Signing to Mushroom Records, Barnes released his first solo album 'Bodyswerve'. He was now billing himself as Jimmy Barnes, instead of merely 'Jim Barnes' as he had been credited during his Cold Chisel days. The album was immediately successful, entering the Australian charts at #1 on 8 October. This was the first of a remarkable run of top charting albums for Barnes, as each of his first six solo albums all debuted in the #1position, a feat that no other Australian musical artist is likely to match.
On 22 December 1984, days after Barnes had begun that year's Barnestorming tour, his second daughter, Eliza-Jane, was born. Early in his solo career, Barnes was determined to break into the US market and signed to Geffen Records for release there. His second album 'For the Working Class Man' was tailored in this direction, featuring remixed songs from 'Bodyswerve' plus five new tracks including "Working Class Man" that was written by Journey musician Jonathan Cain and would become Barnes' signature tune. Several US musicians worked on the album including Cain, Charlie Sexton, singer Kim Carnes and British drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. The album was released as a double vinyl set and shifted 250,000 copies in twelve months in Australia. Like its predecessor, 'For the Working Class Man' debuted on the national chart at #1 on 16 December 1985. It remained at #1 for seven weeks. Titled simply 'Jimmy Barnes in the US, the album was issued in February to tie in with the release of the Ron Howard film Gung Ho which featured "Working Class Man".
The Jimmy Barnes band that toured Australia in support of the album featured Howe and Arnott, plus keyboardist Peter Kekell, former Rose Tattoo guitarist Robin Riley and American guitarist Dave Amato. With the release of the album in America, Barnes headed off with a band of Canadian musicians hand-picked by his North American management team and toured with ZZ Top. It was the first time since 1981 that he had toured without his family as part of his entourage as Jane was pregnant. Shortly after their son Jackie (named after Jackie Wilson) was born on 4 February 1986 she and the children joined him in the US for the rest of the tour.
On 22 December 1984, days after Barnes had begun that year's Barnestorming tour, his second daughter, Eliza-Jane, was born. Early in his solo career, Barnes was determined to break into the US market and signed to Geffen Records for release there. His second album 'For the Working Class Man' was tailored in this direction, featuring remixed songs from 'Bodyswerve' plus five new tracks including "Working Class Man" that was written by Journey musician Jonathan Cain and would become Barnes' signature tune. Several US musicians worked on the album including Cain, Charlie Sexton, singer Kim Carnes and British drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. The album was released as a double vinyl set and shifted 250,000 copies in twelve months in Australia. Like its predecessor, 'For the Working Class Man' debuted on the national chart at #1 on 16 December 1985. It remained at #1 for seven weeks. Titled simply 'Jimmy Barnes in the US, the album was issued in February to tie in with the release of the Ron Howard film Gung Ho which featured "Working Class Man".
The Jimmy Barnes band that toured Australia in support of the album featured Howe and Arnott, plus keyboardist Peter Kekell, former Rose Tattoo guitarist Robin Riley and American guitarist Dave Amato. With the release of the album in America, Barnes headed off with a band of Canadian musicians hand-picked by his North American management team and toured with ZZ Top. It was the first time since 1981 that he had toured without his family as part of his entourage as Jane was pregnant. Shortly after their son Jackie (named after Jackie Wilson) was born on 4 February 1986 she and the children joined him in the US for the rest of the tour.
In 1986, Barnes recorded two songs with INXS, an Easybeats cover "Good Times" and "Laying Down The Law", which he co-wrote with INXS members Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australian Made series of concerts that toured the country in the summer of 1986–87. Australian Made was the largest touring festival of Australian music talent that had ever been attempted to that point. Barnes and INXS headlined and the rest of the line-up featured Mental as Anything, Divinyls, Models, The Saints, I'm Talking and The Triffids. The shows began in Hobart, Tasmania on 26 December and concluded in Sydney on Australia Day, 26 January 1987. A concert film of this event was made by Richard Lowenstein and released later that year. "Good Times" peaked at #2 on the Australian chart and several months later was featured in the Joel Schumacher film The Lost Boys, allowing it to chart Top 40 in the US.
The "Good Times / Laying Down the Law" release was the first in a long line of songs Barnes would record with other well-known singers and artists. In 1991 he recorded a version of "When Something is Wrong with My Baby" with John Farnham as a single and centerpiece track for his 'Soul Deep' album. The following year he released a version of "Simply The Best" as a duet with Tina Turner that was used as the theme song for that year's Australian Rugby League advertising campaign. It peaked at #13 in Australia. His 1993 album 'Flesh and Wood' also featured several duets, including songs with Joe Cocker, Archie Roach, Tommy Emmanuel and a version of The Band's "The Weight" with The Badloves.
The next album release 'Freight Train Heart' (1987) again featured contributions from a range of US musicians including Huey Lewis, Journey members Randy Jackson and Neal Schon and former Babys and Rod Stewart drummer Tony Brock, who would later accompany Barnes on tour. The recording process was deeply problematic however, as Barnes fought with producer Jonathan Cain over artistic control and Geffen Records wanted to feature a solo by Robert Cray in the track "Too Much Ain't Enough Love" in place of the one laid down by Schon. In the end, Barnes claimed the masters and returned to Sydney to rework the recording with English producer Mike Stone. Most of the songs were remixed, with parts added by Peter Kekell, Rick Brewster from The Angels, and Johnny Diesel, the 20-year-old guitarist and frontman of Perth band Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, who had just begun to make a name for themselves. Jon Farriss from INXS and ex-Angels bassist Chris Bailey also played on the album.
