165-579: 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 was fronted by Hutchence, whose magnetic stage presence made him
330-491: A 2017 article by Paul Donoughue of ABC.net.au, it "solidified [INXS's] place in pop history". On 28 March 1992, INXS performed at the controversial Concert for Life at Centennial Park in Sydney (a fundraiser for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Centre), and other performers included Crowded House , Yothu Yindi , Jenny Morris , Diesel , Ratcat , and Def FX . Due to inclement weather,
495-430: A Brake", and "Right Oar Left". These mini-game titles are also different depending on regional differences and take into account that specific region's culture. Word play can enter common usage as neologisms . Word play is closely related to word games ; that is, games in which the point is manipulating words. See also language game for a linguist's variation. Word play can cause problems for translators: e.g., in
660-502: A Day " on Late Night with David Letterman marked the first time the group played in front of a live audience in seven years. A similar acoustic tour was planned for Europe, but cancelled when Partridge discovered that the Paris date would be broadcast from a sold-out 5,000 seater venue. After an unsuccessful attempt was made to coax Partridge back into regular touring, they took a short break. Partridge produced And Love for All (1990),
825-487: A Moulding composition. By this time, Moulding "wanted to ditch [our] quirky nonsense and do more straight-ahead pop." He was surprised to learn that the label chose his song as a single over Partridge's. Upon release, it was the first charting single for the band, rising to number 54 on the UK Singles Chart . For a period, most of the group's singles were not placed on their albums. Moulding explained that this
990-682: A backing vocalist with the band), and Hutchence featuring in Richard Lowenstein 's second feature film Dogs in Space . Lowenstein had previously made the video clip for " Dancing on the Jetty ". While a song from the movie, "Rooms for the Memory", written by Ollie Olsen , with vocals by Hutchence charted, the movie was received well by critics but was not a commercial success. Beginning in May 1986,
1155-470: A bass, with four strings, would be infinitely easier than playing a guitar, with six strings. That was a horrible misconception!" At the end of 1972, Moulding and drummer Terry Chambers joined Partridge's band, replacing Nervous Steve and Paul Wilson, and the group was renamed "Star Park (Mark II)". Other members would frequently join and leave the group. After Star Park opened for Thin Lizzy in May 1973,
1320-455: A bit more like The Police, with more international flavour, more basic appeal." Lascelles said that he had actually named Talking Heads , not the Police: "Andy likes to portray us as the strict, stern schoolmasters, but we never wanted him to compromise at anything we thought he was good at. Here were very talented songwriters – surely, surely, surely they can come up with that elusive thing that
1485-414: A concert with singers Suze DeMarchi and Jon Stevens sharing the spotlight. DeMarchi was reportedly offered the role of permanent singer in the band. The former lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks , Jon Stevens began singing with INXS on a regular basis. INXS played as one of the headline acts at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and then toured through South America and Europe. Stevens was officially named
1650-437: A concert. The concert was filmed and later released on a home video entitled Living INXS ; an edited version of the concert was played on MTV in the U.S. in 1985 on its Saturday night concert series. INXS toured North America, Europe, and New Zealand from November 1985 to February 1986. Next the band took a two-month break, with Andrew Farriss writing and producing "You're Gonna Get Hurt" for Jenny Morris (who had previously been
1815-648: 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 and by mid-1983 were headlining venues such as The Ritz in New York. After a performance in Toronto the band was approached by producer Nile Rodgers ; by September 1983, the band had recorded " Original Sin " (originally entitled "Brand New Day") at New York's Power Station Studios. Three tracks from Shabooh Shoobah were featured in
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#17327808949661980-436: A corrupt manager, life was a bit of a nightmare ... When I said we don't want to play live anymore, they [Virgin] completely stopped [promoting us] ... We ran on negative equity for 20 years. —Andy Partridge, 2000 The cancelled American tour saddled XTC with a £20,000 debt, and since it left them unable to record new material, they decided to reexamine their financial affairs. Confused as to where their earnings had gone,
2145-424: A frozen deposit account." For the next decade, the entirety of the band's earnings would be invested in the continued litigation. The group supported themselves mostly through short-term loans from Virgin and royalty payments derived from airplay. At one point, Moulding and Gregory were working at a car rental service for additional income. Partridge was eventually left with "about £300 in the bank", he said, "which
2310-529: A late 1960s group. When asked about the album in interviews, XTC initially denied having any involvement. In England, the six-track mini-album sold twice as many copies as The Big Express , even before the Dukes' identity was made public. The album also achieved considerable sales in the US. During a routine meeting in early 1986, Virgin executives threatened to drop the band from the label if their next album failed to sell more than 70,000 units. One reason why
2475-417: A living. We've had 'em all these years and we've got their catalogue and the copyright to their songs for evermore and we've stitched 'em up real good with a rotten deal so, erm, maybe we should let them go.' I like to think that it was a guilt thing." One of the group's first new recordings since the strike was released for the tribute album A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (1995). "The Good Things",
2640-440: A lot. But when he left I thought, Oh shit, that's the sound of the band gone, this space-cream over everything. And I did enjoy his brain power, the verbal and mental fencing." XTC went through a "silly half-hearted" process of auditioning another keyboardist. Although Thomas Dolby was rumoured as a replacement, Partridge said that Dolby was never actually considered. Rather than hiring a replacement keyboardist, Dave Gregory of
2805-475: A major recording contract he was negotiating for the band. 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
2970-536: A member of INXS in 2002, and the band started recording new material in November. He left the band in October 2003 to pursue a solo career, and only recorded a contractual obligation song called " I Get Up ". INXS returned to the news in 2004 when it was announced that a new reality television program titled Rock Star: INXS would feature a contest to find a new lead vocalist for the band. The show, which debuted on
3135-514: A member, characterizing himself as "the archetypal pub-rocker in jeans and long hair. But the fans weren't bothered. Nobody was fashionable in XTC, ever." He grew more comfortable with the group after playing a few shows, he said, "and things got better and better". XTC were impressed by Steve Lillywhite 's work on Ultravox 's 1977 debut , and Siouxsie and the Banshees ' The Scream , and he
3300-749: 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, 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 (25 mi) north of Sydney. The parents of
3465-440: A noted punster. Similarly, P.G. Wodehouse was hailed by The Times as a "comic genius recognized in his lifetime as a classic and an old master of farce" for his own acclaimed wordplay. James Joyce , author of Ulysses , is another noted word-player. For example, in his Finnegans Wake Joyce's phrase "they were yung and easily freudened" clearly implies the more conventional "they were young and easily frightened"; however,
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#17327808949663630-460: A penny of profits from either album sales or touring revenue. Reid, on the other hand, took out large loans from Virgin, borrowing against XTC's royalties, to the tune of millions of pounds by some estimates. Even after the band settled out of court with Reid, because of the terms of the contract, Virgin was able to hold XTC liable for the sum. Because of XTC's failure to tour, the likelihood of ever repaying Virgin dwindled further and further away. Over
