Click/tap in the center of the image to start the song.

During 2007 a team of professional musicians, engineers and producers combined forces to produce a unique version of one of Michael Hutchence’s final and finest compositions, the beautiful “Possibilities”. This is now exclusively presented as a very special tribute to Michael on his birthday in the tenth anniversary of his passing.

The Possibilities Project team included:

Katia Floreska, vocals.
Katia is a very experienced vocalist having fronted several named bands in New York City, including Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. She is a regular at the acclaimed “Joe’s Pub” in New York City and has a catalogue of original solo recordings. Katia is a huge Michael and INXS fan and this project has very much been driven by her passion to record one of Michael’s solo songs as a lasting tribute.

Roger Fife, bass and guitars.
Producer/ instrumentalist, Roger Fife is originally from the UK but spends most of his time in New York City where he has collaborated with numerous artists as guitarist, producer and engineer, including Antony and the Jonsons, The Assassins, Tricky, Cyndi Lauper The Orphans, Butterfly Child, Maxi Geil and Playcolt, Misty, Lieselle, Rebecca Pidgeon, Kevin Salem, Only Now Existing, Mar Project, Ruby Blue, and many more.

John Havlicek, keyboards.
John is a talented and experienced singer/songwriter/engineer/producer from New York. He was awarded Artist of the Year 2003 at Songramp selected from 15,000 other composers. He is highly and widely respected as a composer/engineer/performer.

Pete Generous, drums.
Pete is an experienced drummer and engineer who has toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe with numerous headline acts. Pete runs his own studio in the US and daily records drum tracks for artist around the world. He and John Havlicek have collaborated on numerous projects and he remains a highly sought after session drummer.

Steve Scott, mixing and mastering engineer.
Steve is an experienced audio engineer and musician who works out of his own studio in the US. He has recorded, mixed, and mastered material for numerous artists and remains very active in recording and fostering new talent.

(Dennis) Ian Patterson, producer.
Ian has performed as guitarist with numerous Australian and international headline acts as well as helped foster the careers of numerous young Australian artists including Dave Leslie, Craig McLachlan, Lee Gunness and Mick Hart. He currently resides in London where he is a musical director. He initiated the official Michael
Hutchence Memorial site in 1998 with Kelland Hutchence and Mario Ferrari and remains an active Co-Director.

Mario Ferrari, artistic direction, multimedia.
Mario and Jacqui Ferrari head up their own publishing company in Switzerland and have produced numerous promos for web and print for the pop industry. They have played a major role in elevating Michael’s Official Memorial to an award winning site that has been archived by the Australian National Library as an Australian national treasure. They remain active Co-Directors.

Special thanks to:

Håkan Pontén, Fretless bass and solo instrumental version
Håkan Pontén has worked as a professional bass player, in Sweden as well as abroad, since 1987. He is a former honours student as well as teacher for M.I.T., Los Angeles. Today he’s living and working in Helsingborg in the south of Sweden. Watch for Håkan’s instrumental download version on MH.org coming soon.

Cissi Nyblom, Co-ordinator for Possibilities Project, assistant to Directors.
Cissi resides in Sweden and has been a loyal fan of Michael and INXS for many years. She is a busy equestrian and runs her own internet business as well as act as manager for her partner, bass player Håkan Pontén.

The London Michael Hutchence 20^th anniversary Memorial Tribute

On Saturday 30^th October, 2017, a group of professional musicians met in a London studio to pay tribute to Michael Kelland Hutchence in the 20th year since he died. The song they chose to perform was reportedly Michael’s favourite from the ‘Elegantly Wasted’ album. INXS performed the song “Searching” at the 1996 Aria Awards. It became one of Michael’s most definitive live television performances where he seems to give it his all.

The Musicians on the London Michael Tribute Project

Female Lead Vocals: Celia Wickham-Anderson is a member of the celebrated Black Voices (see below).

Gospel Choir/Backing Vocals: The Black Voices is one of the most celebrated Black Gospel female vocal ensembles in the UK. They, like Michael Hutchence, have fond memories of performing with the late Ray Charles. Black Voices maintain a busy recording and touring schedule with tours to Michael’s native Australia as well as Europe and the Middle East. They have toured with Nina Simone and appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Take 6 as well as providing the backing choir for Britain’s X Factor TV Series and several major film soundtracks. Lady Diana invited them to sing at her father’s funeral. They have also performed before Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela. Their spiritual, soulful style was a given for this passionate Michael Hutchence/Andrew Farriss composition.

Members of Black Voices are (http://blackvoices.co.uk/):
– Carol Pemberton MBE (Music Director)
– Celia Wickham-Anderson
– Evon Johnson-Elliot
– Genevieve Sylva
– Jennifer Wallace
– Sandra Francis
– Shereece Storrod

Lead Vocals, Co-Producer and Post Production: Simon Dodd is engineer/producer for legendary blues guitarist Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), as well as songwriter/guitarist/lead vocalist for the brilliant Australian-based band, ‘President Roots’. Simon bravely took on the challenge of lead vocals, as well as mixing down and mastering the final track. His contribution has been significant.

Guitar 1: Matthew ‘Mafro’ Waters is a busy London session guitarist as well as International touring musician appearing with and for artists such as Chris Brown, Shakka, Diversity, Ghetts, Louise Golbey, Bibi Bourelly, and new Disney artist, Alex Maxwell. Some readers may have caught him on the road in October 2017 on his European tour with Cody Chesnutt, or alternatively in support of Rihanna last year.

