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February 2000
February
22, 2000:
Michael
Hutchence is officially released today in the United States. Please
purchase a copy this week to ensure a high debut on the charts!
Reviews of the album
will be posted at INXS Articles as
they become available. If you find a review not included in the inxsweb
archive, please consider transcribing it for the site. Submissions can
be emailed to nkoth@worldnet.att.net.
Rolling
Stone is now offering an MP3 download of Michael Hutchence's unreleased
track "Let The People Talk."
February 21, 2000:
Patricia Glassop, Michael
Hutchence's mother, has lost her defamation action in the NSW Supreme Court
against The Sun Herald and The Sunday Age. The legal action
stemmed from March 1998 articles that suggested Glassop was so greedy it
was necessary for Hutchence to take special steps with his will to protect
the inheritance of his daughter Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. Counsel for
the newspapers, Bruce McClintock SC, said no reasonable reader would think
like that.
February 20, 2000:
Kell Hutchence will appear
on several radio stations in the next few days to discuss Michael's solo
record, which is released in the US on Tuesday. Here is Kell's schedule:
February 21
CFNY 102.1 FM (Toronto) 5pm (website)
February 22
WKOC 93.7 FM (Virginia) 5:30am (website)
KCTY 106.9 FM (Omaha) 5pm (website)
February 23
WFNX 101.7 FM (Boston) 6.30-6.45am (website)
WXRV 92.5 FM (Boston) 6.50-7.05am (website)
WNNX 99x FM (Atlanta) 7.15-7.30am (website)
February 17, 2000:
Michael Hutchence
has been named "Release Of The Week" in a poll at Wall of Sound.
Congratulations! (thanks to jamie castaneda)
Here's a preview of the
album from the Wall of Sound website: Prior to his untimely death in 1997,
INXS singer Michael Hutchence recorded the bulk of what would be his final
solo disc, save for some last-minute polishing from producers Andy Gill
and Danny Saber. Hutchence started writing the songs in 1995 with Gill,
a cofounder of the seminal band Gang of Four, later inviting Danny Saber
(of Black Grape) into the mix. Hutchence took some time away from the
project to work on INXS' 1997 release, Elegantly Wasted, and never
had a chance to return to his solo effort. A year after his death, the
producers revisited the material and determined that they had enough to
release a "f--king great" album. Hutchence pal Bono (of U2) stepped in
later to add vocals to the disc's final track, "Slide Away."
E! Online Preview: "If
INXS frontman Hutchence had lived, this surreal solo set might have returned
him to the spotlight. This album reveals an artist eager to push his pop
boundaries to explore new rhythms, textures and song structure. Still,
belated release is better than none, and Hutchence fans will surely take
this sonic experiment to broken heart."
February 16, 2000:
Michael Hutchence's B-side
"Standing On The Rooftop" is now available for free download at http://www.rioport.com/VH1Track?tk_id=2003064.
You must have Windows
Media Player installed on your computer to hear the track.
CheckOut.com
music fans can now access a digital download of the unreleased Hutchence
track "Let the People Talk." CheckOutMusic.com is also offering fans a
streaming track of Hutchence's "Slide Away" featuring U2's Bono. "We are
thrilled to offer music fans the unreleased track 'Let the People Talk'
from the late INXS leader Michael Hutchence," said Jason Fiber, vice president,
Digital Strategies, CheckOut.com. "CheckOut.com and Wherehouse Music's
strong relationship with V2 Records, Sony/Epic, and other leading labels
has proven successful in securing us digital downloads. CheckOut.com is
deeply committed to taking our digital assets to the next level and we
look forward to delivering more digital music to online music fans in
the near future." In addition, those who pre-order the new album Michael
Hutchence at the site will receive a 20" x 30" promotional poster
from CheckOut.com
There will be an industry
listening party in support of Michael's album from 7-9pm on February 22
at LUSH in New York City (110 Duane Street, between Church & Broadway.)
Sponsored by V2 Records and Rolling Stone, a $15 donation to LIFEbeat
is requested at the door. RSVP to Sonya Lockett at (212) 966-4329.
Channel 10 in Australia
will premiere an edited version of the "E! True Hollywood Story" on Michael
Hutchence on February 23.
February 8, 2000:
Rapper Big Punisher, currently
heard on Jennifer Lopez' "Feelin' So Good" single, suffered a heart attack
and was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at the age of 28. Pun leapt from
the underground to the mainstream with his 1998 album Capital Punishment
and the hit single "Still Not A Player." At the time of his death, the rapper
was preparing to release his sophomore album, titled Yeehah Baby,
in April. In August 1998 Big Pun recorded a reggae/hip-hop version of INXS'
"Need You Tonight" for the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back entitled
"Makes Me Sweat."
Undercover reports
that Sir Tim Rice has made a flash trip to Australia to officially launch
the 'Tim Rice Musical Spectacular' with INXS and the cream of Australia's
rock, pop and contemporary acts. At yesterday's launch in Sydney, Sir
Tim announced that he will be collaborating with INXS on a new song to
be debuted during the Spectacular. Sir Tim Rice will await the band to
write him some music so that he can add the lyrics. Rice also announced
that he will host the show and sing two songs. "I'll be doing my own interpretation
of Any Dream Will Do. I wanted to sing 15 songs but I've been cut back
to two. I was told it would be better for ticket sales". Joining Rice
and INXS will be Bachelor Girl, Kate Ceberano, Anthony Warlow, Iva Davies
from Icehouse and David Essex.
