Here's to Future Days

Here's to Future Days
Studio album by Thompson Twins
Released	September 20, 1985[1]
Recorded	1985
Genre	New Wave, Pop, Rock
Length	42:52
Label	Arista
Producer	Nile Rodgers, Tom Bailey
Thompson Twins chronology
Into the Gap (1984)Into the Gap1984 Here's to Future Days (1985) Close to the Bone (1987)Close to the Bone1987

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Smash Hits	[3]

Here's to Future Days is the fifth album by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was the third and final release for the band as a trio, which was their most successful and recognisable line-up. Released in September 1985, it reached no.5 in the UK, and no.20 in the US.

Following on from the band's highly successful fourth album, Into the Gap, the writing and recording of Here's to Future Days began in late 1984. The band recorded the single "Lay Your Hands on Me" with Alex Sadkin acting as producer. Sadkin had produced the last two Thompson Twins albums, which were the band's biggest commercial successes to date, and the new single climbed to #13 on the UK charts. However, the band then decided to part company with Sadkin and opted to produce the new album by themselves in Paris, France.

In March 1985, with the album nearing completion and the next single "Roll Over" just about to be released in the UK, vocalist/guitarist Tom Bailey suddenly fell ill. After collapsing in his hotel room, he was diagnosed with nervous exhaustion and ordered to rest by doctors. The incident prompted the band to recall all copies of "Roll Over", despite the fact that some of them had already been shipped to retail outlets. Holding off on the album's release led the band to reconsider the entire project, and they began work on it again following Bailey's recovery. This time they enlisted Nile Rodgers to take over production and rework the material they had already recorded. The direction of the new recordings featured a more guitar-oriented side to it.

Before the album's release, the Thompson Twins performed at Live Aid in July 1985, where they revealed their new material by playing a rock oriented version of The Beatles' track "Revolution". The band were also joined onstage for this number by Rodgers himself, Madonna, and guitarist Steve Stevens.

Although the album was a chart success in the UK and the US, it was considerably less successful than their previous album Into the Gap. Subsequent singles from the album also met with mixed results. The new Nile Rodgers-produced version of "Lay Your Hands on Me" (now with a more distinct gospel sound) reached #6 in the United States, while the next UK single "Don't Mess With Doctor Dream" reached #15. "King for a Day" followed in both markets, peaking at #8 in the US and becoming their third and final Top 10 hit there, but only reaching #22 in the UK. The aforementioned "Revolution" was also released as a single in the UK, but failed to make the top 40, signifying an end to the Thompson Twins' commercial viability there.

The US pressing of the vinyl album does not include the track "Breakaway" but contained a new, Nile Rodgers-produced version of the track "Roll Over", though the song was omitted altogether in all other countries. The US cassette and CD versions of the album contain both "Roll Over" and "Breakaway".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, except where noted.

LP: Arista 207164

Some UK copies came with a "free 5-track album of re-mixes" (this disc having cat. no. FRE TT 1). The remixes were also included as bonus tracks on the cassette version of the album.

New Expanded Edition

On 4 August 2008, Here's to Future Days was digitally remastered and reissued as a 2-disc set by Edsel Records . The reissue includes the five bonus remixes that originally appeared on the cassette version of the album in 1985, and also features most of the major 12" versions and B-sides, some of which appear on CD for the very first time.

Disc 1

1. "Don't Mess with Doctor Dream" - 4.25
2. "Lay Your Hands on Me" - 4.21
3. "Future Days" - 3.00
4. "You Killed the Clown" - 4.52
5. "Revolution" - 4.05
6. "King for a Day" - 5.18
7. "Love Is the Law" - 4.43
8. "Emperor's Clothes (Part 1)" - 4.45
9. "Tokyo" - 3.38
10. "Breakaway"- 3.33
11. "Roll Over" - 4.58 - Bonus Track (Album version that only appeared on North American copies of the original album in 1985)
12. "Shoot Out" - 6.22 (Remix of "Don't Mess With Doctor Dream" that appeared previously on the UK 12" single known as the "[(U4A)+(U3A)=REMIX]", catalogue number TWINS229)
13. "Alice" - 4.59 (Instrumental version of "Lay Your Hands On Me")
14. "Heavens Above!" - 3.19 (Instrumental remix of "Future Days")
15. "The Kiss" - 5.42 (Remix of "Tokyo")
16. "Desert Dancers" - 7.07 (Remix of "Breakaway")

Disc 2

1. "Lay Your Hands on Me" (Original UK 12" Version) - 6.05
2. "The Lewis Carol (Adventures in Wonderland)" - 4.14 (Original B-Side of the "Lay Your Hands On Me" UK 7" and 12" singles)
3. "Lay Your Hands on Me (US Re-Mix)" - 5.55
4. "Lay Your Hands on Me (Extended Version)" - 6.00 (12" version of the album version)
5. "Roll Over (Again)" - 6.50 (Previously unreleased 12" mix of "Roll Over")
6. "Fools in Paradise (Extended Mix)" - 5.25 (B-Side of the "King For A Day" 12" single)
7. "Don't Mess with Doctor Dream (Smackattack!)" - 6.10 (Original 12" version)
8. "Very Big Business" - 5.06 (B-Side of "Don't Mess With Doctor Dream" 12" single)
9. "King for a Day (Extended Mix)" - 8.02 (Original 12" version)
10. "Rollunder" - 6.50 (Previously unreleased B-Side of the "Roll Over" 12" single)
11. "King for a Day (U.S. Re-Mix)" - 7.20 (Original second 12" version)
12. "The Fourth Sunday" - 4.18 (B-Side of the "Revolution" 7" and 12" singles)
13. "Revolution (Extended Mix)" - 5.58 (Original UK 12" single)

Personnel

Thompson Twins

• Tom Bailey - synthesizer, lead vocals, piano, guitar, double bass, drum programming, Fairlight programming
• Alannah Currie - percussion, backing vocals, drums, xylophone, marimba
• Joe Leeway - congas, backing vocals, synthesizer, synth bass

Additional Personnel

• Nile Rodgers - guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Stevens - guitar ("Revolution," "Breakaway," "Roll Over")
• Steve Elsin - tenor saxophone ("You Killed the Clown")
• East Harlem Hobo Choir - backing vocals ("Lay Your Hands on Me," "Future Days")

Songs used in other media

• "Lay Your Hands on Me" made an appearance in the 1985 film, Perfect.
• The song "King For a Day" appeared in the 1986 film, Lucas.

References

External links