australia
INXS
Labelled one of Australia’s most successful rock exports, INXS rocked the 80s and 90s with a mix of new wave and indie rock music fronted by one of the sexiest men in rock-n-roll, Michael Hutchence. The original line-up of Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers, and Farris Brothers Tim, Andrew and Jon were responsible for a series of hits including Original Sin, Need You Tonight, Devil Inside and New Sensation.
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Despite the tragic death of Hutchence in 1997, the band have continued to tour and can claim a career of over 30 years with an induction into the Rock and Hall of Fame, over 30 million records sold and countless industry awards.
The origins of the band start in the late-70s when the band formed and performed across Australia. The members of INXS were not from wealthy families, and like other young Australians, they could look forward to careers in factory work, or perhaps getting into a family business selling cheap classic car insurance. Instead, they followed their passion for music and formed a band that would some day dominate the music charts. By 1980, the band had signed with an independent label run by the former manager of another great Aussie band, AC/DC.
INXS released its first album in December 1980 and it contained the single Just Keep Walking. This song was the first Australian Top 40 single. The band kicked off a series of Australian tours and eventually recorded a song called The One Thing which managed to secure INXS some international interest.
In 1982, INXS signed a deal with labels in North America and Europe. The One Thing was the band’s first video to be aired on MTV.
One year later, the band released the single Original Sin which was to become its first #1.
During 1984, the band embarked on a non-stop global tour and began getting some critical acclaim. The band’s sound was decidedly moving from new wave towards unadulterated rock.
The widely celebrated album Kick was released in October 1987. This album contained the mega-hits New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Devil Inside and Need You Tonight. The band followed with the album X which produced top ten hits in the form of Suicide Blonde and Disappear.
The band released a final album, Elegantly Wasted, with Hutchence in 1997 but it failed to make waves in the charts.
In November 1997, Hutchence was found dead in a Sydney hotel room. The official autopsy labelled it suicide but fans and family staunchly campaign that it was an accidental death.
Throughout the late 90s and 00s, the band has been through two replacement lead singers but following a reality TV show settled on J.D Fortune.
Juanita Appleby
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AC/DC
Discography:
High Voltage, Albert, 1974.
AC/DC was formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The Young brothers quickly created a dynamic sound and developed a bold image. With Angus often wearing a school boy uniform on stage, he looked like he was more ready to pour over some middle school lesson plans instead of play lead guitar for a band. Yet the look complemented the band well and was a visual representation captured by a New York wedding photographer of the angst ridden youth that loved their music.The band have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, and their 1980 album ‘Back In Black’ is the second-highest selling album of all time with 45 million copies sold to date, 22 million of which were bought in the US. MTV ranked AC/DC as the 7th “Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time” in 2004 and Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band 72nd in the list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. In the same year, VH1’s list ranked AC/DC 4th on its list of "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
Between the band’s formation and the release of their first album, ‘High Voltage’, in 1975, AC/DC went through several line-up alterations, with original singer Dave Evans replaced by Bon Scott and a multitude of different bassists and drummers passing through. The band then remained unchanged until 1977, when bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams, apparently due to conflict with Angus Young. Evans is quoted as saying at the time: “Both me and the band are better for it”. The seven-times-platinum album ‘Highway to Hell’ was recorded in 1979. A year later, singer Bon Scott died after a heavy drinking session at the Music Machine club in London. Brian Johnson was brought in to replace Scott, and the band completed their next album, ‘Back In Black’, using Johnson’s vocals.
AC/DC next release, ‘For Those About to Rock We Salute You’, became a huge success, reaching top spot on the US charts. Drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 after a fight with Angus Young, and the band’s popularity began to decline. Ex-Dio drummer Simon Wright filled the vacant drummer’s stool until he was replaced by Chris Slade in 1989. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 and contributed for the release of ‘Ballbreaker’ in 1995. With the early 80s line up back together, their popularity grew once again.
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They released 'Stiff Upper Lip' in 2000 and it was produced by Angus and Malcolm's brother George. The album was a commercial success and after a world wide tour, they got their rewards as they signed a long term, multi album deal with Sony in 2002. A year later they were inducted in the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame.
Their latest studio album, ‘Black Ice’, was released in October 2008. 'Black Ice' featured the singles 'Rock N Roll Train', 'Big Jack', 'Anything Goes' and 'Money Made'. At the beginning of 2010, it was announced that AC/DC would be releasing a compilation album featuring their greatest hits for the film Iron Man 2. They headlined Download Festival in June 2010 and incredibly performed on their own stage which was only to be used by them and no one else. If thats not rock n roll, I don't know what is.
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For The Record:
Band formed 1973, in Sydney, Australia; original members included Angus Young (born March 31, 1951, in Glasgow, Scotland), guitar; Malcolm Young (born January 6, 1953, in Glasgow), guitar; Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (born July 9, 1946, in Kirriemur, Scotland; died of acute alcohol poisoning February 19, 1980, in London, England), vocalist.
