PHOTO: DEAN KARR | In the world of rock and roll, few names resonate with the same gravity as Michael Hutchence. From the unmistakable voice that defined INXS to his enigmatic stage presence, Hutchence left an indelible mark on music history.
Today, we sit down with legendary music producer Danny Saber whose collaboration with Hutchence produced some of the most hauntingly beautiful tracks of his career. We delve into the creative process, untold stories, and lasting legacy of a true musical icon through the eyes of one of the industry’s most respected producers.
Danny, how did you initially get your start in the music industry?
I basically broke the business with a group of guys that were all managed by Guy Oseary, currently the manager of Madonna and former manager of U2. When we started, Guy was still in high school and he was building a small stable of artists. During those early years, I was the “de facto” producer for the group. Guy went to high school with Freddy DeMann’s daughter, and Freddy gave him an office in his building. Then when Maverick Records launched, Guy was well-positioned to take the next step in the industry and I was fortunate to be right there by his side. My initial relationship with Guy opened up a lot of doors which ultimately gave me my start in this amazing business, one I have been a part of for over 30 years.
Who were your earliest musical inspirations?
Well, it all started with Jimi Hendrix when I was 11. I saw a poster of him in a store that sold records and guitars—do we even have those stores anymore? I wasn’t sure what it meant at the time but found myself fixated on an image of him with a white Strat and those blue crushed velvet pants. I said to myself, “I want that.” As many do, I went through a number of phases as a kid. There was the gnarly Hendrix phase, and then one where I wanted to be Jay Graydon, an amazing session guitarist who did the solo on “Peg” on Steely Dan’s Aja. And then I realized I was never going to be that good of a player, but I knew always had a knack for sort of putting stuff together behind the scenes.
So, those legends inspired you to be a musician?
At first. I initially got my hands on a guitar, drum machine, one of those little portable studios. Then I grabbed a keyboard pretty early on in my development. And I think I was very fortunate, because when I could start to afford things, I would be the first in line to jump on the latest technology. And these were things that I could touch, feel, and hide away for use at a later date as I saw fit. Juxtapose that with today tech where everything’s at your fingertips in a world of plugins. Regardless, I was very fortunate at an early age to learn and master as much technology as I could get my hands on.
Looks like the technology began to win you over, right?
I had my first sampler around the age of 18 years, and that’s really what changed my life. Something inside of me knew that that was the future. And it was the very early days of this technology, I’m talking in the mid-eighties. So, initially I was just a guitar player, but ultimately learned how to do all this other shit so I could play my guitar on my record. But in the end though, I finally realized if I was the producer I ultimately got to hire the guitar player!
Can you share the story of how your relationship with Michael Hutchence first began?
Absolutely. Michael sought me out because he was a fan of the Black Grape record, It’s Great When You’re Straight… Yeah. And as I got to know him, it became apparent really quickly that he was one of those guys that was always on that musical journey, always on that mission to chase whatever’s bubbling in in his brain. Michael was the epitome of that and was always expressing these amazing musical ideas. I think that was a big part of what drove him to do some stuff out of outside of INXS. When the band becomes so big, the battle then began between maintaining what you had while trying to integrate new stuff into an already legendary sound. Who would have guessed that six guys that came out of a garage would become arguably the biggest band in the world, and out of that Michael needed an outlet. So that’s really what initiated our relationship.
So why Danny Saber as an outlet for Michael vs. anyone else available at that time?
As I mentioned, Michael was a fan of that initial Black Grape album, and I believe he heard something in it that was special. Maybe it was way I was able to mix dance music, live instruments, and everything in between. And that’s always been my thing because I’m a musician at heart, but I kind of mastered the technology side. He saw I had an amazing ear for it, which is sometimes hard to find these days. There’s always people that are really good with the electronics, or the instruments, but not both at the same time. My real talent lied right in the middle of it all. So again, it all goes back to getting my hands on stuff early and always having a knack for putting all the puzzle pieces together.
So that’s really what it was all about initially, helping Michael define that unique sound he was looking for. He had been chasing that sound in his head for quite a while and wanted to incorporate everything he cared about into it including all the great stuff about INXS—including the beats, the guitars, and the dance side of the band—but then take that sound a little bit further, making it a bit more dangerous, and ultimately taking some calculated risks along the way.
Reflecting back, what was one of the most memorable moments you shared with Michael during the creation of music together?
