Max Q (Australian band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Michael Hutchence, Ollie Olsen |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Number of employees | 7 (band members) |
Max Q was an Australian musical group established in 1989, known for merging electronic sounds through a partnership between Michael Hutchence of INXS and Ollie Olsen (Whirlywirld, Dogs in Space soundtrack).
Biography
The lineup of Max Q included Hutchence (vocals, songwriting) and Olsen (songwriting, production), alongside prominent figures from Melbourne's post-punk community, many of whom had previously worked with Olsen. Their collaboration began during the production of the film Dogs in Space, where they initially connected.
Their only album, titled Max Q, was released in 1989 and featured modestly successful singles such as "Way of the World" and "Sometimes". The album earned a gold certification in Australia and ranked as the 93rd best-selling album there for that year. Despite this, it achieved limited recognition outside Australia. The record is currently out of print and has never been reissued. Importantly, Max Q did not engage in any live performances.
In 2019, INXS manager Chris Murphy mentioned plans to re-release the Max Q album but highlighted ongoing legal complications as an obstacle.
Name
The band's name was inspired by Ollie Olsen’s dog named Max; additionally, Max Q is a term from aerospace engineering describing the maximum dynamic pressure experienced by a rocket during launch. There is also another group named Max Q, consisting of astronauts based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Band members
In a 1989 interview, Hutchence characterized Max Q as a collective of skilled musicians from Melbourne’s underground scene who lacked studio experience and exposure to the music industry.
Ollie isn’t meant to associate with pop stars, and I’m not supposed to hang around with punk musicians. The band consists of lively friends from Melbourne. These individuals are talented musicians who’ve never had an opportunity before. Most have never even recorded in a studio. They come from the true underground scene and have limited financial resources. Some have never flown on a plane. They were concerned that collaborating with me might compromise their underground credibility.
Contrary to this perception, each member had prior experience with studio recordings.
- Michael Hutchence – vocals, songwriting (deceased 1997)
- Ollie Olsen – production, songwriting (deceased 2024)
- Arne Hanna – guitar
- Michael Sheridan – guitar, feedback
- Bill McDonald – bass guitar
- Gus Till – piano, MIDI programming
- John Murphy – drums, percussion, trumpet, screams (deceased 2015)
Additional contributors
- Peggy Harley – backing vocals
- Marie Hoy – backing vocals ("Soul Engine")
- Pat Powell – backing vocals ("Bucket Head")
- Pam Ross – narration
The album was recorded at Rhino Studios in Darlinghurst with engineer Paula (Peej) Jones overseeing the sessions.
Albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions | Certifications (thresholds) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | NZ | UK | US | |||
| Max Q |
|
13 | 27 | 69 | 182 |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | New Zealand | United Kingdom | US Dance |
US Modern Rock | |||
| "Way of the World" | 1989 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 44 | 6 | Max Q |
| "Sometimes" | 31 | 37 | 53 | — | — | ||
| "Monday Night by Satellite" | 1990 | 107 | — | — | — | — | |
ARIA Awards
| 1990 | "Way of the World" | Breakthrough Artist – Single | |
| Single of the Year | |||
| Max Q | Breakthrough Artist – Album |
External links
- Articles with short description
- Musical groups from Melbourne
- Australian rock music groups
- Michael Hutchence
- Australian synth-pop groups
- 1989 establishments in Australia
- 1990 disestablishments in Australia
- Musical groups established in 1989
- Musical groups disestablished in 1990
- Atlantic Records artists
- CBS Records artists
- Mercury Records artists