3795-498: A play on words in his verse on " True Nen " A farmer says, "I got soaked for nothing, stood out there in the rain bang in the middle of my land, a complete waste of time. I'll like to kill the swine who said you can win the Nobel Prize for being out standing in your field!". The Mario Party series is known for its mini-game titles that usually are puns and various plays on words; for example: "Shock, Drop, and Roll", "Gimme
3960-624: A pub in Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Tim was approached by Gary Morris who was the manager of Midnight Oil . 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 and Australian jam makers IXL . Pengilly later explained that Morris
4125-525: A radio interview with Kirk Pengilly and J.D. Fortune in July 2010 just before the Broome concert, Pengilly confirmed that Fortune had returned as the band's permanent singer. In August 2010, Petrol Records issued Australian radio stations with a one-track promo "Never Tear Us Apart" featuring Ben Harper on vocals, a preview from the upcoming INXS Michael Hutchence tribute album Original Sin . On 25 September 2010,
4290-612: A radio station received a bomb threat, and in New York, a student forced their school to play the song over its public-address system by holding a faculty member at knife-point. Nonetheless, the commercial success of "Dear God" propelled Skylarking to sell more than 250,000 units, and it raised the band's profile among American college youth. In the US, the album spent 29 weeks on the Billboard 200 and reached its peak position of number 70 in June 1987. The music video for "Dear God" received
4455-486: 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 has won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, including three for "Best Group" in 1987, 1989 and 1992;
4620-475: A short time, helped the band reach a legal settlement with Ian Reid in 1989. However, they were again left with a six-figure debt. Virgin Records advanced the group enough money to cover their debt in exchange for the promise of four additional albums. Having written more than two dozen songs by 1991, some difficulties prolonged the start of recording sessions for the next album. Initially, the band had issue with
4785-578: A side project with Take Away / The Lure of Salvage in early 1980; a one-off record that appeared without much notice, except in Japan, where it was hailed as a work of "electronic genius" and outsold all other XTC albums. Black Sea , released in September 1980, reunited the group with Lillywhite and Padgham and was well-received critically. Singles " Generals and Majors ", " Towers of London " and " Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me) " returned them to
4950-691: A side project, Max Q , 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 . In October 1990, INXS released X which was produced by Chris Thomas. The album peaked at No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in the US, No. 2 in the UK, No. 5 in Switzerland and No. 10 in Sweden. It followed in
5115-464: A sold-out audience of 74,000 fans. This performance was recorded and filmed to become Live Baby Live , a live album that was released in November 1991 and peaked in the Top 30 in the Australia and UK album charts. The album had less success on The Billboard 200. A video version of the album was also released under the same title. This concert was the band's most well-attended show of all time; according to
INXS - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-417: A song, called "Tiny Summer" in streaming format on their official website in September 2011; they also announced that J.D. Fortune had again left the band and Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin was the band's frontman for their forthcoming tour of Australia, South America, and Europe in November and December 2011. On 6 October 2012, INXS were the headline act at the annual charity ball organised by
5445-485: A statement on their website saying "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." The band signed with Petrol Electric Records in December 2008, reuniting them with former manager Chris Murphy. On 16 February 2009, J.D. Fortune told Entertainment Tonight Canada that INXS had let him go from
5610-411: A tell-all history of the band on an Australian television interview special, The Story Behind INXS . During the interview, Jon Farriss made the statement, "Never say never" regarding the possibility that the band could record and perform more music in the future. Word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words ) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become
5775-578: A year, and then only made a few one-off performances with different guest singers until 2000. On 14 November 1998, they played at the Mushroom 25 Concert with Jimmy Barnes 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 and Russell Hitchcock as guest vocalists, they performed "New Sensation", "Kick", "Never Tear Us Apart" and "What You Need". In December 2000, INXS performed
5940-405: A £10,000 budget was supplied, while John Leckie returned as producer. Once again, the Dukes' record outsold XTC's previous album in the UK ( Skylarking in this case). Partridge felt it was "a bit upsetting to think that people preferred these pretend personalities to our own personalities ... But I don't mind because we have turned into the Dukes slowly over the years." Likewise, Moulding felt that
6105-489: Is a hit single. That was our psyche." After some remixing and additional songs at Virgin's behest, Mummer , the first product of the studio-bound XTC, appeared in August 1983. Virgin did little to promote the album and delayed its release by several months. At number 58, it was their lowest-charting album to date. The one single that did chart, " Love on a Farmboy's Wages ", did find significant airplay on BBC Radio 1. It
6270-407: Is mixed to the forefront; it's too well-arranged to be cacophonous, but there's a degree of sensory overload, especially given the band's newfound tendency to blast synthesizers in our faces. ... whether or not this album holds up for you depends on how much you like the band's boisterous side." It became the highest album they had in the charts since 1982's English Settlement , rising to number 28 in
6435-557: Is really heavy when you've got a family and everyone thinks you're 'Mr Rich and Famous'." A court-enforced gag order restricts the band from speaking publicly on the alleged improprieties. According to Partridge, Reid was "very naughty" and left the band with roughly £300,000 in unpaid VAT. Music journalist Patrick Schabe elaborates: ... what is known is that [Reid] inked a deal with Virgin that wound up working out primarily for Reid, secondarily for Virgin, and not at all for XTC. Throughout their first five years of existence, XTC never saw
6600-582: The CBS network on 11 July 2005, featured 15 contestants vying for the position of lead singer. The show was executive produced by Survivor ' s Mark Burnett and hosted by Brooke Burke and Jane's Addiction and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro . On 20 September 2005, J.D. Fortune won the eleven-week competition, which culminated in his singing the Rolling Stones 's " You Can't Always Get What You Want " and INXS' "What You Need" in
6765-468: The UK Albums Chart . Although the album was well received by the press ( Melody Maker , NME , Sounds , and Record Mirror all gave positive reviews ), none of its singles managed to chart. They rerecorded " This Is Pop " as a lead single. Its follow-up, " Statue of Liberty ", was banned on BBC Radio due to the lyric "I sail beneath her skirt". With each member placed on a £25 weekly salary,
INXS - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-605: The punk rock movement had emerged, which opened an avenue for the group in terms of record label appeal, even though the band did not necessarily fit in the punk dogma . Partridge remembered hearing the Sex Pistols ' " Anarchy in the U.K. " (1976) and feeling underwhelmed by its similarity to the Monkees or the Ramones: "That sort of spurred me on – watching this stuff that I thought was rather average." Soon, John Peel saw
7095-441: The reverberating drum sound associated with 1980s popular music. Between 1979 and 1992, XTC had a total of 10 albums and 6 singles that reached the UK top 40, including " Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me) " (1980) and " Senses Working Overtime " (1982). After 1982's English Settlement , the band stopped concert touring and became a studio-based project centred on Partridge, Moulding and guitarist Dave Gregory . A spin-off group,
