"Heaven Sent" is the first single from Australian rock band

INXS INXS (a word play, phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian Rock music, rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboar ...

's eighth studio album, ''

Welcome to Wherever You Are ''Welcome to Wherever You Are'' is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band INXS, which was released on 3 August 1992. With grunge and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself ...

'' (1992). It was released only in Europe, Japan, and Australia. The song was written by

Andrew Farriss Andrew Charles Farriss (born 27 March 1959) is an Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist, backing vocalist, and main composer for rock band INXS. Farriss released his debut studio album in 2021. Care ...

who explained on the liner notes of the 2002 remaster: "Originally I wrote the song as a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

. The band heard it and rocked it up to make it the recording it became. The vocal effect helped give the track some extra attitude."

B-sides

The

b-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

included two solo compositions from Andrew Farriss; "It Ain't Easy", and

Tim Farriss Timothy William Farriss (born 16 August 1957) is an Australian musician, founding member and the lead guitarist of the rock band :INXS. Early life and the formation of INXS Farriss was born in Perth, Western Australia, to Dennis and Jill F ...

; "11th Revolution" as well as, "Deepest Red", a full band outtake from the '' X'' album written by Michael Hutchence and

Jon Farriss Jonathan James Farriss (born 10 August 1961) is an Australian drummer and founding member of rock band INXS. Biography Jon Farriss was born to Dennis and Jill Farriss, and is the second youngest of four children: brothers and fellow band mem ...

. The 12" picture disc (UK) and also the Australian CD5 single included a demo version of "Heaven Sent (Gliding version)" instead of "Deepest Red".

Reception

Q noted the, "slashing guitar tone. A more conventional INXS song apart from the snarling "megaphone" vocal, redolent of Stooges-era

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

. But where the old INXS were all weighed down with big-funk pretensions, this has an air of pure unselfconscious glee. It rocks."

Track listings

Australian CD single # "Heaven Sent" # "It Ain't Easy" # "11th Revolution" # "Deepest Red" # "Heaven Sent" (Gliding version) Australian cassette single and UK CD single # "Heaven Sent" # "It Ain't Easy" # "11th Revolution" # "Deepest Red" UK 7-inch and cassette single; Japanese mini-CD single # "Heaven Sent" # "It Ain't Easy" UK 12-inch picture-disc single :A1. "Heaven Sent" :A2. "It Ain't Easy" :B1. "11th Revolution" :B2. "Heaven Sent" (Gliding version)

Charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control INXS songs 1992 singles 1992 songs East West Records singles Mercury Records singles Song recordings produced by Mark Opitz Songs written by Andrew Farriss Songs written by Michael Hutchence