From Luxury to Heartache

From Luxury to Heartache
Studio album by Culture Club
Released 30 March 1986
Recorded 1985-1986
Genre New wave
Length 44:04
Label Virgin, Epic (US)
Producer Arif Mardin, Lew Hahn
Culture Club chronology

Waking Up with the House on Fire
(1984)		 From Luxury to Heartache
(1986)		 Don't Mind If I Do
(1999)
Singles from From Luxury to Heartache
  1. "Move Away"
    Released: March 1986
  2. "God Thank You Woman"
    Released: May 1986 (UK, Europe, Japan, Australia)
  3. "Gusto Blusto"
    Released: August 1986 (US, Canada)
Professional ratings
Review scores
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Robert Christgau (C) link
Allmusic link

From Luxury to Heartache is the fourth album by new wave band Culture Club, released in 1986.

Overview

From Luxury to Heartache was a deliberate departure for Culture Club, a move away from the reggae-flavoured pop of their previous releases into dance-oriented music. Veteran pop and R&B producer Arif Mardin replaced Steve Levine, in a bid to revitalise the band's sound. Due to lead singer Boy George's growing addiction to drugs, recordings dragged on for so long that Mardin had to disband the sessions and leave it up to engineer Lew Hahn to record the final vocals. (The final credit on the album gave production credit to both Mardin and Hahn on all tracks.) Songs like "Gusto Blusto" and "Reasons" took days for the addicted singer to finish.

Following the release of the album, rumours of George's heroin addiction began to circulate in the tabloids, and by the summer of 1986, he announced that he was indeed addicted to drugs. In July, he was arrested by the British police for possession of cannabis.[1] Several days later, keyboardist Michael Rudetsky, who played on the album and had co-written "Sexuality"[2] with George, was found dead of a heroin overdose[3] in George's home.[4]

Despite selling over 500,000 US copies (and a million records worldwide) as well as sizable chart success with the opening track "Move Away", Boy George decided for a solo career within a year of the album's release. "God Thank You Woman" was the second single in UK but only reached #31 in the chart while in the US "Gusto Blusto" was chosen, but didn't chart. A third UK single, "Come Clean"/"Heaven's Children" was planned to be released in July, but was cancelled. The band reformed in 1990 and in 1998.

From Luxury to Heartache was never issued on CD in the United States. Unlike the previous three albums, this album hasn't been remastered or reissued at all.

Track listing

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Move Away"  George O'Dowd, Jon Moss, Michael Craig, Roy Hay, Phil Pickett 4:21
2. "I Pray"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:00
3. "Work on Me Baby"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay 4:06
4. "Gusto Blusto"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:40
5. "Heaven's Children"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:44
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
6. "God Thank You Woman"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:14
7. "Reasons"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:35
8. "Too Bad"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 4:36
9. "Come Clean"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Pickett 3:20
10. "Sexuality"  O'Dowd, Moss, Craig, Hay, Michael Rudetsky 5:28

CD bonus tracks:

  1. "Move Away" (Extended) – 7:25
  2. "God Thank You Woman" (Extended) – 7:03
  3. "Sexuality" (Extended) – 10:34

Personnel

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Album

Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart 10
U.S. Billboard 200 32

Singles

Single Chart (1986) Peak
position
"Move Away" UK Singles Chart 7
"Move Away" U.S. Adult Contemporary 11
"Move Away" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 12
"Move Away" U.S. Hot Dance Club Play 4
"Move Away" U.S. R&B Chart 87
"God Thank You Woman" UK Singles Chart 31

Release details

Country Date Label Format Catalog
1986 Virgin CD E-40345
LP 2380
1998 Virgin CD 86704

References

  1. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4321642.stm
  2. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Culture-Club-From-Luxury-To-Heartache/release/970158
  3. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4321642.stm
  4. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-07/news/8602260755_1_kevin-o-dowd-george-o-dowd-drug-related-death

External links