Guitar 2 and Assistant Production: Paul Nazarkardeh is a very versatile touring and recording musician playing guitar with London based metal bands De Profundis and Formicarius, experimental fusion collective Thing and bass guitar for Persian roots music project Ajam. Some of the varied artists he has shared stages include Example, David Vincent, Kampfar, Krept & Konan, Taake and Rana Mansour. Paul played rhythm guitar as well as technically and musically assisting the project. Aside from performing, Paul teaches a large base of instrumental students.

Bass Guitar: Daniel Saunders is a busy London multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer performing in extreme metal band Formicarius as well as running the Casterly Rock studio specialising in recording all subgenres of metal, resulting in music that has been released through labels such as Sony and Music for Nations. Daniel kindly stepped in at the last minute when Joshua was unexpectedly tied up with a gig. Dan has had a versatile musical career, previously working with Japanese rock band Colors as well as composing music for video games such as Cube, Project Elita and IkalX under his Retro Music Studios brand.

Keyboards and additional Bass: Joshua Asafo-Agyei is a busy session and touring bassist working with such artists as American R’n’B singer, Cody Chesnutt, London grime legend, Ghetts and R’n’B singer/songwriter, Bibi Bourelly (2016 Rihanna tour). Joshua played keyboards as well as additional bass. Joshua is also a prolific composer, co-writing music in the studio alongside the artists he performs with. He has graced the stages of festivals such as the MOBO Awards, Wireless and the Isle of Wight Festival to name a few.

Drums/Percussion and Co-Producer: Peter Huntington who has been the recording drummer for Pete Townsend and The Who since 2006, as well as working with another cornerstone of Australian music – Darren Hayes of Savage Garden. Peter and his band opened for Michael and INXS in the 1990s. He remembered with fondness that Michael had come back to their dressing room to meet the band and to take an interest in their music. Peter remembers well how jovial and friendly Michael was that night, taking a genuine interest in their musical journey. Peter’s ties to Australian music do not end there however, selling out the Sydney Opera House with physical theatre and percussion act Stomp.

Engineer Co-Producer and Project Director: (Dennis) Ian Patterson is originally from Sydney, Australia, where as a professional guitarist he backed many top Australian and International artists such as Vera Lynn, the New Seekers as well as appearing with Air Supply, Little River Band, Andy Gibb, The Angels, and many others during the 1970s-80s. He is also a church Pastor, composer, guitar builder (building all the guitars and basses featured on this project!), music teacher and former Lecturer at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In more recent years Ian has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury Festival supporting the Futureheads, and his many ex-students have gone on to perform professionally at the highest level. Ian, along with Susie Hutchence, Mario and Jacqui Ferrari is a Co-Director of Michael Hutchence’s Official Memorial Site.

The team at MichaelHutchence.org would like to acknowledge and thank all those musicians who gave freely of their time to record and produce “Searching”. We believe Michael would have felt honoured by their kind gesture to honour him with his own music.

Thanks to the cooperation of Business Manager, Simon Newton, we were able to use the music recording studios of Canons High School and 6^th Form in Edgware as part of a special project involving Music Staff, our London community of professional musician associates, and the Michael Hutchence Official Memorial Website.

by Ian Patterson

Andrew Farriss once modestly remarked to me, “I am just an incredibly lucky guy who happened to have a genius as my best friend.” It is my belief that Michael’s collaboration with Andrew was a unique relationship of complementary talents that both found hard to replicate in other writing partnerships. There was a mutual respect and relationship there that was not always easy to find in an INXSless context. This is not to diminish the great heights Michael’s creativity soared to in Max Q and his final solo album, nor in anyway to deny the greatness of such collaborators as Andy Gill, Ollie Olsen, and Danny Saber, to name just a few.

Michael had an amazing ability to take a recorded chord sequence, fashion a unique melody on top of it, and then add the lyrics. Sometimes he would write down the lyrics when a creative burst fell upon him (which could happen at anytime). Richard Simpkin reports that he observed Michael on many occasions writing lyrics in his well-worn song book that he took wherever he went and he would us the lyrics as the starting point for composing a song. If he didn’t have his book close by anything handy became fair game including the official hotel stationery. Often his first draft became the final draft much to the amazement of the other guys in INXS.

Initially he used a small mini cassette recorder to shape melodic and lyric content. He also used a small Sony Dictaphone to sketch down ideas whenever he was travelling in a car, out walking or sitting in his hotel room. He would even use the telephone answering machine if that were closest. He also used his studio in France which initially was equipped with a Fostex R8 (8 track tape recorder), a 4 track cassette recorder and later digital recorders including multi track and mastering DATS connected to an Alesis 8 bus ADAT system through an 8 bus Mackie 24 track desk. (For the musician/technical buffs) Most of this equipment unfortunately may have been sold off after his death. A box of instruction manuals and some dedicated patch cables were all that remained to complete the jigsaw.

Below we have for the first time anywhere in the world, released some audio files that show the various methods Michael used to fashion a song. We are indebted to INXS, Tom Tom Club (Talking Head’s Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth for the use of their sequence to illustrate Michael’s approaches.)

Method One: “Give me chords and a feel, man”

When Michael was living on the other side of the world, one of the things Andrew would do is record his ideas onto a DAT (digital to analog tape) and send them to Michael. Andrew may send a well produced chord sequence and call it “Where the Sun Always Shines”. Michael would then listen to it over and over, applying himself and eventually creating the melody and lyrics and renaming it into something quite different – “Don’t Lose Your Head.”

