Sometimes a great guitar line—one where subversion, slinkiness, and skill merge—needs a percussive slap to kick it into high gear. That’s exactly what the Roland TR-707 did for the Australian band, INXS, on the group’s signature song, “Need You Tonight.” The track, which sounds like some combination of David Bowie’s croon and RuPaul’s catwalk strut, is both sultry and powerful. The screech of the guitar becomes electrified by the distinctive, smacking sound of the TR-707. INXS songwriter, Andrew Farriss, used the drum machine in spades on the band’s 1987 hit single.
Ageless Appeal
Created mere months after the Roland TR-707’s 1985 debut, “Need You Tonight” was a massive smash. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and two on the UK Singles Chart the same year. Sampled within an inch of its life, it’s as indelible a pop song as any ever released. Somehow “Need You Tonight” keeps bouncing back and still hits as hard as it did on its initial release.
In fact, the track, which was the initial single off the band’s record, Kick, has an ageless appeal. When an INXS documentary came out in 2014, the immortal track charted once again in Australia from download sales alone.
"The signature "Need You Tonight" guitar lick popped into Andrew Farriss’ head as he was hopping into a cab."
Leave the Meter Running
As the origin story goes, the signature “Need You Tonight” guitar lick popped into Farriss’ head as he was hopping into a cab. He told the driver to wait a few minutes while he returned to his hotel room to get something. In actuality, Farriss ran up to his room to record the riff. This took about an hour, much to the chagrin of the disgruntled taxi driver. But the wait paid off for Farriss and INXS. (We can only hope Farriss tipped the cabbie fairly.)
Drum Machine Picks up Chart Stream
“I used a Roland 707 drum machine to program the groove for what became ‘Need You Tonight,’” Farriss told Mix Online. “What’s on the record is pretty much exactly what I put into the drum machine.”
At the time, “Need You Tonight” received so much acclaim, that even the track’s music video rocketed up the pop charts. It won five MTV Music Awards in 1988, including Video of The Year. The song hit number 21 on the channel’s list of greatest videos of all time. But for the rock band, INXS, the song marked some newfound territory. It was one of the group’s most electronic tunes, a deviation from its more analog temperament.
Making History
Furthermore, it’s easy to wonder that if it wasn’t for two or three key factors, music history might be different. Without the melody’s arrival in Farriss’ brain, his willingness to make a driver wait, and the impact of the TR-707, would we have lost an all-time great?
"It was one of the group’s most electronic tunes, a deviation from its more analog temperament."
Instead, though, we’ve all won. No need to envision a life without this sticky track. Backed by its dreamy b-side (Michael Hutchence’s rapped free associating “Mediate”), the song is an all-time classic. So, let’s put on “Need You Tonight” and get our inner beatbox going. When that muted guitar lick comes on against those 707 rimshots, it feels too good not to.
