Kiss The Dirt
Replacing a lead singer is not easy -- just ask Eddie Van Halen. But when your lead singer suffered a tragic death, it's an even more daunting proposition. For every Brian Johnson-fronted AC/DC, we get a Doors 21st Century. However, it is 2005, and we know reality TV can get people to do crazy shit.
I should point out that the groups below insist they are not looking to "replace" the dead member. They're just looking to "cash in" "launch the next phase" of their careers. Coming to a DVR near you, in order of increasing offensiveness...
TLCDoesn't "Need You Tonight" have the greatest guitar hook? I just never get sick of listening to it. It's begging to be sampled/mashed. Are there any INXS mash-ups out there? ("Never Tear Us Apart" would be good source material too.)
Show: R U The Girl With T-Boz & Chilli
Dead Person: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, died 4/26/02
Since U Been Gone: The dance-pop trio's wildest member died in a car accident while vacationing in Honduras. Since Lisa's death, T-Boz and Chilli have focused on acting and solo music projects, in addition to promoting a Greatest Hits CD.INXS
Show: INXS Rock Star (Not New Sensation? Pshaw.)
Dead Person: Michael Hutchence, died 11/21/97
Since U Been Gone: The '80s megastar was found naked in his hotel room, hanging by a leather belt. Reports of auto erotic asphyxiation were ruled out by the family. Coroner declared it a suicide. Since Michael's passing the Farriss brothers have performed one-offs with other singers, including Terence Trent D'Arby and Jon Stevens (at the Syndey Olympics closing ceremony).BIG BROTHER
Show: Search For The Pearl
Dead Person: Janis Joplin, died 10/4/70
Since U Been Gone: One of rock's most electrifying (and hardest living) blues vocalists overdosed on heroin before "Me and Bobby McGee" became a huge hit. Dueling biopics, Piece Of My Heart starring Renée Zellweger and The Gospel According To Janis starring Pink, are currently in production. Big Brother were superfluous even when Janis was alive; using her name to relaunch a band that's been out of public consciousness for three decades is pretty lame in Stereogum's opinion.
Continuing The Discussion: Are there any bands you would like to see replace a dead member on reality TV?
Posted at 10:34 AM
How 'bout Ashlee Simpson. She may not be dead.... but her career sure is. Do something really obscure, like finding a replacement for Toy Matinee's Kevin Gilbert, who, unlike Michael Hutchence, DID indeed die of auto erotic asphyxiation.
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Woah, Terence Trent D'Arby fronting INXS? Now that I'd like to hear. And come to think of it, a mashup of "Need You Tonight" and "Wishing Well" might work quite nicely.
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Oh, and on the hanging frontman tip, I want to see a show where New Order finds a new Ian Curtis and reforms Joy Division. If "Waiting for the Siren's Call" tanks, who knows?
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fyi, at least the Doors got a decent lead singer. Not to say it's still the same band exactly, but you can't blame those guys for feeling like they want to get out and play.
About INXS, I heard some really good reviews about the show that TTD did with the band. Wouldn't mind seeing him try it.
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yow,if only wesley willis hadn't died,he would be a great fit for Inxs. seriously,why do this when you can't touch excellence.i am so not down with karaoke singer busting out with "Don't Change" the truth was that Michael was Inxs. if they wanted someone close,they could have convinced kylie to front the band.
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The 'Need You Tonight' line "Your moves are so raw", referring to a v. sensual woman, still gives me the boiling blood!
Are Julian Lennon and Dhani Harrison free to play any gigs with... y'know, those other two guys?
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I really didn't know much about INXS til one fateful day I decided to copy my mum's copy of their greatest hits on my computer...I loved it (particularly Never Tear Us Apart...I have the ringtone)
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Hey, what about Queen? Freddie Mercury is irreplacable, but I think they could do a lot better than Paul Rogers who they're actually currently touring with in Europe.
P.S. Need you Tonight is the shizz, you're all right. :)
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Poor old INXS. Michael Hutchence was probably going to leave them anyway once he finished his solo album. They were all very rich, had invested well and really didn't need to spend all these years fucking up the legacy of Michael -- one of the last real frontmen with charisma. Shame Tim Farriss, shame.
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There have actually been a couple of officially sanctioned INXS reworkings, which from memory are:
tall paul - precious heart (a.k.a never tear us apart)
rogue traders - one of my kind (a reworking of 'need you tonight')
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"What You Need" was sampled by Armand Van Helden on his "Stupid Fresh #1" 2X12".
http://www.discogs.com/release/123457
Track A2.
http://www.611records.com/content/clips/1026StupidFresh2.rm
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Need You Tonight is great, but then INXS had so many great songs such as Kiss The Dirt, Love Is (What I Say), Mystify, Just Keep Walking (which is from 1981 or 82 don't know but it is quite old)...
This reality Rockstar thing is just a bad idea why couldn't they just broken up after Michael died?
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What would be really funny if Mad TV or SNL did a parody of the whole "Search for the next Janis" show and they had people like Ashlee Simpson etc all audition.
To me replacing a lead singer who has passed on and finding that new person on a reality tv show kinda cheeses up the legacy of a great band such as INXS.
And if the guys from Big Brother are so desperate why don't they do a tribute show to Janis (ala what the surviving members of the Doors did a few years back on VH-1) and have people like Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge sing the songs. They both totally rocked Janis at this years grammys.
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I kinda skimmed this entry then honed in on the most horrifying thing I've ever read...Bridget Jones is playing Janis Joplin? Are you SHITTING me?
But that paled in comparison to reading the next two words and finding out that Pink was playing her too.
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I thought that I read at one point Melissa Etheridge wanted to play Janis in a biopic. I can see Renee Z. playing her more so that I can Pink.
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While I have had it for (maybe?) 10 years, INX's "Live Baby Live" cd is one of my favorites that is always in my cd changer. One of the best live cd's Ive ever heard (M. Etheridge bootlegs aside)
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Dude, this is just sad and proves that people will do anything to make a quick buck off a public that buys whatever is promoted to them through reality TV. Shit, while we're at it, let's do a show where Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr go to your local Guitar Center and have people audition to take George and Johns place in the "New Beatles 2005" lineup. Pepsi can sponsor the whole thing and Ryan Seacrest can host. Then when you are done text messaging your picks on your Cingular phone, you can go pick up the inevitably horrible new record, as well as those by TLC and Clay Aiken.
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One of the first mashups I ever heard was that Soulwax one : Beastie Boys vs. H. Hancock + INXS + AC/DC – “Intergalactic”. About halfway through that drops the NYT hook under the Intergalactic vocal.
Probably still floating around somewhere.
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arman maulana become INX's singer?...i think it will be great. arman will give a new "sensation" for INX's. He's has a magic voice, and crazy style...n off course rock'in dude..
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Armand Maulana went only as a reporter of O'Channel TV, a local Indonesia TV.
The rumours was blown up in order to boost the selling of Armand's band concert in Jakarta.
Poorly, it didn't work well.
He was sent there only because he is one of MuKas' (O'Channel prod)best friends.
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I know Freddie Mercury is irreplacable but Paul Rodgers is purdy damned good. He cant touch Freddie but I beleive he is worthy to play with Queen. Just buy the DVD and see what I mean!
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Pioneering screenwriter Nigel Kneale, best known for the Quatermass TV serials and films, dies aged 84...
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