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1983 - May: INXS “Shabooh Shoobah”
Originally named The Farriss Brothers when they formed in 1977, brothers Andrew Farriss (keyboards and Founder), Jon Farriss (drums), and Tim Farriss (guitar) joined with bassist Garry Gary Beers, saxophonist/guitarist Kirk Pengilly, and front man Michael Hutchense not long after high school. They took the name INXS at the suggestion of members of the band Midnight Oil, whom they were supporting at the time.
Shabooh Shoobah is their third studio album, and the first to be released worldwide. While it was released in October 1982, the rise of INXS can be tracked to their performance in the 1983 US Festival on “New Wave Day,” May 28th, 1983. This is the day they made it into the US top 30 with “The One Thing.” The unique name of the album comes from a rhythm sound in the song “Spy of Love.”
INXS was one of the many bands who made it big on MTV, largely on the photogenic appeal of Michael Hutchense. Hutchense and Andrew Farriss met in high school when Farriss broke up a fight in which Hutchense was participating. This album features the band in its “New Wave phase,” with lots of bold synthesizer and a killer sax.
We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane from the early days of MTV.
Don't Change
This last track on the album has lots of energy, and sounds like a cooler version of A Flock of Seagulls. The video shows the band singing in a commercial garage, and Andrew Farriss's keyboards are placed vertically on the wall. MTV was very new, and bands were still working out their looks for the video age.
Spy of Love
This is a deeper cut off the album which has a Caribbean feel, with the keyboards reminiscent of a steel drum. “I don't mind but what I say, Use that magic for better days.”
Golden Playpen
Another deep cut off the album, and this one reminds us of Athens band REM. “Tossed out of the golden playpen, Beating the drum of pain and pleasure.”
The One Thing
This track is the big hit from the album. Rob says this is an iconic song from his high school days, one of his top 5 of all time. This song was their first MTV Video. Check out Kirk Pingilly on the sax, and the synthesizer work. It is a positive, high energy, driving song.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
“Parade of the Ewoks” by John Williams
We pay homage to the polarizing little creatures from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in this entertainment track.
STAFF PICKS:
Rainbow in the Dark by Ronnie James Dio
With his staff pick Wayne brings us - DIO! This is the hit single from the album "Holy Diver." Ronnie James Dio is a pure heavy metal vocalist - a heavy metal version of Neil Young. Many believe this song is a reaction to his tumultuous days in the group Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore.
Photograph by Def Leppard
Bruce brings us the lead single off Pyromania, Def Leppard's third studio album. Frontman Joe Elliott describes this song as about “something you can't ever get your hands on.” This was their first hit single. “So wild and free, so far from me. You're all I want, my fantasy!”
Bang on the Drum by Todd Rundgren
Brian's staff pick hearkens back to the days of 96 Rock in Atlanta, and their “5 o'Clock Whistle.” Rundgren compares this song to “Happy Birthday,” since it is one that everyone knows — but few know the songwriter. “And I get my sticks and go out to the shed and I pound on that drum like it was the boss's head.”
She's A Beauty by The Tubes
Rob's pick features San Francisco based The Tubes. Fee (John Waldo) Waybill is their lead singer, and wrote this song inspired by a kiosk outside a massage parlor in the red light district of San Francisco. The kiosk was the size of a phone booth and had a sign that read “pay a dollar, talk to a naked girl.” The song lyrics changed the sign to “talk to a pretty girl,” which was much more accessible to a wider audience!
COMEDY TRACK:
Galaxy Song by Monty Python
April 1983 was the month when Monty Python released their third feature film “The Meaning of Life,” and this was one of the songs from that movie. We hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
View all episodes
By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch
4.9
4747 ratings
Originally named The Farriss Brothers when they formed in 1977, brothers Andrew Farriss (keyboards and Founder), Jon Farriss (drums), and Tim Farriss (guitar) joined with bassist Garry Gary Beers, saxophonist/guitarist Kirk Pengilly, and front man Michael Hutchense not long after high school. They took the name INXS at the suggestion of members of the band Midnight Oil, whom they were supporting at the time.
Shabooh Shoobah is their third studio album, and the first to be released worldwide. While it was released in October 1982, the rise of INXS can be tracked to their performance in the 1983 US Festival on “New Wave Day,” May 28th, 1983. This is the day they made it into the US top 30 with “The One Thing.” The unique name of the album comes from a rhythm sound in the song “Spy of Love.”
INXS was one of the many bands who made it big on MTV, largely on the photogenic appeal of Michael Hutchense. Hutchense and Andrew Farriss met in high school when Farriss broke up a fight in which Hutchense was participating. This album features the band in its “New Wave phase,” with lots of bold synthesizer and a killer sax.
We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane from the early days of MTV.
Don't Change
This last track on the album has lots of energy, and sounds like a cooler version of A Flock of Seagulls. The video shows the band singing in a commercial garage, and Andrew Farriss's keyboards are placed vertically on the wall. MTV was very new, and bands were still working out their looks for the video age.
Spy of Love
This is a deeper cut off the album which has a Caribbean feel, with the keyboards reminiscent of a steel drum. “I don't mind but what I say, Use that magic for better days.”
Golden Playpen
Another deep cut off the album, and this one reminds us of Athens band REM. “Tossed out of the golden playpen, Beating the drum of pain and pleasure.”
The One Thing
This track is the big hit from the album. Rob says this is an iconic song from his high school days, one of his top 5 of all time. This song was their first MTV Video. Check out Kirk Pingilly on the sax, and the synthesizer work. It is a positive, high energy, driving song.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
“Parade of the Ewoks” by John Williams
We pay homage to the polarizing little creatures from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in this entertainment track.
STAFF PICKS:
Rainbow in the Dark by Ronnie James Dio
With his staff pick Wayne brings us - DIO! This is the hit single from the album "Holy Diver." Ronnie James Dio is a pure heavy metal vocalist - a heavy metal version of Neil Young. Many believe this song is a reaction to his tumultuous days in the group Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore.
Photograph by Def Leppard
Bruce brings us the lead single off Pyromania, Def Leppard's third studio album. Frontman Joe Elliott describes this song as about “something you can't ever get your hands on.” This was their first hit single. “So wild and free, so far from me. You're all I want, my fantasy!”
Bang on the Drum by Todd Rundgren
Brian's staff pick hearkens back to the days of 96 Rock in Atlanta, and their “5 o'Clock Whistle.” Rundgren compares this song to “Happy Birthday,” since it is one that everyone knows — but few know the songwriter. “And I get my sticks and go out to the shed and I pound on that drum like it was the boss's head.”
She's A Beauty by The Tubes
Rob's pick features San Francisco based The Tubes. Fee (John Waldo) Waybill is their lead singer, and wrote this song inspired by a kiosk outside a massage parlor in the red light district of San Francisco. The kiosk was the size of a phone booth and had a sign that read “pay a dollar, talk to a naked girl.” The song lyrics changed the sign to “talk to a pretty girl,” which was much more accessible to a wider audience!
COMEDY TRACK:
Galaxy Song by Monty Python
April 1983 was the month when Monty Python released their third feature film “The Meaning of Life,” and this was one of the songs from that movie. We hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
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