It's 35 Years Since This INXS Cracker Took On The World

Ladies and gentlemen... meet the album that became the beginnings of the meteoric worldwide rise of INXS through the '80s. The one and only, Shabooh Shoobah. It was released THIRTY FIVE years ago and spawned a bunch of hits.

Original Release Date: October 16, 1982

Peak Chart Positions:

• Australia: 5
• US: 46
• UK: Did Not Chart

The Track Listing

5 Things You Might Not Know About Shabooh Shoobah?

1. The album's title is a made up word. It's a rhythmic phrase conjured up by guitarist Tim Farriss, based on the beats created in track 3 on the album, Spy Of Love.
2. The band hired Aussie super-producer Mark Opitz to record the first single, The One Thing. Not convinced that Opitz could record the band in such a way to garner international interest, they shopped The One Thing around to various internationally renowned producers. The feedback was that The One Thing captured such a strong sound, they should stick with the original producer. Hence the beginning of a life long friendship between Opitz and the band.
3. Don't Change, the album's last song, became the band's signature closing song for pretty much every gig from the time of recording to their last show in 2012. There are a few notable exceptions (their Wembley Stadium gig, for example), but for the most part, when a punter at an INXS gig heard the opening keyboard sounds from Andrew Farriss, they knew the gig was almost over.
4. Speaking of Don't Change, the very last line sung during the song's outro is actually by guitarist/saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. In his book Sophisto-punk: The Story of Mark Opitz and Oz Rock, Opitz recalls a story where he had an idea to close out the song with that last line, but only Kirk was in the studio, packing up his gear. Kirk jumped behind the mike and the rest is history.
5. In the track Here Comes, a lyric sung by Michael Hutchence refers to 'God's Top 10'. This lyric would become the title of the song that Andrew Farriss wrote about his late bandmate Michael Hutchence, that featured as the closing track on INXS' album Switch.

Living It Live

This live concert from early 1983 features the band in ripping form, playing to an enthusiastic Texan crowd. It's an energised, high quality performance that encapsulates INXS at the beginning of their quest to take on the world.

Written by: @dantheinternut