Released in 1987, ‘KICK’ propelled INXS to a new level, cementing their reputation and firmly establishing the band as a force to be reckoned with, worldwide. Kick changed everything, becoming a slow-burning phenomenon. Thanks to its trailblazing lead single, ‘Need You Tonight’, INXS broke out around the world over the next 18 months. If ever a record embodied the oxymoron ‘complex simplicity’, Kick, the sixth album by INXS – Michael Hutchence, Andrew Farriss, Kirk Pengilly, Tim Farriss, Garry Gary Beers and Jon Farriss – is it. It’s an album so full of surprise; even from a distance of 25 years, when you listen to it, you’re still waiting and wondering what exactly is about to happen next. The album spawned 4 Australian top 20 singles in a row including hits such as ‘Need You Tonight’, ‘New Sensation’, ‘Devil Inside’, and the timeless anthem ‘Never Tear Us Apart’, alongside fan favourites ‘Guns In The Sky’, the title-track ‘Kick’ and ‘Wild Life’. Certified eight times platinum in the US alone, Kick sold over 14 million copies worldwide.
INXS’s most world-renowned, career-defining and influential album release to date remains a true classic. The 25th anniversary celebrates Kick’s remarkable story and its lasting importance, influence and inspiration on today’s music, illustrated by the fact that so many artists are still covering and sampling tracks from the record to this day. From Ben Harper’s funky take on ‘Devil Inside’, to Professor Green and Liv Tyler’s renditions of ‘Need You Tonight’, (recently used as the synch for the recent global Givenchy campaign) Kick has inspired a variety of artists in the last 25 years including Snow Patrol, John Mayer, Beck, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Natalie Imbruglia and Bono. It has also been widely reported that Adele’s “favourite song of all time” is ‘Never Tear Us Apart’, and rumour has it she has recorded a version of this song for her 3rd album. In October 2010 ‘Kick’ was listed at #11 in “The 100 Best Australian Albums’ publication and in July 2011 was publicly voted at #5 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 Albums of All Time.
For a group that has enjoyed the highest of highs and the deepest of lows, Kick cannot fail to have a special niche in the hearts of those who made it: Kick is a fabulous collision of style, substance, musicianship, hard work, integrity, production, marketing and passion – everything that one of the greatest albums of its era should be. The 25th anniversary release of ‘KICK’ will include a Deluxe edition, a Super Deluxe edition and two Download editions. The Deluxe edition set will include 2 CDs, the second featuring remixes and bonus material. The Super Deluxe Edition package of 3 CDs and a DVD will feature demos, remixes, video promos, and unseen documentary footage. The Superdeluxe will come with an 80 page art book, including never-before-seen handwritten lyrics directly from Michael’s family archives, unseen photos, diaries and interviews with each band member and producer of the record Chris Thomas. For nostalgia appeal, a KICK sticker sheet and original tour poster for your bedroom walls will also be included. There will also be a Heavyweight Red Coloured Vinyl Limited Edition available.
With a career spanning over thirty years, INXS are one of the biggest rock groups in the world today. Since the release of their debut album in 1980, INXS has sold a staggering 30 plus million records worldwide, achieved 6 consecutive Top 10 UK and US albums, countless awards from peers and fans alike, and have performed over 5,000 shows to over 25 million people in over 40 countries. The stats speak for themselves: INXS are Australia’s greatest music export.
“By the time we got to Kick we really felt we were in our place in our time. We had been very fortunate to be nurtured by people of great calibre, so why not go the whole distance and really explore, gloves are off, dogs are off the chain, let’s go for it.” – Andrew Farriss, 2012
“We were so caught up in what we were doing we didn’t think about sounding contemporary or not. This slinky rock and roll is what we do.” – Tim Farriss, 2012
“At last we’re not the underdogs” – Michael Hutchence 1989