The "Good Times / Laying Down the Law" release was the first in a long line of songs Barnes would record with other well-known singers and artists. In 1991 he recorded a version of "When Something is Wrong with My Baby" with John Farnham as a single and centerpiece track for his 'Soul Deep' album. The following year he released a version of "Simply The Best" as a duet with Tina Turner that was used as the theme song for that year's Australian Rugby League advertising campaign. It peaked at #13 in Australia. His 1993 album 'Flesh and Wood' also featured several duets, including songs with Joe Cocker, Archie Roach, Tommy Emmanuel and a version of The Band's "The Weight" with The Badloves.
The next album release 'Freight Train Heart' (1987) again featured contributions from a range of US musicians including Huey Lewis, Journey members Randy Jackson and Neal Schon and former Babys and Rod Stewart drummer Tony Brock, who would later accompany Barnes on tour. The recording process was deeply problematic however, as Barnes fought with producer Jonathan Cain over artistic control and Geffen Records wanted to feature a solo by Robert Cray in the track "Too Much Ain't Enough Love" in place of the one laid down by Schon. In the end, Barnes claimed the masters and returned to Sydney to rework the recording with English producer Mike Stone. Most of the songs were remixed, with parts added by Peter Kekell, Rick Brewster from The Angels, and Johnny Diesel, the 20-year-old guitarist and frontman of Perth band Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, who had just begun to make a name for themselves. Jon Farriss from INXS and ex-Angels bassist Chris Bailey also played on the album.
Diesel, Kekell, Brock, Bailey and Dave Amato were kept on as Barnes' touring band, which hit the road in November just ahead of the release of the first single, "Too Much Ain't Enough Love" in December 1987. It became Barnes' first #1 hit single. The album followed the trend set by the previous two and debuted in the #1 slot on 21 December. 'Freight Train Heart' found moderate success outside of Australia and as recently as 2003 was named as one of the top 100 rock albums of all time by British magazine Powerplay. His problems with Geffen during the recording process caused him to sever his relations with them and he eventually signed to Atlantic in 1990.
In Australia, Barnes' success remained virtually unmatched. The Number One success of his first three albums continued with the live album 'Barnestorming', recorded during the promotional tour of the same name and peaking at #1 for three weeks from 5 December. A version of the Percy Sledge standard "When A Man Loves A Woman" lifted from the album was a #3 hit. His next tour brought controversy by being underwritten by Pepsi, which allowed him to expand the production and increase promotion, and at the end of the tour he made a $25,000 donation to the Children's Hospital in Camperdown, Sydney. In the middle of 1989, Jane Barnes went into Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney with pregnancy complications; Elly-May Barnes was born almost three months prematurely on 3 May. Her father held off all further writing and recording until she was released from a humidicrib several months later.'
Barnes signed to Atlantic for worldwide release in mid-1990 and immediately headed into the studio with producer Don Gehman to record 'Two Fires'. The album featured songwriting contributions from the likes of Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Holly Knight, whose track became the title of his record and vocal contributions from Brian Setzer, and from his wife and children. Collectively known as The Tin Lids (after Glaswegian rhyming-slang for "kids"), the four Barnes children later recorded three albums of their own. 'Two Fires' combined live drums with synthesised drum machines and contained the hits "Lay Down Your Guns", "Make it Last All Night", "When Your Love is Gone" and "Little Darling". It had a slight funk influence and an even more polished sound than his previous albums but this proved no barrier to it becoming his fifth consecutive Australian #1 album.
The following year he released 'Soul Deep', an album of soul covers. Barnes had long fostered a love for soul and black music, naming his children after influential black artists and including songs by Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge on previous albums. He and Gehman had discussed the idea during the sessions for 'Two Fires' and both had apparently decided that it would be "a fun thing to do". 'Soul Deep' went on to become Jimmy Barnes' most successful album ever, spawning the #3 single "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", a duet with John Farnham. Re-releases of the album were issued in special gatefold sleeves with embossed gold lettering, collector cards and extra live tracks.
The 1993 album 'Heat' saw Barnes return to hard rock. Influenced by the then-current grunge trend and the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'Heat' was an attempt to move back to Barnes' raw rock'n'roll roots after the polished sound of 'Soul Deep' and 'Two Fires'. While described as his most interesting album, it broke his run of Number One releases (it peaked at #2) but did contain the hit "Stone Cold", written by former Cold Chisel bandmate Don Walker. It marked the first time Jimmy Barnes had worked with any member of his old band for almost a decade. The pair teamed up for an acoustic version of the track for an unplugged album 'Flesh and Wood', which appeared later the same year. Flesh and Wood reached #1 on the Australian album chart. It included a version of The Band's "The Weight", recorded with The Badloves, which became a hit. Also in 1993, Barnes teamed up with Tina Turner for a duet version of ''The Best'' in the form of a TV promotion for rugby league's Winfield Cup. The single reached the top ten that year.
