Electric Blue is the debut solo album by Erasure

Erasure

Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...

 frontman Andy Bell

Andy Bell (singer)

Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...

, released 3 October 2005 by Sanctuary Records

Sanctuary Records

Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...

. The album was released in-between the Erasure albums Nightbird and Union Street

Union Street (album)

Union Street is the title of the twelfth album by Erasure. Announced on their in November 2005, Union Street was released on 3 April 2006 in the UK and on 18 April 2006 in the U.S. by Mute Records....

. Bell toured European and American nightclub

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

s to promote the album.

The album features fourteen tracks, co-written and produced throughout 2004 and 2005 with electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 duo Manhattan Clique

Manhattan Clique

The Manhattan Clique are producers, remixers and writers Philip Larsen and Chris Smith. Regular visitors to the higher reaches of the Music Week Club and Pop charts in the UK, plus the Billboard dance chart in the US, Manhattan Clique are equally at home with their more underground MHC guise as...

, who have worked as remix

Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ers for acts such as Moby

Moby

Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...

, The B-52's

The B-52's

The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...

, Stereophonics

Stereophonics

The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...

, Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....

, Fischerspooner

Fischerspooner

Fischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York. The name is a portmanteau of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner...

 and Erasure. Electric Blue includes three duets, with Claudia Brücken

Claudia Brücken

Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...

 of Propaganda

Propaganda (band)

Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....

 and Jake Shears

Jake Shears

Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...

 of Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...

, and encompasses a variety of musical genres, most notably Giorgio Moroder

Giorgio Moroder

Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...

-style disco

Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

, electro

Electro (music)

Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...

 and house music

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

. Upon release the album received mixed reviews, although more often than not critics were positive.

The first single, "Crazy", was released on 26 September 2005, and included club remixes from Erasure-partner Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....

, plus Cicada

Cicada (band)

Cicada is the name of a United Kingdom based electronic music band. Members include producers Aaron Gilbert , Alex Payne and several guest vocalists including Tom Smith from Editors, Heidrun Bjornsdottir, Ben Onono, Max Berlin, Bjorn from Pacific! and most recently Megan Quashie, Joel Pott, Nik...

, Manhattan Clique and King Roc. The second single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", was released 29 May 2006 and was remixed by Goetz, Jaded Alliance and Mr. Do. Included with this single is a non-album B-side track "Back Into the Old Routine".

"Crazy" peaked at number 35 on the UK singles chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and was a top-3 success on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Electric Blue hit number 119 in the UK and number 12 on Billboard magazine's Top Electronic Albums

Top Electronic Albums

Dance/Electronic Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top-selling electronic music albums in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated June 30, 2001. It originally began as a fifteen-position chart and has since expanded to twenty-five...

 chart.

Track listing

All songs were written by Bell, Philip Larsen

Manhattan Clique

The Manhattan Clique are producers, remixers and writers Philip Larsen and Chris Smith. Regular visitors to the higher reaches of the Music Week Club and Pop charts in the UK, plus the Billboard dance chart in the US, Manhattan Clique are equally at home with their more underground MHC guise as...

 and Chris Smith

Manhattan Clique

The Manhattan Clique are producers, remixers and writers Philip Larsen and Chris Smith. Regular visitors to the higher reaches of the Music Week Club and Pop charts in the UK, plus the Billboard dance chart in the US, Manhattan Clique are equally at home with their more underground MHC guise as...

, except where noted.

1. "Intro"
2. "Caught in a Spin"
3. "Crazy"
4. "Love Oneself" (Bell, Claudia Brücken
   Claudia Brücken
   Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
   
   , Larsen, Smith)
5. "I Thought It Was You" (Bell, Larsen, Jake Shears
   Jake Shears
   Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
   
   , Smith)
6. "Electric Blue" (Bell, Larsen, Smith, Conn)
7. "Jealous"
8. "Shaking My Soul"
9. "Runaway"
10. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again"
11. "Delicious"
12. "Fantasy"
13. "See the Lights Go Out"
14. "The Rest of Our Lives" (Bell, Gurney, Larsen, Smith)

Chart performance

Chart (2005)	Peak position	Total weeks
UK Albums Chart	119	1
U.S. Dance/Electronic Albums	12	4

Singles

• 2005 "Crazy" Maxi Single #35 UK, #3 U.S. Dance

1. "Crazy" (MHC Stateside Remix)
2. "Crazy" (MHC Stateside Dub)
3. "Crazy" (MHC Alternative Stateside Remix)
4. "Crazy" (Original Radio Edit)
5. "Crazy" (Cicada Vocal Remix)
6. "Crazy" (King Roc Remix)
7. "Crazy" (Vince Clarke Remix)
8. "Crazy" (MHC Master Mix)
9. "Crazy" (CD-ROM Track: Music Video)

• 2005 "Crazy" Single

1. "Crazy" (Radio edit)
2. "Little Girl Lies" (Non Album track)

• 2005 Crazy DVD Single

1. "Crazy" (Video)
2. "Crazy" (Acoustic)
3. "Names Change" (Non Album Track)

• 2006 "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"

1. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Album Version)
2. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Jaded Alliance Remix)
3. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Goetz Extended Remix)
4. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Mr. Do's Remix)
5. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Goetz Mix Radio Edit)
6. "Back Into the Old Routine"

• 2006 "Electric Blue" / "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" Remix Promo

1. "Electric Blue" (MHC Remix)
2. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (Jaded Alliance Vocal)
3. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (Goetz Extended Mix)
4. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (Mr. Do's Vocal Edit)
5. "Electric Blue" (Extended Album Version)

Personnel

• Andy Bell – vocals
• Philip Larsen - synthesisers and programming
• Chris Smith - synthesisers and programming
• Claudia Brücken
  Claudia Brücken
  Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
  
   – vocals on two tracks
• Jake Shears
  Jake Shears
  Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
  
   – vocals on one track
• Filippo Gaetani – bass on one track
• Adrian Revell – brass one one track
• Winston Rollins – brass on one track
• Martin Shaw – brass on one track

Additional personnel

• Manhattan Clique – production
• Dick Beetham – mastering
• Phyllis Cohen – artwork, body painting
• Michael Conn – string arrangements
• Rob Crane – art direction
• Tim Flach – photography
  Tim Flach
  Tim Flach is a photographer best known for his highly conceptual portraits of animals, particularly horses. His images of animals are a departure from traditional wildlife photography and he has been described as “a potent example of a commercially trained photographer who’s now reaching a global...
  
  
• Drew Griffiths – mixing
• Bob Kraushaar – mixing
• Ian Remmer – mixing

External links

• Official Andy Bell site
• Official Erasure site