Human Nature

Human Nature became Australia's most successful pop group of the Nineties.

Andrew Tierney, John Tierney, Phillip Burton, and Toby Allen first joined up as the 4Trax in 1989 when they were all still attending New South Wales' Hurlstone Agricultural High School.

Andrew, Phil and Toby were all in performances of Godspell and Grease at high school and in the same year level, while Michael, Andrew's younger brother, was a few years behind. Mike used to sing in school choirs, and did a performance in an opera, 'The Magic Flute'. Their sister Margaret was titled Miss Australia in 1995.

As the 4Trax, the group went from busking in the streets of Sydney to winning three Mo Awards for excellence in live performance in the adult club scene. Deciding there was not much more they could accomplish in that area of entertainment, they started to send their demo tapes off to various recording companies. Legend has it they were signed on the spot by Sony after a live performance of 'People Get Ready' in chief executive Dennis Hanlin's office. It was at this point in their career they changed their name to Human Nature, a name thought up by Mike, the group having considered and rejected the names Krush and Farenheight.

Australia had seen entries into the r&b vocal era via CDB, Kulcha and Past To Present, but no serious contender in the 90s trend towards vocalizing pop groups (aka "boy bands"). Human Nature changed that. As well as the harmony style which impressed Sony, they had some songs of their own which were added to those of professional songwriters Andrew Klippel (ex-Euphoria) and Paul Begaud. The first single, 'Got It Goin' On' was their first experience in the studio. They were so nervous first up, they had to go back to record it again.

Begaud produced most of the first album, 'Telling Everybody', which went on to sell four times platinum. It also saw Human Nature secure major support slots on international tours by Michael Jackson and Celine Dion. By the time the second album was released, the band had travelled the world several times over. 'Counting Down' was the result of sessions in Sydney, Los Angeles and London, and combined the team which had created the first album with international songwriters and producers. Back in Australia, combining Human Nature's harmonies with John Farnham's voice and popularity, created one of the top Australian hits of 1997, 'Every Time You Cry'. That, an appearance in a stage version of 'Grease', and an all-star concert tour of Beatles songs conducted by George Martin threatened to take Human Nature away from their teen pop group beginnings and turn them into an adult-oriented act.

Human Nature dispelled all thought of such a shift with their third album, self-titled as if to underline the fact that the band had returned to its original emphasis. With session in London, Stockholm and New York Human Nature worked in the studios and with the producers and songwriters who also name-checked Westlife, Billie Piper, Spice Girls, 5ive, Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys amongst their clients. There was also a songwriting session with Gary Barlow, formerly of Take That. Human Nature were declaring they were ready to be thought of in the same league.

Human Nature spent 2003 in hibernation while Toby Allen took a starring role in the stage musical 'Cabaret'.

In December 2005 Human Nature's sixth long-play CD 'Reach Out - The Motown Album' became their second national No.1 album. Motown songs had always been part of their stage act, and the group decided to dedicate an entire album to those songs and style, produced by American Paul Wilshire partly in Los Angeles, partly in Melbourne. After five-times platinum sales for 'The Motown Album', a similar 'Dancing In The Street: The Songs Of Motown II' was released in October 2006.'Get Ready', a third and final Motown-themed album was released in November 2007, recorded in Detroit, Las Vegas and Los Angles and featuring guest appeareances by Motown legends Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, and Martha Reeves.

All three albums have now sold close to half a million copies in Australia. Human Nature's total album sales are more than 1 million copies sold in Australia.