After 2 years of mourning, copious amounts of gossip, innuendo and grief, finally INXS and Michael Hutchence fans had something meaningful and strangely healing to celebrate.
This posthumous release of 13 unique and varied tracks was originally the brainchild of a phone call (make that two) from Michael in 1995 to legendary UK Gang of Four band leader Andy Gill. With the duo residing in the comfortable, calm and tranquil surrounds of the South of France, an environment of immense creativity and teamwork was established leading to a vast amount of songs and demos.
Knowing co-production support and a proper studio were both required, so enter famed US alternative Producer and musician Danny Saber plus both the legendary Peter Gabriel Real World Studios amidst many others.
The songs contained a lyrical honesty, earnestness and a soundscape unheard of from Michael before, which given his 1995 surroundings, was to be expected. With no timelines or management interference, this self-financed labour of love had no release date time pressures, hence was parked when Michael returned to INXS commitments in 1996 and 1997. But with Michael’s unfortunate passing in November 1997, the integrity of these recordings was salvaged by an “angel from Los Angeles” in Danny Saber, to whom we shall all be eternally grateful.
So sit back and enjoy this episode of the INXS Access All Areas podcast. It's the story about what a monumental task it was simply to get this album to the release phase, plus the circumstances and facts that led to one of Michael’s greatest recording achievements.
Love and peace
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