Following this, in the mid-1990s, Jimmy Barnes' career suffered a slump. The singer faced financial ruin as his music publishing company Dirty Sheet Music and his wife's children's fashion label both went broke. He was pursued by both the ANZ Bank and the Australian Taxation Office for amounts exceeding $1.3 million. The family sold their property in Bowral, New South Wales and settled for some time in Aix-en-Provence, France, attracting some adverse publicity when he assaulted a television crew from Channel 7. While there, Barnes did considerable live work throughout Britain and toured with the Rolling Stones. His 1995 album 'Psyclone' reached #2 in Australia and featured the top ten hit "Change of Heart", but it did not sell as well as previous albums. In 1996 the greatest hits compilation 'Barnes Hits Anthology' returned Jimmy Barnes to the top of Australian charts, along with the hit single "Lover Lover" which was actually written by his wife. It was the beginning of a comeback that was hastened by the reformation of Cold Chisel in 1998, coinciding with his return to Australia with his family after three years in France.
In March 1999 he performed the 1978 Sylvester hit "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" live onstage at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras' annual party. Later that year Barnes released the heavy rock single "Love and Hate", followed by its parent album 'Love and Fear'. An autobiographical record combining hard rock with electronic music, 'Love and Fear' was Barnes' first album to miss the Australian top ten.
The comeback was continued with another string of solo releases, including a second album of soul tunes, 'Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South' (#3, 2000), and two live albums, the first an acoustic performance and the second a performance of his soul songs. He appeared live on stage with INXS at some shows throughout Australia between 1999 and 2001, but the reception to this was not encouraging. He also performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
In 2004, Barnes recorded an album with Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse, Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, bass player Bob Daisley and keyboard player Don Airey under the name Living Loud. The self-titled album featured a number of songs originally written and recorded with Ozzy Osbourne by Kerslake, Daisley and Airey. 'Double Happiness', released in July 2005, reaffirmed his popularity, debuting at #1 on the ARIA net Albums Chart, his seventh album to do so. 'Double Happiness' was a complete album of duets, including several with his children, daughters Mahalia and Elly-May, son Jackie and oldest son, entertainer David Campbell. Roachford, Smoky Dawson, Ian Moss and Tim Rogers of You Am I are among others who appear. After its initial success, it was re-released as a double CD/DVD package featuring many of his duets from previous albums, including those with INXS, John Farnham, Joe Cocker and Tina Turner. 'Double Happiness' was followed in 2006 by karaoke DVD version that featured many of his songs minus the vocal track.
Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 23 October 2005 for his solo career efforts, and coupled with Cold Chisel's 1993 induction, Barnes has entered into the Hall of Fame twice. In late 2006, Barnes became patron of the Choir of Hard Knocks, a choral group formed by Jonathon Welch and consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people in Melbourne. The formation of the choir was documented by the ABC as a five-part series aired in May 2007. Barnes took an active part in the teaching of the choir despite his health problems and has even busked with them. Barnes or a member of his extended family have regularly performed "Flame Trees" with the Choir at their concerts including those at Melbourne Town Hall on 24 June and the Sydney Opera House on 17 July 2007. He underwent heart surgery in February 2007 and then in May, the boxed CD set 50 was released, featuring remastered versions of all his studio albums and a double CD of rare tracks. The collection was limited to 5000 copies. On 7 July 2007 Barnes was a presenter at the Australian leg of Live Earth. In August he became a regular presenter on The Know, a pop culture program on the pay TV channel MAX and has also been a presenter of the Planet Rock program on the Austereo network.
In September 2007 he started recording his 13th studio album, 'Out in the Blue'. Produced by Nash Chambers, it was released on 14 November and debuted in the ARIA chart at #3. The songs were written while he recovered from his heart surgery and displayed a more subdued mood than much of his previous output. "When Two Hearts Collide" was a duet with Kasey Chambers. The album was promoted with a performance at the Sydney Opera House, which was released on CD and DVD.
He continues to recognise and give support to young bands and artists in Australia. In a January 2007 interview with The Bulletin, Barnes spoke passionately about Australian rock musicians saying: "Australian bands for me will always have the grunt. Grunt is what gives you longevity, strength, the power to believe in yourself. We have great bands here because they play live, they cut their teeth playing to people.". In March 2008, Barnes appeared as a special guest during soul singer Guy Sebastian's tour.
In September 2008 he undertook a tour of Europe. November saw the release of a duet with son David Campbell, a cover of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" that featured on Campbell's album 'Good Lovin'. In September the following year his fifteenth studio album 'The Rhythm and the Blues' was released, immediately becoming his ninth #1 charting solo release, thus giving him more #1 albums than any other Australian artist. The same week, after hinting about the possibility during his appearance on Good News Week, it was announced that Cold Chisel would play at the V8 Supercars race in Sydney on 5 December 2009.
Barnes released 'Rage and Ruin' on 27 August 2010, his first album of original material since 2007. He has stated that the ideas for most of the lyrics and song themes came from a journal he kept during a period in his life (late 1990s to early 2000s) when he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Two singles have been released from the album: "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" and "God or Money". The album debuted at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart on 5 September 2010. Three weeks later, on 27 September, it was revealed that Barnes has two adult daughters he had never previously met.
