too Beautiful - 2011