Building the Perfect Beast
Encyclopedia
Building the Perfect Beast is the second album by Don Henley
, released in 1984. The album became a huge hit for Henley, forming him into a solo star. The album reached #13 on the charts and sold 3 million copies. It also released four Top 40 singles including "The Boys Of Summer" which won Henley numerous awards and became one of his most popular songs. "The Boys Of Summer", "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", "Not Enough Love In The World", and "Sunset Grill" reached #5, #9, #34, and #22 respectively. Henley won a Grammy for "The Boys Of Summer" and four MTV Video Music Awards. The album is notable for the fact that three-fifths of the then line-up of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
contribute to the writing of the songs - guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboard man Benmont Tench
and drummer Stan Lynch
who would later collaborate with Henley on the Eagles' Learn to be Still
.
Note: "A Month of Sundays" appeared on the cassette and compact disc versions of the album but was not included on the LP format. On vinyl it was released as the B-side of the single "The Boys of Summer".
Singles - Billboard
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, released in 1984. The album became a huge hit for Henley, forming him into a solo star. The album reached #13 on the charts and sold 3 million copies. It also released four Top 40 singles including "The Boys Of Summer" which won Henley numerous awards and became one of his most popular songs. "The Boys Of Summer", "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", "Not Enough Love In The World", and "Sunset Grill" reached #5, #9, #34, and #22 respectively. Henley won a Grammy for "The Boys Of Summer" and four MTV Video Music Awards. The album is notable for the fact that three-fifths of the then line-up of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
contribute to the writing of the songs - guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboard man Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
and drummer Stan Lynch
Stan Lynch
Stanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
who would later collaborate with Henley on the Eagles' Learn to be Still
Hell Freezes Over
Hell Freezes Over is a live album by the Eagles, released in 1994. The album contains four new studio tracks and eleven tracks recorded live for an MTV special. It went to #1 on the Billboard album chart upon its release where it stayed for two weeks. It is the band's second live album behind their...
.
Track listing
- "The Boys of SummerThe Boys of Summer (song)"The Boys of Summer" is a song by Don Henley, with lyrics written by Henley and music composed by Henley and Mike Campbell, longtime guitarist for Tom Petty. It is the lead track and first single from Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song's music video won many awards...
" (Don Henley, Mike Campbell) – 4:45 - "You Can't Make Love" (Henley, Danny KortchmarDanny KortchmarDanny "Kootch" Kortchmar is a guitarist, session musician, and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as David Crosby, Carole King, Graham Nash, Carly Simon and James Taylor helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s...
) – 3:34 - "Man With a Mission" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther) – 2:43
- "You're Not Drinking Enough" (Kortchmar) – 4:40
- "Not Enough Love in the WorldNot Enough Love in the World"Not Enough Love in the World" is the name of a song written by Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, and Benmont Tench.- Song information :Henley included it on his 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. It was released as a single in 1985 and became a top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (Henley, Kortchmar, Benmont Tench) – 3:54 - "Building the Perfect Beast" (Henley, Kortchmar) – 4:59
- "All She Wants to Do Is DanceAll She Wants To Do Is Dance"All She Wants to Do Is Dance" is a 1984 song recorded by Don Henley and became a Billboard Top 10 hit in March 1985, peaking at number 9, and also became his second song to top the Top Rock Tracks chart...
" (Kortchmar) – 4:28 - "A Month of Sundays" (Henley) – 4:31 (cassette and CD only)
- "Sunset GrillSunset Grill (song)"Sunset Grill" is a song by Don Henley from his 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in January 1985...
" (Henley, Kortchmar, Tench) – 6:22 - "Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed" (Henley, Kortchmar, Stan Lynch) – 3:41
- "Land of the Living" (Henley, Kortchmar) – 3:24
Note: "A Month of Sundays" appeared on the cassette and compact disc versions of the album but was not included on the LP format. On vinyl it was released as the B-side of the single "The Boys of Summer".
Personnel
- Don Henley - 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...
, 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 ....
, 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...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, chant, harmony vocals - Michael BoddickerMichael BoddickerMichael J. Boddicker , is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. Three times N.A.R.A.S. Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for Imagination from Flashdance in 1984...
- synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Lindsey BuckinghamLindsey BuckinghamLindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, harmony vocals - Mike Campbell - synthesizer, guitar, percussion
- Belinda CarlisleBelinda CarlisleBelinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
- vocals, harmony vocals - Bill Cuomo - synthesizer, percussion
- Martha DavisMartha DavisMartha Davis may refer to:*Martha Davis , lead singer of the new wave band The Motels*Martha Davis , vocalist and pianist who performed as "Martha Davis and Spouse"*Martha Davis , who wrote "Brutal Need"...
