#double j

INXS - Original Sin (Official Music Video) - 1983

"Original Sin", originally titled "Brand New Day", is the first single from "The Swing" album. This was the band's first #1 Single in Australia. During 1984, it was #1 in Australia (for two weeks in January) as well as in Argentina and France.

‘Original Sin' is one of INXS' most enduring hits. It was their first Australian number one and helped them make inroads into markets around the world they would soon dominate.

The legendary Daryl Hall appears on the song's chorus, though Hall has since said he has no idea why.

“Nile Rodgers is a friend of mine. He was working on the record and he asked me to come down to the studio because they wanted me to sing on it for some reason,” he told Donnie Sutherland on Sounds in 1984. “I don't know why, they're good singers. They didn't need me. But I did it anyway.”

What the artist said:

“INXS just about lost their minds when they saw that Nile Rodgers was backstage at one of their shows in Canada. The band were fans of Chic and his productions and had tried to get the word out that they were keen to work with him on their next album.

“We gave him a copy of the ‘Original Sin' demo, and the next minute we found ourselves rehearsing in Florida, then going into The Power Station in New York City, literally just after David Bowie and his band had left the studio,” Andrew Farriss told FasterLouder in 2014.

“We walked straight in and the best part was the engineer who had worked on a lot of those albums with Nile, Jason Casaro, was there too.

“When I listen to ‘Original Sin' and compare it to other recordings, geez that sounds good. At the time there was this cutting edge of people who were really good at what they were doing, and two of them were sitting in that room.”

What Nile Rodgers said:

Rodgers not only affected the music, but he had a big say in the lyrics for the song's iconic chorus too.

“The original lyrics were, 'Dream on white boy, dream on white girl,' Rodgers told AdelaideNow in 2012. “I said, 'Why not make it 'black boy, white girl?' I come from an inter-racial couple. Psychologically that makes it a bigger statement.'

“Even when I rang up Daryl Hall from Hall and Oates to sing on it, his manager thought it was too controversial. I think the record would have been bigger had I not talked them into changing the lyrics.”

What the press said:

In a glowing review of the song for AllMusic, Ned Raggett particularly outlined the influence of Rodgers' production as a high point of the record.

“It's the monstrous groove and punch of the song that counts first and foremost,” he wrote. “With its stuttering drum breaks, the dark chime of the lead synth line matched by droning guitar, Kirk Pengilly's brisk sax, and the relentless, straight-up rhythm driving everything along.”

@darkerthanyouthink

His eyes open, things blur all around. Uncertain, Julian slowly gathers himself up onto his feet to look at his surrounds. He frowns, nothing he recognizes. Where am I?

“Delores?” His voice falls short. Heard by none. His confused, still looks around for something to help him make sense of it all. He feels bitterly chilled here, there no warmth at all so his arms wrap around himself.

“Hello?” Julian tries to call out but he feels tired now, all he wants to do is sleep. He feels freezing ground touch his knees, standing requires too much effort.

Too.. cold..