7260-519: The "psychedelic element was being more ingratiated into the pie" since 25 O'Clock . When issued on CD, Psonic Psunspot was combined with 25 O'Clock and given the title Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (1987). For their next album Oranges & Lemons , XTC traveled to Los Angeles to make use of a cheap studio rate arranged by Paul Fox , who was recruited by the band for his first production gig. Another reason for recording in
7425-437: The 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop . Partly because the group did not fit into contemporary trends, they achieved only sporadic commercial success in the UK and US, but attracted a considerable cult following . They have since been recognised for their influence on post-punk , Britpop and later power pop acts. Partridge and Moulding first met in
7590-464: The 1983 holiday single " Thanks for Christmas " under the pseudonym Three Wise Men. It was produced by David Lord , owner of Crescent Studios in Bath, and they subsequently negotiated a deal that allowed them to work as much as they wanted on their next album at his studio. Some of the album was recorded using a Linn LM-1 Drum Computer , and extensive time was spent on its programming. Partridge envisioned
7755-624: The 1984 Countdown Music and Video Awards ceremony. They performed " Burn for You ", dressed in Akubras (hats) and Drizabones (outdoor coats/oilskin jackets). The band performed five songs for the July 1985 Oz for Africa concert, in conjunction with the Live Aid benefit. Two INXS songs, " What You Need " and " Don't Change ", were also in the BBC broadcast and are contained on Live Aid 's four DVD boxed set released in 2004. Listen Like Thieves
7920-476: The 1987 Billboard Best Video award and was also nominated for three categories at the MTV Video Music Awards . Skylarking ultimately became XTC's best-known album and is generally regarded as their finest work. Partridge was reluctant to make another Dukes album, but to appease requests from his bandmates and Virgin Records, Psonic Psunspot (1987) was recorded. This time, 10 songs and
8085-560: The 2005 official autobiography, Atlantic Records was not happy with the result; the label offered the band $ 1 million to go back to Australia and record another album, but the band declined. Despite Atlantic's protests, Kick was released in October 1987 and provided the band with worldwide popularity. The album peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 3 on the US Billboard 200, No. 9 in UK, and No. 15 in Austria. It
8250-707: The Bon Marche record shop in Swindon. Gregory was playing the Mahavishnu Orchestra 's album The Inner Mounting Flame (1971), which he later called "one of the watershed moments in my musical education." Partridge met Colin Moulding at the Stage Bar on Swindon's Old Town's Union Row, later known as Long's. Moulding had been playing bass since 1970 "because I liked music [and] I thought that playing
8415-475: The Doctor". Partridge recalled playing some demos for Virgin agents, and compared their reaction to the " Springtime for Hitler " scene from the 1967 film The Producers . The label rejected his idea. Virgin denied Partridge's requests to renegotiate or revoke XTC's contract. Paul Kinder believed that the label and the group were "poles apart" and that "the contract was so old it got to the point where Andy wanted
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#17327808949668580-427: The Dukes of Stratosphear , was invented as a one-off excursion into 1960s-style psychedelia , but as XTC's music evolved, the distinctions between the two bands lessened. XTC continued to produce more progressive records, including the albums Skylarking (1986), Oranges & Lemons (1989) and Nonsuch (1992). In the US, " Mayor of Simpleton " (1989) was their highest-charting single, while " Dear God " (1986)
8745-416: The Dukes, Partridge looked back on the project as the "most fun we ever had in the studio ... We never knew if it would sell ... We could never [subvert everybody's expectations] with XTC, as there was too much money involved and we were expected to be mentally honest and 'real.' Too much financial pressure." Released on April Fools' Day 1985, the album was presented as a long-lost collection of recordings by
8910-574: The Farriss boys relocated to Perth , Western Australia 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 Royal Antler,
9075-541: The Glitter Band , was quickly hired as a session musician to continue the recording sessions—XTC would never again employ a permanent drummer after Chambers' departure. In the meantime, Virgin released a greatest hits compilation, Waxworks: Some Singles 1977–1982 , to underwhelming sales. The group's new material was rejected by Virgin executive Jeremy Lascelles, who suggested that they write something more commercial. Partridge remembered, "He asked me to write something
9240-526: The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondent's Club. During a concert on 11 November 2012 at the newly opened Perth Arena , while supporting Matchbox Twenty , INXS announced that they would no longer be touring. Kirk Pengilly stated that it was appropriate to finish where they had started 35 years earlier. Jon Farriss admitted that he was "getting teary" before the band performed their biggest hit, "Need You Tonight". In 2014, INXS released
9405-521: The Oz pub circuit. Murphy was an adept business manager and negotiator and 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 . 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 . Their self-titled debut album, INXS ,
9570-527: The Rolling Stones ' " Satisfaction ". The song became a number 17 hit and helped propel the album to number 37 in the UK. Before "Nigel", XTC had struggled to fill more than half the seats of the small club circuits they played. Afterward, the single was playlisted at the BBC, which helped the band secure two appearances on Top of the Pops . When touring resumed in November, every date was sold out. In later years,
9735-479: The Teardrop Explodes said], 'Quite frankly, Andy, this is shit. ' " Other complications arose; he developed some health issues, and his wife divorced him. In 1997 (also reported as in late 1994 ), XTC found themselves freed from financial debt and from Virgin after "making some heavy concessions". Partridge fantasised that people from the label "met in the dark and thought, 'These blokes are not making
9900-580: The Top 20. The success of the single led to Clapton and the band returning to Studios 301 between July and August 1981 to create an album. In October 1981, their second album Underneath the Colours was released and became a hit in Australia peaking at No. 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 of Cold Chisel for
10065-542: The Top 50 in the US. The title track featured The Pretenders ' Chrissie Hynde , and another track--"Please (You Got That)"—featured Ray Charles . The band made a full video album for the record using unknown Australian students to direct with help from Richard Lowenstein . Full Moon, Dirty Hearts received mixed reviews, and was the last record under INXS' contract with Atlantic in the States. The band took time off to rest and be with their families, while Hutchence remained in
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#173278089496610230-425: The UK and number 44 in the US. Additionally, it combined with Skylarking for the group's best-selling albums to date. " Mayor of Simpleton " reached number 46 in the UK and number 72 in the US, making it their only American single to chart. To support the album, XTC embarked on an acoustic-guitar American radio tour that lasted for two weeks in May. The shows were carried out without financial compensation for
10395-458: The UK and was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award . Its follow-up " The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead " reached number 71. " Wrapped in Grey " was intended as the third single, and about 5,000 copies were pressed before being withdrawn from sale. Partridge remembered thinking, "that's it, they've suffocated one of our kids in the cot, they've murdered the album, basically through ignorance." In 1993,
10560-408: The UK and headlining with support from New Zealand band Shihad for an outdoor event called Southern Sounds on Clapham Common, London on Saturday 11 June. The event was an all-Australian, New Zealand and South African celebration lineup, with INXS fronted by J.D. Fortune . INXS toured extensively throughout 2011 with singer J.D. Fortune to support the album Original Sin . The band released a demo of
