INXS -

INXS was an Australian rock band from Sydney that started in a new wave/post-punk vein with two albums on Deluxe/ATCO in 1980/81. Adopting a more streamlined approach, they scored an international hit with “The One Thing” from their 1982 release Shabooh Shoobah, their first of five albums on WEA/Mercury.

In late 1985, INXS scored a huge stateside hit with “What You Need,” a pop-funk single from their fifth album, Listen Like Thieves. They consolidated their global major-league status with their 1987 release Kick, which spawned the hits “Need You Tonight,” “The Devil Inside,” “New Sensation,” and “Never Tear Us Apart.”

Members: Michael Hutchence (vocals, 1977-97), Andrew Farriss (keyboards, guitar), Tim Farriss (guitar), Kirk Pengilly (saxophone, guitar, vocals), Garry Gary Beers (bass, vocals), Jon Farriss (drums)

Background

INXS formed through a merger of two bands, Doctor Dolphin and Guinness. Doctor Dolphin formed the prior year in Frenchs Forest, Sydney, when two classmates, keyboardist Andrew Farriss (b. 1959) and singer Michael Hutchence (1960–1997), assembled a pop band that also included bassist Gary Beers (b. 1957).

In 1977, Andrew’s older brother Tim Farriss (b. 1957) invited the three to join his band, Guinness, which grew from a six-year partnership with saxophonist Kirk Pengilly (b. 1958). With younger brother Jon Farriss (b. 1961) brought into the fold, the new sextet played its first show at Whale Beach on August 16, 1977 (the day Elvis Presley died).

After a 10-month stay in Perth during 1978, the band demoed material in Sydney as The Vegetables. They caught wind as a frequent opening act for Midnight Oil, whose manager, Gary Morris, suggested a new name for the young band: INXS (“in excess”), inspired by the phonetic acronym name of English new wavers XTC. Their first concert as INXS occurred on September 1, 1979, at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Umina, New South Wales.

By Christmas, Morris-associate Chris “CM” Murphy signed on as manager of INXS. In early 1980, he secured them a five-album deal with Sydney indie Deluxe Records, a nascent new wave label established by AC/DC manager Michael Browning.

On May 14, 1980, INXS released their first single: “Simple Simon” backed with “We Are the Vegetables,” both group-written originals.

A. “Simple Simon”
B. “We Are the Vegetables”

INXS

INXS released their self-titled debut album on October 13, 1980, on Deluxe (Australia) and ATCO (Canada).

The album features ten group-credited originals, including “On a Bus,” “Learn to Smile,” “Newsreel Babies,” and their second a-side, “Just Keep Walking.”

Musicially, INXS echoes recent UK innovations in proto-zolo (Barry Andrews-era XTC), post-punk funk (Gang of Four), and minimal wave (John Foxx). “On a Bus” jerks through jagged riffs and tight, quick motion. “Doctor” locks a rubbery bass line to jangly guitar figures. “Just Keep Walking” clips brisk verses against a spoken-sung title answer. “Learn to Smile” brightens around a sad-edged keyboard line.

A1. “On a Bus” (3:49)
A2. “Doctor” (2:35)
A3. “Just Keep Walking” (2:42)
A4. “Learn to Smile” (3:57)
A5. “Jumping” (3:22)

B1. “In Vain” (4:35)
B2. “Roller Skating” (2:44)
B3. “Body Language” (2:02)
B4. “Newsreel Babies” (2:42)
B5. “Wishy Washy” (3:50)

Sessions took place in mid-1980 at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale, New South Wales, where INXS co-produced the album with Duncan McGuire, the onetime bassist of Ayers Rock.

“Just Keep Walking” preceded the album as a single with the exclusive b-side “Scratch,” a group-credited number.

B. “Scratch” (2:10)

INXS appeared as the fourth Deluxe LP release (VPL1 6529) after the debut albums by The Dugites, Toy Love, and The Numbers. In 1984, INXS appeared in the US on ATCO.

In March 1981, INXS teamed with Richard Clapton, who produced their non-album single “The Loved One,” a sixties cover backed with “The Unloved One.”

Underneath the Colours

INXS released their second album, Underneath the Colours, on October 19, 1981, on Deluxe (Oceania) and ATCO (Canada).

Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence co-wrote the title track, “Horizons,” and the lead single “Stay Young.” They joint-wrote “Just to Learn Again” with Garry Gary Beers and collaborated with Kirk Pengilly on “Night of Rebellion,” the album’s second single. Pengilly and Hutchence co-wrote “Follow.”

Underneath the Colours also contains four group-composed songs: “Big Go Go,” “Fair Weather Ahead,” “Barbarian,” and “What Would You Do.” Two tracks (“Stay Young,” “Big Go Go”) feature backing vocals by Reels Dave Mason and Karen Ansell.

“Stay Young” slides on a springy low line beneath a broad guitar figure. “Horizons” lingers in an ominous slow burn. “Underneath the Colours” restrains Hutchence’s title lead inside a poised mid-tempo setting. “Fair Weather Ahead” threads a rubbery lower line through a tight upper figure. “Night of Rebellion” trots through a brisk, clipped lilt.

A1. “Stay Young” (3:27)
A2. “Horizons” (6:13)
A3. “Big Go Go” (3:12)
A4. “Underneath the Colours” (3:58)
A5. “Fair Weather Ahead” (4:20)

B1. “Night of Rebellion” (3:46)
B2. “Follow” (3:52)
B3. “Barbarian” (2:59)
B4. “What Would You Do” (3:08)
B5. “Just to Learn Again” (4:43)

Sessions occurred in July 1981 at EMI Studios 301, Sydney, and mixed the album in August at Paradise Studios. Richard Clapton produced the album with engineer Alex Vertikoff; David Walsh served as second engineer. Percussionist Keith Casey appears on “Big Go Go” and “Just to Learn Again.” Dave Mason and Karen Ansell add backing vocals to “Stay Young” and “Big Go Go.”

Underneath the Colours uses the circa-1932 Cyril Power linocut Folk Dance in a sleeve credited to Art ’79. The sleeve credits photography to Beers and the Farriss brothers, Jon and Tim.

Deluxe lifted “Stay Young” as a September 1981 single (b/w “Lacavocal”), which reached No. 21 on the Kent Music Report. “Night of Rebellion” became the January 1982 follow-up (b/w “Prehistoria”). Underneath the Colours reached No. 15 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart.

Shabooh Shoobah

INXS released their third album, Shabooh Shoobah, on October 13, 1982, on WEA (Oceania), Mercury (Europe), and ATCO (North America).

Andrew Farriss wrote “To Look at You” and collaborated with Michael Hutchence on five songs, including “Soul Mistake” and their breakthrough international hit “The Good Thing.”

Shabooh Shoobah also includes Hutchence co-writes with Tim Farriss (“Spy of Love”), Jon Farriss (“Old World New World”), and Kirk Pengilly (“Golden Playpen”), plus the group-written “Don’t Change.”

“The One Thing” coils around a pulsing bass line and staccato guitar lick around Hutchence’s swaying lead. “To Look at You” lowers the title line before the guitar cleaves the tune. “Spy of Love” parses its nonsense-title rhythm into low-key vocal heat and spaced ensemble entries. “Soul Mistake” darkens into a foreboding surge. “Here Comes” chants over an urgent, compact drive.

“Black and White” throws call-and-response vocals against bright percussion. “Golden Playpen” saunters through roto-tom color and a saxophone break. “Jan’s Song” steadies its dub-leaning undercarriage beneath a direct lyric line. “Old World New World” slips through lithe nonsense phrases. “Don’t Change” surges through churning motion, swirling upper lines, and Hutchence’s declarative lead.

A1. “The One Thing” (3:23)
A2. “To Look at You” (3:54)
A3. “Spy of Love” (3:55)
A4. “Soul Mistake” (2:56)
A5. “Here Comes” (2:59)

B1. “Black and White” (3:39)
B2. “Golden Playpen” (3:02)
B3. “Jan’s Song” (3:19)
B4. “Old World New World” (3:37)
B5. “Don’t Change” (4:24)

Sessions took place between January and June 1982 with producer/engineer Mark Opitz at Sydney’s newly opened Rhinoceros Studios, also used for 1982 recordings by Goanna, Swanee, and The Machinations. David Walsh engineered “The One Thing” at Paradise Studios.

Shabooh Shoobah features cover photography by Grant Matthews, who developed the cover concept with Hutchence. The front sleeve shows the six members in a staged group portrait.

