''Michael Hutchence'' is the only solo album by Australian singer
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997. The band sold over 50 ...
, known as the lead vocalist of
INXS
INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...
from 1977 until his death in 1997. The album was posthumously released on 14 December 1999, over two years after Hutchence's death.
Hutchence began work on what would become his posthumous solo album in 1995 with Tim Simenon. He then invited
Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was an English musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of ...
(of
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
) to perform on and co-write the album. Gill joined Hutchence at his house and home studio in Roquefort-les-Pins and over a five-month period continued to write and record in France and London. They were fans of
Black Grape
Black Grape are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1993, featuring former members of Happy Mondays and Ruthless Rap Assassins. Their musical style fuses funk and electronic rock with electronic programming and samples.
History Forma ...
and decided to enlist Black Grape producer
Danny Saber
Danny Saber (born 1966) is a musician in Los Angeles. He is an audio engineer, record producer, and remixer as well. He is a former member of Black Grape and Agent Provocateur. He plays guitar, bass, organ, and keyboards, and is a prominent Los ...
as co-producer with Gill of the album. After Hutchence's death in 1997, Gill asked
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
, singer of U2 and Hutchence's friend, to record additional vocals which were added to the track "Slide Away".
This album was simply dedicated to "Tiger" in reference to Hutchence's daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence. The last song that Hutchence worked on before his death was "Possibilities", which is track 2 on the album.
Commercial performance
In the singer's native Australia, the album entered and peaked at number three on the
Australian Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
on the week of 24 October 1999, and spent a total of three weeks in the charts. The album was quickly certified Gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA). In the UK, the album peaked at number 90 and lasted one week in the charts.
Critical reception
The album received positive reviews upon its release and was noted by some critics for being dark and moody. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' staff writer
David Fricke
David Fricke (born ) is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 ye ...
gave the album three and a half out of five stars, stating "Much of the music on this record has a gray chill". He admired the singer's motivation on the record saying "Hutchence was as serious about his craft as he was intoxicated by rock-star living" and that "he set his arena-rock torch singing in a provocative landscape of melancholy-machine music." In his
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
review, journalist
Carlo Wolff
Carlo Wolff is a prolific freelance journalist and author who has written for publications including ''The Boston Globe'', ''Chicago Sun-Times'', ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', ''The Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), and ''The Christian Science Mo ...
rated the album three stars out of five and wrote "there is enough good material here to warrant a listen, perhaps even shed a tear." He added, "this curious, occasionally exciting collection showcases the more vulnerable side of Hutchence" and that "this autobiographical album resonates beyond its sad, faintly kinky pedigree". Editor and writer Patrick Schabe scored the album 8 out of 10 stars in his review for ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' writing "On Michael Hutchence's eponymously titled solo album, it's not a disappointing pastime" and that "this piece is thankfully an incredible success."
Track listing
Personnel
*
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997. The band sold over 50 ...
– vocals
*
Kenny Aronoff
Kenneth D. Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American drummer, best known for his work as a session and touring musician. He has toured and recorded with a wide range of artists throughout his career, including the Rolling Stones, the Smashing ...
– drums on "Possibilities", "Baby It's Alright", and "Breathe"
*
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
– vocals on "Slide Away"
*
Harry Borden
Harry Borden (born 1965) is a British portrait photographer based in London. His subjects have included celebrities and politicians. Examples of Borden's work are held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, LondonKevin Cummins – photography
*
Gail Ann Dorsey
Gail Ann Dorsey (born November 20, 1962) is an American musician. With a long career as a session musician mainly on bass guitar, she performed regularly in David Bowie's band, from 1995 to Bowie's last tour in 2004.
Aside from playing bass, sh ...
– backing vocals on "Flesh and Blood" and "Slide Away"
*
Bernard Fowler
Bernard Fowler (born January 2, 1960) is an American musician. He is known for a long association with The Rolling Stones, providing backing vocals since 1989 and on their studio recordings and live tours. Fowler has been a featured guest vocali ...