Wow. That’s a good one because there’s memorable moments and then there’s memorable moments creating music together. A couple of things happened within the first or second day of us working together that were remarkable. We had been working on a batch of six or seven demos that he had written with Andy Gill. Michael sent me the tracks and we worked through them, at which point I was asked to fly to London. Within the first 48 hours of us being in the studio, I was in the presence of the first real rock star that I ever had access to. Unbelievable.
PHOTO: CHRIS CUFFARO
So, at one point during our sessions, Michael walked up to me and basically said, “Hey man, I just want you to know that this is everything I hoped it would be.” That was amazingly cool because you don’t always get that type of feedback from an artist, let alone one at this level. And I think that’s one of the things our relationship was built on—our immediate connection and trust in one another right from the very beginning. So that was definitely one of those incredible moments, and one that is just outside of the music.
And then the other thing Michael and I talked about quite a bit was just how liberating it was for him to be able to have an idea in his head and sing something and say, “Hey, man, you know what? That might be a guitar. What do you think?” He was not afraid to try new things and could easily share them with me to work through. And that’s not easy to do in this industry. For most, fear is a motherfucker in this industry and it will immediately shut down the potential of where things can go. Not for Michael. For him, it was a situation where everything was built around him musically while feeling free and unafraid to try new things without judgement. So those are the two things—just being able to give him that and really have that freedom. And then just his straightforwardness in his approach, I always knew where I stood with him.
“One Way” and “Save My Life” have already been making waves since their release in May. Could you tell us about the initial spark or inspiration behind these newly released singles?
It all started with Andy Gill and I making the record, which obviously finished posthumously. It was the collection of work that was basically done prior to Michael’s untimely death. It took some time after that to even listen to it, but within a couple of years it came out and it was released on V2 Records. And for a lots of reasons, it really never saw the light of day outside of Australia. A decade or so passed by, and some additional material surfaced on two-inch tape but we didn’t know what it was. I started reviewing it with a guy who was overseeing Michael’s trust at the time, and we concluded that there was something there and it was special.
From those tapes, “One Way” and “Save My Life” were two of the first songs I played around with. It wasn’t like Michael was sitting down with an acoustic guitar with some really rough ideas. These were different. We realized there was no point in releasing another record without some sort of vehicle to market it, and came up with a crazy thought, “Let’s make a documentary.” Nothing had been made at that stage circa 2008/2009, and that journey led to getting The Last Rockstar made. Both “One Way” and “Save My Life” were just a work in process up until a few months ago. I’ve been tweaking them for quite a while and I’ve still got a few more tracks that I may put out down the road.
What did Michael leave you with, what I might consider to be “once in a lifetime” experiences?
Michael left me so much in the incredible few years we worked together. In our world, that type of an experience is a lifetime for an artist and people who are writing songs together. During that time, all the bullshit got pushed aside we were only concerned with one thing, just making the coolest, best shit we could. And because I met him at the stage of my life that I did, and he opened up so much to me, there’s so much that went down that I never really understood until years later and going through this whole process. I feel like he’s with me every day, you know what I mean? And I think that’s part of what we wanted to accomplish in this project. Get some stuff out and remind people of how great Michael was, allowing him to take his rightful place in the collective consciousness where he, and his bandmates, deserved to be—one of the all-time greats.
As a lifelong Michael Hutchence / INXS fan, the emotion in “Save My Life” is off the charts. Can you discuss how your experiences with Michael helped shape the emotional depth of this song?
There are a lot of things about this that I know would’ve made Michael really happy. Just the response to this song alone have been positive. And frankly I don’t get to decide how people take it, so I really appreciate what you said. I think the important thing to keep in mind is that “Save My Life” was ultimately framed up contextually in the back of my mind, as I knew it was going to be used in some really unique ways down the road. I wanted to make it as cinematic as I could.
And what about Michael’s lyrics?
The lyrics for “Save My Life” were truly ironic. Listen to that hook. There’s a lot to it, and I think that was the magic of Michael. There was an honesty about him as an artist and the lyrics were like a diary of everything that was going on at that time. And I think that one of his gifts was his ability to take the things that were happening around him and bring them to life in his music. He was a really great lyricist, and in many occasions that was wrapped up in amazing dance music. Michael doesn’t really get the respect or credit he deserves as a lyricist. He was brilliant.
“One Way” signifies an incredibly powerful message that can interpreted in many different ways. How does this track reflect your personal growth and evolution as an artist/producer since working with Michael?
