INXS Underneath The Colours Turns 40

INXS’ second album ‘Underneath The Colours’ was released 40 years ago this week.

‘Underneath The Colours’ came out on 19 October 1981 on Sydney independent label Deluxe Records, owned by Michael Browning, who was AC/DC’s first manager. Browning managed Doug Parkinson and Python Lee Jackson in the 1960s and then set up Consolidated Rock, a booking agency, with his teenager friend Michael Gudinski.

INXS ‘Underneath The Colours’ was produced by Richard Clapton. INXS had a couple of chart hits prior to ‘Underneath The Colours’. ‘Just Keep Walking’ off the first album in 1980 reached no 38. Their non-album track single cover version of The Loved Ones ‘The Loved One’ (Clapton also produced the single) made it to 18. The first single this album ‘’Stay Young’ (written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence) reached no 21.

The ‘Underneath The Colours’ album reached no 15 on the Australian chart. The first album ‘INXS’ peaked at 27. The next album ‘Shabooh Shoobah’ was the one to hit the big time (no 5 Australia, no 46 USA).

After ‘Underneath The Colours’ INXS left indie Deluxe for the corporate world of Warner (Australia) and Atlantic’s ATCO (USA).

Deluxe Records also had moderate hit with The Dugites and The Numbers. Michael Browning continues to operate the label out of Sydney.