Real (Belinda Carlisle album)

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Real
Real cover
Studio album by Belinda Carlisle
Released September 29, 1993
Genre Pop
Length 47:30
Label Virgin Records
Producer Marsha Burns, Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Carrie McConkey, Ralph Schuckett
Professional reviews
Belinda Carlisle chronology
The Best of Belinda, Volume 1
(1992)		 Real
(1993)		 A Woman and a Man
(1996)
Singles from Real
  1. "Big Scary Animal"
    Released: September 1993
  2. "Lay Down Your Arms"
    Released: November 1993

Real is the fifth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in the United Kingdom on October 5, 1993 by Virgin Records. The album has a genre of mainly pop songs — written by Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Ralph Schuckett and half co-written by Carlisle. It was the first album where Rick Nowels had no writing or producing credits and also was Carlisle's first album to have contributed to the producing. The album cover was designed by Tom Dolan and is a departure for Carlisle, who presented a glamorous look on all her previous covers, choosing a "jeans & t-shirt" look instead this time with little make-up. It features a cover version of The Graces pop rock song "Lay Down Your Arms".

Contents

[edit] Reception and chart performance

All Music Guide reviewed the album as suffering from a lack of memorable songs and while the record sounded good, it had nothing to support the state-of-the-art production[1]. It was also a departure from her previous solo albums, it has more in common with Belinda's The Go-Go's sound rather than her own, typical, solo pop themes. Dealing with what Belinda termed the 'dark side of relationships,' the album is mature and intentionally lacks the slick production of her other solo albums. Carlisle won over many critics who had previously reviewed her for her sensed lack of progression and willingness to take a chance with some edgier material[2].

The album made its debut on the charts on October 18, 1993 on the UK Albums Chart at number nine, making Real her fifth consecutive top ten album there. On the second week it dropped down eleven places to number twenty, and then not making a rise in the top seventy-five spending only five weeks in it and being her only charting album not to be certified. In Sweden the album became her fifth top thirty album peaking at number twenty-three spending only two weeks in the top fifty. Australia was the last place the album charted, where it charted at number sixty-one and spent four weeks in the top one hundred.

The singles released from Real were not successful only one of them peaking in the top twenty. Released in September 1993, "Big Scary Animal" reached number twelve on the UK Singles Chart — becoming Carlisle's seventh top twenty single — and a top sixty hit in Australia. "Lay Down Your Arms" was released as the second single in November 1993 and failed to gain much success peaking at number twenty-seven in the UK.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Goodbye Day" (Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Jeff McDonald, Steve McDonald) - 4:39
  2. "Big Scary Animal" (Caffey, Carlisle, Ralph Schuckett) - 4:08
  3. "Too Much Water" (Caffey, Caffey, Richard Caffey, Carlisle) - 5:16
  4. "Lay Down Your Arms" (Caffey, Schuckett, Ellen Shipley) - 4:38
  5. "Where Love Hides" (Schuckett) - 4:57
  6. "One with You" (Caffey, Schuckett, Shipley) - 5:11
  7. "Wrap My Arms" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 4:27
  8. "Tell Me" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 5:32
  9. "Windows of the World" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 3:26
  10. "Here Comes My Baby" (Greg Alexander, Caffey, Carlisle) - 4:37

[edit] Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart 61
Japan Oricon Albums Chart[3] 26
Sweden Albums Chart[4] 23
UK Albums Chart[5] 9

[edit] Release details

Country Date Label Format Catalog
Japan 1993-09-29 Toshiba Records CD, CS VJCP-28185[6]
United States 1993-10-05 Virgin Records CD, CS V2-39102[7]
United Kingdom 1993-10-11 Virgin Records CD, Vinyl CDV2725[8]
Australia 1993-11-14 Virgin Records CD 839102-2

[edit] References

  1. ^ "All Music Guide's review". Retrieved on June 1, 2007.
  2. ^ "Belinda-Carlisle.com". Retrieved on June 1, 2007.
  3. ^ "Japan Chart Position". Retrieved on November 6, 2007.
  4. ^ "Sweden Chart Position". Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  5. ^ "UK Chart Position". Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  6. ^ - Japan release information. Oricon. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  7. ^ Real - U.S. release information. eil.com. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  8. ^ Real - UK release information. eil.com. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
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Belinda Carlisle
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