Shabooh Shoobah

INXS's third album, Shabooh Shoobah, developed after they decided in early 1982 to record a new song, "The One Thing", at their own expense, with Mark Opitz at Paradise Studios.[7] The song turned out so well that band hired Opitz to produce three more songs.[8] WEA Australia were approached with copies, leading to INXS signing a recording deal in July 1982 with WEA for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan and New Zealand; with sister label Atco Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records) for North America and with PolyGram for United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.[7][9][10][11]

Initially, INXS were not convinced that Opitz could produce an entire album that would attract international interest. Prior to recording the rest of Shabooh Shoobah, three band members, Kirk Pengilly, Michael Hutchence, and Andrew Farriss, visited the UK and United States, to select another producer. However, they found that no one they wanted was available and that most people advised them that Opitz's work on their single was as good as they could wish for.[3][7] So in mid-1982, they commenced recording at Rhinoceros Studios, with Opitz.[11] Tim Farriss felt "Mark was the first producer that was able to capture some glimmer of what the band felt it was like live. Prior to us, Mark had done bands like AC/DC, Cold Chisel, The Angels. Big guitar sounds, mighty drum beats".[7]

In October, Shabooh Shoobah was released internationally on Atlantic/Atco Records and Mercury Records, peaking at No. 52 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart.[12][13] In Australia it peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 94 weeks.[14] The lead single, "The One Thing", brought their first US Top 30 hit on 28 May 1983,[15] it was a Top 20 hit in Canada,[16] and peaked at No. 14 in Australia on 23 August 1982.[14] "One Thing" was their first video to air on the fledgling MTV and added to the chart success of the single.[8] INXS undertook their first US performance in San Diego in March 1983, to a crowd of 24 patrons.[7] The tour was as support for Adam and the Ants, then support for Stray Cats, The Kinks,[9] Hall & Oates followed by The Go-Go's.[7][8] INXS played alongside many of their contemporaries on New Wave Day in May 1983, at the US Festival in Devore, California.[17] It was during this time that Gary Grant, their co-manager, relocated permanently to New York to ensure a continual presence in the northern hemisphere.[7] The band remained on the road in the US for most of the year, including support for Men at Work and by mid-1983 were headlining venues such as The Ritz in New York.[7]

Reviewed at the time of release, Rolling Stone Australia wrote "After the funk and ska of their last two albums, this one is sort of expensive tribal - a touch of the furry animal, a hint of the pagan and some gilt edging. Perhaps it's too glib to dismiss INXS as the next Duran Duran, but undeniably Shabooh Shoobah has all the hallmarks of current British pop."[18]

Rip It Up wrote "From the opening "The One Thing", it sways and swaggers through two sides of sheer musical bliss. Very ably led by vocalist Michael Hutchence, who handles all songs with an almost arrogant ease."[19]

INXS

• Michael Hutchence – vocals
• Tim Farriss – guitar
• Kirk Pengilly – guitar, saxophone, vocals
• Garry Gary Beers – bass guitar, vocals
• Jon Farriss – drums, percussion, vocals
• Andrew Farriss – keyboards, guitar

Production details

• Producer – Mark Opitz
• Engineer – David Walsh, Andrew Scott, David Nicholas, Mark Opitz
• Studios – Paradise Studios (track 1), Rhinoceros Studios (tracks 2–10)

Art works

• Cover art concept – Michael Hutchence, Grant Matthews
• Photography – Grant Matthews