Michael Hutchence’s unheard solo music to be released 20 years after his death.
A full-sized album of 15 previously unheard tracks recorded by the INXS frontman before his death will be released in January after producers were given the all-clear by his estate, News Limited reports.
The untitled album will coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the musician’s death in November 1997 in a Sydney hotel room and follows Hutchence’s induction into the Hall of Fame at the Australian Songwriters Association this week.
The record will be launched on January 26 at the iconic Viper Room on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip – the same city where Hutchence recorded the material shortly before his death.
Samples of tracks from the album have been shared on Facebook by Helipad Records and X Studio owner Ron Creevey, who Hutchence left his unfinished material with.
The first single will be a low-tempo pop ballad called Temptation while Hutchence’s signature rock style can be heard on another single called Kik It.
“We hear you and soon the whole world will again – all never heard, never released pure Michael the way he wanted his fans to hear him,” Creevey wrote.
The unfinished works have been mixed by producer Danny Saber, who has worked with David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Madonna and Marilyn Manson. Saber also co-wrote three songs on the album with Hutchence.
A posthumous solo album called Michael Hutchence was released two years after his death in 1999.
Sister Tina Hutchence told News Limited her late brother would be pleased with what Danny had done to his unfinished works.
“Danny is a master and I remember Michael saying that after meeting Danny for 10 seconds, he wanted to work with him,” she said.
“Danny has totally captured Michael and the music is everything Michael had talked about as he had wanted to break loose (from the band) for a long time.”
Tina said her brother was keen to pull away from the band before his death, reportedly telling her at the time of his final tour with INXS 19 years ago that it “was going to be his last tour with the band”.
Hutchence’s family is also collaborating with the makers of a documentary about his life which will reportedly correct the inaccuracies in Seven’s 2014 miniseries, Never Tear Us Apart.
Based on the singer’s extensive diary entries, the feature-length documentary is expected to hit cinemas at the end of 2017.