10725-595: 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 wrote, "INXS rocks with passion and seals the deal with a backbeat that'll blackmail your feet." In August 1985, INXS toured ahead of the release of Listen Like Thieves , touring South America before returning to Melbourne to play for Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales at
10890-475: The UK, the US and Australia. By December 1984, The Swing had gone double platinum , making it one of the five biggest domestic albums in the history of Australian music at the time. In March 1985, the band returned to Sydney's Rhinoceros Studios and recorded the Listen Like Thieves album along with producer Chris Thomas ( Sex Pistols , Pink Floyd , The Pretenders , Elton John ). As the band
11055-476: The US (peaking at No. 16). Singles from the album included " Taste It " and " Baby Don't Cry ", which were Top 20 successes in UK but had less success in US and Australian markets. Full Moon, Dirty Hearts , produced by Opitz, was released in November 1993 and peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts, No. 4 in Australia, No. 8 in Sweden, No. 9 in Switzerland, No. 14 in Norway; it did not reach
11220-562: The US in support of Black Sea as the opening act for the Police . At this point, they were playing in arena stadiums while Partridge's mental state was beginning to deteriorate, and he requested to cease touring, but was opposed by Virgin, his bandmates, and the band's management. He would occasionally experience moments of memory lapse to the extent that he would forget who he was. His then-wife Marianne blamed his illness on his longtime dependency on Valium , which he had been prescribed since
11385-455: The US with an American producer, said Gregory, was that "America was our biggest market". Mr. Mister (and later longtime King Crimson ) member Pat Mastelotto was the drummer for the entire album. The album was released in February 1989 with music that was in a similar psychedelic vein as the Dukes. In a retrospective review, The Quietus ' Nick Reed notes: "Nearly every instrument
11550-543: The United Kingdom 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. To complete the band's contract with DeLuxe Records, INXS produced their first compilation album, INXSIVE , released in early 1982 for the Australian market only, featuring highlights from
11715-591: The United States via Epic Records . The band's new line-up started a world tour in support of Switch in January 2006. In September 2006, INXS and Epic Records parted ways. The band then performed at the 2006 NRL Grand Final . INXS toured Australia and New Zealand in March 2007, with Simple Minds and support band Arrested Development . After the cancellation of a 31 August 2007 show in Cleveland , Ohio, INXS placed
11880-536: The adjective earnest ). Word play is quite common in oral cultures as a method of reinforcing meaning. Examples of text-based ( orthographic ) word play are found in languages with or without alphabet-based scripts, such as homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese . Most writers engage in word play to some extent, but certain writers are particularly committed to, or adept at, word play as a major feature of their work . Shakespeare 's "quibbles" have made him
12045-476: The age of 12. She threw away the tablets, and over the next year, he experienced intense withdrawal effects that he later described as "brain melt". XTC became their own producers for their next album project. Until this point, Partridge had insisted that every part of the band's arrangements on record could be replicated live. He believed that "if I wrote an album with a sound less geared towards touring then maybe there would be less pressure to tour." As such,
12210-438: The album became the best-known of XTC's discography and Moulding and Partridge would look back on this point as the symbolic start of the band's career. To follow up "Nigel", the band released "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" (1980), a reggae -influenced Partridge song with production by Phil Wainman of Bay City Rollers fame. It was their lowest-selling single to date. Concurrently, Virgin issued Moulding's "Ten Feet Tall" as
12375-415: The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album , but lost to Tom Waits ' Bone Machine . In 1993, Partridge conceived XTC's next project to be an album of bubblegum pop songs disguising itself as a retrospective compilation featuring 12 different groups from the early 1970s. The lyrics were also heavily sexual, with song titles such as "Lolly (Suck It and See)" and "Visit to
12540-464: 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 1966 song by Australian group The Loved Ones . The song was recorded at Studios 301 in Sydney ; it was produced by Richard Clapton and peaked in
12705-605: The band perform at Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's and asked them to appear on his BBC Radio 1 block. Partridge credited him as "responsible for us getting a recording contract. ... As soon as we recorded that session for the BBC, suddenly three or four record labels wanted to sign us up." After declining CBS , Harvest and Island , they signed with Virgin Records . In August 1977, XTC made their first commercially released studio recordings with producer John Leckie at Abbey Road , which appeared on their debut album 3D EP in October. Their first full-length record, White Music ,
12870-532: The band performed 32 European shows (including support for Queen at their Live at Wembley '86 concert on 12 July), 42 U.S. shows, and 12 Australian shows. America's influential Musician magazine called INXS "the best live band in the world." While on an eight-month break before beginning work on a new album, Murphy, their manager, decided to stage a series of major outdoor concerts across Australia, featuring INXS, Jimmy Barnes , Models , Divinyls , Mental as Anything , The Triffids and I'm Talking . To promote
13035-635: The band performed before the 2010 AFL Grand Final . On 19 October 2010, it was announced in the Courier Mail that INXS, fronted by J.D. Fortune, would tour as part of the A Day on the Green winery concerts in February." The band recorded an album in memory of Michael Hutchence titled Original Sin . Released in November 2010, the album featured well-known singers from Australia and around the world, including Ben Harper , Patrick Monahan , and Rob Thomas . In March 2011, INXS confirmed they would return to
13200-614: The band renamed themselves the Helium Kidz. Partridge's musical conceptions were "blown away" upon hearing the New York Dolls : "I suddenly just wanted to play three chords again and get out my mum's makeup and stuff." He subsequently wrote hundreds of songs for the Helium Kidz, and some demo tapes were sent to Decca Records . NME ran a small profile on the "up and coming" band, which consisted of Partridge, Moulding, Chambers and guitarist Dave Cartner: "They aspire to attain
13365-517: The band toured for the next five years. The group also made appearances on the children's television shows Tiswas and Magpie , which meant they would occasionally play for under-16 crowds on these early tours. Partridge enjoyed these early shows, but would later resent touring as the band's audience numbers grew and the performing experience became more impersonal. By August 1978, XTC were prepared to record their next album. The band had contacted Brian Eno to produce after they learned that he
13530-530: The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001. INXS has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making them one of Australia's highest selling music acts of all time. 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 further classmates, Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders, as well as Garry Beers and Geoff Kennely, both from
13695-457: The band with a shake of the hand at an airport in Hong Kong. On 23 February 2009, Chris Murphy, INXS creative director and global business strategist and former manager, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph , said J.D. 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 stated J.D. was next on his list to call regarding
13860-420: The band's first US single. According to Gregory, "Colin began to fancy himself as the 'writer of the singles'". In response to "the fuss made over Colin's songs", Partridge attempted to exert more authority in the group: "I thought I was a very benevolent dictator." Gregory disagreed, recalling that the band was "pretty tired" and that Partridge "could be a little bit of a bully". Partridge at this point released