You’re picking up on what anybody who makes a record really is trying to do, at least in my opinion. We want songs with lyrics that are open to interpretation. When we were kids growing up, all the music had mystique built into it. You didn’t know every little detail, and the lyrics could mean one thing to one person and mean another to somebody else. I can remember Zeppelin’s songs that I thought were about mystical, crazy shit but ultimately ended up being about a car. “One Way” is hitting you that way and I think that’s part of the value of releasing this stuff, even though it’s truly from another era. But lyrically, it’s still somehow tied to the present and on so many different levels. It’s a bridge that reminds people what greatness actually looks like. And I’m not saying this because of anything I’m doing, but because of what Michael actually did.
So, your perspective has changed?
I think what’s been great is the perspective that I’ve gained. I’m fundamentally the same person—as far as wisdom and knowledge goes—but hopefully gotten better at my overall approach to music. I’ve been doing it basically every day for over 30 years, and it now takes me longer to do less, but I know exactly what I want to do. Back in those early days, I threw a lot of stuff against the wall which allowed me the opportunity to refine my style and technique. That has allowed me to take my awareness to a whole other level. But then at the same time, I also realize if I was the guy I was now, then I probably wouldn’t have added the same value to Michael that I actually ended up having.
How do you think Michael would have reacted to your final product?
If Michael were here, I’m confident he would have loved how this all turned out. And it’s not just because the overall response has been so positive—it’s where the response is coming from and who’s embracing it. That would’ve meant a lot to him. But again, that’s the one thing we as artists or record makers—we can’t ultimately control. Once you put it out there, you can’t make people like it and you can’t control how it’s received. That’s up to the world and that he would’ve been pleased about. And like I said, he left me with enough between our relationship and those incredible vocals that I’m confident in the final result.
What has been overall fan response with the release dropping as a picture disc on 10” vinyl?
So far, the response has been fantastic. The reason I wanted to do a picture disc is because I didn’t want to just give the music away digitally. I wanted to do something special to honor Michael’s legacy. I always remember as a kid, the 10” vinyl was always the cool vinyl at the record store and was always behind the counter. And then on top of it I thought, well, everybody doesn’t have a turntable, so I wanted to make the release collectible.
Do you personally think vinyl conveys a different sound than typical digital formats?
Absolutely, but you’ve got to kind of put it into two distinct categories. The are albums that were made to be released on vinyl every step of the way. That was in the technical process right up to whoever was handling the final mastering, which in those days could make or break your record. In 2024, we now have specialists come in and master the digital files specifically for vinyl with very few limitations. I enjoy both and think they all play an important part in the musical sonicsphere.
I also have my own little theory that surrounds that Black Grape album. When we were recording it, there was a special vibe in the studio and the guys knew it. I remember a couple times feeling that if we could somehow capture that feeling and translate it onto the record, we would really have something. And evidently we did, because everybody I’ve met over the years felt when they put that vinyl on whether at home, a party, or wherever—it literally changed the whole vibe in the room in a positive way. And yes, that was the vibe in the studio.
And I think maybe some of that has to do with everything in those days that was still being recorded on two-inch tape. It’s all magnetic and was picking up all the vibrations throughout the room. There’s a bit of wizardry and alchemy to making music. It’s combining vibration, which is really a window into creation. The whole universe is built on that, or that’s one of the elements, right?
Lastly, what message do you hope listeners take away from “One Way” and “Save My Life”, and how does it reflect both your and Michael Hutchence’s legacy in the music world?
Relating to me personally, I think that’s a question for other’s to decide. I was honestly just a conduit for Michael’s greatness. For Michael however, I hope that it just scales up on what’s already happened and becomes a positive reinforcement of all of his greatness. And I think that’s where I’d like to see these songs contribute, to those who love him and I’m in touch with a lot of those people through the fan base) He had the most passionate fans, and to this day they set him apart from other iconic figures within the music industry.
Danny, thanks for taking time with us today. Any final words?
Vinyl is the last bastion in music today. I’m a guy who dedicated my life to making records, and I think the people that are buying vinyl, enjoying vinyl, loving vinyl, and are passionate about vinyl are the foundational people you’re making music for to begin with. If they’re passionate about vinyl, that means they’re passionate about music. So yeah, I love vinyl people and anybody recording vinyl is fucking awesome in my book.
One final question, how can Michael Hutchence fans pick up a copy of the limited edition MKH 10” Red vinyl picture disc?
Great question and thanks for asking. The picture disc is looking to drop later this summer via Deko Entertainment in partnership with Boss Sonics and yours truly. Fans can pre-order the limited edition red vinyl picture disc featuring “One Way” and “Save My Life” HERE.