Once he had molded a melody it would take on that Hutchencesque quality of subtle melisma (vocal slurring across different pitches), pitch bends, note drop offs, subtle vibrato and characteristic vocal inflections and tonal qualities. So intentional were these inflections and melodic nuances that Michael would painstakingly refine them in the recording process. Not everyone could easily emulate these subtleties. When Ray Charles was approached to sing “Please … You’ve Got That…” on Full Moon Dirty Hearts album, Michael was there in the studio to teach him how to produce the Hutchencesque vocal style. “Mr. Charles,” Michael respectfully addressed him, “…it (the melody) goes like this … (Michael sings the line and Ray Charles attempts to imitate it). After many attempts Charles says, “Sir (Michael), I know I will eventually get it right” …and of course he did.

Listen to the following excerpts that show a song in the making.

A Peek Into How Hutch Composed a Song – Part 2 by Ian Patterson

 
© INXS, Photo by Annie Leibowitz

Song writing collaboration has yielded some of the world’s greatest hits over the past decades of popular music. In Australia we have had our fair share of global success with composers such as Vander and Young, Birtles and Goble of Little River Band, AC/DC’s Young, Young and Scott, and Savage Garden’s Hayes and Jones, to name just a few. Amongst these greats must be included the writing collaboration of Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss who first took the world by storm in the 1980’s with their fresh style of dance funk.

Collaboration is a challenging, rewarding and possibly disparaging exercise in which both parties bare their creative soul. But it also has the boon of having another value your music enough to believe in it and want to be part of birthing it to life. As we sadly approach the 7th anniversary of Michael’s departure we decided it was high time we completed another article on how Michael composed a song.

To make this an authentic article we couldn’t really do it justice without inviting Michael’s long-time writing partner, Andrew Farris, to share how he and Michael worked together to produce some of the world’s greatest pop music of the past 25 years.

We have found an earlier, previously “not-for-release” song in which we can explore some of the developments that take a Farris/Hutchence composition from initial ideas to a mastered song ready for the airwaves of the world. We wish to express our appreciation to Andrew Farriss and INXS, David Edwards, Nathan Hull and Dan Jones for their assistance in the preparation of this special article and the exclusive interview with Andrew conducted on our behalf by Nathan and Dan. We commemorate all of the new articles and sound files, in loving memory of our dear Hutch.

A Peek Into How Hutch Composed a Song – Part 2 cont. by Ian Patterson

© INXS

It’s a warm April day in Miami, Florida. There was a full moon in the sky just before the sun rose at 6:47 am over the rooftop of Gloria Estafan’s studios, Crescent Moon, near the Miami International Airport. By mid morning Audio Engineer Scott Perry and his Assistant, Sean Chambers are preparing for a session in the studio. The two have worked regularly in Crescent Moon in what is fast becoming the Latin Pop Capital and home to the famous Miami Sound. A number of International Guests will be dropping in to use the studio today. Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, given a free day from the INXS “Dirty Honeymoon Tour” are preparing to lay down a demo track of a new song for their upcoming “Greatest Hits” album. Andrew has presented Michael some ideas with a catchy four bar synth loop. The groove uses guitar sounds and percussion to a sustained drone E. While still in it’s planning stage they have enough lyrics and melodic ideas for Michael and Andrew to lay down a developing demo track. It is a work in progress. In a couple of days they will be heading to shows in Venezuela, so time is of the essence. Even when it’s a day off from hard gigging, the writing has to continue. There is an album to get out.

On the other side of the country the Late President Nixon is being laid to rest, and on the other side of the world Nelson Mandela is casting the very first non-racial democratic vote in the history of Africa. In Beijing, students are gathering to commemorate the first strike for democratic freedom. It’s five years to the day when students took over Tiananmen Square. This day is 27th April, 1994 and it is destined to become a celebration around the world. It will be known as “Freedom Day”. The INXS song being forged in the Miami Studios that freedom afternoon is intriguingly called, “Deliver Me”.

Michael’s Official Memorial Site, in conjunction with INXS.com have for the first time anywhere in the world been able to release the demo track of “Deliver Me” that was laid down on that warm April day. It was to become the first of three studio recordings of the song. This first unreleased version was produced by INXS, the second by George Martin’s son, Giles Martin (see Andrew’s Interview) and the final version (audio included below) was produced by INXS and Chris Thomas in London, later that year.

With the production crew in place, and Michael circling the large studio microphone, the tape is rolled. Andy is riding high on some great concert performances and the creative juices are really flowing. He is able to use some new patches that have come out of his constant searching through synth and sampler banks for fresh innovative sounds. So take a listen to the raw version of “Deliver Me”, and read on.

Deliver me – Raw and uncut version

Andrew sets up the groove, and in the studio booth, smiling heads nod approvingly in time with the back beat. The track begins with a short drum intro, then the four bar loop is repeated before Michael bursts in with his new lyrics, “Deep down is a mystery, And all I wanna know is why”. His voice is sounding raspy from constant touring, yet this is the seasoned voice that only comes from continual gusto rock performances. It has reminiscent Jaggeresque tonal qualities as Michael focuses his entire energy into the performance.

The lyrics are passionate, sensual, raw and the vocal fervor builds over the almost hypnotic loop. It’s a catchy, octave-jump riff with a pleasant upward harmony slide on guitar, punctuated with tom tom fills over a straight 8 beat. A well-placed slide down on bass guitar and more tom tom fills add variety and contrast as the dance groove builds. Some harmonic padding is added on the second verse with a sustained string pad on the third as Michael delivers “I smell you on my finger tips, I hear your whispering.” It’s great to hear his raw voice with little studio coloration. But some lyrics won’t make it to the final version and so we hear for the first and last time, “You see me sweatin’ like a pig and my eyes are lookin’ strange”. You have to smile at Hutch’s lyrics. Did he forget this line in the final version or did he just decide, “Nah!”?