In 1974, Phillip Rudd (born May 19, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia) and Mark Evans (born 1957, in Melbourne) joined AC/DC on drums and bass. In 1977, Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams(born December 14, 1949, in Rumford, England). In 1980, Brian Johnson (born October 5, 1947, in North Shields, England) replaced deceased vocalist Scott. In 1982, Rudd was replaced bySimon Wright (born 1963).
Source: Joan Goldsworthy
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Rock Stars Dead Before Their Time
Kylie Minogue
Although she's only managed a few hits in the U.S. since her arrival as a singer in 1987, Kylie Minogue is both Australia's and Europe's biggest-selling female pop singer over that period and a pop culture icon in those areas. Her image on the cover of magazines is guaranteed to produce extra sales. But a singing career was never what Minogue had in mind for herself.
Minogue was born on May 28, 1968, in Melbourne. In 1979, she began her acting career in the Australian TV drama series Skyways, eventually gaining a starring role in a children's series, The Henderson Kids, before achieving national fame in the five-days-a-week soap opera Neighbours. Around the time Minogue joined, Neighbours also started airing in the U.K.
A major celebrity on the basis of her Neighbours popularity, Minogue had agreed to give a charity performance in the company of other personalities, choosing to sing Little Eva's "Loco-Motion." Someone hit on the idea of submitting a tape of the performance to local record company, Mushroom, who didn't think much of the demo but saw the potential in releasing a single by the extremely popular young TV star. In their wildest dreams no one imagined a national number one record with the recorded version of "Loco-Motion" (July 1987).
At that time, Mushroom Records had formed a business relationship with London hit factory Stock, Aitken & Waterman (Dead or Alive, Mel & Kim, Samantha Fox, Bananarama, Rick Astley), who also saw potential in working with the popular actress, but she wasn't a priority. In fact, when Minogue turned up at their London studios they had forgotten she was coming and quickly wrote her a song while she waited. The result, "I Should Be So Lucky," gave Minogue the second of her six Australian number one singles and the first of her five English number ones. Now she became a priority for Stock, Aitken & Waterman. As was their way, Stock, Aitken & Waterman wrote and produced her records and they controlled her video image. Their re-recorded "Loco-Motion" put Minogue in the Top Ten in the U.S. In Australia, the U.K., and Europe, Minogue was scoring hit after hit and quickly left Neighbours to meet the demand on her.
If she was ever just along for the ride, Minogue took her first step toward control over her career with her 1990 single "Better the Devil You Know," not letting Stock, Aitken & Waterman see the video she was making for the song until it was completed. SAW insisted on casting her in a girl-next-door mode, while Minogue opted for a saucier Madonna-like image. It ensured her continued success and reputation as a celebrity beyond the pop charts. With her fourth album, Let's Get to It (1991), the singer also insisted on lyrical input.
Kylie Minogue ended up leaving Stock, Aitken & Waterman and recorded two albums, Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess, with London dance label Deconstruction. A romantic relationship with INXS singer Michael Hutchence had encouraged her to experiment musically. While the backbone of both albums was the Brothers in Rhythm team, Minogue was keen to work with a variety of people. One unlikely collaboration saw a duet with Nick Cave, especially written by Cave for his Murder Ballads album. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" featured a nude Minogue floating dead in the water for its video.
While Impossible Princess represented another major career turning point in Australia -- Minogue's transition to a concert performer -- in Europe the album was not considered a success. In 2000, she was encouraged by the Pet Shop Boys to switch to their label, Parlophone, and she re-emerged as the pop princess of old with the critical hit Light Years. The single "Spinning Around" went number one in both England and Australia. Her reign in music continued in 2001. Minogue issued Fever in October on the heels of the successful single "Can't Get You Out of My Head." Such hype around the song allowed it to become an global smash, earning Minogue two Brit Awards in February 2002 for Best International Female and Best International Album for Fever. Shortly thereafter, Fever was released in the U.S. on Capitol, landing Minogue her biggest U.S. hit in nearly 15 years with "Can't Get You Out of My Head." Spots on MTV's TRL and Saturday Night Live proved her power. Body Language appeared in 2004; Minogue won a Grammy that same year for Best Dance Recording.
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In March 2005, Minogue began Showgirl -- The Greatest Hits Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. Following 23 sold-out shows in the U.K. and 14 in Europe, she was forced to postpone her scheduled Australian dates due to a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer. Minogue returned to the stage in November 2006 after a 12-month treatment and recovery period, playing shows in Australia as well as seven more dates in the U.K. She spent 2007 working on a number of projects, including her tenth studio album (X). Boombox followed in January 2009.
Without anything approaching Madonna's musical strength, like Madonna, Minogue ensured her survival with imaginative videos and by keeping fans guessing and intrigued with consistent changes of personal image. She also appeared in a number of movies over the years; 1999's Cut with Molly Ringwald was her eighth film appearance.
artistdirect.com
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