Suicide Blonde
Encyclopedia
"Suicide Blonde" is the title of the first single from the INXS
album X
. It reached the top 10 on the US Hot 100 (#9) and Australia in 1990
and reached a peak of #11 in the UK.
and Andrew Farriss
of the group INXS, after the band had gotten back together after a year-long sabbatical in 1989. The song was named after a woman who had bleached her own hair because she had "dyed" by her own hand and who was "love devastation". It is rumoured that Hutchence's then-girlfriend, Kylie Minogue
, gave him the inspiration for the title while working on her 1989 film The Delinquents. Minogue was required to dye her hair platinum blonde for the role and was quoted by Hutchence in an interview in '89 as saying "I'm going suicide blonde today".
The recording of "Suicide Blonde" showed some new influences on INXS. Jon Farriss
's drums show the influence of dance music especially the acid house
sounds popular in the UK. Similarly, the blues harp
intro on the track, performed by Charlie Musselwhite
, was sampled
rather than recorded live.
The track became poignant after Hutchence committed suicide on 22 November 1997, and his lover Paula Yates
died of an overdose on 17 September 2000, after attempting suicide in 1998. Kym Wilson
(with her then boyfriend Andrew Reyment the last people to see Michael alive) also became known as the "Suicide Blonde" in the tabloids.
of the track received wide airplay on US top 40 stations, reaching the top 10 of the dance chart
. In the UK
, the track reached a peak of #11 while it reached #3 in their homeland of Australia
1 and #1 in Canada.
cover of the song by Urselle was included on the 2006 compilation Jazz and '90s.
episode Clarissa News Network.
12" maxi : Mercury / INXS 1412 (UK)
CD single : Mercury / INXCD 14 (UK)
CD maxi : Atlantis
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
album X
X (INXS album)
X is Australian rock band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. It peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 5 in the United States, No. 2 in the United Kingdom, No. 5 in Switzerland and No. 10 in Sweden. The album contains four hit singles, "Suicide Blonde", "Disappear",...
. It reached the top 10 on the US Hot 100 (#9) and Australia in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
and reached a peak of #11 in the UK.
Writing and recording
The song was written by Michael HutchenceMichael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
and Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss
Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and main composer for the Australian band INXS.-Career:...
of the group INXS, after the band had gotten back together after a year-long sabbatical in 1989. The song was named after a woman who had bleached her own hair because she had "dyed" by her own hand and who was "love devastation". It is rumoured that Hutchence's then-girlfriend, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, gave him the inspiration for the title while working on her 1989 film The Delinquents. Minogue was required to dye her hair platinum blonde for the role and was quoted by Hutchence in an interview in '89 as saying "I'm going suicide blonde today".
The recording of "Suicide Blonde" showed some new influences on INXS. Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock band INXS.-Biography:...
's drums show the influence of dance music especially the acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
sounds popular in the UK. Similarly, the blues harp
Blues harp
The Richter-tuned harmonica, or 10-hole harmonica or blues harp , is the most widely known type of harmonica...
intro on the track, performed by Charlie Musselwhite
Charlie Musselwhite
Charlie Musselwhite is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, one of the non-black bluesmen who came to prominence in the early 1960s, along with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield. Though he has often been identified as a "white bluesman", he claims Native American heritage...
, was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
rather than recorded live.
The track became poignant after Hutchence committed suicide on 22 November 1997, and his lover Paula Yates
Paula Yates
Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
died of an overdose on 17 September 2000, after attempting suicide in 1998. Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson is an Australian actress.Wilson was born in Brisbane, Australia. She completed her secondary education at Stella Maris College, Manly. Her first major role was in the television mini-series Brides of Christ and she remains best known for playing Darcy Hudson in A Country Practice...
(with her then boyfriend Andrew Reyment the last people to see Michael alive) also became known as the "Suicide Blonde" in the tabloids.
Chart performances
The track was released in September 1990 throughout the world. In the US, the track reached a peak of #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped both the modern rock and mainstream rock charts. A dance remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the track received wide airplay on US top 40 stations, reaching the top 10 of the dance chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
. In the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the track reached a peak of #11 while it reached #3 in their homeland of Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
1 and #1 in Canada.
Cover versions
A jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
cover of the song by Urselle was included on the 2006 compilation Jazz and '90s.
Trivia
Ferguson Darling is heard singing the title of this song on the Clarissa Explains It AllClarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
episode Clarissa News Network.
Track listings
7" single : Mercury / INXS 14 (UK)- "Suicide Blonde [7" mix]"—3:53
- "Everybody Wants U Tonight"—5:09
12" maxi : Mercury / INXS 1412 (UK)
- "Suicide Blonde [devastation mix]"—6:19
- "Suicide Blonde [milk mix]"—5:40
- "Everybody Wants U Tonight"—5:09
CD single : Mercury / INXCD 14 (UK)
- "Suicide Blonde [demolition mix]"—6.53
- "Suicide Blonde [7" NIK mix]"
- "Everybody Wants U Tonight"—5:09
CD maxi : Atlantis
- "Suicide Blonde" (7" mix)—3:54
- "Suicide Blonde" (earth mix)—5:39
- "Suicide Blonde" (devastation mix)—6:19
- "Suicide Blonde" (milk mix)—5:40
- "Suicide Blonde" (demolition mix)—6:53
- "Everybody Wants U Tonight"—5:09
Peak positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 2 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 24 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 5 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 23 |
| German Singles Chart | 23 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 16 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 42 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 55 |
See also
- List of number-one singles in 1990 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
- Number one modern rock hits of 1990Number one modern rock hits of 1990These are the Billboard magazine Modern Rock Tracks number one hits of 1990....