Sacred Heart is the debut album released by UK/US pop music duo Shakespear's Sister. Released in August 1989 on FFRR Records

FFRR Records

FFRR Records is a subsidiary of London Records, founded and run by English DJ Pete Tong. FFRR has also two subsidiaries: Double F Double R Records and Ffrreedom Records...

, the album peaked at no.9 in the UK and was certified Gold by the BPI in October 1989 for sales of over 100,000 copies.

Four singles were released from the album in the UK, the first of which was the double A-side "Heroine"/"Break My Heart" released in 1988. Success, however, did not come until the release of the next single "You're History", which reached number seven in 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 ...

 during the summer of 1989.

Background

Shakespear's Sister was initially just Siobhan Fahey

Siobhan Fahey

Siobhan Fahey is an Irish musician and founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, and later formed the BRIT Award and Ivor Novello award winning musical outfit Shakespears Sister.-Career:Fahey was born the eldest of three daughters to Helen and...

, and was her first musical venture after leaving the successful girl group

Girl group

A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...

 Bananarama

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

. The first Shakespear's Sister single, 1988's double A-side "Break My Heart"/"Heroine" featured Fahey by herself on the cover and in the accompanying music videos. For the next single, "You're History", released in July 1989, Fahey had begun working with vocalist/guitarist Marcella Detroit

Marcella Detroit

Marcella Detroit is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She was a member of the band Shakespears Sister, along with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Detroit's soprano voice provided lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay," which was No...

. Detroit shared vocals with Fahey on the song, and was featured prominently on the single cover and accompanying video. However, when the Sacred Heart album was released a month later, only Fahey was featured on the album cover (though Detroit was featured on the inner cover). Detroit would later be shown in the videos and on the single covers for "Run Silent" and "Dirty Mind".

The album was co-produced with Richard Feldman

Richard Feldman

Richard Feldman is an American bicycle racer in time trialing, cyclocross and marathon mountain bike races. He rides for the Durance-Colnago team . In 2001, he was the first American to win the UCI world masters time trial championship, in St. Johann, Austria.He won five more rainbow jerseys in...

 (producer of Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...

, Belinda Carlisle

Belinda Carlisle

Belinda 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...

), who was a friend of Fahey's then-husband David A. Stewart

David A. Stewart

David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...

. American producer Jimmy Iovine

Jimmy Iovine

James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...

, who was working with Stewart at the time on the Eurythmics

Eurythmics

Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...

 album We Too Are One

We Too Are One

-Personnel:Eurythmics*Annie Lennox - vocals*Dave Stewart - guitar, vocalsAdditional personnel*Olle Romo - drums*Pat Seymour - keyboard*Charlie Wilson - background vocals*Chucho Merchan - bass-Production:*Producers: Dave Stewart, Jimmy Iovine...

, also co-produced the album's biggest single, "You're History".

The track "Sacred Heart" was included on the soundtrack of the 1990 film Nuns on the Run

Nuns on the Run

Nuns on the Run is a 1990 British comedy film starring Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane, also featuring Camille Coduri and Janet Suzman. It was written and directed by Jonathan Lynn and produced by HandMade Films. Many of the outdoor scenes were shot in Chiswick...

.

Track listing

1. "Heroine
   Heroine (song)
   "Heroine" is a song by British pop act Shakespears Sister, which, at this time, was essentially former Bananarama singer Siobhan Fahey. Fahey wanted the song to be her debut single, but her label London Records was not convinced it was a strong enough single and instead opted for to issue it as a...
   
   "
2. "Run Silent"
3. "Dirty Mind"
4. "Sacred Heart"
5. "Heaven is in Your Arms"
6. "Twist the Knife" (cassette and CD only)
7. "You're History
   You're History (song)
   "You're History" is a song by the British pop act Shakespear's Sister, released in 1989. It was the first single to present the act as a duo, and also became their first hit, reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart.-Music video:...
   
   "
8. "Break My Heart (You Really)"
9. "Red Rocket"
10. "Electric Moon"
11. "Primitive Love"
12. "Could You Be Loved"
13. "You Made Me Come to This" (CD only)

The original vinyl album release had only 11 tracks and did not include "Twist the Knife" or "You Made Me Come to This".

Video compilation

A video compilation was released in addition to the album, during 1989. It features promotional videos for four tracks from the album and some footage of Fahey in Russia.

Tracklist

1. "Break My Heart (You Really)"
2. "Heroine"
3. "You're History
   You're History
   You're History is a project inspired by Bob Geldof which challenges some of the world's leading journalists, academics and celebrities to apply the lens of history to enhance a perspective on current affairs...
   
   "
4. "Run Silent"

• The video for "Dirty Mind" is not included as it had not been filmed at the time of release.

Promotion

• Shakespears Sister performed their first ever live concert in Lenningrad in Russia. Their performance included the songs "Heroine" and "Dirty Mind". These performances were added as B-sides to some of the singles taken from the Sacred Heart album. Additionally, a short film showing clips from the performance later appeared on the DVD of "The Best of Shakespears Sister".

Singles

Where relevant, see full article for full details.

"Break My Heart (You Really)/Heroine"

• These two tracks were released as the first Shakespears Sister single in a double A-side format in 1988. "Heroine" was released as a single A-side in Canada, but neither song was successful.

"You're History

You're History

You're History is a project inspired by Bob Geldof which challenges some of the world's leading journalists, academics and celebrities to apply the lens of history to enhance a perspective on current affairs...

"

• This song was the first Shakespears Sister single to present the act as a duo. It was their most successful single from the Sacred Heart album, reaching number 7 on the UK singles chart in August 1989.

"Run Silent"

• Entitled "Run Silent, Run Deep" on the album. The single reached number 54 on the UK singles chart in October 1989.

"Dirty Mind"

• The song was rerecorded for release as the final single from the Sacred Heart album and is significantly different from the original album version. The single reached number 71 on the UK singles chart in March 1990.

Personnel

• Siobhan Fahey
  Siobhan Fahey
  Siobhan Fahey is an Irish musician and founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, and later formed the BRIT Award and Ivor Novello award winning musical outfit Shakespears Sister.-Career:Fahey was born the eldest of three daughters to Helen and...
  
   - Vocals
• Marcella Detroit
  Marcella Detroit
  Marcella Detroit is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She was a member of the band Shakespears Sister, along with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Detroit's soprano voice provided lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay," which was No...
  
  - Vocals, Guitars & Keyboards

Additional Personnel

• Lawrence Dunmore - Art Design