His vocal delivery is intentionally rhythmical, helping to create the captivating groove. He breaks for four bars for what will later be added as an embellished instrumental interlude and when he reenters with the chorus, the Engineers dub his voice with deep tape echo… “Deliver me, deliver me…” The song is now needing to reach a climatic point and Michael works hard to bring it to a peak.

But with such an economy of harmonic background, simply put… one chord, (quite acceptable actually in a song that is working on groove) Michael finds it hard to lift it into a contrasting sound that will create an appealing hook. Andrew will work on it; he tells Michael. It just needs a fresh chord to take it to a new level in the chorus. Of course if this was a 70’s arena band they would just blow away the ending with a way out guitar solo that would allow the singer to insignificantly exit stage left. But INXS is about an economy of great guitar, sax and synth sounds. It’s about great drum and bass grooves and predominantly Michael’s unique vocal prowess.

Now listen to the song take on a new dimension in the final version as the whole band kick in… and remember this song gave birth on Freedom Day. “Deliver Me” is a great song and it has traveled very well. There is now more urgency in the rhythm which is embellished with catchy percussive synth sounds. Michael is more laid back on this final version and the pleasant raspy timbre of “I’m in a crowded room” tells us that the Rock Vocal Master is at work. And that pleasant guitar slide that appeared every four bars in the Miami session is cleverly delayed until it enters with rich electronic treatment to add to the excitement of Michael’s voice in the third verse… “I smell you on my fingertips”.

When the chorus finally arrives Andrew delivers the new killer chord to create the necessary harmonic variety. Michael responds with the right melodic shift and the song “Deliver Me” is given wings. The song rides out with the partly repeated choruses “Give me, give me, give me, give me more of the same”. Listen in the closing moments as female soul voices help to carry Michael’s now freer-spirited style to its final climax.

“Deliver Me” is delivered and we don’t need any other reasons to understand the addictive exuberance Michael and Andrew experienced together as collaborative composers.

Ian Patterson
November, 2004

A Peek Into How Hutch Composed a Song – Part 2 cont. by Ian Patterson

Since this article was first published late last year, Andrew Farriss has approved the release of what we will refer to as the “Middle Version” of Deliver Me which was recorded in America while INXS were taking a break from their touring. This Middle Version became a last draft from which the rest of the band based their final London recording session (see Andrew’s interview for the details).

Deliver me – Middle version

The Middle Version is significant in that Andrew has helped Michael re-shape the melody in the chorus by developing the harmonic progression which is the choice and order of chords that are used behind the vocalist’s melody. Listen carefully too to Andrew’s fine electric piano playing that adds an extra layer of rhythm and harmony to the Miami Session. It must be stressed that this is only a raw version which served the purpose of developing the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic aspects of the song. The band would collectively add the icing on top, create the groove and bring the song into a cohesive whole.

This Middle Version, which of course was never intended for release, has a noticeable vocal boost a little way into the recording. Thus we are given a unique opportunity to hear Michael’s voice stand out beyond the conventions of a normal mix. Again Michael takes opportunity to experiment vocally. He has most importantly considered dynamic build, and so in the Middle Version he begins in the lower voice register (unlike the Miami raw version where he comes in, guns blazing, in the higher register). Michael won wide acclaim, including high praise from seasoned performers such as Bono, for his ability to perform in the upper registers and it is indeed a hallmark of INXS. But later in his career he started experimenting more with those lower notes which created a laid back feel and soulful sound to his voice. Michael didn’t think he was particularly suited to those lower notes. But his lower register, as in this and the final version of Deliver Me gave Michael more scope to build the song into an exciting climax.

See if you can detect where Michael shifts from the lower to upper register in the Middle Version and notice how he intentionally uses both pitch and volume to build tension, creating more variety and contrast to the composition. It is a fine example how Michael Hutchence always worked hard to give us his very best performance. Another fine example of his use of vocal build that transformed his performances into historic moments of rock greatness can be heard on INXS’ Aria Awards performance of “Searching”… So the Middle Version gives us yet another great vocal performance. Once recorded, Michael would take it away and explore new and often very subtle variations until they met in the studio again to record a final version for mastering. Mastering is the post production process of taking a multi-track studio recording and blending it into an attractive dynamic mix that becomes the released version. In this instance the London session became the released version.

Deliver me – Final version

We hope you enjoy this final addition to our exclusive article on how Michael and Andrew developed a song. It is proudly released to coincide with Michael’s 45th birthday.

Ian Patterson
January, 2005

By Dan Jones and Nathan Hull

At what stage do you start making music and begin writing?
I started very young but I didn’t ever really set out to be a writer. I didn’t realize what I was doing would later be called an “artform”. I remember having my uncle’s upright piano as a kid. Aside from playing around on it I really enjoyed taking it apart because I liked the sounds inside it. Even back then with a little tape recorder I experimented recording all these odd sounds with piano parts. That was my first dabble with an instrument and then I later taught myself to play the acoustic guitar.

The hook-up with Michael Hutchence seemed fortuitous. How did this long time friendship develop into such a powerful and successful working relationship?
I can still remember the day Michael stepped off the school bus at Calarney heights. He’d just arrived back from Hong Kong and was still wearing his Hong Kong uniform and stood out like a sore thumb. He was getting bullied and was about to get into a huge fight when I stepped in with my 6ft mate to rescue him. I’ve always hated bullies. But after that first meeting, we really didn’t see much of each other and Michael moved to LA.

