"Original Sin" by INXS

Song#:  1879
Date:  04/28/1984
Debut:  87
Peak:  58
Weeks:  7
Genre:  New Wave, Rock



Pop Bits:  INXS' third album, Shabooh Shoobah, featured the band's first US hit. "The One Thing" would reach #2 at Rock while just making the Pop Top 30. After a lengthy tour, the band found themselves in New York City recording a new song with producer Nile Rodgers. Once that song was in the can, they headed back to Australia to record the rest of their new album. After it was completed, it was decided that this Rodgers-produced song would serve as the first single from their fourth album, The Swing. It was an immediate hit in Australia where it became the band's first #1 single. The album would also reach the top of the chart. The song would also do well in several other countries, but in the US it struggled to get near the top half of the Pop chart. The news was about the same at Rock where it topped out at #43. However, the album ended up selling well and got to #52. Eventually it would go platinum once the band broke through in a much bigger way with their next LP.

ReduxReview:  While the Nile Rodgers production was solid and added a good bit of funkiness, I can definitely hear why this song didn't make it in the US. While it has an effective new wave verse, the chorus is very weak. For me, it really lets the song down. I think the band was still trying to refine their songwriting and they were on the right path; however, this tune was only halfway there and the US responded in that manner sending it about halfway up the chart. The band would start to hit their stride with their next LP.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) While in the studio recording this song, Rodgers brought in a singer he had worked with recently to supply background vocals for the chorus. Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates came in to help out with the recording. Although he was happy to do it, in later interviews he mentioned that he didn't know why he was asked to do the vocals as the band already had capable singers.  2) In 2010, INXS would rerecord this song in a dance version with Matchbox Twenty leader Rob Thomas and rapper DJ Yalediys. It would reach #1 on the US Dance chart the following year.

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