LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Inxs: Bands
built 275 days ago
INXS hailed from the pubs of Australia, which is part of the reason they never comfortably fit in with new wave. Even when the band branched out into synth pop on its early recordings, they were underpinned by a hard, Stonesy beat and lead singer Michael Hutchence's Jagger-esque strut. Ultimately, these were the very things that made INXS into international superstars in the late '80s. By that time, the group had harnessed their hard rock, dance, and new wave influences into a sleek, stylish groove that made their 1987 album Kick into a multi-million-selling hit. While that sound was their key to stardom, it ... proved to be their undoing; the group became boxed in by their Stonesy pop-funk in the early '90s, when their audience became entranced by harder-edged alternative rock. In spite of declining sales, INXS soldiered on, continuing to tour and record for a dedicated fan base into the late '90s until Hutchence's 1997 death brought the band to a close.
Source:
Since Hutchence's death, INXS continued, using Terence Trent D'Arby and Jimmy Barnes as temporary lead singers. New Zealander, Celebrity Treasure Island host and former lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks, Jon Stevens began singing with INXS in 2000. INXS played as one of the headline acts at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Stevens was officially named a member of the band in 2002. However, he left INXS in 2003 to pursue a solo career, only recording a contractual obligation song called "I Get Up", released as a single (which charted in the Top-100 on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart) in the same year. The song was ... used in the Rugby Union World Cup 2003 and the EA Sports Rugby 2004 video game.
Source:
INXS originally began with the band name of The Farriss Brothers since 3 of the bands members were brothers, Andrew Farriss (guitar), Tim Farriss (lead guitar) and Jon Farriss (drums). They formed in 1977 in their native country Australia and played local hot spots building a strong fan base with Michael Hutchence as the lead singer. In 1979, the band changed their name to INXS and released their self-titled debut in 1980. INXS gained more fans in Australia but kept on going releasing a second album in 1981, Underneath the Colours and a third album in 1982 which was released worldwide. It wasn’t until their 1985 breakthrough album, Listen Like Thieves, that INXS gained popularity in the US and UK, with two hit singles “This Time,” and “What You Need” both reaching the top ten in the charts.
Source:
Appropriately for a band that featured three brothers, INXS had its roots in a family act, the Farriss Brothers. The group came together while Andrew Farriss (keyboard, guitar), the middle brother, was in high school with Michael Hutchence (vocals). The two formed a band with Gary Beers (bass). Simultaneously, Tim Farriss (guitar) was playing in various groups with his friend, Kirk Pengilly (guitar, saxophone). Eventually the two groups merged in 1977, with Jon Farriss joining as drummer. Two years later, when Jon graduated from high school, the band renamed itself INXS, moved from Perth to Sydney, and began to play the pub circuit.
Source:
INXS Biography: INXS (pronounced ""In Excess"") is an Australian rock group. The band was formed in 1977 by Michael Hutchence (lead vocals), Andrew Farriss (guitar and keyboards), Tim Farriss (b. August 16, 1957, in Perth, Western Australia, Australia) (lead guitar), Jon Farriss (drums), Garry Gary Beers (bass), and Kirk Pengilly (b. July 4, 1958, in Kew, Victoria, Australia) (saxophone and guitar). On September 20, 2005, Canadian singer J.D. Fortune became the band's new lead vocalist after a twelve-week competition on the CBS reality show Rock Star: INXS. [ Continue the Biography ]
Source:
INXS and Underneath the Colours (1981) became Australasian hits, leading the band to an American contract with Atco Records. In 1983, they released their U.S. debut, Shabooh Shoobah, and embarked on an extensive tour which, thanks to the hit single "Don\'t Change," made them minor new wave stars. For their next album, INXS recorded a few sessions with producer Nile Rodgers, which resulted in the sleek, funky "Original Sin," the first inclination that the band was making a move toward a fusion of Stonesy rock and dance music. "Original Sin" made 1984\'s The Swing a minor hit, yet the group didn\'t have a genuine mainstream breakthrough until 1985\'s Listen Like Thieves, which climbed to number 11 in the U.S. on the strength of the single "What You Need."
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Bands