On 14 March 2011 he planted a flame tree, made famous in Cold Chisel's 1984 song ''Flame Trees'', at the National Arboretum Canberra. He then headlined at Celebrate in the Park, playing a 90-minute set which included his solo hits and some Cold Chisel greats. He was joined by daughter Mahalia in a soulful rendition of "When the War Is Over", which he dedicated to the memory of Steve Prestwich. In August 2014, Barnes released a new album, titled '30:30 Hindsight', which is an anniversary album, celebrating 30 years since his chart-topping debut solo album, 'Bodyswerve'. It debuted at #1 in Australia. This is Barnes' 10th solo #1 album.
In 2015, Barnes announced that he didn't appreciate hate groups using his music in their material. In July 2015, it was announced that Barnes would release 'Best of the Soul Years' compilation. The album would be compiled of soul and R&B classics, from his three soul albums; "Soul Deep" (1991), "Soul Deeper" (2000) and "The Rhythm and the Blues" (2009). Two new tracks were included on the album, Wilson Pickett classics, ‘In the Midnight Hour’ and ‘Mustang Sally’. The album was released on 14 August 2015. A new album of soul covers was released in June 2016 called, 'Soul Searchin'. Jimmy Barnes also mentored and contributed to Reece Mastins 'Change Colours' album.
In 2016, Barnes released his autobiography, Working Class Boy, which explored his traumatic childhood experiences. In 2017, he featured in the song "Big Enough" by Kirin J Callinan, alongside Alex Cameron and Molly Lewis. The song was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in a comedic skit. In addition to this, his cameo in the song's music video became a popular internet meme in late 2017. In March of the same year, Barnes released a children's album called 'Och Aye the G'nu', although people from The Wiggles, apart from Barnes' family such as his son Jackie, did various cameos. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017. Even his poetry books about Och Aye the G'Nu were released April.
In November 2017, Barnes released a second memoir; a sequel to Working Class Boy titled Working Class Man. On 3 May 2018, Barnes won the biography of the year award at the Australian Book Industry Awards for the second year in a row. Barnes also guest starred in the television comedy These New South Whales based on the Australian band. His autobiography Working Class Boy was adapted into a film by Universal Pictures. Directed by Mark Joffe, the film premiered in Australian cinemas on 23 August 2018. A soundtrack was released on 17 August 2018.
In January 2019, Barnes announced his forthcoming eighteenth solo studio album, 'My Criminal Record'. It was released on 17 May 2019. It was Barnes's 12th solo number-one album, and 16th when including releases with Cold Chisel on the Australian albums chart, making him the artist with the most chart-topping albums in Australian chart history, having previously tied at 11 number ones with Madonna and U2. At the APRA Music Awards of 2020, "Shutting Down Our Town" was nominated for Most Performed Rock Work of the Year.
In 2021, Barnes stated that he formed a rockabilly band with Slim Jim Phantom and Chris Cheney. In April 2022, Barnes announced the forthcoming release of 'Soul Deep 30', celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Soul Deep', alongside a national tour. In November 2022, Barnes released his first Christmas album, Blue Christmas. It became his fifteenth number-one solo album. In March 2023, Barnes announced the formation of supergroup The Barnestormers, featuring Barnes, Chris Cheney, Slim Jim Phantom, Jools Holland and Kevin Shirley. A self-titled album was for released on 26 May 2023.
SINGLES
''No Second Prize (#12) / I've Got News For You'' 1984 Mushroom
''Promise Me You'll Call (#86) / Boys Cry Out For War'' 1984 Mushroom
''Daylight (#12) / Paradise / Daylight (Live) / Resurrection Shuffle (Live)'' 1985 Mushroom Australia (Double Pack)
''I'd Die To Be With You Tonight (#7) / Vision'' 1985 Mushroom
''Working Class Man (#4) / No Second Prize (Remix)'' 1985 Mushroom
''Ride The Night Away (#39) / Paradise (Remixed Version)'' 1986 Mushroom
''Good Times (#2) / Laying Down The Law'' [with INXS] 1986 Mushroom
''Too Much Ain't Enough Love (#1) / Do Or Die'' 1987 Mushroom
''Driving Wheels (#12) / Different Lives'' 1988 Mushroom
''I'm Still On Your Side (#29) / Going To Mexico'' 1987 Mushroom
''Waitin' For The Heartache (#33) / Seven Days'' 1988 Mushroom
''When A Man Loves A Woman (#3) / I'd Die To Be With You Tonight'' 1988 Mushroom
''Last Frontier (Live) (#31) / Many Rivers To Cross (Live)'' 1989 Mushroom
''Lay Down Your Guns (#4) / Broken Hearts'' 1990 Mushroom
''Let's Make It Last All Night (#12) / Bad News'' 1990 Mushroom
''Little Darling (#39) / No Frills'' 1990 Mushroom
''When Your Love Is Gone (#7) / I'm Still On Your Side / One Of A Kind'' 1991 Mushroom
''Love Is Enough (#48) / Do Or Die / Paradise'' 1991 Mushroom
''I Gotcha (#6) / I Gotcha (Tex Mex 12" Mix)'' 1991Mushroom
''When Something Is Wrong With My Baby [with John Farnham] (#3) / All I Got'' 1991 Mushroom
''Ain't No Mountain High Enough (#28) / Little Darling (Live)'' 1992 Mushroom
"(Simply) The Best" (#14) [with Tina Turner] 1992
ALBUMS
'Bodyswerve' (#1) 1984 Mushroom
'For the Working Class Man' (#1) 1985 Mushroom
'Freight Train Heart' (#1) 1987 Mushroom
'Two Fires' (#1) 1990 Mushroom
'Soul Deep' (#1) 1991 Mushroom
'Heat' (#2) 1993 Mushroom
'Flesh and Wood' (#2) 1993 Mushroom
'Psyclone' (#2) 1995 Mushroom
'Love and Fear' (#22) 1999 Mushroom
'Soul Deeper... Songs from the Deep South' (#3) 2000 Liberation
'Double Happiness' (#1) 2005 Liberation
'Out in the Blue' (#3) 2007 Liberation
'The Rhythm and the Blues' (#1) 2009 Liberation
'Rage and Ruin' (#3) 2010 Liberation
'30:30 Hindsight' (#1) 2014 Liberation
'Soul Searchin' (#1) 2016 Liberation
'Och Aye the G'nu' [with The Wiggles] (#34) 2017 ABC
'My Criminal Record' (#1) 2019 Bloodlines
'Flesh and Blood' (#1) 2021 Bloodlines
'Blue Christmas' 2022 Bloodlines
In Australia, Barnes' success remained virtually unmatched. The Number One success of his first three albums continued with the live album 'Barnestorming', recorded during the promotional tour of the same name and peaking at #1 for three weeks from 5 December. A version of the Percy Sledge standard "When A Man Loves A Woman" lifted from the album was a #3 hit. His next tour brought controversy by being underwritten by Pepsi, which allowed him to expand the production and increase promotion, and at the end of the tour he made a $25,000 donation to the Children's Hospital in Camperdown, Sydney. In the middle of 1989, Jane Barnes went into Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney with pregnancy complications; Elly-May Barnes was born almost three months prematurely on 3 May. Her father held off all further writing and recording until she was released from a humidicrib several months later.'
Barnes signed to Atlantic for worldwide release in mid-1990 and immediately headed into the studio with producer Don Gehman to record 'Two Fires'. The album featured songwriting contributions from the likes of Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Holly Knight, whose track became the title of his record and vocal contributions from Brian Setzer, and from his wife and children. Collectively known as The Tin Lids (after Glaswegian rhyming-slang for "kids"), the four Barnes children later recorded three albums of their own. 'Two Fires' combined live drums with synthesised drum machines and contained the hits "Lay Down Your Guns", "Make it Last All Night", "When Your Love is Gone" and "Little Darling". It had a slight funk influence and an even more polished sound than his previous albums but this proved no barrier to it becoming his fifth consecutive Australian #1 album.
The following year he released 'Soul Deep', an album of soul covers. Barnes had long fostered a love for soul and black music, naming his children after influential black artists and including songs by Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge on previous albums. He and Gehman had discussed the idea during the sessions for 'Two Fires' and both had apparently decided that it would be "a fun thing to do". 'Soul Deep' went on to become Jimmy Barnes' most successful album ever, spawning the #3 single "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", a duet with John Farnham. Re-releases of the album were issued in special gatefold sleeves with embossed gold lettering, collector cards and extra live tracks.
The 1993 album 'Heat' saw Barnes return to hard rock. Influenced by the then-current grunge trend and the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'Heat' was an attempt to move back to Barnes' raw rock'n'roll roots after the polished sound of 'Soul Deep' and 'Two Fires'. While described as his most interesting album, it broke his run of Number One releases (it peaked at #2) but did contain the hit "Stone Cold", written by former Cold Chisel bandmate Don Walker. It marked the first time Jimmy Barnes had worked with any member of his old band for almost a decade. The pair teamed up for an acoustic version of the track for an unplugged album 'Flesh and Wood', which appeared later the same year. Flesh and Wood reached #1 on the Australian album chart. It included a version of The Band's "The Weight", recorded with The Badloves, which became a hit. Also in 1993, Barnes teamed up with Tina Turner for a duet version of ''The Best'' in the form of a TV promotion for rugby league's Winfield Cup. The single reached the top ten that year.
Following this, in the mid-1990s, Jimmy Barnes' career suffered a slump. The singer faced financial ruin as his music publishing company Dirty Sheet Music and his wife's children's fashion label both went broke. He was pursued by both the ANZ Bank and the Australian Taxation Office for amounts exceeding $1.3 million. The family sold their property in Bowral, New South Wales and settled for some time in Aix-en-Provence, France, attracting some adverse publicity when he assaulted a television crew from Channel 7. While there, Barnes did considerable live work throughout Britain and toured with the Rolling Stones. His 1995 album 'Psyclone' reached #2 in Australia and featured the top ten hit "Change of Heart", but it did not sell as well as previous albums. In 1996 the greatest hits compilation 'Barnes Hits Anthology' returned Jimmy Barnes to the top of Australian charts, along with the hit single "Lover Lover" which was actually written by his wife. It was the beginning of a comeback that was hastened by the reformation of Cold Chisel in 1998, coinciding with his return to Australia with his family after three years in France.
In March 1999 he performed the 1978 Sylvester hit "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" live onstage at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras' annual party. Later that year Barnes released the heavy rock single "Love and Hate", followed by its parent album 'Love and Fear'. An autobiographical record combining hard rock with electronic music, 'Love and Fear' was Barnes' first album to miss the Australian top ten.
The comeback was continued with another string of solo releases, including a second album of soul tunes, 'Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South' (#3, 2000), and two live albums, the first an acoustic performance and the second a performance of his soul songs. He appeared live on stage with INXS at some shows throughout Australia between 1999 and 2001, but the reception to this was not encouraging. He also performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
In 2004, Barnes recorded an album with Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse, Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, bass player Bob Daisley and keyboard player Don Airey under the name Living Loud. The self-titled album featured a number of songs originally written and recorded with Ozzy Osbourne by Kerslake, Daisley and Airey. 'Double Happiness', released in July 2005, reaffirmed his popularity, debuting at #1 on the ARIA net Albums Chart, his seventh album to do so. 'Double Happiness' was a complete album of duets, including several with his children, daughters Mahalia and Elly-May, son Jackie and oldest son, entertainer David Campbell. Roachford, Smoky Dawson, Ian Moss and Tim Rogers of You Am I are among others who appear. After its initial success, it was re-released as a double CD/DVD package featuring many of his duets from previous albums, including those with INXS, John Farnham, Joe Cocker and Tina Turner. 'Double Happiness' was followed in 2006 by karaoke DVD version that featured many of his songs minus the vocal track.
Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 23 October 2005 for his solo career efforts, and coupled with Cold Chisel's 1993 induction, Barnes has entered into the Hall of Fame twice. In late 2006, Barnes became patron of the Choir of Hard Knocks, a choral group formed by Jonathon Welch and consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people in Melbourne. The formation of the choir was documented by the ABC as a five-part series aired in May 2007. Barnes took an active part in the teaching of the choir despite his health problems and has even busked with them. Barnes or a member of his extended family have regularly performed "Flame Trees" with the Choir at their concerts including those at Melbourne Town Hall on 24 June and the Sydney Opera House on 17 July 2007. He underwent heart surgery in February 2007 and then in May, the boxed CD set 50 was released, featuring remastered versions of all his studio albums and a double CD of rare tracks. The collection was limited to 5000 copies. On 7 July 2007 Barnes was a presenter at the Australian leg of Live Earth. In August he became a regular presenter on The Know, a pop culture program on the pay TV channel MAX and has also been a presenter of the Planet Rock program on the Austereo network.
In September 2007 he started recording his 13th studio album, 'Out in the Blue'. Produced by Nash Chambers, it was released on 14 November and debuted in the ARIA chart at #3. The songs were written while he recovered from his heart surgery and displayed a more subdued mood than much of his previous output. "When Two Hearts Collide" was a duet with Kasey Chambers. The album was promoted with a performance at the Sydney Opera House, which was released on CD and DVD.
He continues to recognise and give support to young bands and artists in Australia. In a January 2007 interview with The Bulletin, Barnes spoke passionately about Australian rock musicians saying: "Australian bands for me will always have the grunt. Grunt is what gives you longevity, strength, the power to believe in yourself. We have great bands here because they play live, they cut their teeth playing to people.". In March 2008, Barnes appeared as a special guest during soul singer Guy Sebastian's tour.
In September 2008 he undertook a tour of Europe. November saw the release of a duet with son David Campbell, a cover of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" that featured on Campbell's album 'Good Lovin'. In September the following year his fifteenth studio album 'The Rhythm and the Blues' was released, immediately becoming his ninth #1 charting solo release, thus giving him more #1 albums than any other Australian artist. The same week, after hinting about the possibility during his appearance on Good News Week, it was announced that Cold Chisel would play at the V8 Supercars race in Sydney on 5 December 2009.
Barnes released 'Rage and Ruin' on 27 August 2010, his first album of original material since 2007. He has stated that the ideas for most of the lyrics and song themes came from a journal he kept during a period in his life (late 1990s to early 2000s) when he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Two singles have been released from the album: "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" and "God or Money". The album debuted at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart on 5 September 2010. Three weeks later, on 27 September, it was revealed that Barnes has two adult daughters he had never previously met.
On 14 March 2011 he planted a flame tree, made famous in Cold Chisel's 1984 song ''Flame Trees'', at the National Arboretum Canberra. He then headlined at Celebrate in the Park, playing a 90-minute set which included his solo hits and some Cold Chisel greats. He was joined by daughter Mahalia in a soulful rendition of "When the War Is Over", which he dedicated to the memory of Steve Prestwich. In August 2014, Barnes released a new album, titled '30:30 Hindsight', which is an anniversary album, celebrating 30 years since his chart-topping debut solo album, 'Bodyswerve'. It debuted at #1 in Australia. This is Barnes' 10th solo #1 album.
In 2015, Barnes announced that he didn't appreciate hate groups using his music in their material. In July 2015, it was announced that Barnes would release 'Best of the Soul Years' compilation. The album would be compiled of soul and R&B classics, from his three soul albums; "Soul Deep" (1991), "Soul Deeper" (2000) and "The Rhythm and the Blues" (2009). Two new tracks were included on the album, Wilson Pickett classics, ‘In the Midnight Hour’ and ‘Mustang Sally’. The album was released on 14 August 2015. A new album of soul covers was released in June 2016 called, 'Soul Searchin'. Jimmy Barnes also mentored and contributed to Reece Mastins 'Change Colours' album.
In 2016, Barnes released his autobiography, Working Class Boy, which explored his traumatic childhood experiences. In 2017, he featured in the song "Big Enough" by Kirin J Callinan, alongside Alex Cameron and Molly Lewis. The song was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in a comedic skit. In addition to this, his cameo in the song's music video became a popular internet meme in late 2017. In March of the same year, Barnes released a children's album called 'Och Aye the G'nu', although people from The Wiggles, apart from Barnes' family such as his son Jackie, did various cameos. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017. Even his poetry books about Och Aye the G'Nu were released April.
In November 2017, Barnes released a second memoir; a sequel to Working Class Boy titled Working Class Man. On 3 May 2018, Barnes won the biography of the year award at the Australian Book Industry Awards for the second year in a row. Barnes also guest starred in the television comedy These New South Whales based on the Australian band. His autobiography Working Class Boy was adapted into a film by Universal Pictures. Directed by Mark Joffe, the film premiered in Australian cinemas on 23 August 2018. A soundtrack was released on 17 August 2018.
In 2021, Barnes stated that he formed a rockabilly band with Slim Jim Phantom and Chris Cheney. In April 2022, Barnes announced the forthcoming release of 'Soul Deep 30', celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Soul Deep', alongside a national tour. In November 2022, Barnes released his first Christmas album, Blue Christmas. It became his fifteenth number-one solo album. In March 2023, Barnes announced the formation of supergroup The Barnestormers, featuring Barnes, Chris Cheney, Slim Jim Phantom, Jools Holland and Kevin Shirley. A self-titled album was for released on 26 May 2023.
''No Second Prize (#12) / I've Got News For You'' 1984 Mushroom
''Promise Me You'll Call (#86) / Boys Cry Out For War'' 1984 Mushroom
''Daylight (#12) / Paradise / Daylight (Live) / Resurrection Shuffle (Live)'' 1985 Mushroom Australia (Double Pack)
''I'd Die To Be With You Tonight (#7) / Vision'' 1985 Mushroom
''Working Class Man (#4) / No Second Prize (Remix)'' 1985 Mushroom
''Ride The Night Away (#39) / Paradise (Remixed Version)'' 1986 Mushroom
''Good Times (#2) / Laying Down The Law'' [with INXS] 1986 Mushroom
''Too Much Ain't Enough Love (#1) / Do Or Die'' 1987 Mushroom
''Driving Wheels (#12) / Different Lives'' 1988 Mushroom
''I'm Still On Your Side (#29) / Going To Mexico'' 1987 Mushroom
''Waitin' For The Heartache (#33) / Seven Days'' 1988 Mushroom
''When A Man Loves A Woman (#3) / I'd Die To Be With You Tonight'' 1988 Mushroom
''Last Frontier (Live) (#31) / Many Rivers To Cross (Live)'' 1989 Mushroom
''Lay Down Your Guns (#4) / Broken Hearts'' 1990 Mushroom
''Let's Make It Last All Night (#12) / Bad News'' 1990 Mushroom
''Little Darling (#39) / No Frills'' 1990 Mushroom
''When Your Love Is Gone (#7) / I'm Still On Your Side / One Of A Kind'' 1991 Mushroom
''Love Is Enough (#48) / Do Or Die / Paradise'' 1991 Mushroom
''I Gotcha (#6) / I Gotcha (Tex Mex 12" Mix)'' 1991Mushroom
''When Something Is Wrong With My Baby [with John Farnham] (#3) / All I Got'' 1991 Mushroom
''Ain't No Mountain High Enough (#28) / Little Darling (Live)'' 1992 Mushroom
"(Simply) The Best" (#14) [with Tina Turner] 1992
''Stone Cold (#4) / Stand Up'' 1993 Sundown
''Sweat It Out (#11) / Tell Me The Truth'' 1993 Mushroom
"Stand Up" (#41) 1993 Mushroom
"Right by Your Side" (#43) 1993 Mushroom
"The Weight" [with The Badloves) (#6) 1993 Mushroom
"You Can't Make Love Without a Soul" (#84) 1994 Mushroom
"Still Got a Long Way to Go" [with Diesel) (#57) 1994 Mushroom
"It Will Be Alright" 1994 Mushroom
"Change of Heart" (#17) 1995 Mushroom
"Come Undone" [with The Pilgrims] 1995 Mushroom
"Every Beat" 1995 Mushroom
"Lover Lover" (#6) 1996 Mushroom
"Never Give You Up (#33) 1997 Mushroom
"Working Class Man 1998 Mushroom
"Love and Hate" 70 1999 Mushroom
"Thankful for the Rain" (#63) 1999 Mushroom
"Chain of Fools" (#15) 2000 WEA
"Land of 1000 Dances'' 2000 WEA
"Higher" [with Gary Pinto] (#80) 2002 MGM
"Sit On My Knee" [with Dallas Crane] (#14) 2005 Liberation
"Gonna Take Some Time" [with Mahalia Barnes] (#31) 2005 Liberation
