“This song is almost 40 years old.
Michael Hutchence died at age 37.
The song has been here longer than he lived. And still we all love it.”
This is one of my favourite ’80s Australian songs and, hands down, my favourite by INXS. I never grow tired of hearing it. Its snarling sound has so much bite and it’s mostly a drum-and-guitar-driven song. I mean, nearly all conventional modern rock songs have guitars and drums in them, but few are as penetrating and sharp as they are here. Everything about this song is brilliant. It kills at clubs and parties. The bassline, the drumming, the lyrics, the singing, the rhythm – this is one of a kind. This is ’80s rock at its best.
Hutchence’s voice brilliantly captures the desperation in the song. The saxophone parts, interspersed throughout, add so much sizzle to the flame. It’s a damn sexy song. The climax for me comes at around the 1:50 mark. Every time I hear it with other people, I tell them, “Here it comes… you ready?” There are few drum passages that appeal to me more than that one. Then it’s soon joined by the wicked guitar, and the two become like a duet – an accompanying act all of their own. It’s pretty badass.
The video presentation below is fantastic. It’s like a splattering of paint on a canvas, reflecting the frenetic pace of the song. Kids, this is what you call a music video!
Snippets from Wikipedia:
What You Need was the lead single off INXS’ 1985 album Listen Like Thieves. The album was considered an international breakthrough album for the band peaking at No. 11 on the US Billboard. What You Need was the band’s first American Top Ten hit, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard.
After the album Listen Like Thieves was recorded and ready to be given to the record label for inspection, producer Chris Thomas was worried that the album didn’t have a “hit”. As Andrew Farriss recalled in a 2005 interview; “‘What You Need’ is another example of a huge hit that essentially took no time at all. We’d already finished the Listen Like Thieves album but Chris Thomas (the producer) told us there was still no ‘hit’. We left the studio that night knowing we had one day left and we had to deliver ‘a hit’. Talk about pressure. The band’s performance on that track is amazing. We absolutely nailed it.“
[Verse 1]
Hey, here is the story
Forget about your troubles in life
Don’t you know it’s not easy
When you gotta walk upon that line?
[Chorus]
That’s what
You need
Ooh, that’s what
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
[Verse 2]
Oh, don’t you get sad and lonely
You need a change from what you do all day
There is no sense in all your crying
Pick it up and throw it into shape
Ooh yeah
[Chorus]
That’s what
You need
Ooh, that’s what
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
[Bridge]
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
This is what you need, this is what you need
I’ll give you what you need, yeah
Mmm, yeah
Let’s go
[Verse 3]
Hey you, don’t you listen?
This is not the end of it all
Don’t you see there is a rhythm?
It’ll take you where you really need to be
Woah
[Outro]
Woah
Oh woah, woah
Yeah, yeah, this is what to be, what to be
Give it all, give it all, give it all
Yeah
I’ll take you, I’ll take you where you wanna be
It’s right
Take you
References:
1. What You Need (INXS song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I was 25 in 1985. Believe me when I say, I would give ALMOST ANYTHING for just ONE NIGHT of 25 again.
My late GF put this song on the jukebox in the club in which we danced. I loved this song 41 years ago & I still loved it. When I played it just now, you KNOW I got up & danced, although not quite in the same manner as I did 41 years ago. My arthritic knees won’t allow that. LOL
But I’m still dancing, baby. & I still love INXS. RIP Michael Hutchence
Oh, yes – those were the days. I see Dancing was your true passion and still is.
I remember’Oh What a Night’ by Frankie Vallie playing a lot when we went out back then as well as ‘What You Need’.
I was never a big fan of INXS, but they sure did make a splash internationally.
“Oh What a Night” was a released in 1975 & it was a huge hit & it’s never stopped being a hit.
I didn’t really like it back then but my BF’s kid brother ~ who was a BIG Beach Boys fan ~ really loved it. So I liked it because of him.
Forty years ~ or so ~ I hung out at a bar called Checkers & the bartender/accountant was this guy named Mike Thomas, who was one of my very best friends. He was a HUGE Frankie Valli/Four Seasons fan. I remember sitting at the bar one sunny Saturday morning ~ yeah, MORNING ~ & the song came on & he sang along ~ every last word of it ~ he was SO HAPPY. He told me this story of how he hung out with Frankie & his crew when they played Buffalo in 1968 ~ he missed the show because he was working ~ but he ran into them at a bar & he played pool & drank with them all night long. Clearly, the highlight of his life.
I lost Mike in 2016. He died of lung cancer. He had quit smoking 10 years earlier. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss this man. He was so kind, so funny, so understanding. One of my very best friends EVER.
Oh What a Night hit me straight off the bat. If there was just one song from my partying days as a young bloke that captured all the excitement of those nights in both words and music, it was this one. Funny enough, though, I never revisited it until recently after all these years, and it certainly brought back memories of those alcohol-fuelled nights in the clubs.
I remember you commenting about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in your previous post on Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. What a contrast that song is to Oh What a Night! Your personal story about one of your best friends hanging out with them was so cool. It’s sad that he died of lung cancer, just like my father did, and Dad had quit smoking cigars and a pipe too.
But it’s clear you still remember your friend with great affection. I know exactly what you mean about having a best friend like that.
Love it
Sweet, man
1985….I was 15 and it was a great year!!! Man, INXS was one of THE bands to listen to.
Oh, nice, Tracie. I was 11 back then. It’s great that an Aussie rock-pop band from all those years ago made such an impression in your neck of the woods.
OMG they were huge! All over MTV.
It’s a great song and I was fortunate to hear it live.
Hey Sheree, I’m always fascinated how many of these groups you’ve seen live. Lucky, you!
Where did you see them? How was their performance?
Saw them at Wembley Stadium, July 1991 – epic performance.
It’s funny how I never pictured them ever performing big stadiums, but of course they did. And you seeing them at the iconic Wembley stadiim must have been mindblowing.
such a great song, I listened to them over and over back when..excellent Matt
I’m finding out here, how popular the band were overseas. Nice.