14025-669: The band's first two studio albums, related B-sides, and two non-album singles. In mid-1982 they began recording at Rhinoceros Studios with Opitz. In October 1982, Shabooh Shoobah was released internationally on Atlantic/Atco Records, peaking at No. 52 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart. In Australia it peaked at No. 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 No. 30 on 28 May 1983, It
14190-609: The band's stock-in-trade and didn't rock out until the last song, 'Funk Pop a Roll.' ... Mummer signaled a strange rebirth for XTC." Moulding thought that "when we came back from America after our aborted tour of 1982 ... people like Spandau Ballet had moved onto the scene; new groups were coming up and there was no place for us." Mojo journalist Chris Ingham summed up the period: "In 18 months, XTC had gone from Top 10 hits and critical superlatives to being ignorable, arcane eccentrics. Partridge later said "Your average English person probably thinks we split up in 1982". XTC released
14355-441: The band. Gregory commented that it was an "interesting" style of promotion, but "incredibly hard work", as the band performed at about four radio stations a day for three weeks: "We also did a live acoustic set for MTV in front of an audience which worried Andy a bit but he got through it." This inspired the network to invite more artists to perform stripped-down sets, calling the series " unplugged ". XTC's performance of " King for
14520-462: The band. In search of his replacement, Partridge found Barry Andrews through a "keyboard player seeks band" advertisement. Instead of a formal audition, the two went out drinking together. Andrews was immediately hired. During the first band rehearsal, Partridge recalled, "He sounded like Jon Lord from Deep Purple ; fuzz box, wah wah pedal, bluesy runs. I said, You don't have to play like that, you can play like us if you want. The next rehearsal, he
14685-444: The band." After the group arrived at Utopia Sound recording studio in upstate New York , Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing them with string and brass arrangements, as well as an assortment of gear. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between him and Partridge, and disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details. Partridge likened
14850-483: The book Winnie-the-Pooh a character mistakes the word "issue" for the noise of a sneeze , a resemblance which disappears when the word "issue" is translated into another language. XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in
15015-544: The book Chalkhills and Children ) or a couple years afterward (according to Partridge). He legally retained the title of XTC's manager until near the end of the decade. In April 1984, the group learned that he had incurred them an outstanding value-added taxes [VAT] bill and that he had significantly mishandled their revenue stream. A lawsuit was filed by the band, while he counter-sued for "unpaid commission on royalties". Virgin were then "legally required to freeze royalty and advance payments and divert publishing income into
15180-429: The charts at numbers 32, 31 and 16, respectively. "Sgt. Rock" provoked feminist hate-mail for the lyric "keep her stood in line". Partridge regretted the song, calling it "crass but not enjoyably crass". " Respectable Street " was banned from BBC radio due to its references to abortion and a " Sony Entertainment Centre ". Partridge believed Black Sea was the closest the group had come to representing their live sound in
15345-589: The community as being populated almost entirely by people with physical, mental or emotional defects. In the 1960s, he was a fan of contemporary pop groups like the Beatles , but was intimidated by the process of learning guitar. When the Monkees grew popular, he became interested in joining a music group. He recalled watching local guitarist Dave Gregory performing Jimi Hendrix -style songs at churches and youth clubs: "Sort of acid - skiffle . I thought, 'Ah, one day I'll play guitar!' But I didn't think I would be in
15510-452: The course of a 20-year contract with Virgin Records, and after achieving gold and platinum status in album sales on a number of discs, XTC never saw any publishing royalties. During the middle months of 1982, Partridge spent his time in convalescence and writing songs. He later surmised that relinquishing Valium inadvertently gave him a new sense of creative direction: "I was thinking clearer and wanted to know stuff. Life's big questions." In
15675-424: The covers band Dean Gabber and His Gaberdines was invited to join as a second guitarist. Partridge remembered holding a "pretend audition" where Gregory was asked to play "This Is Pop", only for Gregory to inquire whether they wanted the album version or the single version: "We thought, 'Bloody oh, a real musician.' But he was in the band before he even knew." Gregory was anxious of whether the fans would accept him as
15840-536: The early 1970s and subsequently formed a glam outfit with drummer Terry Chambers . The band's name and line-up changed frequently, and it was not until 1975 that the band was known as XTC. In 1977, the group debuted on Virgin Records and were subsequently noted for their energetic live performances and their refusal to play conventional punk rock, instead synthesising influences from ska , 1960s pop, dub music and avant-garde . The single " Making Plans for Nigel " (1979) marked their commercial breakthrough and heralded
16005-450: The expected attendance of 100,000 never came through, and the event only raised $ 500,000. Welcome to Wherever You Are , produced by Mark Opitz and released in August 1992, was an experimental album using sitars and a 60-piece orchestra while adding a more "raw" sound. It received good critical reviews reaching No. 1 in the UK and in Sweden; No. 2 in Australia and Switzerland, and No. 3 in Norway, but had less chart success in
16170-607: The finale to become the new lead singer of INXS. With Fortune as lead singer, INXS released the single "Pretty Vegas" on 4 October 2005. The single reached No. 5 on the iTunes Store ranking of daily most downloaded songs on its first day. It peaked at No. 9 in Australia and No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a huge radio airplay hit in Fortune's native Canada. On 29 November 2005, Switch —the band's first album with Fortune as lead singer—was released in
16335-416: The first two albums is focused into a cohesive statement with a distinctive voice that retains their clever humor, quirky wordplay, and decidedly British flavor. ... driven by the powerful rhythms and angular, mainly minimalistic arrangements." The distinctive drum pattern of its lead single, Moulding's " Making Plans for Nigel ", was an attempt to invert drum tones and accents in the style of Devo 's cover of
16500-402: 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. 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
16665-502: The former also makes an apt pun on the names of two famous psychoanalysts , Jung and Freud . An epitaph , probably unassigned to any grave , demonstrates use in rhyme. Crossword puzzles often employ wordplay to challenge solvers. Cryptic crosswords especially are based on elaborate systems of wordplay. An example of modern word play can be found on line 103 of Childish Gambino 's "III. Life: The Biggest Troll". H2O plus my D, that's my hood, I'm living in it Rapper Milo uses
16830-467: The group devoted two weeks to the sessions. Calling themselves " the Dukes of Stratosphear ", the spin-off group consisted of Partridge and Moulding with Dave and his drummer brother Ian. Each adopted a pseudonym: Sir John Johns, The Red Curtain, Lord Cornelius Plum and E.I.E.I. Owen. At the sessions, the band dressed themselves in Paisley outfits and lit scented candles. With "nothing to live up to" as
16995-458: The group requested that manager Ian Reid help pay for the debts, but he refused, saying that they had owed him money. They tried distancing themselves from Reid by renegotiating their contract with Virgin. Six more albums were promised to the label in exchange for covering their debts, as well as a guarantee that subsequent royalty and advancement cheques be redirected into the band's own deposit account. Royalty rates were still kept relatively low, as
17160-489: The group to work with him: "I reminded Andy that Todd had produced one of his favourite New York Dolls records [ New York Dolls , 1973]. In the absence of any better alternatives, he agreed." Once contacted, Rundgren offered to handle the album's entire recording for a lump sum of $ 150,000, and the band agreed. In January 1986, Partridge and Moulding mailed Rundgren a collection of more than 20 demo tapes they had stockpiled in advance. Compared to previous XTC albums, much of
