[Cover photo credit to Chris Cuffaro]
When vocalist and songwriter Michael Hutchence passed away in 1997, he left an impressive legacy across the entertainment realm. He also left behind unreleased music. Producer, musician and personal friend Danny Saber (Madonna, Rolling Stones, U2) has taken some of these musical pieces and completed them for release. The new single “One Way” has just been released via Boss Sonics.
Boss Sonics will be releasing this track and another, titled “Save My Life”, on a 10″ picture disc in mid-May 2024.
Saber says:
’One Way’ is the culmination of nearly two decades of work. One of the fundamental reasons for releasing this music is to allow the fans to hear Michael’s voice on something new and fresh, offering a glimpse into what might have been, and, in turn, reawakening millions of people who may have simply forgotten about him.
Michael first contacted me in 1995 soon after the release of my album It’s Great When You’re Straight. Michael was a huge fan of my record and wanted to find the right sound for a solo record, a sound that would galvanize all the success he had with INXS and allow him to establish himself as a solo artist and spread his creative wings outside the confines of being the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world.
Working closely with Hutchence, the two became friends and creative partners.
Before he died in 1997, a self-titled solo album was recorded that was released posthumously two years later. Though that seemed like the end of his musical output, a cache of unreleased demos and song ideas resurfaced in a tape locker in London in 2006.
Meanwhile, a documentary about Hutchence’s life was released in Australia and New Zealand, titled The Last Rockstar (2017), which included some snippets of these unfinished tracks.
Saber adds:
I have been working towards bringing this music to the public for over 20 years. While some portions of these songs were featured in the documentary, the fully mastered versions had never been released. Until now.
