Following the recent anniversary of the tragic death of Michael Hutchence, comes news that a deal has been finalised with Australia's V2 Records for worldwide release of his posthumous solo album. Hutchence spent three years, from 1995 until the end of 1997, working on a solo album with a number of collaborators from around the world. The result, says V2, is a "mature and intensely personal collection of songs which will make up the as-yet untitled album", to be released mid-1999. most of the tracks were completed before his death and the album will be mixed by Danny Sabar, with whom Hutchence co-wrote many of the songs. The deal also will provide for the re-release by V2 of Max Q, the 1989 collaboration between Hutchence and Ollie Olsen, which - despite critical acclaim - was deliberately under-promoted to avoid confusion with INXS.