INXS

INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band. They formed in 1977 in Sydney. Originally called The Farriss Brothers, founding members were main composer and keyboardist Andrew, guitarist Tim, and drummer Jon Farriss. They were all brothers. In 1978, three more people joined the band; lead singer Michael Hutchence, bassist Garry Gary Beers, and guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. They emerged from the Australian pub rock scene with a progressive rock, and later, ska sound. The band then developed a harder new wave style with funk and dance elements.

Hutchence was the lead singer of INXS until his suicide. Jon Stevens was his temporary replacement for about five years. After he left, the other five members ran a television show called "Rock Star INXS" to find a permanent replacement for Michael Hutchence. Canadian singer-songwriter J.D, Fortune won the show and became their new singer. INXS released two albums before he left in 2011. He was replaced by Ciaran Gribbin. The band toured with him until they broke up in 2012. 

In 1984, INXS had their first number one hit in Australia with "Original Sin". They had international success in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s. Some of their hit albums are Listen Like Thieves, Kick, and X. Some of their hit single are  "What You Need", "Need You Tonight" (the band's only US number one single in the US), "Devil Inside", "Never Tear Us Apart" and "Suicide Blonde." NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.

 History 

 Early years (1977–1979) 
INXS's origins go back to the band Doctor Dolphin. Davidson High School students Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence were two members. Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders were two others. Garry Beers and Geoff Kennely were the final two. They attended a nearby high school, Forest High School. Andrew's older brother, Tim Farriss, was in a separate band with schoolmate Kirk Pengilly. Its name was Guinness (named after their bass player's dog). The two bands combined to form The Farriss Brothers. The younger brother, Jon Farriss, replaced Kerny, Sanders and Kennely. It consisted of Garry Beers on bass, 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 debuted on 16 August 1977. This was at Whale Beach, 40 km (25 mi) north of Sydney.

Jon and his parents moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1978. The rest of the band followed after graduating. They briefly performed as The Vegetables. Their first song was "We Are the Vegetables". They returned to Sydney ten months later. There, they recorded a set of demos.  Tim was then approached by Gary Morris. He was the manager of Midnight Oil. This was at the car park of the Royal Antler. It was a pub in Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

The band began to support Midnight Oil and other local bands. Morris suggested the band to change its name to INXS. He also wanted them to become a Christian band, They briefly considered it, but rejected the idea. The band's first performance as INXS was on 1 September 1979. This at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Umina on the Central Coast of New South Wales. In late 1979, they hired Chris "CM" Murphy as their manager. He was an adept business manager and negotiator. INXS then signed a five-album record deal with Deluxe Records. It was owned by Michael Browning, a former manager of AC/DC.

 From "Simple Simon" to Underneath the Colours (1980–1981) 

INXS's first single and release was "Simple Simon". It was made available in Australia and France in May 1980. The single had its debut TV performance on Simon Townsend's Wonder World. Their debut album, INXS, was recorded at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale, Sydney. It was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex-Ayers Rock). All songs were attributed to the entire band, at the insistence of Murphy. Deluxe gave them a budget of $10,000 to record the album. To keep within the budget they had to record from midnight to dawn. This was after doing one or more performances earlier that night. The album was released in October 1980. It featured "Just Keep Walking" which was their first Australian Top 40 single. The album peaked in the Top 30 of the Kent Music Report for Australian albums. It eventually went gold (selling over 35,000 units) but  took a number of years to do so.

These early records were followed by near constant touring . The band played almost 300 shows in 1981. This helped developed their status as a live act. In 1981, they signed Gary Grant as their tour manager. He became co-manager a year later. Between touring commitments, the band released their third single in May 1981, "The Loved One". It 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. The song peaked in the Top 20.

The success of the single led to Clapton and the band returning to Studios 301. Between July and August 1981, they recorded their second album. It was called Underneath the Colours. The album was released in October 1981. It became a hit in Australia peaking at No. 15. Soon after recording sessions had finished, the 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 the soundtrack of the film Freedom. It was directed by Scott Hicks. The song was his first solo single. It was released by WEA in early 1982. In January, INXS toured New Zealand as support act for Cold Chisel. Murphy was convinced their future was no longer with Deluxe Records.

