INXS frontman's material could take years to make it to record.
It may be years before the solo debut from late INXS singer Michael Hutchence is released, due to the legal wrangling that has occurred in the wake of the performer's death, according to Hutchence's longtime manager, Martha Troup.
The album, which had been tentatively slated for release this year, has been put on indefinite hold, she explained, adding that the reason for the delay is tied to an ongoing battle for control of the singer's estate.
"The solo album is on hold due to legal reasons because of the estate," Troup said. She speculated that it could be years before the disputes are resolved, meaning that the album might not see the light of day during this century. The late singer recorded the album with ex-Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, Tim Simenon of Bomb the Bass and producer Danny Saber (Black Grape) during the last two years of his life.
Troup would not comment on matters of the estate, saying only that she knew what she'd read in Australian media accounts. The charismatic 37-year-old Hutchence took his life on Nov. 22, 1997, in a Sydney, Australia, hotel room.
Earlier this month, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the singer's mother, Patricia Glassop, had initiated a court action against the executor of Hutchence's approximately $30 million (Australian) estate, Andrew Paul. The report claimed that the holdings, which include property, stocks, royalties and cash, are currently in a number of trusts in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. Troup would not comment on the reports.
In January of this year, Troup said that the Australian singer, known for
his sensual voice and charisma, had recorded as many as 25 songs for a
planned solo effort and that she and the album's producers were in the
process of compiling the tracks. The album was expected to be released this
year, she said.
Several months after Hutchence's death, producer Gill painted a picture of the singer as an intensely focused musician who was set on experimenting beyond the dance-rock sound his band had ridden to worldwide fame in its 20-year career. "He was very inventive," Gill said of the nearly eight months of studio time he spent with Hutchence in 1995 and 1996.
The pair recorded close to 16 tracks, including "Get On The Inside" and "A Straight Line," for the untitled album. At least nine or 10 of the songs were nearly complete and mixed as of early 1998. The solo album was a priority in Hutchence's life, according to both Gill and Troup.
"He wanted it to be a big deal," Troup said earlier this year. "It meant a lot to him, just like being in INXS meant a lot to him. He loved his music."
Gill shared production duties on the tracks with Saber, who also recorded a handful of tracks with Hutchence in Los Angeles less than a week before the singer's death. Simenon worked on early demos with Hutchence in 1995.
Gill said Hutchence was cagey about asking him to be involved in the
project. "He rang up and asked was I interested in doing some guitar stuff
on the album," said Gill, whose wails of post-punk distortion have marked
him as one of the most influential guitarists of the early '80s.
Once Gill had agreed to play guitar, he said, Hutchence rang back five
minutes later and shyly asked, "Actually, would you like to write some songs
with me?" The pair then spent six months, on and off, writing songs. Gill
recalled that they became close, adding that he was continually impressed
with Hutchence's tireless work ethic.
"In many ways, we were very compatible," Gill said. "I always thought he was a brilliant singer-performer and really invested a lot of himself in the record."
Gill and Troup described the songs on the album as autobiographical. Several of them purportedly deal with Hutchence's frustration and confusion about an ongoing struggle with former Boomtown Rats leader Sir Bob Geldof over custody of three children conceived by Geldof and Hutchence's lover, Paula Yates.
INXS' former Australian publicist, Shawn Deacon, had estimated the amount of unreleased INXS material as close to 80 tracks. Troup said that the release of INXS material should not be held up because of the Hutchence estate problems but that no current plans have been firmed up for a new INXS album.
The group is featured on the recently released soundtrack to the movie "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" -- their song, "Need You Tonight," is remixed with vocals from rapper Big Pusher and dancehall-reggae artists Beenie Man. Meanwhile, the remaining members of INXS -- who also include guitarists Tim and Andrew Farriss, bassist Garry Gary Beers, drummer Jon Farriss and guitarist/saxophone player Kirk Pengilly -- continue to work on their various side projects. The group is currently on hiatus, as its members had planned prior to Hutchence's suicide.
Copyright Sonicnet August 1998 (http://www.sonicnet.com)