WEA lifted “The One Thing” as an August 1982 Australian single (b/w “Space Shuttle”), which reached No. 14 on the Kent Music Report. Atco issued the song in North America, where it reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became INXS’s US breakthrough single. Soren Jensen directed the video, which entered MTV rotation with banquet-table shots, animal cutaways, and band-performance inserts. Michele Bennett appears among the banquet women and gives camera-facing glances across the table.

“Don’t Change” followed in October (b/w “Go West”) and reached No. 14 in Australia and No. 80 in the United States. “To Look at You” became a March 1983 single (b/w “The Sax Thing”) and reached No. 36 in Australia. WEA issued the Dance twelve-inch in June 1983 with an extended “Black and White,” “Long in Tooth,” and “Any Day but Sunday.” “Black and White” reached No. 24 in Australia.

Shabooh Shoobah reached No. 5 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The Swing

INXS released their fourth album, The Swing, on March 19, 1984, on WEA, Mercury, and ATCO.

Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence co-wrote the epic closer “All The Voices” and the album’s four singles: “Original Sin,” “I Send a Message,” “Dancing on the Jetty,” and “Burn for You.”

Hutchence also co-wrote tracks with Tim and Jon Farriss (“Melting in the Sun”) and Jon and Kirk Pengilly (“Face the Change”). Andrew lone-wrote “Johnson’s Aeroplane.” INXS group-wrote “Love Is (What I Say)” and the album’s title track.

Chic mastermined Nile Rodgers produced the lead single “Original Sin,” which features vocal backing by Daryl Hall. The Swing has eight additional backing vocalists, including the singers of Models (Sean Kelly) and QED (Jenny Morris).

“Original Sin” stabs horn figures through layered voices and a tight title phrase. “Melting in the Sun” toughens the low line beneath jangly upper parts. “I Send a Message” cuts quick horn accents around Hutchence’s staccato lead. “Dancing on the Jetty” darkens with a brooding low line, synth haze, and a hard-set Hutchence vocal.

“Johnson’s Aeroplane” lingers through ominous slow-burn sections and orchestral backing. “Love Is (What I Say)” bounces on broad low-end motion and bright percussion. “Face the Change” slides through layered upper parts and synthetic color. “Burn for You” lifts a delicate keyboard figure through chord turns and panoramic strings.

A1. “Original Sin” (5:16)
A2. “Melting In the Sun” (3:22)
A3. “I Send a Message ” (3:21)
A4. “Dancing On The Jetty” (4:30)
A5. “The Swing” (3:49)

B1. “Johnson’s Aeroplane” (3:50)
B2. “Love Is (What I Say)” (3:40)
B3. “Face the Change” (3:33)
B4. “Burn For You” (4:56)
B5. “All the Voices” (6:06)

INXS recorded The Swing between September and December 1983 at the Power Station, New York; The Manor, Oxfordshire; and the Sydney studios Rhinoceros, Emerald City, and Paradise. Nile Rodgers produced “Original Sin” with engineer Jason Corsaro. Nick Launay produced the remaining titles. He engineered the sessions and mixed the album. Bill Motzing and Andrew Farriss arranged strings.

The Swing appeared in a gatefold sleeve designed and photographed by Philip Mortlock, with artwork by Jon Watkins. Michael Putland photographed the front group image and the individual black-and-white portraits. Paul Clarke and Pengilly supplied additional photography. The cover places a warm group portrait and hand-lettered title text on a white layout with slide frames and art tools.

WEA issued “Original Sin” in December 1983 (b/w “In Vain” and “Just Keep Walking”), and the single reached No. 1 on the Kent Music Report, No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 20 in Canada. In Europe, “Original Sin” reached No. 1 in France, No. 23 in Switzerland, No. 29 in Belgium Flanders, No. 29 on the Dutch Top 40, and No. 31 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The video places INXS in Japan with motorcycles, trucks, and fairground scenes that form and clear around the band.

“I Send a Message” followed in March 1984 (b/w “Mechanical”) and reached No. 3 in Australia, No. 18 in New Zealand, No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 18 on Billboard Dance Club Songs. The single also registered on the Dutch Single Tip chart. Yasuhiko “San” Yamamoto directed the video in Tokyo, where the band performs around temple grounds and exterior Japanese locations.