But when he moved back to Sydney he invited me ’round to look at his bike. We had both developed hugely and I had already started playing in bands. Michael had changed enormously; he was more worldly and interested in poetry – you know, Herman Hesse and stuff. I enjoyed that side of him; his intelligence – all the way through our careers actually. Like everyone else we were interested in music and girls and Michael came down to watch a band I was in and started showing an interest. It was at that point that I suggested Michael put some of his poetry down to music I was writing. This material went under the name “Merlin’s Circle” and the set up also featured two New Zealand brothers.

But it was when we formed “Doctor Dolphin” – another early band which featured “Kent Karney and Neil Sanders” – and found “Garry Beers” that we really started enjoying things. Garry had a car and a bass – that was him, so cool, a car and a bass! We got gigs and really started figuring things out.

With the formation of our final line-up as the “Farriss Brothers” – and later “INXS” – it was all about playing live and not the recordings. Comments around the time were “They’re too good” or “They play too well”. What the hell does that mean!

When did you first realise that you and Michael had the potential to become great collaborative writers?
As the years progressed, the partnership that Michael and I had forged was becoming stronger and we were obviously putting the most efforts into the songwriting side, so one day we literally put our hands up and said we were being recognised enough. That’s when the Farriss/Hutchence credits started appearing above simple full band credits.

The sabbatical to Hong Kong with Michael in 1987 to compose more material for Kick yielded really great things. What do you attribute that to?
I don’t know really. Michael had decided to leave Australia again and, in retrospect, it was kinda like he was rolling up his sleeves and ready to take on the world again. But the making of Kick was full of some very odd moments. I wrote the music to Need You Tonight waiting for a cab to take me to the airport to fly out to Hong Kong. I arrived, played Michael the piece of music and within 2 hours we had the finished track!

Michael was much more at ease socially than I in Hong Kong because he knew his way around. My trip was littered with bizarre moments and language problems – very funny stuff where I was getting out of cabs stranded in the middle of nowhere but the Hong Kong session produced “Mediate,” “Guns In The Sky,” “Calling All Nations”…

Actually making the whole album was odd when I look back. We were in New Zealand and the rest of the band were out playing tennis with an A&R guy called Jimmy Hendrix (!) when I first wrote the music for “Never Tear Us Apart”. Odd moments threw up odd things and somehow they all fell into place.

Most collaborators share that there is a mutual respect of abilities where one’s weaknesses are another ones strengths. How did you help fashion Michael’s ideas into songs? How did Michael help your musical ideas?
We didn’t have a set formula – and that was the key. Sometimes he’d add some lyrics he’d already written to a piece of music I had, sometimes we’d write together from scratch and other times I’d add music to lyric and melody ideas he’d come to me with.

We were just solid and very arrogant. We never second guessed each other or ourselves and went with our instincts. It was all very natural and organic.

“After Welcome To Wherever You Are” Michael did begin to analyze our relationship a little which hadn’t happened before. And I may not have been comfortable with that at the time, but ultimately it was good and a healthy process to go through.

Looking back over the 10+ INXS albums, you and Michael were very prolific – to say the least. How quickly cold your songs come together?
As with the “Need You Tonight” example, if things fall into place it could take a couple of hours. Other songs a couple days and sometimes you may get what you were after 15 days later.

What You Need is another example of a huge hit that essentially took no time at all. We’d already finished the “Listen Like Thieves” album but “Chris Thomas” (the producer) told us there was still no “hit”. We left the studio that night knowing we had one day left and we had to deliver “a hit”. Talk about pressure. The band’s performance on that track is amazing. We absolutely nailed it.

But it is amazing that often the simplest songs – unbelievably simple songs – that take you the shortest time and just happen, are the ones that become the huge hits. But you can spend weeks writing a masterpiece and everyone can think it’s crap!

Aside from Michael Hutchence, you’ve written with a wide range of artists from Sir Tim Rice to Yothu Yindi. Contrast the differences.
Writing with other people can be easy or hard – it simply depends on the individuals and how things click into place. But Michael just had this great intellect – a real intellectual spark. He had vision and urgency and excitement. There was an enthusiasm borne of the right place rather than something forced.

For purposes of this interview, and the featured track “Deliver Me”, the demo shows a lot of passion through the verses, with the choruses and exact rhythms yet to be completely resolved. “Deliver Me” is a loose soul number with some big chops and swaggering attitude even in this early take (with the finished Chris Thomas production a huge musical creation), but when songs are in this uncertain stage, such as this demo, is it clear to you whether it’s going to emerge as fully-formed music piece with everything in place?
This demo was the first recording that Michael and I laid down. We were on tour in North America in ’94 and it was literally born out of me fooling around with some synth sounds and Michael just started laying down this very gritty vocal. It’s one chord all the way through and doesn’t change at all.

The second recording of the track was done with “Sir George Martin’s son Giles”, and is really out there. It takes things on another step and the song really started to develop but it wasn’t until the final version recorded with the full band and Chris Thomas at the helm that the song really came together.

Your future INXS songs obviously won’t be co-written with Michael anymore. How has your songwriting method changed since his passing?
I guess I have learned that I need to be a lot more open on what the band and anyone new can make together. I know the onus is on me and my ideas to retain the INXS identity in our sound but on the flipside I don’t want to impinge on anyone else’s input.

Ten years ago we published an article on Michael Hutchence’s and Andrew Farriss’ initial writing and recording of “Deliver Me” at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida. It demonstrated the unique collaborative style of Michael and Andrew as well as offered a simple music analysis of the evolving song. It also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the initial recording session. A further ten years on, and we present another feature on “Deliver Me”.