17325-450: The group was not selling enough records, Virgin reportedly concluded, was that they sounded "too English". The label forced the group to work with one of their selected American producers. When shown a list of their names, they recognised none except for Todd Rundgren . Gregory was a fan of Rundgren's music, particularly since hearing the 1978 album Hermit of Mink Hollow . His bandmates were not as familiar with Rundgren, but Gregory urged
17490-425: The group's A&R man Paul Kinder explained, they had "appalling management for a number of years. Usually if a manager has got any kind of business acumen he will renegotiate the contract to get a better royalty. A record company expects this, which is why they keep royalties low initially. It's just business really. Nobody addressed the contract for XTC." Reid remained XTC's manager until January 1983 (according to
17655-519: The group. After most of Andrews' songs were dropped from the final track list, the keyboardist told journalists that he foresaw the band "explod[ing] pretty soon". Go 2 , a more experimental venture, was released in October to positive reviews and a number 21 chart peak. Like White Music , it was given praise in Sounds , Melody Maker , and the NME . One of the tracks, "Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)",
17820-534: The heart to tell anyone you can't carry on so I'm gonna mess you up." The band's remaining tour dates in England were cancelled. After recovering from the episode, Partridge rejoined the group for their first tour of the US as a headlining act. The band played the first date in San Diego. Gregory said that they were "totally unrehearsed" during the performance because "we'd not played together for two weeks. ... It
17985-435: The impossible dream of being able to throw a TV or two out of the window of an American hotel and have no one complain." This version of the group lasted until 1975, when the Helium Kidz decided to rebrand themselves and change their music to "three-minute pop songs that were fast and inventive." Gregory auditioned for the band at this juncture, but did not end up joining. His musicianship was determined to be "too good". It
18150-469: The interim, Chambers moved to Australia and started a family. Feeling dismayed by Partridge's decision not to tour, he had to be persuaded to return to Swindon for the next album's rehearsals in September. At one rehearsal, Partridge recalled asking Chambers for "tiny, cyclical, nattering clay pots", which he replied sounded "a bit fucking nancified". The newly-wed Chambers soon left the band to be with his wife in Australia. Drummer Pete Phipps , formerly of
18315-413: The main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement . Examples of word play include puns , phonetic mix-ups such as spoonerisms , obscure words and meanings, clever rhetorical excursions, oddly formed sentences, double entendres , and telling character names (such as in the play The Importance of Being Earnest , Ernest being a given name that sounds exactly like
18480-494: The making of Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999), after which the XTC name was used by the duo of Partridge and Moulding. In 2006, Partridge announced that his creative partnership with Moulding had disintegrated, leaving XTC "in the past tense". Moulding and Chambers briefly reunited as the duo TC&I in the late 2010s. Partridge and Gregory remain musically active. Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding grew up on Penhill council estate in Swindon . Partridge jokingly characterised
18645-450: The material contrasted significantly with its mellower feel, lush arrangements, and "flowery" aesthetic. Rundgren responded with the idea of a concept album to bridge "Colin's 'pastoral' tunes and subject matter and Andy's 'pop anthems' and sly poetry. ... The album could be about a day, a year, or a lifetime. ... Using this framework, I [Rundgren] came up with a sequence of songs and a justification for their placement and brought it to
18810-652: The moon and Virgin weren't prepared to give it him." Whatever new music the band recorded would have been automatically owned by Virgin, and so the band enacted strike action against the label. Prince and George Michael also went on a strike against their respective labels that was heavily publicized at about the same time. XTC's strike, however, received little press. In the meantime, Partridge produced Martin Newell 's 1993 album The Greatest Living Englishman and early sessions for Blur's second album . "I thought I did sterling work. ... Next day, [ David Balfe from
18975-424: The musical director of Virgin, who, after seeing the songs, was convinced the band "could do better" and asked them to write more material. With the band sitting on the material, the director left the label a year later, and his replacement liked the band's content, hurrying them to record the album. Gus Dudgeon produced, even though Partridge felt he was the wrong choice, and Fairport Convention 's Dave Mattacks
19140-452: The new music showcased more complex and intricate arrangements, song lengths were longer, and subject matter covered broader social issues. Much of the new material also featured acoustic instruments. Gregory bought a Rickenbacker 12-string and began contributing to the records as a keyboardist. In February 1982, English Settlement was released as the group's first double album. The hook of its lead single, " Senses Working Overtime ",
19305-628: The performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics, but that it would be a one-off performance; they added that a vocalist for the upcoming world tour had yet to be announced. The band performed at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on 24 February 2010 with guest singers J.D. Fortune and Argentine singer Deborah de Corral. On 22 April 2010, INXS announced that Fortune would again front the band for a performance on 10 July 2010 at Townsville , Queensland and also on 16 July 2010 in Broome, Western Australia . During
19470-587: The phrase used for French cinema of a certain period . ... [Our music was] blatantly just pop music . We were a new pop group. That's all. —Andy Partridge elaborating on XTC's song " This Is Pop ", 2007 Ian Reid , owner of a Swindon club named The Affair, was their third manager and brokered deals for the group to perform at more popular venues such as the Red Cow in Hammersmith , The Nashville Rooms and Islington 's Hope and Anchor . By this time,
19635-416: The power struggle to "two Hitlers in the same bunker". He expressed resentment toward Rundgren's contributions when sessions concluded, but later softened his view and praised the result. Rundgren said that in spite of all the difficulties, the album "ultimately ... sounds like we were having a great time doing it. And at times we were having a good time." On Skylarking ... the band has accomplished
19800-468: The primary songwriters in the years to follow. The first U.S. single from the album, " This Time ", stalled at No. 81 in late 1985, but the next single, "What You Need"—released there in early 1986—became a top five Billboard hit, bringing INXS its first break-out US success. The single was also a top 20 hit in Canada and reached No. 2 in Australia (September 1985), but only reached No. 51 on
19965-445: The public eye through modelling and film acting. In 1997, the group released a comeback album titled Elegantly Wasted , which garnered mixed reviews. It fared respectably in Australia (No. 14), Canada (No. 14), France (No. 30), UK (No. 16) (where INXS had more success in the 1990s than in the 1980s), Belgium (No. 7), Switzerland (No. 13), but only No. 41 in US. On 22 November 1997, Michael Hutchence
20130-476: The remarkable feat of pulling the kinks out of its music without sacrificing its peerless originality. The band members have become the deans of a group of artists who make what can only be described as unpopular pop music, placing a high premium on melody and solid if idiosyncratic songcraft. —Writer Michael Azzerad , 1989 Skylarking spent one week on the UK album charts, reaching number 90 in November 1986, two weeks after its release. Moulding's " Grass "
20295-489: The same band as this kid on the stage." Partridge eventually obtained a guitar and taught himself how to play it with no formal training. At the age of 15, he wrote his first song, titled "Please Help Me", and attracted the nickname "Rocky" for his early guitar mastery of the Beatles' " Rocky Raccoon " (1968). By the early 1970s, his music tastes had transitioned "from the Monkees to having a big binge on this Euro-avant-garde stuff. I got really in deep." One of his first bands