– backing vocals on "Baby It's Alright"
*Joanna Gammie – viola on "Flesh and Blood" and "Slide Away"
*
Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was an English musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of ...
– guitar on "Let Me Show You", "Get on the Inside", "Fear", "All I'm saying", "A Straight Line", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "She Flirts for England", "Flesh and Blood", "Put the Pieces Back Together", and "Slide Away"; bass guitar on "Fear", "Flesh and Blood", and "Slide Away"; keyboards on "She Flirts for England", "Slide Away", "Flesh and Blood";
programming
Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to:
Business and management
* Program m ...
on "Let Me Show You", "Fear", "All I'm Saying", "A Straight Line", "Get on the Inside", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "She Flirts for England", "Flesh and Blood", "Put the Pieces Back Together", and "Slide Away"; production
*Denise Johnson – backing vocals on "Get on the Inside", "Fear", "A Straight Line", "Put the Pieces Back Together"
*
Ged Lynch
Ged Lynch (born 19 July 1968, Blackburn, England) is an English percussionist and composer.
Lynch had early commercial success drumming with the Ruthless Rap Assassins. In 1989 he joined The Icicle Works. He joined Shaun Ryder and Bez in Bl ...
– drums on "Let Me Show You", "Fear", "A Straight Line", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "Put the Pieces Back Together" and
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
on "Get on the Inside" and "All I'm Saying"
*Steve Madaio – trumpet on "Get on the Inside"
*Steve Monty – drums on "Fear"
*Susan McGill – violin on "Flesh and Blood" and "Slide Away"
*Tony Morse – string arrangement on "Possibilities" and "Baby It's Alright"
*
Tim Palmer Tim Palmer may refer to:
* Tim Palmer (film historian) (born 1975), English film historian
* Tim Palmer (journalist), Australian journalist
* Tim Palmer (1943-1997), British technology journalist
* Tim Palmer (physicist) (born 1952), English physic ...
Guy Pratt
Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer (singer), Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, T ...
– bass guitar on "Let Me Show You", "Fear", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "Put the Pieces Back Together"
*Steven Price – acoustic guitar on "Flesh and Blood" and string arrangement on "Flesh and Blood" and "Slide Away"
*
Herb Ritts
Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on b ...
– photography
*
Danny Saber
Danny Saber (born 1966) is a musician in Los Angeles. He is an audio engineer, record producer, and remixer as well. He is a former member of Black Grape and Agent Provocateur. He plays guitar, bass, organ, and keyboards, and is a prominent Los ...
– bass guitar on "Let Me Show You", "Possibilities", "Get on the Inside", "A Straight Line", "Baby It's Alright", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "Put the Pieces Back Together", "Breathe"; guitar on "Let Me Show You", "Possibilities", "Get on the Inside", "Fear", "All I'm Saying", "A Straight Line", "Baby It's Alright", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "Put the Pieces Back Together", "Breathe"; keyboards on "Possibilities", "Get on the Inside", "All I'm Saying", "A Straight Line", "Baby It's Alright", "Breathe"; drums on "Breathe", programming on "Let Me Show You", "Possibilities", "Get on the Inside", "Fear", "All I'm Saying", "A Straight Line", "Baby It's Alright", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "Flesh and Blood", "Put the Pieces Back Together", "Breathe"; production
*
Stevie Salas
Stevie Salas (born November 17, 1964) is an American guitarist, author, television host, music director, record producer, film composer, and former advisor of contemporary music at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Salas ...
– guitar on "Baby It's Alright"
*Paul Stoney – assistant engineer at Nomis Studios, London, UK
*
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
– vocals on "Let Me Show You"
*Natalie Thompson – violin on "Flesh and Blood" and "Slide Away"
*David L. Woodruff – horn on "A Straight Line"
*John 'X' – backing vocals on "Get on the Inside", mixing on "Let Me Show You", "Possibilities", "Get on the Inside", "Fear", "All I'm Saying", "A Straight Line", "Baby It's Alright", "Don't Save Me from Myself", "She Flirts for England", "Put the Pieces Back Together" and "Breathe"