Tickets for the 10-date
Australian tour have officially gone on sale. You can purchase tickets
online through Ticketek
Online.
Rich Davis, a long time
INXS devotee, has opened a new fan site entitled "Axcess
All Areas". The site is purely devoted to INXS' live performances
and recordings, and includes a bootleg discography as well as a live recordings
trading post for fans to share private recordings.
InMusic&Media
reports that the $16 million "Godspell" musical has entered receivership.
Queensland-based Hutchison Entertainment Group pulled out its funding
after a difference of opinion over the show and touring schedule, according
to its manager Graham Hutchison. These names included Jimmy Barnes (who
was to play Judas and John The Baptist), Terence Trent D'Arby (Jesus Christ),
Debra Byrne, Marie Wilson, Wendy Matthews (Mary Magdalene), Paul Mercurio,
Fiona Horne, Angry Anderson and David Dixon. Rehearsals were to start
in the week beginning February 8 in Sydney. The show was to go on the
road in March with a 10-piece rock band, circus performers, trapeze artists
and state of the art effects. Its British-based director and designer,
Ultz, said he had been working six months on the show and told one reporter,
"We have all lost money. And we all made ourselves unavailable for other
projects but there seems to be no one to sue." The first single from the
"Godspell" album is Wendy Matthew's version of "Day By Day," produced
and engineered by Andrew Farriss. (thanks to kerry bergh)
February 7, 2000:
Late Night with David
Letterman is hosting an online poll for viewers to vote on their favorite
episode. Please visit their official
website and cast your vote for INXS' three appearances: Nov 93 ("Please"
with Ray Charles), Nov 94 ("The Strangest Party"), and Apr 97 ("Elegantly
Wasted"). (thanks to chris thompson)
iLive Inc. has announced
that Kenneth Buttice, one of music's most respected and versatile talents
who has been actively involved with many of the industry's biggest stars
including The Eagles, The Cars, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Queen, INXS, Motley
Crue, Rod Stewart, and Fleetwood Mac has joined the recently launched
entertainment network, iLive.com.
US First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton has officially kicked off her New York senate campaign
in style -- heard blaring from her PA system was none other than INXS'
own "New Sensation"!
February 3, 2000:
INXS.com Media Release
- INXS TO TAKE PART IN TIM RICE SPECTACULAR
The members of INXS today
announced their participation in a major new Australian production, "Tim
Rice’s Musical Spectacular."
Andrew Farriss, Tim Farriss,
Jon Farriss, Garry Gary Beers and Kirk Pengilly will join an all-star
cast performing songs by Sir Tim Rice, one of popular music’s most extraordinary
songwriters, in a national tour beginning April 25.
Sir Tim Rice and Sir
Andrew Lloyd-Webber have arguably penned the most noteworthy popular music
of our time, with productions such as "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita",
"The Lion King", "AIDA", "Octopussy", "Beauty And The Beast", and "Joseph
And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat".
The music of Tim Rice
may seem a long way from the rock’n’roll stadiums of the world, which
INXS know so well, but the appeal of the show lies precisely in its "left-of-centre"
nature.
In addition to their
success as one of the world's great bands, Tim, Andrew, Garry, Jon and
Kirk are all gifted writers, arrangers, producers and musicians in their
own right. The opportunity to step outside INXS to work on side projects,
either as individuals or collectively, has always been eagerly sought
throughout their 23-year career. With the demands of international touring
not currently present, the possibility of exploring new musical pursuits
has now become a reality.
"INXS has always been
into challenges and to apply our ideas and our sounds to such a diverse
and famous set of material as this is a very attractive proposition for
us," Garry Gary Beers said.
The band have not yet
finalised which songs from Rice's extensive catalogue they will perform,
however they are eager to begin rehearsals to give the selected songs
new arrangements and new sounds. Vocalists will be chosen from the cast
members, Iva Davies, Bachelor Girl, Kate Ceberano, Anthony Warlow and
David Essex depending on the song.
"We've never done anything
like this before", Tim Farriss added. "Quite simply, to not be playing
INXS music for a change and performing someone else's songs, and with
the backing of a large orchestra, is a really interesting and challenging
concept. We're really looking forward to it." (for further information
visit inxs'
official website)
February 2, 2000:
The video for "A Straight
Line" from Michael Hutchence's album which will be released in the US
on 22nd February 2000, was added today to VH-1's playlist.
February 1, 2000:
Listening party and
chat with Kelland Hutchence on 8th February 2000
V2 Records has set up a listening party to help promote the US release
of Michael Hutchence's solo album in the US. It takes place on Tuesday,
Feb. 8th at 8 pm EST on Yahoo!'s
music affiliate Broadcast.com. Visitors will be able to hear the
album in its entirety for free as well as download an unreleased track,
"Let The People Talk." Immediately following the broadcast of the album,
Yahoo! Chat will be hosting a chat with Michael's father, Kelland Hutchence,
in which Michael's fans and admirers will have an open forum to ask Mr.
Hutchence any questions that might be on their minds. The full album will
be archived for 24 hours following the listening party and the unreleased
track will be available for download for 60 days after the 8th.
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