20460-535: The same vein as Kick , and added harmonica to some songs. X scored hits with " Suicide Blonde " and " Disappear " (both Top 10 in the US). "Suicide Blonde" peaked at No. 2 in Australia, No. 11 in the UK and in Switzerland. Other singles from X were " Bitter Tears " and " By My Side ", which had less chart success. INXS performed at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1991, during their "Summer XS" tour stop in London to
20625-641: The single reached no. 1 in Australia (for two weeks in January), Argentina , and France; No. 6 in New Zealand; No. 11 in Canada; No. 23 in Switzerland; No. 31 in the Netherlands ; and No. 58 in the U.S. However, "Original Sin" was largely ignored in the U.K., and INXS would not have any Top 50 chart success in the United Kingdom until the 1985 album Listen Like Thieves . During 1984, INXS toured non-stop, performing across Europe,
20790-476: 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 ,
20955-471: The song, leading to INXS signing a recording deal in July 1982 with WEA for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan, New Zealand, Atco Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records ) for North America, and PolyGram for Europe including the UK. Murphy and the band were not entirely convinced that Opitz could produce an entire album that would attract international interest, so before recording their third album Pengilly, Hutchence, and Andrew Farriss visited
21120-582: The soundtrack for the 1984 film Reckless . The band then travelled to the UK to begin sessions on their fourth album with Nick Launay at the Manor Studios in Oxford . The album The Swing , released in April 1984, received significant attention from around the world, as "Original Sin" became the band's first No. 1 single in Australia and was popular worldwide with fans and reviewers. During 1984,
21285-476: The soundtrack of the film Freedom directed by Scott Hicks . It was his first solo single and was released by WEA in early 1982. In January, INXS toured New Zealand as support act for Cold Chisel . Murphy eventually became convinced their future no longer lay with Deluxe Records. RCA (who distributed Deluxe) had employed music lover Rockin Rod Woods, who had been promoting Eric Clapton, Split Enz and some of
21450-422: The stage during the opening song 'Respectable Street', and afterward, took a flight back to Swindon for treatment, which amounted to hypnotherapy . He described feeling nausea and stomach pains while on stage: "My body and brain said, You're hating this experience I'm going to make it bad for you. When you go on stage I'm going to give you panic attacks and stomach cramps. You're not enjoying this and you haven't got
21615-521: The studio. It remains XTC's second-highest charting British album, placing at number 16, and the most successful album in the U.S. of their career, peaking at number 41 on the Billboard 200 . That October, the documentary XTC at the Manor , which featured the band faking a studio session for "Towers of London", was broadcast on BBC2 . From 1980 to 1981, XTC toured Australia, New Zealand, Canada and
21780-574: The third album by the Lilac Time , and compered for an unbroadcast children's game show named Matchmakers . Gregory played for Johnny Hates Jazz , Marc Almond and Francesco Messina whilst producing for Cud . Moulding performed a special event concert with David Marx and the Refugees, a Swindon-based band that reunited him with Barry Andrews. Tarquin Gotch , who served as XTC's manager for
21945-512: The tour, INXS recorded two songs with Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel: The Easybeats 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 Australian Made series of concerts in the summer of 1986–1987. It peaked at No. 2 on the Australian charts, and months later
22110-494: The video for "Need You Tonight") replicated the format of Bob Dylan's video for " Subterranean Homesick Blues ", 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. Kick was, by far, INXS's best-selling album of all time. During 1989, Hutchence collaborated with Ian "Ollie" Olsen on
22275-414: The work as "industrial pop" inspired by Swindon, a "railway town". The result, The Big Express , returned the group to a brighter and uptempo sound marked by studio experimentation and denser arrangements, setting a template that they would develop on subsequent albums. He jokingly referred to some parts of the album as the only time the group were befallen with stereotypical 1980s-style production. It
22440-502: The world's biggest acts. Woods was passionate about the band and brought key music people along to their gigs. He encouraged RCA to sign them worldwide because Murphy had played him some demos. Deluxe had been unable to attract international interest so the band decided to record a new song, " The One Thing " at their own expense, with Mark Opitz at Paradise Studios. The song turned out so well that Murphy hired Opitz to produce three more songs. Murphy approached WEA Australia with copies of
22605-423: Was a devout Catholic). Partridge was feeling inspired by Nick Nicely 's 1982 psychedelic single "Hilly Fields 1892", and devised a recording project to fill the newfound gap in his schedule. The rules were as follows: songs must follow the conventions of 1967 and 1968 psychedelia; no more than two takes allowed; use vintage equipment wherever possible. After receiving a £5,000 advance from a skeptical Virgin Records,
22770-416: Was a fan, but he declined, telling them that they were good enough to produce themselves. Virgin rejected Eno's advice, and the group instead returned to Abbey Road with Leckie. Andrews appeared at the sessions with several original songs, but Partridge did not feel they were right for the band. He began taking Moulding and Chambers out for drinks without inviting Partridge, allegedly in an attempt to take over
22935-643: Was also a Top 20 hit in Canada, and peaked at No. 14 in Australia on 23 August 1982. "One Thing" was their first video to air on the fledgling MTV and significantly added to the ultimate success of the single. 13 February 1983, saw INXS play the Stop The Drop nuclear disarmament concert to 14,000 at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne , alongside Midnight Oil , Colin Hay , Redgum and Goanna . It
23100-459: Was an upbeat, confident album that yielded four Top 10 US singles: No. 1 single " Need You Tonight ", " Devil Inside ", " New Sensation ", and " Never Tear Us Apart ". "Need You Tonight" peaked No. 2 on the UK charts, No. 3 in Australia, and No. 10 in France. The band toured heavily behind the album throughout 1987 and 1988. The video for the 1987 INXS track "Mediate" (which played after
23265-479: Was based on Manfred Mann 's " 5-4-3-2-1 " (1964), Both the album and single became the highest-charting records they would ever have in the UK, peaking at number five and number 10, respectively. In several territories outside the UK, the album was released as only a single LP. The group scheduled television appearances and an international tour in support of English Settlement . During a live-broadcast gig in Paris on 18 March, Partridge stopped playing and ran off
23430-455: Was because of an industry convention in the 1960s and the 1970s, and that when "we wanted to shift albums later on, that approach got blown out of the water." Drums and Wires , released in August 1979, was named for its emphasis on guitars and expansive drums. AllMusic reviewer Chris Woodstra wrote that it signalled "a turning point ... with a more subdued set of songs that reflect an increasing songwriting proficiency. The aimless energy of
23595-493: Was brought in as drummer. Nonsuch was received with critical acclaim when released in April 1992, and like Oranges & Lemons , peaked at number 28 in the UK, becoming their second consecutive and final Top 40 album. Rolling Stone ' s Michael Azerrad reviewed: "Emphasizing wonder and wit in opposition to the rage of most college rock , XTC makes alternative music for people who don't like ' alternative music '." Lead single " The Disappointed " reached number 33 in
23760-406: Was called "Stiff Beach", formed in August 1970. In early 1972, Partridge's constantly evolving group settled into "Star Park", a four-piece that featured himself with guitarist Dave Cartner, drummer Paul Wilson, and a bassist nicknamed "Nervous Steve". In 1972, Partridge became closer acquainted with Gregory, a diabetic then suffering from a bout of depression , while working as an assistant at
23925-474: Was chosen as lead single. It was issued exclusively in the UK with the B-side " Dear God ", an outtake. "Dear God" became so popular with American college radio stations who imported the record that Geffen Records (XTC's US distributor) recalled and re-pressed Skylarking with the track included. Controversy also broke out over the song's anti-religious lyrics, which inspired some violent incidents. In Florida,
