Elegantly Wasted (song)

This article is about the single and title track of an INXS album. For the album, see Elegantly Wasted.
"Elegantly Wasted"
Single by INXS
from the album Elegantly Wasted
B-side "Need You Tonight"
Released 22 March 1997
Format CD single, Cassette
Recorded 1997
Genre Alternative rock
Length 4:32 (album version)
3:53 (single edit)
Label Mercury
Writer(s) Michael Hutchence, Andrew Farriss
Producer(s) Bruce Fairbairn
INXS singles chronology
"The Strangest Party (These Are the Times)"
(1994)		 "Elegantly Wasted"
(1997)		 "Everything"
(1997)

"Elegantly Wasted" is the first single from and title track of the album Elegantly Wasted by INXS, released in Europe, Japan, Australia and South Africa, and the US. The song is said to have been written after Hutchence and Bono from U2 went out for a "night on the town".[1]

"Elegantly Wasted" is a deft mix of rock infused with dance beats. The band's new sound bridged the gap between the public's taste for post-grunge rock anthems, and the slinky mechanical seduction of electronica.

After an argument with Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Hutchence added some additional vocals to the chorus, which the rest of the band were unaware of until months after the album's release. When listening for it, the chorus can either be heard as "I am elegantly wasted" or "I am better than Oasis".[2] This was further to an altercation between Michael Hutchence and the Gallagher brothers at the 1996 BRIT awards. At the awards Noel collected an award from Hutchence by saying "Has-beens should not be presenting awards to gonna-be's." It was also reported that Liam Gallagher and Michael Hutchence had a scuffle backstage with Hutchence throwing a fire extinguisher at Liam following some disparaging remarks he made about his then lover Paula Yates. [3]

Elegantly Wasted was the last album released by INXS with Michael Hutchence, who died that same year, on 22 November 1997.

B-sides

The B-sides on the first CD single included INXS's biggest hit "Need You Tonight", a 1995 mix of "Original Sin" by Chris & James and a remix of album track "I'm Only Looking" from Full Moon, Dirty Hearts by David Morales. The second CD single included three remixes of "Elegantly Wasted" by dance artists Shagsonic and G-Force.

Video

Directed by English music director Michael Stern, the video features the band wandering around an airport terminal as the awaiting passengers begin to watch and interact with the band. A small set was built in Los Angeles to resemble the interiors of an airport with extras being brought in to play the passengers.[4] Shooting for the video began in late December 1996 and completed in January in the New Year. The video also includes snippets and brief clips taken from the Eleganty Wasted video shoot which were photographed and used for the albums cinematic cover art.

Track listings

CD5 INXCD28 – Single 1 – Mercury/UK
CD5 574 309-2 – Single 1 – Mercury/Australia/Europe
  1. "Elegantly Wasted" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Need You Tonight" (album version) – 3:01
  3. "Original Sin" (Epic Adventure) – 9:38
  4. "I'm Only Looking" (The Morales Bad Yard Mix) – 8:16
CD5 INXDD28 – Single 2 – Mercury/UK
CD5 INXDD28 – Single 2 – Mercury/UK limited edition with 4 postcards
CD5 574 293-2 – Single 2 – Mercury/Australia Europe limited edition with 4 postcards
CD5 MAXCD046 – Polygram/South Africa
  1. "Elegantly Wasted" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Elegantly Wasted" (Shagsonic Remix) – 7:56
  3. "Elegantly Wasted" (Shagsonic Dub) – 8:25
  4. "Elegantly Wasted" (G-Force and Seiji Remix) – 6:36
CD5 – PHCR 8396 – Mercury/Japan
  1. "Elegantly Wasted" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Need You Tonight" (album version) – 3:01
  3. "Original Sin" (Epic Adventure) – 9:38
  4. "I'm Only Looking" (The Morales Bad Yard Mix) – 8:16
Cassette INXMC 28 – Mercury/Europe
  1. "Elegantly Wasted" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Need You Tonight" (album version) – 3:01

Charts

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 48
German Singles Chart 72
UK Singles Chart 20
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[5] 13
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] 37
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[5] 13
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[5] 22

References

  1. ↑ http://www.u2faqs.com/friends/
  2. ↑ INXS: Story to Story (the official autobiography), pages 252 & 253
  3. ↑ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=9641
  4. ↑ Elegantly Wasted commentary - "I'm Only Looking - The Best of INXS" - Retrieved June 5th 2016
  5. 1 2 3 4 "INXS - Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
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