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Remember When Daryl Hall Sang on an INXS Song in 1983?
INXS’s 1983 single “Original Sin” featured guest vocals from Daryl Hall on its chorus, a collaboration reportedly proposed by producer Nile Rodgers. The article highlights the pairing as notable because Hall & Oates were successful in their own right, while INXS already had established hits and did not obviously need a high-profile guest.
Rodgers encouraged changing a lyric to reference both a Black boy and a white girl, aiming to make the song’s message about interracial relationships more forceful; Hall’s manager initially considered it too controversial. “Original Sin”, written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, was the first single from INXS’s fourth album, The Swing, and was the only track Rodgers produced for the record.
In short
- Daryl Hall sang on INXS’s 1983 single “Original Sin”.
- Nile Rodgers proposed the guest appearance and lyric change.
- The collaboration faced initial concerns over controversy.
Explained simply
In 1983, Australian rock band INXS released a single called "Original Sin" featuring American pop artist Daryl Hall as a guest vocalist on the chorus. Hall was known as half of the hugely successful duo Hall & Oates, whilst INXS were already establishing themselves as major recording artists. The collaboration was orchestrated by legendary music producer Nile Rodgers, who produced the track for the band's fourth album, The Swing.
The partnership seemed unusual because both acts were already at the peak of their commercial success and neither appeared to need the other's credibility. "Original Sin", written by INXS members Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, therefore stood out as an uncommon pairing of two established names rather than an instance of an established artist helping to launch a rising one.
Producer Rodgers championed a change to the song's lyrics to more explicitly address interracial relationships, aiming to strengthen the track's social message. Hall's management team initially had reservations about whether the revised lyric was too controversial, though the final version proceeded with these changes. The track was the sole Rodgers production on The Swing album.