Heaven Sent (INXS song) explained

"Heaven Sent" is the first single from Australian rock band INXS's eighth studio album, Welcome to Wherever You Are (1992). It was released only in Europe, Japan, and Australia. The song was written by Andrew Farriss who explained on the liner notes of the 2002 remaster: "Originally I wrote the song as a ballad. 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."^[1]

B-sides

The b-sides included two solo compositions from Andrew Farriss; "It Ain't Easy", and Tim Farriss; "11th Revolution" as well as, "Deepest Red", a full band outtake from the X album written by Michael Hutchence and Jon Farriss. 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. But where the old INXS were all weighed down with big-funk pretensions, this has an air of pure unselfconscious glee. It rocks."^[2]

Track listings

Australian CD single^[3]

1. "Heaven Sent"
2. "It Ain't Easy"
3. "11th Revolution"
4. "Deepest Red"
5. "Heaven Sent" (Gliding version)

Australian cassette single and UK CD single^{[4] [5]}

1. "Heaven Sent"
2. "It Ain't Easy"
3. "11th Revolution"
4. "Deepest Red"

UK 7-inch and cassette single; Japanese mini-CD single^{[6] [7] [8]}

1. "Heaven Sent"
2. "It Ain't Easy"

UK 12-inch picture-disc single^[9]

A1. "Heaven Sent"

A2. "It Ain't Easy"

B1. "11th Revolution"

B2. "Heaven Sent" (Gliding version)

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10]	46
Greece (IFPI)[11]	9
Portugal (AFP)[12]	10

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
Australia	22 June 1992	CD	EastWest
United Kingdom	6 July 1992		Mercury	[13]
Japan	25 August 1992	Mini-CD	EastWest	[14]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Archived copy . inxs.com . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090327020949/http://www.inxs.com/year_by_year.asp#1992 . 27 March 2009 . dead.
2. Web site: . INXS: Welcome To Wherever You Are. David Sinclair .
3. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. Australian CD single liner notes. EastWest Records. 450990115-2.
4. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. Australian cassette single sleeve. EastWest Records. 450990115-4.
5. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. UK CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. INXCD 19, 866 953-2.
6. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. UK 7-inch single sleeve. Mercury Records. INXS 19, 866 953-2.
7. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. UK cassette single sleeve. Mercury Records. INXMC 19.
8. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. Japanese mini-CD single liner notes. EastWest Records. WMD5-4108.
9. Heaven Sent. INXS. 1992. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Mercury Records. INXSP 19.
10. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 9. 33. 17. 15 August 1992. 30 October 2020.
11. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 40. 26. 3 October 1992. 30 October 2020.
12. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 33. 16. 15 August 1992. 30 October 2020.
13. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 21. 4 July 1992.
14. Web site: ヘブン・セント INXS. Heaven Sent INXS. Oricon. ja. 9 September 2023.