"What You Need" (INXS)

INXS at the peak of its powers had a lot going for it: a knack for crafting memorable tunes with memorable hooks; a sense of groove that was equally distilled from Stones-ian grit, New Wave quirkiness, and the spirit of Memphis soul; and, last but not least, a frontman who sounded like Mick Jagger (only better) and eerily resembled Jim Morrison (with some of the same demons to match, unfortunately).

"What You Need" from the album Listen Like Thieves (1985) is the perfect example of the band firing on all cylinders.  The chunky riff that drives the verses feels like something that might have been written by Steve Cropper 20 years earlier with Otis Redding in mind, whereas the blasts of distorted guitar on each chorus sound like something Keith Richards and Mick Taylor might have concocted, circa Sticky Fingers.  Yet there's the keyboard bass and dancehall drums with lots of gate reverb underlying it all, reminding you (albeit subtly) that it was recorded in the era of big hair and shoulder pads.

And I can't neglect to mention Michael Hutchence's vocal, which is one of the most spirited, soulful performances in pop/rock of that entire decade.

In short, the song is just catchy and danceable as hell.

Apparently, "What You Need" hadn't even been slated for the album, though.  INXS had cut 10 tracks for Listen Like Thieves and felt it was complete when producer Chris Thomas (also known for his work with The Sex Pistols, Roxy Music, and The Pretenders) told the band the album was lacking a hit single.  He gave them 24 hours to come up with one, otherwise the record wasn't going to ship on time.

Hard-pressed for another song, INXS turned in a demo called "Funk Song No. 13" by its keyboardist Andrew Farriss.  Thomas heard it, liked its Stax-inspired riff, and encouraged the band to develop it.  Within a day, the group transformed "Funk Song No. 13" into "What You Need," and within 48 hours, the song was recorded, mastered, and added as the opening track of the album.

Good move, considering "What You Need" landed INXS its first Top 5 hit.