Stereogum Home

 

April 24, 2005

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...

TLC
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.

Doesn'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.)

Continuing The Discussion: Are there any bands you would like to see replace a dead member on reality TV?

Posted at 10:34 AM




22 Comments

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.

Posted by: sonicfrog at 04/24/05 2:16 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: mattS at 04/24/05 6:06 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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?

Posted by: mattS at 04/24/05 6:09 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: carrie at 04/24/05 7:09 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: dennard at 04/24/05 9:05 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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?

Posted by: Blu at 04/24/05 9:17 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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)

Posted by: Georgie at 04/24/05 10:51 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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. :)

Posted by: Carrie M. at 04/24/05 11:22 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: peter at 04/25/05 3:42 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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')

Posted by: fred at 04/25/05 6:15 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

"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

Posted by: John at 04/25/05 7:56 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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?

Posted by: Marina at 04/25/05 8:51 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: Grimmone at 04/25/05 9:40 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: holly g. at 04/25/05 9:44 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: Grimmone at 04/25/05 10:23 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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)

Posted by: Tim at 04/25/05 11:44 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: robb at 04/25/05 1:55 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: DJP at 04/26/05 1:17 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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..

Posted by: rinto at 07/13/05 12:43 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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.

Posted by: Kiera at 09/02/05 2:08 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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!

Posted by: Stephen-wouldnt you like to know at 10/20/05 11:48 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Pioneering screenwriter Nigel Kneale, best known for the Quatermass TV serials and films, dies aged 84...

Posted by: Tomas Cantu at 11/12/06 4:52 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo