JON STEVENS
Hello and once again welcome to Azza’s Half Hour. I’m your host Aaron Gillin and I would like to thankyou for tuning in to my show today. In the next half an hour you will be hearing some classic hits by a singer that will be coming to Warrnambool for a concert in April Jon Stevens. Today we focus on his career from Noiseworks to INXS and also his solo career.
Jon Stevens is a New Zealand born singer but is now an Australian citizen. After his success as a New Zealand pop star in the 1970’s Jon Stevens eventually became the lead singer of a Sydney band called Noiseworks. The band had some major hits in the 1980’s including “Touch”, “No Lies” and “Hot Chilli Woman”.
Noiseworks consisted of Jon Stevens as the lead singer with Steve Balbi on bass, Stuart Fraser on guitar, Kevin Nicol on drums and Justin Stanley on the keyboard.
After building up a strong following by playing the Aussie pup-rock circuit, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1987. The Album hit number 1 on the Aussie albums chart and went triple platinum selling 210,000 copies in Australia.
Of the five singles from the album the two standout tracks were “No Lies” and “Take Me Back”. So let’s kick off the show with two classic Noiseworks tunes first “No Lies” and then “Take Me Back”.
1. “No Lies”
2. “Take Me Back”
The follow up to the self-titled Noiseworks album was released in 1988 and was called “Touch”. Songs featured on the album were “Simple Man”, “In My Youth” and of course “Touch”. The album sold over 150,000 copies and reached number 1 on the Australian albums chart.
After the release of “Touch” Noiseworks once again hit the studio and in 1991 “Love versus Money” was released. The album reached number 1 in Australia and two singles from the album were “R.I.P Millie” which was a tribute to Jon’s mother who died from cancer and “Hot Chilli Woman” which was an instant hit and reached number 7 on the Aussie charts. Here it is on Azzas Half Hour “Hot Chilli Woman” by Noiseworks.
3. “Hot Chilli Woman”
Noiseworks disbanded in 1992 and Jon Stevens went on to take part in two productions of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” playing the character of Judas on both occasions. When the first “Jesus Christ Superstar” tour ended Jon recorded a solo album called “Are U Satisfied” and after his second stint in “Jesus Christ Superstar” Jon released an album called “Circle” in 1997.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics Jon sang as the lead singer of the Aussie rock band INXS in a headlining spot and then in 2002 he officially became the lead singer of the band. In 2003 Jon Stevens and INXS released the single “I Get Up” and soon after that Jon left the band without releasing an album. Here it is “I Get Up” by INXS.
4. “I Get Up”
In 2004 Jon Stevens once again released a solo album and this one was called “Ain’t No Life For The Faint Hearted”. The album was a modern R&B album best known for the cover version of The Doors' classic song "Light My Fire".
Then in 2005 Jon released an acoustic album called “The Works” which featured some Noiseworks classics and also some solo tracks. Songs that appeared on the album include “Love vs. Money”, “Touch”, “Stand Alone” and “R.I.P Millie”.
So now from the album “The Works” here it is “R.I.P Millie”.
5. “R.I.P (Millie)”
You’re listening to Azza’s Half Hour and that was “R.I.P Millie” by Jon Stevens. “The Works”, which took only 7 days to record, was released by Jon in a partnership with liberation records as part of the liberation blue acoustic series. Other albums released in this series included artists such as Diesel, Mark Seymour, Dragon and Joe Camilleri.
Another track off “The Works” was “Love vs. Money” which was the title track of Noisework’s third album. Here is the acoustic version of “Love vs. Money” by Jon Stevens.
6. “Love vs. Money”
One of Noiseworks biggest hits in Australia was “Touch” which will be our final track on the show for today. “Touch” was released as a single in 1988 and was successful on the Aussie charts. The acoustic version of “Touch” appeared on Jon Steven’s “The Works” album. Thankyou for listening to today’s show and I hope you will be listening again in a fortnight. Now to close the show is “Touch” by Jon Stevens.
7. “Touch”
Jon Stevens is a New Zealand born singer but is now an Australian citizen. After his success as a New Zealand pop star in the 1970’s Jon Stevens eventually became the lead singer of a Sydney band called Noiseworks. The band had some major hits in the 1980’s including “Touch”, “No Lies” and “Hot Chilli Woman”.
Noiseworks consisted of Jon Stevens as the lead singer with Steve Balbi on bass, Stuart Fraser on guitar, Kevin Nicol on drums and Justin Stanley on the keyboard.
After building up a strong following by playing the Aussie pup-rock circuit, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1987. The Album hit number 1 on the Aussie albums chart and went triple platinum selling 210,000 copies in Australia.
Of the five singles from the album the two standout tracks were “No Lies” and “Take Me Back”. So let’s kick off the show with two classic Noiseworks tunes first “No Lies” and then “Take Me Back”.
1. “No Lies”
2. “Take Me Back”
The follow up to the self-titled Noiseworks album was released in 1988 and was called “Touch”. Songs featured on the album were “Simple Man”, “In My Youth” and of course “Touch”. The album sold over 150,000 copies and reached number 1 on the Australian albums chart.
After the release of “Touch” Noiseworks once again hit the studio and in 1991 “Love versus Money” was released. The album reached number 1 in Australia and two singles from the album were “R.I.P Millie” which was a tribute to Jon’s mother who died from cancer and “Hot Chilli Woman” which was an instant hit and reached number 7 on the Aussie charts. Here it is on Azzas Half Hour “Hot Chilli Woman” by Noiseworks.
3. “Hot Chilli Woman”
Noiseworks disbanded in 1992 and Jon Stevens went on to take part in two productions of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” playing the character of Judas on both occasions. When the first “Jesus Christ Superstar” tour ended Jon recorded a solo album called “Are U Satisfied” and after his second stint in “Jesus Christ Superstar” Jon released an album called “Circle” in 1997.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics Jon sang as the lead singer of the Aussie rock band INXS in a headlining spot and then in 2002 he officially became the lead singer of the band. In 2003 Jon Stevens and INXS released the single “I Get Up” and soon after that Jon left the band without releasing an album. Here it is “I Get Up” by INXS.
4. “I Get Up”
In 2004 Jon Stevens once again released a solo album and this one was called “Ain’t No Life For The Faint Hearted”. The album was a modern R&B album best known for the cover version of The Doors' classic song "Light My Fire".
Then in 2005 Jon released an acoustic album called “The Works” which featured some Noiseworks classics and also some solo tracks. Songs that appeared on the album include “Love vs. Money”, “Touch”, “Stand Alone” and “R.I.P Millie”.
So now from the album “The Works” here it is “R.I.P Millie”.
5. “R.I.P (Millie)”
You’re listening to Azza’s Half Hour and that was “R.I.P Millie” by Jon Stevens. “The Works”, which took only 7 days to record, was released by Jon in a partnership with liberation records as part of the liberation blue acoustic series. Other albums released in this series included artists such as Diesel, Mark Seymour, Dragon and Joe Camilleri.
Another track off “The Works” was “Love vs. Money” which was the title track of Noisework’s third album. Here is the acoustic version of “Love vs. Money” by Jon Stevens.
6. “Love vs. Money”
One of Noiseworks biggest hits in Australia was “Touch” which will be our final track on the show for today. “Touch” was released as a single in 1988 and was successful on the Aussie charts. The acoustic version of “Touch” appeared on Jon Steven’s “The Works” album. Thankyou for listening to today’s show and I hope you will be listening again in a fortnight. Now to close the show is “Touch” by Jon Stevens.
7. “Touch”