“Burn for You” became the July 1984 single (b/w “Johnson’s Aeroplane”) and reached No. 3 in Australia and No. 29 in New Zealand. Richard Lowenstein directed the video in Mackay, Queensland, as a tour-film sequence with travel footage, backstage scenes, and informal band shots.

“Dancing on the Jetty” followed in December (b/w “The Harbour”) and reached No. 39 in Australia. Lowenstein directed the video, which uses nocturnal performance footage, waterfront images, and cutaway shots around Hutchence and the band.

The Swing reached No. 1 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 52 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Listen Like Thieves

INXS released their fifth album, Listen Like Thieves, on October 14, 1985, on WEA, Mercury, and Atlantic (North America).

Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence co-wrote five tracks, including “Same Direction,” “Shine Like It Does,” the US mega-hit “What You Need.” Farriss himself wrote “This Time,” the jangly lead-off single in the Northern Hemisphere. Andrew and Jon Ferriss co-wrote the album closer “Red Red Sun.” Brother Tim Ferriss submitted “Three Sisters.” Hutchence co-wrote two songs (“Good + Bad Times,” “Biting Bullets”) with Kirk Pengilly. INXS group wrote the album’s title track.

“What You Need” stutters from false starts into a slinky two-chord riff and horn bursts. “Listen Like Thieves” stalks a buoyant low line through atmospheric title-line escalation. “Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” climbs through reserved vocal lines and a late key-turn lift. “Shine Like It Does” settles into smooth vocal curves and orchestral synth color.

“Biting Bullets” spits a short rant over lean, hard-edged figures. “This Time” opens on an isolated riff, then swells through a slow rise. “Three Sisters” threads jungle sound effects through an instrumental interlude. “Same Direction” smolders across a long synthetic intro and steady programmed motion. “One x One” throws brassy accents around a show-time title turn. “Red Red Sun” rips through hard-edged figures and triplet vocal delivery.

A1. “What You Need” (3:33)
A2. “Listen Like Thieves” (3:58)
A3. “Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down The Mountain)” (3:52)
A4. “Shine Like It Does” (3:05)
A5. “Good + Bad Times” (2:44)

B1. “Biting Bullets” (2:47)
B2. “This Time” (3:08)
B3. “Three Sisters” (3:26)
B4. “Same Direction” (4:56) features guest percussionist Ray Cooper, a longtime Elton John sideman.
B5. “One X One” (3:06)
B6. “Red Red Sun” (3:32)

INXS recorded Listen Like Thieves at Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney, and AIR Studios, London. The band worked with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Steve Churchyard. Ann O’Dell arranged strings. Percussionist Ray Cooper appears on “Same Direction.”

Listen Like Thieves appeared in a sleeve directed by INXS and designed by Philip Mortlock, who also supplied cover art and photography. Stuart Spence photographed the back-cover group image, and Andy Rosen photographed the inner spread. The front sleeve places torn black letterforms over a warm gradient image with brush-script title text.

WEA lifted “What You Need” as an August 1985 Australian single (b/w “I’m Over You”), and the single reached No. 2 on the Kent Music Report. In the United States and Europe, Atlantic and Mercury placed “This Time” first and held “What You Need” for the second single slot.

“This Time” became the November 1985 Australian follow-up (b/w “Sweet as Sin”) and reached No. 19 on the Kent Music Report. Atlantic used the song as the first US single (b/w “I’m Over You”), while the UK issue paired it with an extended “Original Sin.” “This Time” reached No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 11 on Billboard Mainstream Rock, and No. 79 on the UK Singles Chart. Peter Sinclair directed the video as a straight performance clip, with Hutchence singing and dancing before band shots in a dark stage setting.

After the modest MTV exposure of “This Time,” the channel gave high rotation to “What You Need,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on Billboard Mainstream Rock, No. 21 in Canada, and No. 51 on the UK Singles Chart. Richard Lowenstein and Lynn-Maree Milburn made the video with rotoscoped performance images, hand-tinted outlines, and fast graphic cuts around Hutchence and the band. The single gave INXS their first US top-ten entry and turned Listen Like Thieves into their Northern Hemisphere breakthrough.

“Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” became a March 1986 single with “Six Knots” and a live version of “The One Thing.” The single reached No. 15 in Australia, No. 42 in New Zealand, No. 54 in the UK, and No. 24 on Billboard Mainstream Rock.

“Listen Like Thieves” followed in June 1986 (b/w “Different World”) and reached No. 28 in Australia, No. 46 in the UK, No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 12 on Billboard Mainstream Rock. Richard Lowenstein directed the video at the Westgarth Theatre in Melbourne. The clip places INXS on a darkened theatre stage before a post-apocalyptic crowd with leather, weapons, smoke, and hard white light.

Listen Like Thieves reached No. 1 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart, No. 4 in New Zealand, No. 24 in Canada, No. 30 in Switzerland, No. 48 on the UK Albums Chart, and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album made INXS a major North American act and set up the larger 1987–88 chart run of Kick.

Kick

INXS released their sixth album, Kick, in October 1987 on WEA, Mercury, and Atlantic.

Kick contains eleven Andrew Farriss–Hutchence titles, plus solo pieces by Hutchence (“Guns in the Sky”) and Andrew Farriss (“Mediate”) and a cover of The Loved Ones (“The Loved One”). Hutchence sings close to dry drums and clipped rhythm guitar in compact verse-chorus settings. Pengilly uses saxophone as short accent figures; Andrew Farriss programs the Roland TR-707 pattern on “Need You Tonight.”

“Guns in the Sky” hammers terse chant fragments into a compact rhythmic drive. “New Sensation” ripples on an upper-line figure, with isolated horn flashes and terse interjections. “Devil Inside” prowls through a dark riff and Hutchence’s throaty lead. “Need You Tonight” strips to machine rhythm, keyboard low line, three-note riff, and whispered Hutchence turns. “Mediate” intones spoken phrases over a constant beat and pale pad color. “The Loved One” starts with a shrill intro, then tightens around a rougher vocal line.

“Wild Life” balances bright upper figures with a dance-driven underlay. “Never Tear Us Apart” pauses between fast string strokes and counter-harmony replies before the saxophone break. “Mystify” lifts a piano figure through loose, side-to-side motion. “Kick” punches horn stabs against a driving low line. “Calling All Nations” jabs bright guitar licks across a dance-driven underlay. “Tiny Daggers” hinges on synthetic patterning and sharp vocal turns.

A1. “Guns in the Sky” (2:21) – Hutchence
A2. “New Sensation” (3:39)
A3. “Devil Inside” (5:14)
A4. “Need You Tonight” (3:01)
A5. “Mediate” (2:36) – Andrew Farriss
A6. “The Loved One” (3:37) – Ian Clyne, Gerry Humphreys, Rob Lovett

B1. “Wild Life” (3:10)
B2. “Never Tear Us Apart” (3:05)
B3. “Mystify” (3:17)
B4. “Kick” (3:14)
B5. “Calling All Nations” (3:02)
B6. “Tiny Daggers” (3:29)

Sessions spanned across 1986–87 at Rhinoceros Recordings, Sydney, and Studio de la Grande Armée, Paris, with producer Chris Thomas and engineer David Nicholas. Bob Clearmountain mixed the album at AIR Studios, London, with assistant Richard Moakes.

Kick appeared in a sleeve directed and designed by Nick Egan, with additional design by Ken Smith and Bob Withers. Egan and Hutchence devised the cover concept; Grant Matthews photographed the sleeve. The front cover places cropped band portraits, a skateboard, block logos, and a white field into a collage layout.

WEA issued “Need You Tonight” in Australia in September 1987 (b/w “I’m Coming (Home)”), and the single reached No. 3 on the Australian Music Report. Atlantic used the same title as the first US Kick single, where it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in Canada and the UK. Richard Lowenstein directed the combined “Need You Tonight / Mediate” video with cut-up film effects, high-contrast band images, and a cue-card sequence for “Mediate,” inspired by the 1965 Bob Dylan clip for “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” Up North, “Need You Tonight” opened the album’s North American hit run and gave INXS their only US No. 1 single.

“Devil Inside” followed in Australia in February 1988 (b/w “On the Rocks”) and reached No. 6 on the Australian Music Report. Atlantic issued the song as the second US single, where it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 in Canada. Joel Schumacher directed the video in Newport Beach, California, with bar, boardwalk, arcade, and smoke-filled pinball-parlor scenes built around bikers, bodybuilders, business figures, and club extras.

