The 1987 hit single Need You Tonight was the first release from INXS’s hugely successful album Kick. It became the band’s only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and, on its re-release in 1988, climbed to number two in the UK, making it their highest-charting track there. Its sleek, minimalist production and hypnotic groove set it apart from much of the rock landscape of the time and cemented its place as the band’s defining song.
Kick was recorded at Rhinoceros Studios in Sydney, Australia, which housed the first SSL 4000 console in the country. The sessions were tracked to a 32-track Otari digital recorder, with a Studer 800 Mk3 running as backup. Michael Hutchence’s distinctive lead vocal was captured using a pair of AKG 451 microphones set in an X-Y configuration, with the signal then processed through a Yamaha REV7 running in phase mode to create its unique edge. Apart from this, the album made restrained use of effects, with a Lexicon 224X and an AMS RMX16 supplying reverb where needed.
For the rhythmic foundation of Need You Tonight, INXS relied heavily on the Roland TR-707 drum machine, which was programmed to drive the track with its sharp, clean samples of real drum hits. The 707 provided the tight kick and snare pattern that underpins the entire groove, alongside its signature hi-hats and claps. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the TR-707 was prized for its ability to sit comfortably alongside live instruments, and here it became the bedrock on which Andrew Farriss built the song’s spare guitar riff and synth textures. The 707’s precision gave the track a modern, almost mechanical pulse, while the band layered in subtle percussion to maintain a human feel.
Once the recording was complete, the album was mixed at AIR Studios in London by Bob Clearmountain, working again on an SSL 4000. He used Chris Thomas’s relatively mono mixes as his starting point, widening the soundstage with carefully applied tape delay and panning moves that gave the final version of Need You Tonight its depth and polish.
The song’s success transformed INXS from an established Australian band into global stars. Driven by the Roland TR-707’s unmistakable beat, Michael Hutchence’s charismatic vocal, and a guitar riff that remains instantly recognisable, Need You Tonight became the group’s signature song. Decades later, its minimalism and groove still sound fresh, a testament to both the band’s vision and the technology that helped realise it.