Sweet Revenge is the second studio album by French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 singer Amanda Lear

Amanda Lear

Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....

, released in February, 1978 by West German label Ariola-Eurodisc. The album contained European hit singles "Follow Me", "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)", "Gold" and "Run Baby Run". It was certified Gold in Germany and France.

The rights to the Ariola-Eurodisc back catalogue are currently held by Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Sony BMG Music Entertainment was a recorded music company, which was a 50–50 joint venture between the Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann AG...

 - Sweet Revenge remains the only original Ariola album by Amanda Lear to have been re-released on compact disc worldwide.

Side A

1. "Follow Me" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) - 3:50
2. "Gold" (Charly Ricanek, Amanda Lear) - 3:45
3. "Mother, Look What They've Done To Me" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) - 4:45
4. "Run Baby Run" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) - 3:45
5. "Follow Me (Reprise)" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) - 3:40
   • Non-stop medley, total time: 19:41

Side B

1. "Comics" (Charly Ricanek, Amanda Lear) - 3:40
2. "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) - 5:08
3. "The Stud" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) - 3:30
4. "Hollywood Flashback" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) - 4:31
5. "Queen Of China Town" (Bonus track, Italian edition) (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) - 4:15

Reception

In Allmusic's review of the album Michael Freedberg writes: "Producer Anthony Monn parades every effect known to Euro-dream imagery in support of Lear as disco vamp: whispers from inside a tunnel, rhythms that filter in subliminally, themes that scale up to soprano range, choirs of angels singing, guitar rhythm rock-ons, and, of course, Lear's voice. Lear's singing is perhaps Monn's greatest effect: androgynous, sultry, out of reach and horny at the same time, Lear works hard to pretend at playing the merciless siren. She can't properly sing even one note, but what's that got to do with anything?"

Original liner notes

"This album is the story of a girl who sold her soul to the Devil and won. A lonely child, disenchanted by the society she lives in, she has no friends until the day she listens to the tempting offer of the Devil who promises her anything she wants ("Follow Me"). Her first wish is for riches ("Gold"), and then for fame. After turning to her mother for help ("Mother Look What They've Done To Me"), she runs away ("Run Baby Run") and retires into solitude and memories. Renouncing her selfish need, she offers her love to a man who really needs her, her sweet revenge over the Devil's offer...

Amanda Lear, February 1978"

Personnel

• Amanda Lear - lead vocals
• Wolfgang Emperhoff - background vocals
• Herbert Ihle - background vocals
• Renate Mauerer - background vocals
• Edith Prock - background vocals
• Claudia Schwarz - background vocals
• Martin Harrison - drums
• Dave King - bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Gary Unwin - bass guitar
• Mats Björklund - guitar
• Charly Ricanek - keyboards, arranger
• Kristian Schultze - synthesizer

Production

• Anthony Monn - 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...
  
  
• Rainer Pietsch - arranger
• Peter Lüdemann - engineer
• Anthony Monn - programming, producer
• Ariola - design
• Denis Taranto - photography
• Recorded and mixed at Arco Studios, Munich, Trixi Studios, Munich, Ariola Studios, Munich, Sound Studio "N", Cologne, December 1977 - February 1978

Release history

Release format	Country	Label	Cat. No.	Release date
Vinyl	West Germany 1	Ariola	25 900 OT	1978
Vinyl	West Germany 1	Ariola	340737	1978
Cassette	West Germany	Ariola	68 721 0	1978
Vinyl	East Germany	Ariola	200 202	1978
Vinyl	Italy	Polydor	2480 465	1978
Cassette	Italy	Polydor	3194 465	1978
Vinyl	France 1	Eurodisc	913211	1978
Cassette	France	Eurodisc	914211	1978
Vinyl	Spain	Ariola	25 900 I	1978
Vinyl	United Kingdom	Ariola	ARLH 5006	1978
Vinyl	Japan	Columbia/ Ariola	YX-7219 K	1978
Vinyl	Yugoslavia	RTB	5926	1978
Vinyl	United States	Chrysalis	CHR 1184	1978
Vinyl	Argentina	RCA	4658	1978
Vinyl	Canada	Epic	PEC 90496	1979
Vinyl	Australia	RCA	VPL 14076	1979
Vinyl	South Africa	Ariola	ARD 2501	1979
CD	Germany	BMG-Ariola	262 819	1992

Charts

Country	Position
Germany	4
Austria	8
Italy	9

7"

• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (West Germany - Ariola 11 950 AT)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (Austria - Ariola 11 950 AT)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (France - Eurodisc 11950)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (France - Eurodisc 911163)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (Netherlands - Ariola 11950 AT)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (UK - Ariola ARO 125)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (Italy - Polydor 2121 357)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Mother Look What They've Done To Me" (Yugoslavia - RTB S 54 024)
• 1978 "Follow Me" / "Run Baby Run" (Spain - Ariola 15616-A)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Single Edit) - 4:30 ** / "Run Baby Run" (West Germany - Ariola)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Single Edit) ** / "Run Baby Run" (France - Eurodisc)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Single Edit) ** / "Run Baby Run" (Netherlands - Ariola 100 065)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Single Edit) ** / "Run Baby Run" (Italy - Polydor 2121 363)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Alternative Single Edit) - 3:30 ** / "Hollywood Flashback" (South Africa - Ariola ARS 223)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Alternative Single Edit) ** / "Hollywood Flashback" (Zimbabwe - Ariola ARS 223)
• 1978 "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Single Edit) ** / "Gold" (Japan - Columbia Ariola YK-110-Y)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "Follow Me (Part Two - Reprise)" (Belgium - Ariola 132-AT)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "Follow Me (Part Two - Reprise)" (Netherlands - Music Master 5110 10/10)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "Follow Me (Reprise)" (UK - Ariola ARO132)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "Follow Me" (Portugal - Ariola 5015 616)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "The Stud" (South Africa - Ariola ARS 222)
• 1978 "Gold" (Single Version) ** / "Lili Marleen (German/French Version)" ** (German/English version included on album Never Trust a Pretty Face
  Never Trust a Pretty Face
  Never Trust a Pretty Face is the third studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in January, 1979 by West German label Ariola-Eurodisc...
  
  ) (France - Eurodisc 100 101)
• 1978 "Gold" ** / "Lili Marleen" (France - Eurodisc 911 200)
• 1978 "Gold" ** (Italy - Polydor AS 5000 486, Promo)
• 1982 "Follow Me" / "Hollywood Is Just A Dream When You're Seventeen" (from 1981 album Incognito
  Incognito (Amanda Lear album)
  Incognito is the fifth studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in March, 1981 by West German label Ariola-Eurodisc. The album contains singles "Nymphomania", "Hollywood Is Just A Dream When You're Seventeen", "Love Amnesia", "Red Tape", "New York" and "Égal". Just like 1978's Sweet...
  
  ) (Czechoslovakia - Supraphon 1143 2625)
• 1989 "Gold" (Ian Levine
  Ian Levine
  Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...
  
  Remix - 7" Edit) - 3:50 ** / "Follow Me" (Ian Levine Remix - 7" Edit) - 3:41 ** (West Germany - Ariola 111 978)
• ** Non-album version

12"

• 1978 "Follow Me (Wally MacDonald Disco Mix)" - 10:48 ** /"Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Canada - IGM Inter Global Music IGM-005, yellow vinyl)
• 1978 "Follow Me (Wally MacDonald Disco Mix)" ** / "Enigma (Give A Bit Of Mmh To Me)" (Canada - Epic 1264 8490)
• 1978 "Follow Me (Wally MacDonald Disco Mix)" ** / "Follow Me (Wally MacDonald Disco Mix)" ** (Canada - Siamese SIA 003)
• 1978 "Run Baby Run" / "Follow Me (Reprise)" (UK - Ariola AROD 132/12, red vinyl)
• 1989 "Gold / Follow Me '89" (Ian Levine Remixes): "Gold" (Extended House Mix) - 8:44 ** / "Gold" (Deep House Dub Mix) - 6:08 ** / "Follow Me" (High Energy Mix - Extended) - 6:28 ** (12" - West Germany Ariola 611 978)
• 1989 "Gold / Follow Me '89" (Ian Levine Remixes): "Gold" (Radio House Version) - 3:50 ** / "Follow Me" (High Energy Radio Mix) - 3:41 ** / "Gold" (Extended House Mix) - 8:44 ** / "Follow Me" (High Energy Mix - Extended) - 6:28 ** (12" - West Germany Ariola 661 978)
• ** Non-album version

CD

• 1989: "Gold / Follow Me '89" (Ian Levine Remixes): "Gold" (Radio House Version) - 3:50 ** / "Follow Me" (High Energy Radio Mix) - 3:41 ** / "Gold" (Extended House Mix) - 8:44 ** / "Follow Me" (High Energy Mix) - 4:28 ** (West Germany, Ariola 661978)
• ** Non-album version

Russian "compilation" CD's

NB: Sound quality: vinyl.

• I Am A Photograph / Sweet Revenge, CD Maximum 0103-1076, Russia.
• Sweet Revenge / Never Trust A Pretty Face, CD Maximum, Russia.

External links

• Discogs.com., Amanda Lear discography.
• Rate Your Music, Amanda Lear discography.