Interview with Scott Perry – April 2014
The engineer that night, 27th April 1994, was Scott Perry who has recorded many world-class artists and bands, especially during his residency at Gloria Estefan’s Crescent Moon Studios, the Latin Music hub of the world and home to the Miami Sound Machine.

Recently I caught up with Scott Perry working at America’s Golf Channel where he heads up the Audio Department. Scott clearly remembers with much affection the original “Deliver Me” session with Michael and Andrew. Exclusive to Michael’s Official Memorial Site, our interview with Scott coincides with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Freedom Day* when Nelson Mandela cast his first vote as a free man, and across the other side of the world, the 20th anniversary of the first session of “Deliver Me”. Though in the middle of a hectic concert tour, they took time out to compose and record “Deliver Me”, which would later be included on INXS’s 1994 album release, “The Greatest Hits”. Michael would be delighted that his recording date is celebrated with Nelson Mandela’s 20th anniversary of Freedom Day*.

Scott speaks candidly about Michael and Andrew in our exclusive interview. He comments on the contrast in personalities, their friendship and work ethics, sharing technical details for the audio professionals and enthusiasts, giving a detailed account of how the session progressed. He refers to their unconventional recording methods right down to what they had for dinner that night! Incidentally, was it American spare ribs, sushi, Chinese, or Mexican food? You will have to listen to the interview to see how successful as an INXS food caterer you would have been on the night they recorded their first take of “Deliver Me”.

Listen to the interview

Ian Patterson
Co-Director for Michael Hutchence Memorial Website
with Co-Directors Susie Hutchence, Mario and Jacqui Ferrari

Notes
*Freedom Day on 27 April is an annual celebration of South Africa’s first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. It is significant because it marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution.

Technical Glossary
87 refers to the famous German Neumann U87 large diaphragm condenser microphone, a universal choice for professional recording of vocals

C800G refers to a widely admired, expensive tube microphone manufactured by Sony which includes a unique heat-sink; costing around $11,000, it is often used by established artists such as Stevie Wonder. Scott introduced the latest variant of this established microphone to Andy and used it on his guitar amp during the “Deliver Me” session

57 refers to the ever popular Shure SM57 dynamic microphone that is commonly used in live performances. Smaller and much less expensive than a U87, it can help give a raw live sound to a performance, and can be easily hand-held for a more intimate performance experience. Though used on the American Presidential podium for many years, it is more commonly used to capture guitar amps both in the studio and on stage rather than for vocals (where the Shure SM58 is more universally preferred)

Recording dry refers to recording without the usual vocal effects such as echo tape and reverb that add colour and ambiance to the voice

SSL desk refers to a large English purpose-built audio mixer commonly found in recording studios. SSL desks are renown for their exquisite audio quality and in particularly the dynamic presence gained through what is generally referred to as British EQ (equalisation of the sound frequencies in the preamplifier section of the mixer)

ProTools refers to a universal professional digital audio software package used to multi-track record. While still in its infancy in 1994, the software is now more widely preferred. Michael and Andrew chose the traditional and more warmer analogue approach, deciding to go direct to a two inch magnetic tape, commonly referred to as analogue (as opposed to digital) recording. The rawness and warmth of this demo recording is well reflected in this choice

Fender Twin a popular tube guitar amplifier widely favoured by guitarist for a clean sound

Alesis SR16 refers to a digital drum machine, still used widely since its release in 1991

Andy played in the control room refers to Andy’s location during the recording, being in with the engineer, while a cable was run out to the guitar amplifier in the actual studio room. This gave Andy opportunity to immediately hear his mix on the studio monitors and made communication to the engineer more direct and initimate, placing Andy and Michael in producer roles as Michael also set up in the control room with a hand-held microphone

421 refers to the popular Sennheiser MD421 large diaphragm dynamic microphone commonly used for vocals and instruments (Scott had pre-selected this microphone along with a Shure SM57 for recording the guitar)

Erik refers to Erik Schilling, the Grammy award winning , world-class , multi-platinum engineer/producer

Chris refers to Chris Thomas, renowned world-class producer with a long history recording INXS

Don Was refers to the American bassist/producer who in 1994 was producing such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Waylon Jennings and The Rolling Stones

M1 mic pre refers to a John Hardy M1 Microphone Preamplifier, considered one of the finest microphone preamps in the world

LA2A refers to the renowned Universal Audio LA2A Levelling Microphone Preamplifier used as a clean vocal compressor to give the voice a solid, balanced dynamic audio range

DAT tape refers to Digital to Audio Tape, a relatively new digital format in 1994 for storing/playing audio recordings

Tracklist

Let Me Show You [3:38]
Possibilities [4:31]
Get On The Inside [4:49]
Fear [3:43]
All I’m Saying [4:05]
A Straight Line [3:39]
Baby It’s Alright [3:52]
Don’t Save Me From Myself [3:22]
She Flirts For England [3:12]
Flesh And Blood [5:04]
Put The Pieces Back Together [4:38]
Breathe [3:52]
Slide Away feat. Bono [4:22]

Introduction of the album in 1999

One of the most anticipated Australian albums of the decade, the release of “Michael Hutchence”, the first full-length solo effort from Hutchence, the charismatic 37-year-old singer for popular internationally-successful rock band INXS, already has people talking.

An intensely personal collection of songs, it’s easy to lend meaning to the ominous lyrics featured on the album. Listening to the funky, soulful tracks and pleading vocals, it’s hard to miss the dire, insistent nature of Michael’s lyrics – his sultry voice booms as he sings about his lack of privacy, the pressures of fame and, more often, the search for redemption.

