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January 1997
January
31, 1997: (from Mercury Records)
Artwork for
the radio promo single, "Elegantly Wasted," is from the same photo shoot
as the one I described earlier - action shots, brightly colored cars,
lots of dust. The cover is the model in the tight INXS t-shirt standing
with a bright green car. The www.inxs.com address is on the back after
the credits.
Speaking
of the www.inxs.com address, Web Jungle, who made that great prototype
site, is the company that received the contract for the official INXS
site. I'm hoping to play a role in the new site, but for now, there has
been little activity beyond awarding the contract.
I have also
learned that INXS played another show the night before their recent industry-gig
also at ABC Studios. It was an acoustic show (preparation for their upcoming
Aspen show?) and featured such classics as "Listen Like Thieves," "Never
Tear Us Apart," "Not Enough Time," "Burn For You," and "New Sensation."
(If you happened to be at either gig, and just so happened to bring a
tape recorder, please email
me as I'm quite interested in obtaining a copy!)
And finally....
(whew).... INXS will be in New York City next week for promotion duty!
January
29, 1997:
INXS performed
a secret gig tonight (their first show in 2 years!). The gig took place
at the ABC Studios in Gore Hill, just outside of Sydney. The industry-only
event was to preview tracks from the forthcoming April disc Elegantly
Wasted. The band played for about 90 minutes before 100-120 guests.
The album is the first 'new release' since signing to Mercury for a rumoured
$30 million.
If anyone
was lucky enough to have gotten into the event, PLEASE email
me with your thoughts and comments!
January
24, 1997:
The acoustic
show INXS is performing on February 4 in Aspen, Colorado for VH-1 will
take place at the Wheeler Opera House. No further details or ticket information
has been released, and I suspect the program will be an industry-only
affair.
If you would
like to contact the Wheeler Opera House, try these numbers (I have no
idea whether they are accurate or not): WOH Box Office (303) 925-2750;
WOH Information (303) 920-2266; WOH Management (303) 920-2268. Good luck!
January
22, 1997:
Happy 37th
Birthday to Michael Hutchence! Best wishes and good luck on the new album!
In Music
& Media, an Australian music site, has the following written in today's
edition:
Hutchence
Relocating?
The Sydney
media says that Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates are quitting London
for Sydney -- and have apparently shelled out $4.5 million for a four-storey
federation house in Plunkett St, Kirribilli (a step and a throw from the
Prime Minister's pad) which has its own lift, swimming pool, flat for
the nanny, and splendid waterfront views. Alas, the people who own the
place now, insist they haven't sold it yet. Hutchence was this week spotted
(complete with Hawaiian shirt) with some friends having a giggle at the
nude surfing event at Bondi Beach, part of the Sydney Fringe Festival.
Over a thousand people -- including celebs like fashion designer Stuart
Membrey, actress Rebekah Elmalogiou and Jason Donovan (who competed) --
cheered on 30 men and women as they tackled 1m swells.
January
20, 1997: (from Alter-Sleaze)
British TV
host PAULA YATES and her lover INXS rocker MICHAEL HUTCHENCE are planning
to settle in Sydney, Australia, it was claimed yesterday. They are said
to be buying a $3.2 million home with views of Sydney harbour. The couple
are currently holidaying in Hutchence's homeland. The singer is reportedly
fed up with Britain and the attention he and Yates, the ex-wife of LIVE
AID hero BOB GELDOF, received.
January
15, 1997: (from MTV)
MTV, who,
for better or worse, helped INXS become the world's biggest band in the
late 80s, today posted the following on their website:
INXS
Get Back to Video
Jan. 15 [16:00
EST] -- INXS have reportedly just finished work on the first video from
their relatively ballyhooed comeback album, "Elegantly Wasted." To film
the clip for the title track, the band got together with Walter Stern
(the man behind the video for the Prodigy's "Firestarter").
The band
filmed the clip over two days on location in California, and spent another
three days taking care of photographs for the album's artwork.
"Elegantly
Wasted" will be the 11th album from INXS, and their first on Mercury Records,
who will release it on April 14.
In case you
forgot, INXS, which formed in 1977, mixed snapping guitar riffs with infectious
dance beats, and found a formula for astounding success.
The group
attracted widespread attention with 1985's "Listen Like Thieves" LP, and
saw their fame skyrocket with "Kick." Boasting hit singles like "Need
You Tonight," "Devil Inside," and "Never Tear Us Apart," the album went
on to sell nine million copies. [end]
In other
news, Music Week (the UK equivalent to Billboard) features a photo this
week from the video shoot. Basically, it's a photo of the band members
(plus a short-skirted female model) in various costumes in the desert.
It's an "action" shot of them in interesting poses with lots of smoke
and dust and a couple of brightly colored cars.
The new logo
for the album is all capital letters, IN and S are black, the X is red
and slightly larger, with a white star in between it and the N.
In addition,
our Mercury Records connection said to "Look for a 6 or 7 date club tour
of major markets just after the album release. Also look out for a Letterman
appearance around the same time."
It won't
be long now, folks!
January
14, 1997: (from Mercury Records)
INXS has
just completed their first video for their forthcoming album "Elegantly
Wasted". The video for the track "Elegantly Wasted" was directed over
two days by Walter Stern who is best known for directing all the recent
fantastic videos by UK act The Prodigy. The band also spent three days
shooting photographs for their album and singles artwork. The band, who
are dressed in various roles such as a policeman, delivery man and taxi
driver in their own very bizarre world, just about escaped untouched from
one location in east Los Angeles where they received a lot of attention
from local people. After this, they spent two days in the desert where
at one point the dust got so bad that the photographer could not see any
of them. Congratulations to band member Garry Gary Beers who just had
a baby girl called 'Matilda' to make it three INXS babies in the last
six months. Andrew had a boy in October and Michael had a girl in July.
Congratulations
to Garry!
January
9, 1997:
The acoustic
show in Aspen will take place on February 4, and is being hosted by VH-1.
No word yet on when the performance will be televised, or if tickets will
be sold for the exclusive event.
January
2, 1997:
The band
is rumored to be performing an acoustic show in early February in Aspen,
Colorado.
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