Branigan 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Branigan 2
Branigan 2 cover
Studio album by Laura Branigan
Released March 1983
Genre Pop / Rock
Length 37:15
Label Atlantic
Producer(s) Jack White
Professional reviews

All Music Guide 3/5 stars link
Laura Branigan chronology
Branigan
(1982)		 Branigan 2
(1983)		 Self Control
(1984)



Branigan 2 is the second album by singer Laura Branigan, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music).

The first single released from this album was "Solitaire," which started climbing the charts in the spring of 1983. At the time, the dramatic European synth-pop sound was on the rise, and the singer's stirring vocal performance drove the song to the upper reaches of the charts.

In addition to cementing for Branigan a place in pop history and ensuring that she was much more than a one-hit wonder, her sophomore album's two big hits began the careers for two then-unknowns who themselves became industry legends. While "Solitaire" was originally a French song, its English version provided the first major hit for lyric writer Diane Warren, who co-wrote many of Branigan's early songs. The second single from Branigan 2 was the ballad "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which was the first major hit for its co-writer, Michael Bolton, who would later pen three more songs for Branigan, who helped to make him an in-demand writer. While "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" just missed the Top Ten on the Pop charts, it spent three weeks at Number One on the Adult Contemporary airplay charts.

Branigan 2 also included the ballad "Find Me," which was welcomed by fans of "How," as well as the energetic "I'm Not The Only One," with basswork by Dennis Belfield and duel vocal by Joe Esposito. The insistent belter "Don't Show Your Love" was the answer to those calling for the "Gloria" girl to give them another reason to hit the dancefloor. But some of Branigan's most playful performances are on this album as well, from the entendre of The Who's "Squeeze Box" to the free spirited "Lucky."

One of the album's most striking tracks, ushered in with synthesized whip-snaps and underpinned by a catchy, staccato guitar riff, "Deep In The Dark" takes her further into Europop territory, turning out to be a rewritten cover of Falco's "Der Kommissar," itself covered by pop group After The Fire. Branigan made it her own, coldly laughing as she emotively tells the tale of a girl's revenge, all to that killer hook.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Solitaire" (Clemenceau, Warren) – 4:07
  2. "Deep in the Dark" (Bowersock, Ponger, Ponger) – 3:50
  3. "Close Enough" (Buchanan, Lang) – 3:41
  4. "Lucky" (Bi) – 3:58
  5. "Squeeze Box" (Pete Townshend) – 3:00
  6. "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (Bolton, James) – 4:29
  7. "I'm Not the Only One" (Doctor, Warren) – 3:22
  8. "Mama" (Bigazzi, Tozzi, Warren) – 3:56
  9. "Find Me" (Connors, Shire) – 3:22
  10. "Don't Show Your Love" (Connors, Holdridge) – 3:30

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Jack White

[edit] Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 29
1983 The Billboard 200 136
1984 The Billboard 200 185

(Note: The "Billboard 200" chart info included here is very misleading and would seem to suggest she did well on some fly-by-night "Pop Albums" chart but on industry standard Billboard she fared poorly, which is not the case. Her second album went gold and was a Billboard album chart hit. During the descent of the album; the album chart was renamed from 'Pop Albums' to the 'Billboard 200'. Branigan 2 also re-entered the albums charts in a resurgence of interest following the 1984 success of her subsequent Billboard hit Self Control.

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Solitaire" Pop Singles 7
1983 "Solitaire" Club Play Singles 28
1983 "Solitaire" Adult Contemporary 16
1983 "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" Pop Singles 12
1983 "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" Adult Contemporary 1
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/r/a/Branigan_2.html"