Breaking Hearts
| Breaking Hearts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Elton John | ||||
| Released | 18 June 1984 | |||
| Recorded | December 1983 – April 1984 at Montserrat | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, pop rock | |||
| Length | 40:38 | |||
| Label |
Geffen Records (US/Canada) Rocket (International) | |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Breaking Hearts | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [2] |
Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1984. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were two hit singles from the album: the US #5 hit "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" and the UK No. 5 hit "Passengers".
This was the last studio album until 2001's Songs from the West Coast that would feature Olsson on drums. It was also the last in which John played both piano and keyboards in the studio by himself. There would be a backup keyboardist for every album moving forward.
Breaking Hearts was also the first album since Victim of Love to not feature a string or horn section on any track. This is one of only two albums with John's classic band in which Ray Cooper was not part of the line-up, the other being 1973's Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. Shortly after the tour, the band line-up would change and Gus Dudgeon, John's former producer, would produce the next two albums. In the US it was certified gold in September 1984 and platinum in August 1998 by the RIAA.
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.
Side one
- "Restless" – 5:17
- "Slow Down Georgie (She's Poison)" – 4:10
- "Who Wears These Shoes?" – 4:04
- "Breaking Hearts (Ain't What It Used to Be)" – 3:34
- "Li'l 'Frigerator" – 3:37
Side two
- "Passengers" (John, Taupin, Davey Johnstone, Phineas McHize) – 3:24
- "In Neon" – 4:19
- "Burning Buildings" – 4:02
- "Did He Shoot Her?" – 3:21
- "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" – 4:55
Personnel
- Elton John: keyboards, lead vocals
- Davey Johnstone: guitar, vocals
- Dee Murray: bass guitar, vocals
- Nigel Olsson: drums, vocals
- Andrew Thompson: saxophone on "Li'l 'Frigerator"
Miscellaneous
- Produced by Chris Thomas
- Recorded by Renate Blauel
- Mastered by Tim Young
- Recorded at Air Studios, Montserrat
- Overdubs at 301 Studios, Sydney, Australia
- Mixed at Air Studios, London, England
B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "A Simple Man" | Sad Songs (Say So Much) 7" (US/UK), 12" (UK) |
| "Lonely Boy" | Who Wears These Shoes? 7" (US) / Passengers 7"/12" (UK) |
| "Tactics" | In Neon 7" (US) |
| "Tortured" | Who Wears These Shoes? 7"/12" (UK) |
| "Passengers (Extended Mix)" | Passengers 12" (UK) |
| "Who Wears These Shoes? (Extended Version)" | Who Wears These Shoes? 12" (UK) |
| "I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Live)" | Who Wears These Shoes? 12" (UK) |
"A Simple Man" was recorded in 1981 during the Jump Up! sessions. In 2003, Mercury Universal and The Rocket Record Company re-released the album, which was remastered by Gary Moore. As did 21 at 33, The Fox and Jump Up!, it contained no bonus tracks.
Charts
Chart positions
|
Year-end charts
Certifications} }
|
| Preceded by Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie |
Australian Kent Music Report number-one album 9–29 July 1984 |
Succeeded by Purple Rain (soundtrack) by Prince and The Revolution |
| Preceded by Footloose (soundtrack) by Various artists |
Swiss Music Chart number-one album 15 July 1984 |
Succeeded by Footloose (soundtrack) by Various artists |
References
- ↑ "Breaking Hearts". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ↑
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "austriancharts.at Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 October 2011
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ↑ "charts.org.nz Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ↑ "swedishcharts.com Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Elton John – Breaking Hearts – hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Chart Stats – Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Breaking Hearts > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Album Search: Elton John – Breaking Hearts" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1984" (ASP) (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. 5 January 1985. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Hitparade.ch – Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (ASP). Swiss Music Charts (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Elton John – Breaking Hearts". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Breaking Hearts in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ↑ "American album certifications – Elton John – Breaking Hearts". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