- vocals, chant, harmony vocals - Tim DrummondTim DrummondTim Drummond is an American bass guitarist who has toured and recorded with many notable artists including Conway Twitty, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Ry Cooder, J. J. Cale, Lonnie Mack, Miles Davis, B.B...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Marie Pascale Elfman - vocals, ensemble
- Albhy GalutenAlbhy GalutenAlbhy Galuten is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer, composer, musician, orchestrator and technology executive.He produced 18 number 1 singles with songs and albums selling over 100,000,000 copies...
- synthesizer, synclavierSynclavierThe Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation, manufactured by New England Digital Corporation, Norwich, VT. The original design and development of the Synclavier prototype occurred at Dartmouth College with the collaboration of... - Jerry HeyJerry HeyJerry Hey is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Thriller and the distinctive flugelhorn solo on Dan Fogelberg's hit Longer....
- horn - Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
- drums - Larry KleinLarry KleinLarry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
- bass - Danny "Kootch" KortchmarDanny KortchmarDanny "Kootch" Kortchmar is a guitarist, session musician, and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as David Crosby, Carole King, Graham Nash, Carly Simon and James Taylor helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s...
- organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, synthesizer, bass, guitar, percussion, keyboards, synthesizer guitar, chant, omnichordOmnichordThe Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument, introduced in 1981 and manufactured by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate, and buttons for major, minor, and diminished chords... - Dominique Mancinelli - vocals, ensemble
- Kevin McCormick - African drums
- Sam MooreSam MooreSamuel David Moore is an American Southern Soul and Rhythm & Blues singer who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 through 1981...
- harmony vocals - Randy NewmanRandy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
- synthesizer - Michael O'Donahue - vocals, chant
- Carla Olson - vocals, chant
- David PaichDavid PaichDavid Frank Paich is a session musician, keyboard player, recording producer, arranger, vocalist and main composer of the Los Angeles-based rock/pop band Toto. David is the son of the late jazz composer, musician, and arranger Marty Paich...
- synthesizer, piano, keyboards - Pino PalladinoPino PalladinoPino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
- bass - Steve PorcaroSteve PorcaroSteven Maxwell "Steve" Porcaro is an American keyboardist and composer, who was an original member of the rock/pop band Toto....
- synthesizer - Charlie SextonCharlie SextonCharles Wayne Sexton is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for the 1985 hit Beat's So Lonely and as the guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing band from 1999 to 2002 and since 2009...
- guitar - Patty SmythPatty SmythPatty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
- vocals, chant, harmony vocals - J.D. Souther - vocals, chant
- Benmont TenchBenmont TenchBenjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
- synthesizer, piano, keyboards - Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
- vocals, chant - Ian WallaceIan Wallace (drummer)Ian Russell Wallace was a rock and jazz drummer, most visible as a member of progressive rock band, King Crimson from 1971 to 1972; but known best in the musical community with his contributions as a session musician on his drum kit.-Early years:Wallace formed his first band, The Jaguars, at...
- drums
Production
- Producers: Don Henley, Mike Campbell, Danny Kortchmar, Greg Ladanyi
- Engineers: Niko BolasNiko BolasNiko Bolas is an American music producer, sound engineer, and consultant and business developer in the fields of virtual reality and Internet radio...
, Richard Bosworth, Tom Knox, Greg Ladanyi, Allen Sides - Assistant engineers: Richard Bosworth, Mark Ettel, Dan Garcia, David Schober, Duane Seykora
- Mixing: Niko Bolas, Greg Ladanyi
- Mastering: Mike Reese, Doug Sax
- Programming: Michael Boddicker, Steve Porcaro
- Percussion programming: Bill Cuomo
- Sequencing: Michael Boddicker
- Synthesizer arrangements: Don Henley, Michael Boddicker, Danny Kortchmar, Randy Newman, David Paich, Benmont Tench
- Horn Arrangements: Jerry Hey
- Percussion Arrangement: Danny Kortchmar
- EmulatorE-mu EmulatorThe Emulator is the name given to a series of disk-based digital sampling keyboards manufactured by E-mu Systems from 1982 until 1990. Though not the first commercial sampler, the Emulator was among the first to find wide use among ordinary musicians, due to its relatively low price and its size,...
: Michael Boddicker - Art direction: Don Henley, Maren Jensen, Jeri McManus
- Photography: Herb RittsHerb RittsHerbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
- Graphic coordinator: Jeri McManus
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Billboard 200 | 13 |
Singles - Billboard
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Sunset Grill" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 1984 | "The Boys of Summer" | Adult Contemporary | 33 |
| 1984 | "The Boys of Summer" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1984 | "The Boys of Summer" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| 1985 | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 10 |
| 1985 | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 34 |
| 1985 | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 65 |
| 1985 | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1985 | "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| 1985 | "Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 1985 | "Not Enough Love in the World" | Adult Contemporary | 6 |
| 1985 | "Not Enough Love in the World" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 17 |
| 1985 | "Not Enough Love in the World" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| 1985 | "Sunset Grill" | Adult Contemporary | 18 |
| 1985 | "Sunset Grill" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
Awards
Grammy Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "The Boys of Summer" | Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre... |