The album was written and recorded over two years with the collaboration of Danny Saber (U2, The Rolling Stones, Black Grape), former Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill and Bomb the Bass member/producer Tim Simenon. Two tracks featured on the album were mixed by Tim Palmer (Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam).

Hutchence created an invigorating and challenging album, one he was immensely proud of, but one which was always about pushing boundaries. Talking about the solo album before his death, he mused, “As someone once said, a great band is a great compromise. You get around the table and play poker. With a solo thing, you have the awesome responsibility of doing it by yourself.”

Tracks on the album include guest performances from ex-Clash singer Joe Strummer (Let Me Show You), backing vocals from Denise Johnson (Primal Scream) and Bernard Fowler (The Rolling Stones) and a special and moving duet with Bono (Slide Away). The only track not vocally completed on the record, Bono and Gill wrote the extra verse and completed vocals recently, with the haunting words capturing their deep friendship and Bono’s grief after Hutchence’s death.

The album, simply titled Michael Hutchence, ranges from the funky upbeat tracks through to ballads with pleading vocals, and the result is a mature and intensely personal collection of songs.

The first single, A Straight Line, received its world premiere on Australian radio on Monday September 13, gaining immediate massive radio airplay, and becoming the #1 most added record in Australia w/c September 20. The single has been released commercially on September 27, and will be backed by another new track Standing On The Rooftop (not featured on the album), and a cover of the Iggy Pop track The Passenger, originally recorded in 1995 with Tim Simenon for the Batman Forever soundtrack. A video for A Straight Line has been completed by US director SA Baron (Whitney Houston, Public Enemy) and premiered on Australian television on September 25.

Michael Hutchence release dates: Australia, New Zealand and Japan on October 11, 1999. UK, Europe and Asia on October 18, 1999. North America February 22, 2000.

A limited edition version of the album, including an embossed cover and individually numbered cds, has been released for initial quantities of the album in Australia only.

by Vince Lovegrove († 2012)

It began with a phone call to musician Andy Gill in London during 1995.

Four years later, almost two years after its completion, it has ended as a postumous musical triumph for Australia’s most famous rock star.

It stands not only as tribute to Michael Hutchence and his musical influences, but also a tribute to the co-writers and co-producers, Andy Gill and Danny Saber.

And the Hutchence album happens to be a subtle homage – intended or not – to what was surely the singer’s most constant influence during his twenty year career, INXS, for like it or not, this album is textured with hints of INXS.

Above all though, the Michael Hutchence solo album, leaves no doubts as to his unique singing style and his intimate lyrics.

It demonstrates he was seriously on the verge of what could have been a successful solo recording career.

Hutchence created his finest musical hour from the beginning, and almost to the end, with legendary London musician, Andy Gill, former member of the ground breaking eighties group Gang Of Four.

Gill co-wrote with Hutchence all but four songs on the 13 song album, co-producing ten with the singer, who co-wrote a further three songs with Danny Saber, and one with Tim Simenon.

Andy Gill was the musical main man though, and in many ways this is just as much his and Danny Saber’s album as it was that of Hutchence.

“I’d never met him before”, Andy Gill told me from his three story London home recording studio, recalling his first contact with the popular singer.

“He’d always been a Gang Of Four fan and I’d seen him on television and always thought, ‘what a great singer, what a natural performer. He’s got a buzz about him, he radiates just the right thing'”.

“One day he just phoned up and said ‘this is Michael Hutchence here, and I was wondering if you wanted to come and play some guitar?’.

“He was working on some solo stuff and had just worked with Tim Simenon from Bomb The Bass.

“So I said sure, I’d love to. Then he phoned back – probably not even five minutes later and said to me ‘what I was trying to say was do you want to come down to the South of France and try writing some songs with me?’

“He was slightly shy and a little insecure in some ways.

“I think crazy people can often be a bit like that and often the creative process is a way of proving something”, Gill said.

Hutchence was trying to prove a lot of things to a lot of people during the entire duration of this recording.

He was embroiled in a love affair, a divorce, a custody battle, a career predicament, and what appears to have been an intense battle with his own personal demons. Yet he was determined to complete his solo album.

Following Hutchence’s phone call to Gill, the pair went to the singer’s home in the south of France and began preparation for the recording.

“I took some computers down to his home in France and he had a mixing desk and we set up a little studio. I’d go down for a while and come back to London. We did this for months and months. It was a great time. We had a laugh, but it was pretty intense, we just got stuck into it”, Gill recalled.

“That was in 1995, and we did that for about six months. Completing the album was a long process, but the meat and potatoes of the whole thing was put together at Michael’s home in the South of France.

“When we had about ten songs pretty well worked up, we started to think about where we were going to record it and who else we were going to get in on the record, somebody else to co-produce it.

“We both really loved the Black Grape record – we used to listen to that a lot. So Danny Saber, the Black Grape producer was our natural choice. He came along and joined us.

“So the three of us carried on the process at my studio which was at Tower Bridge. We did all the pre-production there. Danny’s a good bass player, a good programmer and a good guitar player.

“We refined the songs a little further, took them apart a little bit. Just started producing them, then we went into Real World Studio, and started recording it there and carried on at Nomis Studios.

“Michael was in the frame of mind to make an artistically ambitious recording”, Gill claims.

There have been many reports that the entire album is about Paula Yates and Bob Geldof, but that’s not the case according to Gill.

Although Hutchence was depressed about the situation with Yates and Geldof, it seemed to inspire the recording rather than retard its progress.

“Some of the songs are about Bob Geldof and Paula Yates but the majority are not”, Andy Gill said.