“New Sensation” became a May 1988 Australian single (b/w “Guns in the Sky (Kookaburra Mix)”) and reached No. 9 on the ARIA chart. The song served as the third US single and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in Canada. Lowenstein directed the video on the roof of Prague’s Municipal House, where band performance shots alternate with open-air city views and moving camera angles around Hutchence.

“Never Tear Us Apart” followed in August 1988 (b/w “Move On”) and reached No. 14 in Australia. The single reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 5 on Billboard Mainstream Rock, and No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. Lowenstein directed the video in Prague, where the band appears across bridges, rooftops, arches, and riverfront locations under an extended instrumental introduction.

Mercury issued “Mystify” in the UK in March 1989 (b/w “Devil Inside”), and the single reached No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart. Lowenstein directed the black-and-white video as a studio-to-stage sequence, with Hutchence and Andrew Farriss at piano before footage of the band recording and performing the track. Kick gave INXS four US top-ten singles, sustained their Canadian chart presence, and broadened their UK and European reach after the North American break of Listen Like Thieves.

Kick reached No. 2 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart, No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, No. 1 in Canada and New Zealand, and No. 9 on the UK Albums Chart.

X

INXS released their seventh album, X, on September 25, 1990, on WEA, Mercury, and Atlantic.

X marks the band’s tenth album year and contains eight Andrew Farriss–Hutchence titles. Hutchence shares “Disappear” and “Faith in Each Other” with Jon Farriss; Andrew Farriss shares “By My Side” with Pengilly. “Suicide Blonde” uses sampled harmonica by Charlie Musselwhite, who also plays harmonica on “Who Pays the Price” and “On My Way.” Hutchence sings close to sequenced percussion and clipped guitar accents, with saxophone breaks in the upper register.

“Suicide Blonde” charges through harmonica-sample grit and a surf-tinged guitar line. “Disappear” glides over shimmering motion and wordless do-do figures. “The Stairs” climbs from slow-build restraint to a late crescendo over a hammering beat. “Faith in Each Other” sets backing vocals around a saxophone break. “By My Side” leans on piano and strings before a broad, pounding lift.

“Who Pays the Price” places Musselwhite’s harmonica inside a lean arrangement. “Bitter Tears” drives pounding piano against spare horn accents. “On My Way” swings harmonica against a hard guitar line. “Hear That Sound” lands on house-bright piano and group-vocal lift.

A1. “Suicide Blonde” (3:53)
A2. “Disappear” (4:10) – Jon Farriss, Hutchence
A3. “The Stairs” (4:56)
A4. “Faith in Each Other” (4:09) – Jon Farriss, Hutchence
A5. “By My Side” (3:06) – Andrew Farriss, Pengilly
A6. “Lately” (3:37)

B1. “Who Pays the Price” (3:37)
B2. “Know the Difference” (3:18)
B3. “Bitter Tears” (3:49)
B4. “On My Way” (2:56)
B5. “Hear That Sound” (4:05)

Sessions spanned 1989–90 at Rhinoceros Studio 2, Sydney, and AIR Studios, London, with producer Chris Thomas and engineer David Nicholas. Brendan Morley and Andy Strange served as assistant engineers. Tim Young mastered the album.

X appeared in a sleeve directed by Tom Bouman and Nick Egan, with design by Egan. Michael Halsband photographed the cover, and Grant Matthews supplied inside photography. The cover places white-outlined band figures against a blue-grey field with red-and-black INXS letterforms.

WEA issued “Suicide Blonde” in Australia on September 3, 1990 (b/w “Everybody Wants U Tonight”), and the single reached No. 2 on the ARIA chart and No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Richard Lowenstein directed the video with black-and-white band shots, nightclub tableaux, flash-cut model close-ups, and sampled harmonica images cut around Hutchence.

“Disappear” followed in December (b/w “Middle Beast”) and reached No. 23 in Australia and No. 8 in the United States. “Bitter Tears” became a February 1991 single (b/w “The Other Side”) and reached No. 36 in Australia and No. 46 in the United States. Mercury issued “By My Side” in the UK in March 1991 (b/w “The Other Side”), and the single reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart.

X reached No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Discography: