Human Nature (Australian pop vocal group)

Human Nature are an Australian pop vocal group which formed in 1989. They are a quartet featuring Toby Allen, Phil Burton and brothers, Andrew and Mike Tierney. Originally they were established as a doo-wop group called the 4 Trax, when the members were schoolmates. After signing with Sony Music as Human Nature, they released their debut album, Telling Everybody, in 1996. Four of their albums have reached number one on the ARIA Albums Charts, Counting Down (May 1999), Reach Out: The Motown Record (November 2005), Dancing in the Street: The Songs of Motown II (October 2006) and Gimme Some Lovin': Jukebox Vol II (August 2016). Three other albums reached number two, Get Ready (November 2007), Jukebox (October 2014), and Romance of the Jukebox (August 2018). Their top 10 hits on the related ARIA Singles Chart are "Wishes" (October 1996), "Don't Say Goodbye" (March 1997), "Everytime You Cry" (duet with John Farnham, October 1997), "Don't Cry" (July 1999), "Eternal Flame" (October 1999), "He Don't Love You" (November 2000) and "When You Say You Love Me" (April 2004). Three of their albums received multi-platinum certification from ARIA, while four others have received platinum, with a total shipment of over 1.6 million records in Australia, as of April 2011. The group have toured both nationally and internationally including as a support act for Celine Dion on her Falling Into You Around the World Tour (March 1996, June 1997) and Let's Talk About Love World Tour (1998). They also opened for Michael Jackson on the HIStory World Tour (December 1996, early to mid-1997). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006 they won Highest Selling Album for Reach Out: The Motown Record. In May 2009 they began a residency performing a Motown-themed show on the Las Vegas Strip and in April 2014 they completed their 1000th show. In November 2019 Human Nature were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Human Nature started as the 4 Trax in Sydney in late 1989 when Toby Allen (born 1973) and Phil Burton (born 1974) joined with brothers Andrew Tierney (born 1974) and Michael Tierney (born 1977). They represented Hurlstone Agricultural High School as well as a public school in Sydneys west, in a combined regional schools concert, the Schools Spectacular at the Bankstown Town Hall, on 27 November 1989. This event is still held annually featuring around 6000 NSW Public School students. All four members had choir backgrounds and were inspired by groups from the Motown era, including the Four Tops. In Bankstown, they had sung The Penguins' hit "Earth Angel". Andrew later told Megan Riggs of What's on Highway Radio that it was the only song they knew and they were encouraged to listen to more Motown groups. After the elder three members had finished high school, Allen worked as a perfume salesman and studied courses in accounting and geology; Andrew studied physiotherapy for two years; and Burton was studying to be a music teacher. Mike, the youngest member of the group, was doing his Higher School Certificate in his final year of secondary school. The 4 Trax initially gave street performances in the doo-wop style, and after winning some talent quests, they began singing professionally in clubs and built a following. The group sent demo recordings to record labels. On a visit to Sony CEO, Denis Handlin, they performed an a cappella version of "People Get Ready", and landed a contract. By 1995 the group felt the 4 Trax name was dated, so they brainstormed, thinking of alternatives: Mike suggested Human Nature. Allen said, "At first we thought it was probably a bit obvious, because it's such a well-used term, but then the more we lived with that we realized that it suited us. We were singing a cappella at the time, and it represented what we were about: Singing was our human nature." On 1 March 1996 Human Nature released their first single, "Got It Goin' On", which reached No. 19 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was co-written by the Tierney brothers with their producer, Paul Begaud. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 they received their first nomination, for Best Talent for "Got It Goin' On". In July 1996, they followed up with "Tellin' Everybody", again written by Andrew Tierney, Michael Tierney and producer Paul Begaud, which reached the top 30. The third single, "Wishes" (27 September), peaked at No. 6 and gave them their first platinum certification from ARIA. "Wishes" was co-written by Alan Glass with its producer, Andrew Klippel (ex-member of Euphoria). They had opened for Celine Dion on the Australian leg of her Falling Into You Around the World Tour in March 1996. They were a support act for the tour's European leg: visiting Ireland, England, France, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland in June 1997. They opened for her next world tour, Let's Talk About Love, in 1998, at the concerts in South Korea and Japan. On 2 December 1996, Human Nature released their debut album, Telling Everybody, which reached No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart and remained in the top 50 for 64 weeks. It also reached the top 100 on both the German and the Japanese Albums Charts. Eight of its twelve tracks were produced by Paul Begaud and the other four by Klippel. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it "brimmed with silky smooth dance-pop and blue-eyed soul." On the ARIA End of Year Albums Chart it reached No. 11. Christie Eliezer of Billboard listed the album at number 9 in his top 10 for the year, declaring that it had "Stunning R&B vocals." He opined that outside Australia the group's "three strongest markets outside are Japan, Germany and Taiwan." Human Nature received attention from Sony label mate, Michael Jackson (they were an opening act for the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour in November and December 1996). Mike Tierney told G Mintern of The Times in November, "Well its totally amazing, and a real coup for us and a great opportunity to showcase our music to a large number of people." They continued opening for Jackson on the European leg through early 1997. They sang at venues numbering over 100,000 people, and at Wembley Stadium for three nights. In an interview in July 2009 with Radar Online's reporter, Andrew described touring with Jackson: "[it] was an incredible break for us ... We learned so much from seeing him perform that many times and experienced things that have shaped us into the entertainers we are today. He was the ultimate artist and so inspiring." In April and May 1997 they toured United Kingdom supporting local girl group Eternal. In June 1998 they issued a VHS, Human Nature – Telling Everybody... The Story, produced and directed by Ross Wood, which contained footage of their European and Japanese 1997 tours supporting Dion, Jackson and Eternal. Additional singles from Telling Everybody are "Don't Say Goodbye" (March 1997, Peaking at No. 8), "Whisper Your Name" (with both songs having been co-written by Andrew Tierney, Michael Tierney, Paul Begaud) and produced by Begaud. (August, No. 18), and "People Get Ready" (November, top 40). The album achieved triple-platinum status in 1997. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1997 they received nominations for Best Pop Release and Producer of the Year (Paul Begaud) for "Telling Everybody", Highest Selling Single for both "Don't Say Goodbye" and "Wishes", and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Telling Everybody. At the ceremony, in September, they debuted their single, "Everytime You Cry", which was a duet with John Farnham. In the following month Human Nature undertook their own national concert tour. Human Nature and Farnham's duet single, "Every Time You Cry", peaked at No. 3 and stayed for 15 weeks in the ARIA top 50. The group received a nomination at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998 for Producer of the Year for Paul Begaud's work on "Whisper Your Name" and another for Highest Selling Single (with Farnham) for "Every Time You Cry". They later performed with Farnham on his I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour in April–May 1999. In December 1998