Indecent Obsession
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 in Brisbane, Australia |
| Founder | Daryl Sims, Michael Szumowski |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Headquarters | Brisbane; Melbourne; Los Angeles; London , Australia; United States; United Kingdom |
Area served | Australia, United States, Asia, South Africa, Europe, Latin America |
Key people | Daryl Sims, Michael Szumowski, David Dixon, Andrew Coyne, Richard Hennassey, Mark Gray, Graham Kearns |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Parent | Melodian Records, MCA Records, Mushroom Records |
Indecent Obsession—also referred to simply as Obsession—was a pop rock group originating from Australia, established in Brisbane in early 1987 by Daryl Sims on drums and Michael Szumowski handling keyboards. By 1988, the ensemble expanded to include Andrew Coyne on lead guitar and David Dixon as lead vocalist. Their discography comprises three studio albums: Spoken Words released in November 1989 and Indio in August 1992, both of which secured positions within the ARIA top 50 albums chart. In 1990, their debut album was repackaged for the American market under the self-titled name Indecent Obsession, achieving placement on the Billboard 200 chart.
Their inaugural single, "Say Goodbye" launched in May 1989, attained a peak position of number six on the ARIA singles chart, marking their highest ranking domestically. The subsequent single, "Tell Me Something", reached number seventeen nationally and climbed to number thirty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100. This track also topped charts in Indonesia and Hong Kong and secured top ten spots in Japan and South Africa. For their releases within Asian territories, the band adopted the shortened moniker Obsession.
In 1992, Indecent Obsession made history as the first Western musical act to tour South Africa following the end of apartheid-era cultural restrictions, receiving warm receptions from audiences. Their sophomore album Indio along with its leading single "Kiss Me" both reached number one on South African charts. By 1993, original members Sims and Szumowski were joined by Mark Gray on bass, Richard Hennassey as lead vocalist, and Graham Kearns on lead guitar. The band’s final studio effort, Relativity, was released in 1994 before they officially disbanded in 1995.
History
- Formation and debut album (1987–1992)
Formed in early 1987 in Brisbane, Indecent Obsession initially featured David Dixon on lead vocals alongside Mick Szumowski on keyboards. Their name was inspired by Colleen McCullough’s 1981 novel titled An Indecent Obsession. Starting out by performing cover versions, they secured a contract with Ian "Molly" Meldrum’s Melodian Records and relocated to Melbourne where they cultivated a sound blending pop rock with dance-pop elements.
Their first single "Say Goodbye" released in May 1989 climbed to number six on the ARIA Singles Chart, marking their highest Australian chart achievement. The track was co-written by Dixon, Szumowski, and producer Mark S. Berry and attracted international interest despite limited radio airplay. The follow-up single "Tell Me Something" debuted in September 1989 and peaked at number seventeen. Their debut album Spoken Words, which came out in November 1989, reached number twenty-eight on the ARIA Albums Chart and was co-produced by Ross Inglis alongside Szumowski. Although marketed as a boy band, they resisted this label by emphasizing their instrumental skills.
Later singles such as "Come Back to Me" made it into the top forty while "Never Gonna Stop" peaked at number seventy-two. "Tell Me Something" also saw international success, reaching number thirty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping charts in Indonesia and Hong Kong. The group supported Kylie Minogue during her 1990 Enjoy Yourself Tour across Australia, Europe, and East Asia. In Asian markets, they performed under the abbreviated name Obsession.
- Indio, Relativity, and demise (1992–1996)
Toward the end of 1991, Indecent Obsession moved to Los Angeles to record their second album titled Indio, which was produced by Peter Wolf. Released through MCA Records in May 1992, it entered Austria’s Ö3 Top 40 at number thirty-six and broke into Australia’s ARIA top forty albums chart. This release marked a stylistic shift toward more polished and radio-friendly dance music.
Singles from Indio included "Rebel with a Cause", "Kiss Me" which reached the top thirty, "Indio" hitting the top fifty, and "Gentleman Style". The band embarked on tours throughout Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific during 1992 and notably became the first Western act to perform in South Africa following apartheid’s end, where "Kiss Me" and "Indio" both attained number one status locally. Mark Gray joined as bass guitarist during a US tour that same year. Later in 1992, original members Dixon and Coyne exited the group.
