Remember When Daryl Hall Sang on an INXS Song in 1983?

In 1983, INXS released “Original Sin”. One of INXS’s most noteworthy songs, “Original Sin” is the first single from The Swing, their fourth studio album.

Written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, INXS already had several hits before “Original Sin”, including “The Loved One”, “Stay Young”, “The One Thing”, and more. So INXS didn’t necessarily need more star power, but they certainly got it with “Original Sin”. Daryl Hall, best known as one-half of the hit duo Hall & Oates with John Oates, joins INXS on the chorus of “Original Sin”.

“Original Sin” says, “You might know of the original sin / And you might know how to play with fire / But did you know of the murder committed / In the name of love, yeah / You thought what a pity / Dream on white boy / Dream on black girl / And wake up to a brand-new day / To find your dreams have washed away.”

Why Daryl Hall Joined INXS on “Original Sin”

Adding Hall was reportedly the idea of producer Nile Rodgers. Because of the daring lyric, at least in that era, Hall’s manager was initially against the collaboration.

“The original lyrics were ‘Dream on white boy, dream on white girl,’ Rodgers recalls. “I said, ‘Why not make it Black boy white girl?’ I come from an interracial couple. Psychologically, that makes it a bigger statement. Even when I rang up Daryl Hall from Hall and Oates to sing on it, his manager thought it was too controversial.”

Rodgers admits that the song may have been bigger had they not changed the lyrics, not that he cares. 

When talking about the unique collaboration, Hall remembers Rodgers calling him, asking him to join INXS in the studio.

“They wanted me to sing on it for some reason,” Hall says. “I don’t know why, because they’re good singers. They didn’t need me, but I did it anyway.” 

When “Original Sin” was released, Hall & Oates were having plenty of hits on their own, with songs like “Kiss On My List”, “Private Eyes”, “Maneater”, and more.

The Swing remains among INXS’s most noteworthy albums. The record also includes “I Send A Message”, “Burn For You”, and “Dancing On The Jetty”. Interestingly, “Original Sin” is the only song Rodgers produced on The Swing.

“That’s a track we cut in 1983 with Nile Rodgers at the Power Station in New York,” Farriss tells Songfacts. “He came to see us in Canada, and he said, ‘I really want to record with you guys.’ We were really surprised. I was 23, this young guy from Australia. Like, ‘What do you want to be working with us for?’”

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