Original Sin (INXS song)

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"Original Sin"
Cover art for Australian release
Single by INXS
from the album The Swing
B-side
  • "In Vain"
  • "Just Keep Walking"
ReleasedDecember 1983
Genre
Length
  • 5:19 (album version)
  • 3:45 (single edit)
  • 6:35 (12" extended version)
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Nile Rodgers
INXS singles chronology
"Black and White"
(1983) 		"Original Sin"
(1983) 		"I Send a Message"
(1984)

"Original Sin" is a song by Australian rock group INXS, released as the first single from the band's fourth album, The Swing. It was written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, and produced by Nile Rodgers.

Released as a single in December 1983,[5] it became the group's first single to reach the Australian top 10, reaching No. 1 in early 1984;[6] it was the group's only No. 1 hit in Australia. The song also reached No. 20 in Canada and No. 58 in the US.[7][8]

Composition[edit]

Pengilly said, "Michael wrote the lyrics and each time I ask him what they mean I get something different. The main theme of it really is — it's almost a hippy song! — it's about everyone joining together, and it's also about people's desires, and waking up the next morning and finding them washed away."[9]

Details[edit]

Daryl Hall sings the chorus with Hutchence. During an interview in Australia, Hall said Nile Rodgers called him and asked him to sing on the song.[10] Rodgers had participated in remixing the single "Adult Education" for Hall & Oates the previous year.

Two music videos for the song were filmed in Japan. Riding on motorcycles, the band members accompany a convoy of trucks to a vacant lot, where a fairground is set up and later dismantled around them as they play; at the end, the band then rides away with the trucks.[11] The alternate version (in fact the original one) show an Asian woman appearing at certain moments and has a different ending.[12]

In 2010, INXS rerecorded "Original Sin" with American vocalist Rob Thomas and Cuban female rapper DJ Yalediys as a dance single. It is featured in the 2010 INXS tribute album Original Sin.[13]

Reception[edit]

Cash Box said the song "is a politically clever track which dreams of a racially equal and peaceful world, while also working as a tight dance single."[14]

In February 2014, after the Seven Network airing of INXS: Never Tear Us Apart mini-series, "Original Sin" charted again in Australia via download sales. It peaked at no. 61 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Original Sin" was ranked number 58.[15]

Track listing[edit]

7" single Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Original Sin"M. Hutchence, A. Farriss[16]3:45
2."In Vain/Just Keep Walking"G. Beers, M. Hutchence, A. Farris, J. Farris, T. Farris, K. Pingily[17]7:24

12"/CD Maxi single Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Original Sin" (Extended remix)M. Hutchence, A. Farriss[16]6:23
2."Jan's Song" (Live)M. Hutchence, A. Farriss[18]3:06
3."To Look at You" (Live)A. Farris[19]3:39

Chart performance[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "INXS' 'Original Sin' Short Film and Soundtrack Coming Soon". Billboard. 7 September 2021.
  2. ^ "10 Best Inxs Songs of All Time". Singers Room. 18 October 2023.
  3. ^ Strong, Martin (10 October 2006). "INXS". The Essential Rock Discography. Canongate Books. pp. 526–529. ISBN 1-84195-860-3.
  4. ^ Molanphy, Chris (19 January 2021). "These Are the Good Times Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  5. ^ "INXS Singles > Original Sin (Dream On) (Dec 1983)". Inxsweb.com. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Countdown ARIA Chart – Week Ending 5th February, 1984". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 26 August 2017 – via Imgur.
  7. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6737." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b c "INXS – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  9. ^ Walker, Clinton. "INXS — a Group in Search of Identity". Rock's Backpages. (Subscription required.)
  10. ^ "Nile Rodgers Talks About "Original Sin's" Original Lyrics". Waisthigh.net. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  11. ^ The common version
  12. ^ The alternate, but original, version
  13. ^ "INXS – Rob Thomas & DJ Yaleidys talk about recording "Original Sin" (Original Sin)". YouTube. 25 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  14. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 21 April 1984. p. 11. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Here Are the Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Music Feeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  16. ^ a b ""Original Sin" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  17. ^ ""Just Keep Walking" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  18. ^ ""Jan's Song" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  19. ^ ""Johnson's Aeroplane" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  20. ^ "INXS – Original Sin" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  21. ^ "The five INXS albums you should own". News.com.au. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  22. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 12, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  23. ^ "INXS – Original Sin" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  24. ^ "INXS – Original Sin". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  25. ^ "INXS – Original Sin". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  26. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 2, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  27. ^ "Kash vs. INXS – Dream on Black Girl (Original Sin)" (in French). Les classement single.
  28. ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
  29. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  30. ^ "TOP – 1984". Top-france.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
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