Alphabet City (album)
Alphabet City | ||||
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Studio album by ABC | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Recorded | November 1986 – August 1987 | |||
Studio | Marcus Recording Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:55 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
ABC chronology | ||||
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Singles from Alphabet City | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Alphabet City is the fourth studio album by English pop band ABC. It was originally released in 1987, on the labels Mercury, Phonogram and Neutron, two years after their previous album How to Be a ... Zillionaire! Following a hiatus in which singer Martin Fry was being treated for Hodgkin's disease, it was recorded over a period of nine months between November 1986 and August 1987, in sessions that took place at Marcus Recording Studios in London, assisted by Bernard Edwards, best known for his work with the American band Chic.
The album's title and the titles of several tracks were inspired by the Alphabet City section of Manhattan, New York City, where Fry and Mark White lived for a time prior to the album's release. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK, making it their first album to reach the Top 10 since their debut The Lexicon of Love. The album launched three charting singles in the UK. "When Smokey Sings", a tribute to Smokey Robinson, peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart; "The Night You Murdered Love" peaked at No. 31; "King Without a Crown" at No. 44.
In 2005, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released with six bonus tracks.
Track listing
All tracks written by Martin Fry and Mark White, except where noted.
Side one | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
1. | "Avenue A" | 0:56 | |
2. | "When Smokey Sings" | 4:22 | |
3. | "The Night You Murdered Love" | 4:53 | |
4. | "Think Again" | 3:41 | |
5. | "Rage and Then Regret" | 3:34 | |
6. | "Ark-Angel" | 4:54 |
Side two | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
7. | "King Without a Crown" | 4:41 | |
8. | "Bad Blood" | 3:56 | |
9. | "Jealous Lover" | 3:36 | |
10. | "One Day" | 5:35 | |
11. | "Avenue Z" |
| 0:42 |
Total length: | 40:55 |
Additional tracks on initial CD pressing | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
12. | "Minneapolis" |
| 2:57 |
13. | "When Smokey Sings [The Miami Mix]" | 7:05 | |
14. | "The Night You Murdered Love [The Whole Story]" | 8:16 | |
15. | "Chicago [Abridged]" |
| 3:42 |
Additional tracks on 2005 version | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
12. | "Minneapolis" |
| 2:57 |
13. | "Chicago [Abridged]" |
| 3:42 |
14. | "24 Carat Plastic" | 3:34 | |
15. | "The Night You Murdered Love [The Reply with Contessa Lady V]" | 4:50 | |
16. | "One Day [Instrumental with Real Strings]" | 5:47 | |
17. | "King Without a Crown [Monarchy Mix]" | 8:46 |
Personnel
ABC
- Martin Fry – lead and background vocals
- Mark White – guitars; keyboards; programming
Additional personnel
- Graham Broad – drums
- Brad Lang – bass guitar
- David Clayton – keyboards
- Danny Thompson – double bass
- Howie Casey – saxophone
- Judd Lander – harmonica
- Pandit Dinesh – percussion; tabla
- Luís Jardim (misspelled as "Louis Jardin" on album notes) – percussion
- Miriam Stockley – backing vocals
- Tessa Niles – backing vocals
- Dolette McDonald – backing vocals
- Linda Taylor – backing vocals
- Alan Carvell – backing vocals
- Richard Niles – string arrangements on "When Smokey Sings" and "The Night You Murdered Love"
- Anne Dudley – string arrangements on "One Day" and "Bad Blood"
Production team
- Martin Fry – producer
- Mark White – producer
- Bernard Edwards – producer
- Martyn Webber – engineer
- Tim Burrell – assistant engineer
- Julian Mendelsohn – mixing
- Ian Cooper – mastering at the Townhouse Studios, London
- Andy Earl – photography
- Keith Breeden – artwork
- Peter Curzon – artwork
Chart performance
Weekly charts
References
- ↑ Stylusmagazine.com
- ↑ AllMusic
- ↑ Itunes.apple.com
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC – Alphabet City". AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "The Official Charts Company – Alphabet City by ABC Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
- ↑ ABC. "ABC – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
External links
- Alphabet City at Discogs (list of releases)