 Artistry 

 Musical style 
INXS emerged from the Australian pub rock scene. As the Farris Brothers, they played progressive rock, similar to early Midnight Oil.  They abandoned the genre to take advantage of their new members. This era of the band has described as ska, art pop, post-punk, ska punk and synth-pop. Their self-titled debut album is more ska influenced. Underneath the Colors retains some, but leans more towards punk funk. INXS began to incorporate funk and soul on Shabooh Shabooh. Marcy Donelson of AllMusic said it was "full of dance-rock greatness." 

INXS then developed a harder alternative rock, arena rock, dance-rock, funk rock and pop rock sound. Listen Like Thieves and Kick have also been described as hard rock. INXS also added elements from genres outside of rock. This includes disco, funk, pop, blues, R&B and soul. The band got more experimental in the 1990s. Welcome to Wherever You Are saw them maturing, with baggy and world elements, samples and even a 60-piece orchestra. Full Moon, Dirty Hearts was less funk-influenced and a more contemporary mix of hip-hop, techno and grunge. The band's overall sound, throughout its shifts in style, has been characterized as new wave.

When asked to describe their own music, the members used the terms "white boy dance music," "big, basic dirty noise," and "intoxicating little songs." Michael Hutchence, specifically, told the Sun-Herald that he wanted the band to have "very distinct patches of bright and dark." He continued, "By that, I mean we want to include songs that lyrically cover subjects ranging from the heaviest things we’ve ever done to light-hearted experiences." Jon O'Brien of Classic Pop summarized their musical style as a "punchy blend of new wave, funk and dance-rock." He added that it was "tailor-made for stadiums." Rob Tannenbaum of Rolling Stone noted that INXS's provocative blend of hard rock and funk was groundbreaking.

 Influences 
INXS is most often compared to the Rolling Stones. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described their sound as a "slick, professional fusion of disco and the Stones." Most of the band's influences are other rock artists. This includes Roxy Music, The Doors, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, the Police, Queen, Television and AC/DC. The band was also inspired by Motown, specifically Marvin Gaye. Tim Fariss and Kirk Pengilly were previously in the progressive rock band, Guinness. Their influences were Yes, Pink Floyd, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

INXS's name was chosen by Gary Morris. He was the manager of fellow Australian rock band Midnight Oil. Their name is a combination of IXL, a brand of jam, and XTC, an English new wave band. Morris wanted the band to market themselves as "inaccessible" instead of "in excess."

Band members

Founding members
 Tim Farriss – lead and rhythm guitar 
 Kirk Pengilly – rhythm and lead guitar, saxophones, backing and lead vocals 
 Garry Gary Beers – bass, backing vocals 
 Andrew Farriss – keyboards, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing and lead vocals 
 Jon Farriss – drums, percussion, backing vocals 
 Michael Hutchence – lead and backing vocals 
Other members
 Jon Stevens – lead vocals 
 J.D. Fortune – lead vocals 
 Ciaran Gribbin – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar 
Touring members
 Jenny Morris – backing vocals 
 Suze DeMarchi – lead vocals 

Timeline

Discography

 INXS (1980)
 Underneath the Colours (1981)
 Shabooh Shoobah (1982)
 The Swing (1984)
 Listen Like Thieves (1985)
 Kick (1987)
 X (1990)
 Welcome to Wherever You Are (1992)
 Full Moon, Dirty Hearts (1993)
 Elegantly Wasted (1997)
 Switch (2005)
 Original Sin (2010)

 References 

Category:1970s Australian music groups
Category:1980s Australian music groups
Category:1990s Australian music groups
Category:2000s Australian music groups
Category:2010s Australian music groups
Category:1977 establishments in Australia
Category:New wave bands
Category:Pop rock bands
Category:Australian alternative rock bands
Category:Musical groups established in 1977
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2012
Category:Musical groups from Sydney