A Flock of Seagulls (album)
Encyclopedia
A Flock of Seagulls is the eponym
ous debut album by the Liverpudlian
New Wave
band A Flock of Seagulls
. It was released in 1982 on Jive
(see 1982 in music
), and featured the international hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," which reached the Top 10 in the U.S. and New Zealand
, as well as #1 in Australia
. The song "Space Age Love Song" also managed to score radio play. On the success of the singles, the album reached #10 in the States.
about alien abduction with the tracks thus following a sequential story line. In his review for Allmusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave
ear candy." Robert Christgau
("The Dean Of American Rock Critics") was also happy with it, giving it an A- and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook
-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise." Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."
The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s, if not for their memorable image then for their surprisingly effective production techniques, which at one point garnered the respect of legendary record producer
Phil Spector
, who in the 1980s called the album "phenomenal."
The album track, "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award
in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
.
and U.S.
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous debut album by the Liverpudlian
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J...
. It was released in 1982 on Jive
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
(see 1982 in music
1982 in music
This is a list of notable events in music from 1982. 1982 was a big year in music with Madonna making her debut as well as the year that Michael Jackson released Thriller which became the world's best selling album and it still holds that title today....
), and featured the international hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," which reached the Top 10 in the U.S. and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, as well as #1 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The song "Space Age Love Song" also managed to score radio play. On the success of the singles, the album reached #10 in the States.
Reception
The album received good reviews upon its release. It is generally recognized as a concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about alien abduction with the tracks thus following a sequential story line. In his review for Allmusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
ear candy." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
("The Dean Of American Rock Critics") was also happy with it, giving it an A- and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise." Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."
The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s, if not for their memorable image then for their surprisingly effective production techniques, which at one point garnered the respect of legendary record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, who in the 1980s called the album "phenomenal."
The album track, "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance was an honor presented to recording artists for quality instrumental rock performances at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
.
Track listing
Note: this is the tracklisting for the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Alternative Track listing
Additionally, some LP copies contained the 3:58 edited version of "I Ran" that was heard in the song's music video.A Flock of Seagulls
- Mike ScoreMike ScoreMike Score is the keyboardist, guitarist, and lead singer for the New Wave band, A Flock of Seagulls.-Career:...
– lead vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, additional rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Paul ReynoldsPaul Reynolds (musician)Paul Reynolds is the former lead guitarist and backup singer for the Liverpool band A Flock of Seagulls. He is commonly known for his large white glasses, which he gave away to a fan who was going to fight in the Gulf War, and serious-mannered appearance.Reynolds joined A Flock of Seagulls at the...
– leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
& rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
guitar, backing vocals - Frank Maudsley – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Ali Score – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- Produced By Mike Howlett, Bill Nelson
- Engineers: Mark Dearnley, Mike ShipleyMike ShipleyMike Shipley is a Grammy Award–winning mix engineer who has been prominent in the global music industry for several decades, having worked on projects with combined sales in the hundreds of millions....
- Mastered By "BillBo"
Chart performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Albums Chart | 5 |
| German Albums Chart | 26 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 32 |
| UK Albums Chart | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 10 |