Revolutions (Jean Michel Jarre album)

Revolutions is the sixth overall studio album by Jean Michel Jarre, first released in 1988. The album spans several genres, including symphonic industrial, Arabian inspired, light guitar pop and ethnic electro jazz. The album reached number #2 in the UK charts, Jarre's best chart position since Oxygène. The Destination Docklands concert in London coincided with the release of the album.

Instruments

The majority of the album was played with a Roland D-50 synthesizer, with the majority of sound programming gathered from custom sound banks, compiled into a single bank and later released for French Keyboards magazine.

Tracks

There are two versions of the album, each containing a different version of the track "Revolutions". On the original release, the introduction to the tune is played on a Turkish flute, whereas the later reissue of the album uses an Arabian string orchestra for the introduction. This version also has a different vocal accompaniment, as sung by an Arabian vocalist. "Revolutions" contains reworked samples of an unpublished composition by Turkish Kudsi Erguner, which Jarre had acquired from ethnologist Xavier Bellenger. Erguner took his case to court and won a modest indemnity.^[2] Jarre removed the ney flute part from new releases of the record and from live performances.

The song "London Kid" was a collaboration with Hank Marvin. Hank was living in Perth, Australia at the time and he and Jean Michel composed the song with each other over the phone.

As noted in the liner notes, the track "September" is named after and dedicated to South African ANC activist Dulcie September, who was assassinated in Paris on 29 March 1988.

Track listing

1988 Original Release

1. "Industrial Revolution" - 16:33
   1. Overture – 5:20
   2. Part 1 – 5:08
   3. Part 2 – 2:18
   4. Part 3 – 3:47
2. "London Kid" – 4:34
3. "Revolutions" – 5:01
4. "Tokyo Kid" – 5:22
5. "Computer Weekend" – 5:00
6. "September" – 3:52
7. "The Emigrant" – 3:56

1994 Re-issue Release

1. "Industrial Revolution" Overture – 5:20
2. "Industrial Revolution" Part 1 – 5:08
3. "Industrial Revolution" Part 2 – 2:18
4. "Industrial Revolution" Part 3 – 4:47
5. "London Kid" – 4:34
6. "Revolution, Revolutions" – 4:55
7. "Tokyo Kid" – 5:18
8. "Computer Weekend" – 4:38
9. "September" – 3:52
10. "The Emigrant" – 4:05

Personnel

• Jean Michel Jarre – Synclavier, Roland D-50, Fairlight CMI, Synthex, EMS Synthi AKS, OSC OSCar, EMS Vocoder, Dynacord ADD1, Cristal Baschet, Akai MPC60, drums programming, percussions
• Guy Delacroix – bass guitar
• Sylvain Durand – Fairlight CMI on "London Kid"
• Kudsi Erguner – Turkish flute
• Michel Geiss – ARP 2600, KAWAI K5, Geiss Matrisequencer, Cavagnolo MIDY 20, Elka AMK 800
• Joe Hammer – drums Simmons SDX, Dynacord ADD1
• Hank Marvin – guitar
• Jun Miyake – trumpet, megaphone
• Dominique Perrier – E-mu Emulator, Fairlight CMI, Ensoniq ESQ-1, Roland D-50, Synthex, OSC Oscar, AKAI MPC-60 programming
• Francis Rimbert – additional synthesizer programming

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Revolutions at Discogs
• Revolutions at JarreUK