After relocating to London, Richard Hennassey took over lead vocal duties from Dixon while Graham Kearns replaced Coyne on guitar for their third album Relativity, released in 1994 and produced by Ian Richardson alongside Nick Coler. This album charted within South Africa’s top twenty. The lead single "Fixing a Broken Heart" gained significant popularity across Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines.
In 1995, MCA Records issued a compilation titled The Most Indecent Obsession, targeting markets including Japan, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Combining techno dance beats with pop melodies characterized their sound until they ultimately disbanded later that year.
Later Endeavors
After departing from Indecent Obsession in 1992, David Dixon shifted his focus toward acting, most notably taking on the role of Joseph in the 1992/1993 Australian stage rendition of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A related single, "Joseph Mega Mix," attained a peak position of No. 53 on the Australian music charts in June 1993. In 1994, Dixon ventured into a solo career with the release of "Faith, Love & Understanding," which achieved modest radio success in South Africa and reached No. 114 in Australia and No. 78 in the United Kingdom. By June 1998, he was cast as Marius in the Australian production of Les Misérables and subsequently performed in Smokey Joe's Cafe. Dixon also appeared as Nathan Roberts on the television soap opera Home and Away from 1993 to 1994, later working as a presenter for radio and TV in the UK before transitioning to a career as a commercial helicopter pilot for an Air Ambulance service based in rural New South Wales.
Michael Szumowski moved into music production, working with Australian female groups such as Cherry and Bardot, along with producing tracks for contestants from Australian Idol including Guy Sebastian, Shannon Noll, and Kate DeAraugo. He also collaborated with artists like Disco Montego and Thirstee. Drummer Daryl Sims became involved with Sydney’s alternative music scene, joining bands like Vapourware, Insurge, and Primary, before becoming part of the dance ensemble The Webb; he also co-wrote Bardot’s debut single "Poison". Guitarist Andrew Coyne contributed to US pop artist Tommy Page’s 1991 single "Under the Rainbow" and supported his American tour between 1990 and 1991. Mark Gray played with several bands including Gank, Tania Bowra Band, Greedy's on the Loose, and the James Reyne Band. Richard Hennassey pursued a career in graphic design and advertising based in Sydney and appeared on the inaugural season of Come Dine with Me Australia in 2010.
Members
- David Dixon – lead vocals (1987–1992)
- Michael Szumowski – keyboards, piano, keytar (1987–1995)
- Paul O'Donnell – guitar (1988)
- Darryl Sims – drums (1988–1995)
- Andrew Coyne – guitar (1988–1992)
- Richard Hennassey – vocals (1993–1995)
- Graham Kearns – guitar (1993–1995)
Studio albums
| Album title | Release details | Highest chart positions | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | AUT | |||
| Spoken Words / Indecent Obsession |
|
28 | – |
|
| Indio |
|
39 | 36 | |
| Relativity |
|
151 | – | |
Remix and Compilation albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| More Kiss Me! |
|
| The Most Indecent Obsession |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | AUS | NED | BEL (FLA) | AUT | FRA | UK | US | US Dance | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Say Goodbye" | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Spoken Words / Indecent Obsession |
| "Tell Me Something" | 17 | — | — | — | — | 91 | 31 | 39 | ||
| "Come Back to Me" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Never Gonna Stop" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | "Kiss Me" | 27 | 22 | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | Indio |
| "Indio" | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Whispers in the Dark" (Europe release only) | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | ||
| "Rebel with a Cause" | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "Gentleman Style" | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Fixing a Broken Heart" | 122 | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | Relativity | |
| 1994 | "Fall from Grace" | 164 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
External links
- MusicBrainz entry for Indecent Obsession
- Discogs profile of Indecent Obsession
- AllMusic overview of Indecent Obsession
- Articles with short description
- Australian boy bands
- Australian pop music groups
- Australian dance music groups
- Australian pop rock groups
- Musical groups established in 1987
- Musical groups disbanded in 1995
- Musical groups originating from Brisbane
- Musical groups originating from Melbourne
- MCA Records artists
- Mushroom Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 1995