24090-459: Was contacted to produce their third album with a drum sound that would "knock your head off". With engineer Hugh Padgham , the band embarked to the newly built Townhouse Studios , "with its now world-famous stone room"; Gregory later recalled that Padgham had "yet to develop his trade-mark ' gated ambience ' sound". Coinciding with Gregory's arrival, the band recorded " Life Begins at the Hop " (1979),
24255-411: Was controversial for its anti-religious message. Due to poor management, XTC never received a share of profits from record sales (of which there were millions), nor from touring revenue, forcing them into debt throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1993, they went on strike against Virgin, citing an unfair recording contract , and soon extricated themselves from the label. Gregory left the band during
24420-439: Was decided that the band have another name change. "The Dukes of Stratosphear" was considered, but Partridge thought it was too "flowery" and "psychedelic". He derived "XTC" from Jimmy Durante 's exclamation upon discovering the lost chord : "That's it! I'm in ecstasy!" The name was chosen mainly for its emphatic appearance in print. Meanwhile, owing to creative differences with Partridge, synthesizer player Jonathan Perkins quit
24585-487: Was featured in the Joel Schumacher film The Lost Boys and its soundtrack , allowing it to peak at No. 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 and wanted every song on the album to be good enough to be a single. They recorded Kick in Sydney and Paris, produced by Chris Thomas. According to
24750-482: Was finishing the recording sessions, Thomas stated that the album was not good enough and still had no "killer" track. Andrew produced a demo tape of a funk song he had been working on called "Funk Song No. 13" and evolved it into " What You Need ". While the band was recording, WEA released Dekadance , a limited edition 12" Vinyl and cassette only EP of INXS remixes from their albums The Swing and Shabooh Shoobah . On 19 May 1985, INXS won seven awards at
24915-431: Was found dead in his Sydney Ritz-Carlton hotel room. On 6 February 1998, New South Wales State Coroner Derrick Hand presented his report, which ruled that Hutchence's death was a suicide while depressed and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Despite the official coroner's report, there was continued speculation that Hutchence's death was accidental. After Hutchence's death, INXS did not perform publicly for almost
25080-493: Was going to say." The tour ceased. He continued his hypnotherapy treatment, fearing that he was turning into the archetypal rock burn-out (such as Syd Barrett ). "It got to the point where if I touched the front door knob, I wanted to throw up." For a period afterward, it was rumoured among fans and industry insiders that the group stopped performing because Partridge had died, and some American bands put on XTC tribute shows in his remembrance. [Because of our] bad record deal and
25245-484: Was immediately put to consideration, but the group could not go through with it due to their commercial obligations to Virgin. In November 1984, one month after The Big Express ' s release, Partridge and John Leckie traveled to Monmouth to produce the album Miss America by singer-songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara , who had recently signed with Virgin. Partridge and Leckie were dismissed due to conflicts related to their religious affiliations or lack thereof (O'Hara
25410-641: Was interested in turning the group into a Christian band, which the band briefly considered before rejecting the idea. The band's first performance as INXS was on 1 September 1979 at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Umina on the Central Coast of New South Wales and by the end of 1979, after passing on the Christian band image, they hired Chris "CM" Murphy as their manager and continued taking on
25575-479: Was like a maniac, like if Miró had played electric organ. Fantastic." December 1976 officially marked the beginning of the Partridge–Moulding–Chambers–Andrews line-up. The members cut their long hair and, for a time, wore " kung-fu mechanic" outfits on stage. I really didn't like the phrase 'punk'—it just seemed kind of demeaning. I didn't like ' new wave ' either, because that was already
25740-582: Was obvious that he was ill, but exactly what it was, no-one knew." On 4 April 1982, XTC were scheduled to headline a sold-out show at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Partridge woke up that morning, he said, and "couldn't get off the bed. My legs wouldn't function. Walked to Ben Frank's coffee shop, where we'd all agreed to meet, in slow motion like I had both legs in plaster, trying not to throw up. I got in there, they knew what I
25905-539: Was out of the band. On 30 November 2009, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, and Kirk Pengilly performed an acoustic version of "Don't Change" with the Qantas Choir at the Pride of Australia Awards. On 8 December 2009, INXS announced they would be embarking on a world tour commencing with a performance in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The band announced on 11 February 2010 that J.D. Fortune would be vocalist for
26070-461: Was recorded at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale , Sydney. It was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex- Ayers Rock ), 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 or more performances earlier that night. The album
26235-513: 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 for Australian albums. The album eventually went gold (selling over 35,000 units) but it took a number of years to do so. These early records demonstrated their new wave / ska /pop style, and were followed by near constant touring with almost 300 shows during 1981 as
26400-413: Was released in October 1984, reaching a higher chart position than Mummer , but was "virtually ignored" by critics. Virgin invested £33,000 into the music video for " All You Pretty Girls " to little effect. The band were charged for the sum. When Gregory joined the band in 1979, Partridge learned that they both shared a longtime enthusiasm for 1960s psychedelic music . An album of songs in that style
26565-492: Was released in October 1985 to critical approval, reaching No. 3 on the Australian charts and No. 11 on the US charts. With the release of Listen Like Thieves , the band developed a rock sound influenced by Led Zeppelin and XTC while remaining true to the band's original roots in Aussie pubs . It was also the first album to feature songs written by a combination of band members, with Andrew Farris and Hutchence becoming
26730-766: Was simulcast on Australian TV by Channel 10 and Radio 2MMM. 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 , then support for Stray Cats , The Kinks , and Hall & Oates followed by The Go-Go's . INXS played alongside many of their contemporaries on New Wave Day in May 1983 at the US Festival in Devore, San Bernardino , California. During that time, their co-manager Gary Grant relocated permanently to New York City to ensure
26895-441: Was the first of a handful of XTC songs written over the years that reflected their poor financial state. Virtually every contemporary review of Mummer accused the band of falling out of touch with the contemporary music climate. Journalist Serene Dominic retrospectively wrote that the album was seen as "something of a disappointment at the time of release ... [It was] devoid of silly songs like 'Sgt. Rock' that had heretofore been
27060-559: Was then recorded in less than two weeks, and released for January 1978. Partridge characterized the album as " Captain Beefheart meets the Archies " shrouded in 1950s-style retrofuturism . He reflected that the album was the sum of everything the band enjoyed, including the Beatles, Sun Ra , and Atomic Rooster , but dismissed the contents as premature songs "built around this electric wordplay stuff". White Music reached number 38 on
27225-458: Was written in tribute to Eno. The album also included a bonus EP, Go+ , which consisted of five dub remixes of XTC songs. Andrews left the band in December 1978, while they were on their first American tour, and went on to form the League of Gentlemen with Robert Fripp of King Crimson . Partridge said: "He enjoyed undermining what little authority I had in the band. We were bickering quite
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