“The ongoing battle that was going on between Bob Geldof and Paula distressed him greatly. I think he felt a bit trapped. But I also think those circumstances influenced the recording.

“Sometimes he was in a pretty dark mood, but he never gave any indication that he’d end up doing what he did. Last time I worked with him was a few weeks before he died. He also did some more stuff with Danny Saber in Los Angeles just prior to leaving for Australia.

“I think he did commit suicide, I think he was in a bad spiral of depression that was very, very chemically enhanced – I don’t think the reasons for his depression were enough to tip him over the edge but I think the drink/drug aspect of it was the major player here”.

Andy Gill and Michael Hutchence produced two songs on their own and another eight alongside Danny Saber, a total of ten songs that were completed and basically mixed prior to Hutchence leaving London for New York – for the last time as it turned out.

Up until just two days before he died in 1997, Hutchence recorded three more songs in Los Angeles with Danny Saber.

Since then extensive legal problems have marred release of the album – some instigated by Michael’s mother and sister, Patricia Glassop and Tina Hutchence, in relation to continuing legal disputes which essentially question the content and status of the Hutchence estate.

The album is released in Australia on October 11 and various dates around the rest of the world.

The Michael Hutchence CD – An Opinion

Shipping 70,000 copies of the Michael Hutchence album in Australia, taking it to platinum status, would seem to indicate there’s a lot of people warming up their CD players in anticipation, regardless of the album’s quality.

But fortunately, this album is an absolute, steaming killer.

Music heavyweights Andy Gill and Danny Saber have taken Hutchence’s musical seed ideas, transported and guided them, presumably, to where Hutchence wanted to go.

And that was far away from what I believe were years of musical frustration.

That is not to take anything away from INXS or their music, quite the contrary, but this album does place Hutchence firmly on his own two feet, away from the democratic guilt edged constraints of being in a band and all its accompanied image expectations.

The album is hard edged, with Hutchence going to a musical, vocal and lyrical level for which he seems destined.

It’s a powerfully emotive album, straight from the absolute funky heart and soul of Michael Hutchence.

His voice slides, bends, yelps, croons, taunts, snarls and, yes, seduces.

Opening with the crunching, Let Me Show You, featuring the Clash’s Joe Strummer on backing vocals, each of the album’s 13 tracks is a winner, no immediate fillers.

A Danny Saber co-write, Possibilities, is vaguely in the style of a Portishead feel, with brilliant phrasing from Hutchence, and lyrics that include: “Someone told me life was easy, they were lying through their teeth. Nothing’s perfect, hearts are broken”

Get On The Inside is a trippy song featuring a powerful three piece brass section and some clever programming from both Saber and Gill.

A scorching full funk rocker, A Straight Line has just been released as the first of what I think will be many singles. This track shows Hutchence near his very best, stretching his voice from a guttural wail and sliding it under a screaming guitar with effective horns taking up the slack.

Sure to be released as another single further down the track, Don’t Save Me From Myself features a groove riff, solid chorus and lyrics like “Get me out of here, holding up my crime, ready for what’s sent me”.

Bono added haunting, soaring vocals to Slide Away after the death of Hutchence, voice and lyrics of both singers sounding like they shared the same vocal booth.

INXS fans will recognise the vocal riff as Hutchence sings “I just wanna slide away, and come alive again”, with Bono later refraining “You burn across the sky, and I will find you wings to fly, and I will catch you”.

This is a standout track and for me, one of the album’s most heart rendering, and probably the best potential for a world wide hit.

To be absolutely fair though, this album owes a great deal to Danny Saber and Andy Gill, for without them, I doubt Michael Hutchence would have reached his musical vision.

The self titled Michael Hutchence album will hopefully shift the focus from his private life to his music.

The words of his New York lawyer, Bill Leibowitz express it best: “At last people will finally remember what Michael became famous for in the first place”.

The first single, A Straight Line, received its world premiere on Australian radio on Monday September 13, 1999 gaining immediate massive radio airplay, and becoming the #1 most added record in Australia w/c September 20. The single was released commercially on September 27, and was backed by another new track Standing On The Rooftop (not featured on the album), and a cover of the Iggy Pop track The Passenger, originally recorded in 1995 with Tim Simenon for the Batman Forever soundtrack. A video for A Straight Line has been completed by US director SA Baron (Whitney Houston, Public Enemy) and premiered on Australian television on September 25.

Michael Hutchence was released in Australia, New Zealand and Japan on October 11, followed by releases in the UK, Europe and Asia on October 18, and North America February 20, 2000. A limited edition version of the album, including an embossed cover and individually numbered cds, was released for initial quantities of the album in Australia only.

with Michael, Andy Gill and Danny Saber, Documentary courtesy of V2 Records

Michael Hutchence was one of the true undisputed figureheads of the Australian rock industry of the past twenty years, but the bare-shirted arena hero of INXS fame was only one side of Michael Hutchence. Another thirteen have been revealed on the debut self titled album, a record that delivers a very eloquent eulogy.

#3 National Debut (Aria Chart)
#1 Vic Aria Chart
#1 Sanity Chart
#1 HMV Chart
Gold Album – approaching Platinum

1968

Jingle Bells record insert
Vocals by Michael Hutchence
Hong Kong made LP

1982

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
“Speed Kill” and “Forest Theme” performed by Michael Hutchence with Don Walker (Cold Chisel)

1985

“Sex Symbol” and “Jungle Boy”
Vinyl 7″ and 12″
Produced by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss
Vocals by Michael Hutchence
also know as “Rocking Love Gods” project

1987

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Vocals by Michael Hutchence

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