Wonderland (Erasure album)
| Wonderland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Erasure | ||||
| Released |
US 1 May 1986 UK 2 June 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 49:05 | |||
| Label |
Mute (UK) Sire (US) | |||
| Producer | Flood | |||
| Erasure chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Wonderland | ||||
|
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Wonderland is the debut album by Erasure, recorded in 1985 soon after the duo's formation. It was originally released 1 May 1986 in the United States on Sire Records and 2 June 1986 by Mute Records in the United Kingdom.[2] Not an immediate success, the three singles released from it failed to crack the Top 40 in the UK, nor did any of them enter the Billboard Hot 100. "Who Needs Love Like That" would eventually make the British Top 10 in 1992, and "Oh L'amour" became a UK Top 20 in 2003, both in remixed form promoting their Pop! The First 20 Hits and Hits! compilations respectively. However, the album fared better in both Germany and Sweden, where it was a Top 20 success.
Erasure's initial exposure in the US came via dance clubs, as two singles did hit the top ten on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
At the time of its release, Wonderland was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke's prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Early reviews of the album dubbed Bell as an Alison Moyet imitator.
Wonderland is widely revered as a classic example of mid-80s synth pop, by most critics, and is appreciated now as the beginning stages of one of electronic music's most enduring acts.
Track listing
All songs were written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, except where noted.
UK release
Side one
- "Who Needs Love Like That" (Clarke)
- "Reunion"
- "Cry So Easy" (Bell)
- "Push Me Shove Me" (Clarke)
- "Heavenly Action"
Side two
- "Say What"
- "Love is a Loser"
- "Senseless"
- "My Heart... So Blue" (Clarke)
- "Oh L'amour"
- "Pistol"
CD bonus tracks
- "Say What" (remix)
- "March on Down the Line" (remix)
- "Senseless" (remix)
US release
Side one
- "Who Needs Love Like That" (Clarke)
- "Reunion"
- "Cry So Easy" (Bell)
- "Senseless"
- "Heavenly Action"
Side two
- "Say What"
- "Love is a Loser"
- "March on Down the Line"
- "My Heart... So Blue" (Clarke)
- "Oh L'amour"
CD bonus tracks
- "Who Needs Love Like That (The Love That Mix Version)"
- "Oh L'amour (The Funky Sisters Remix)"
The US version drops the tracks "Push Me Shove Me" and "Pistol" and adds "March on Down the Line" which was originally the B-side to "Oh L'amour" in the UK (and also appeared in remixed form as a CD bonus track on the UK version of the album). The CD versions of both the UK and US versions of the album have different remixes as bonus tracks.
The UK and USA album versions of "Oh L'amour" were slightly different.
Chart performance
Original release
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart[3] | 20 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[4] | 13 |
| UK Albums Chart[5] | 71 |
1988 re-issue
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[6] | 82 |
1989 re-issue
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[7] | 73 |
Release history
| Date | Region | Label | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 June 1986 | United Kingdom | Mute Records | STUMM25 |
| United States | Sire Records | 25354 |
2011 Remaster and Repackage
On 4 July 2011, EMI re-released Erasure's first two albums in 2CD/DVD format. Both feature the original album remastered, plus another disc of tracks associated with the album, and a DVD containing promo videos and a live concert.
Tracklisting
| Disc one: Original album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Who Needs Love Like That?" | 3:19 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Reunion" | 3:25 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Cry So Easy" | 3:35 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Push Me, Shove Me" (Remix) | 5:20 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Heavenly Action" | 3:30 | ||||||||
| 6. | "Say What" | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Love Is a Loser" | 3:02 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Senseless" | 3:26 | ||||||||
| 9. | "My Heart... So Blue" | 4:31 | ||||||||
| 10. | "Oh L'amour" | 3:04 | ||||||||
| 11. | "Pistol" | 3:30 | ||||||||
| 12. | "Say What" (Remix) | 7:22 | ||||||||
| 13. | "March on Down the Line" (Remix) | 6:07 | ||||||||
| Disc two: Bonus CD | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Who Needs Love Like That?" (Mexican Mix) | 6:11 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Push Me, Shove Me" (Extended as Far as Possible Mix) | 4:09 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Don't Say No" (Ruby Red Mix) | 6:09 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Heavenly Action" (12" Mix) | 6:11 | ||||||||
| 5. | "March on Down the Line" | 3:46 | ||||||||
| 6. | "Oh L'amour" (PWL Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La') | 7:17 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (Remix) | 4:58 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Cry So Easy" (BBC Radio One Session: Bruno Brookes, 15/11/85) | 3:43 | ||||||||
| 9. | "Who Needs Love Like That?" (BBC Radio One Session: Bruno Brookes, 15/11/85) | 3:33 | ||||||||
| 10. | "Senseless" (BBC Radio One Session 5/12/85) | 3:32 | ||||||||
| 11. | "Heavenly Action" (BBC Radio One Session 5/12/85) | 3:38 | ||||||||
| 12. | "Say What" (BBC Radio One Session 5/12/85) | 3:25 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Push Me, Shove Me" (BBC Radio One Session 5/12/85) | 2:50 | ||||||||
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ "Erasure • Albums • Wonderland". Erasureinfo.com. 2 June 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Erasure&titel=Wonderland&cat=a
- ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Wonderland by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
- ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Wonderland by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
- ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Wonderland by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.