"Bird on a Wire" [withTroy Cassar-Daley & Bella) (#59) 2006 Liberation
"Out of Time" [with Tim Rogers) (#50) 2006 Liberation
"Out in the Blue" 2007 Liberation
"Better Off Alone" 2007 Liberation
"Blue Hotel" 2008 Liberation
"I Can't Tell You Why" 2008 Liberation
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" [with David Campbell] Columbia
"Red Hot" / "A Fool in Love" 2009 Liberation
"That's How It Is (When You're in Love)" 2010 Liberation
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" 2010 Liberation
"God or Money"2010 Liberation
"Largs Pier Hotel" 2011 Liberation
"Lay Down Your Guns" [featuring The Living End] 2014
"I'd Die to Be with You Tonight"] featuring Diesel] (#93) 2014
"Who Was I Foolin'?" [with Lachy Doley] 2016
"My Criminal Record" 2019 Bloodlines
"Shutting Down Our Town" 2019 Bloodlines
"I Won't Let You Down" 2019 Bloodlines
"Killing Time" 2020 Bloodlines
"Silent Night" 2020
"Flesh and Blood" 2021
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" [with Paul Field] 2021 ABC
"'Til the Next Time" 2021
"Gateway to Your Heart" 2021
"Around in Circles"2021
"Soothe Me" [featuring Sam Moore] 2022
"Do You Love Me" [with Josh Teskey] 2022
"Blue Christmas" 2022
"If Santa Forgets" [with The Tin Lids] 2023
"Black and Blue" [with Joe Bonamassa] 2023
''Sweat It Out (#11) / Tell Me The Truth'' 1993 Mushroom
"Stand Up" (#41) 1993 Mushroom
"Right by Your Side" (#43) 1993 Mushroom
"The Weight" [with The Badloves) (#6) 1993 Mushroom
"You Can't Make Love Without a Soul" (#84) 1994 Mushroom
"Still Got a Long Way to Go" [with Diesel) (#57) 1994 Mushroom
"It Will Be Alright" 1994 Mushroom
"Change of Heart" (#17) 1995 Mushroom
"Come Undone" [with The Pilgrims] 1995 Mushroom
"Every Beat" 1995 Mushroom
"Lover Lover" (#6) 1996 Mushroom
"Never Give You Up (#33) 1997 Mushroom
"Working Class Man 1998 Mushroom
"Love and Hate" 70 1999 Mushroom
"Thankful for the Rain" (#63) 1999 Mushroom
"Chain of Fools" (#15) 2000 WEA
"Land of 1000 Dances'' 2000 WEA
"Higher" [with Gary Pinto] (#80) 2002 MGM
"Sit On My Knee" [with Dallas Crane] (#14) 2005 Liberation
"Gonna Take Some Time" [with Mahalia Barnes] (#31) 2005 Liberation
"Bird on a Wire" [withTroy Cassar-Daley & Bella) (#59) 2006 Liberation
"Out of Time" [with Tim Rogers) (#50) 2006 Liberation
"Out in the Blue" 2007 Liberation
"Better Off Alone" 2007 Liberation
"Blue Hotel" 2008 Liberation
"I Can't Tell You Why" 2008 Liberation
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" [with David Campbell] Columbia
"Red Hot" / "A Fool in Love" 2009 Liberation
"That's How It Is (When You're in Love)" 2010 Liberation
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" 2010 Liberation
"God or Money"2010 Liberation
"Largs Pier Hotel" 2011 Liberation
"Lay Down Your Guns" [featuring The Living End] 2014
"I'd Die to Be with You Tonight"] featuring Diesel] (#93) 2014
"Who Was I Foolin'?" [with Lachy Doley] 2016
"My Criminal Record" 2019 Bloodlines
"Shutting Down Our Town" 2019 Bloodlines
"I Won't Let You Down" 2019 Bloodlines
"Killing Time" 2020 Bloodlines
"Silent Night" 2020
"Flesh and Blood" 2021
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" [with Paul Field] 2021 ABC
"'Til the Next Time" 2021
"Gateway to Your Heart" 2021
"Around in Circles"2021
"Soothe Me" [featuring Sam Moore] 2022
"Do You Love Me" [with Josh Teskey] 2022
"Blue Christmas" 2022
"If Santa Forgets" [with The Tin Lids] 2023
"Black and Blue" [with Joe Bonamassa] 2023
'Bodyswerve' (#1) 1984 Mushroom
'For the Working Class Man' (#1) 1985 Mushroom
'Freight Train Heart' (#1) 1987 Mushroom
'Two Fires' (#1) 1990 Mushroom
'Soul Deep' (#1) 1991 Mushroom
'Heat' (#2) 1993 Mushroom
'Flesh and Wood' (#2) 1993 Mushroom
'Psyclone' (#2) 1995 Mushroom
'Love and Fear' (#22) 1999 Mushroom
'Soul Deeper... Songs from the Deep South' (#3) 2000 Liberation
'Double Happiness' (#1) 2005 Liberation
'Out in the Blue' (#3) 2007 Liberation
'The Rhythm and the Blues' (#1) 2009 Liberation
'Rage and Ruin' (#3) 2010 Liberation
'30:30 Hindsight' (#1) 2014 Liberation
'Soul Searchin' (#1) 2016 Liberation
'Och Aye the G'nu' [with The Wiggles] (#34) 2017 ABC
'My Criminal Record' (#1) 2019 Bloodlines
'Flesh and Blood' (#1) 2021 Bloodlines
'Blue Christmas' 2022 Bloodlines
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
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