Victim of Love (album)
Encyclopedia
Victim of Love is the thirteenth studio album
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
, released in 1979. Recorded at Musicland, Munich
and Rusk Sound Studios, Hollywood, it was not critically or commercially well-received, and is his second lowest charting album to date. This is also the shortest album of Elton John's career at a shade under 36 minutes. Despite its negative reception, the album was reissued in a digitally remastered format in 2003. The only single B-side released, "Strangers," appeared as a bonus track on the previous album, A Single Man, as it was recorded during those sessions.
It is a disco
album released shortly after the peak of disco's popularity. This album is truly an anomaly in John's catalog. First, he neither wrote nor played on any of the tunes; he only provides vocals. Secondly, his band is also not featured on this album. Lastly, this is one of only two of John's studio albums (as of 2011) without a single contribution by Bernie Taupin
. John's previous album, A Single Man, is the other one.
When the album was released as a CD in the 80's, the tracks often got mixed up. The first 45 seconds of "Spotlight" is actually the previous track, and this error occurs in other tracks as well. This was however fixed on the 2003 remaster, which also featured improved sound and instrumental setup.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, released in 1979. Recorded at Musicland, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Rusk Sound Studios, Hollywood, it was not critically or commercially well-received, and is his second lowest charting album to date. This is also the shortest album of Elton John's career at a shade under 36 minutes. Despite its negative reception, the album was reissued in a digitally remastered format in 2003. The only single B-side released, "Strangers," appeared as a bonus track on the previous album, A Single Man, as it was recorded during those sessions.
It is a disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
album released shortly after the peak of disco's popularity. This album is truly an anomaly in John's catalog. First, he neither wrote nor played on any of the tunes; he only provides vocals. Secondly, his band is also not featured on this album. Lastly, this is one of only two of John's studio albums (as of 2011) without a single contribution by Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
. John's previous album, A Single Man, is the other one.
When the album was released as a CD in the 80's, the tracks often got mixed up. The first 45 seconds of "Spotlight" is actually the previous track, and this error occurs in other tracks as well. This was however fixed on the 2003 remaster, which also featured improved sound and instrumental setup.
Side one
- "Johnny B. GoodeJohnny B. Goode"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song is one of Chuck Berry's...
" (Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
) – 8:06 - "Warm Love in a Cold World" (Pete BellottePete BellottePeter J. Bellotte is a British songwriter and record producer, most famous for hismain body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner Giorgio Moroder...
, Stefan Wisnet, Gunther Moll) – 4:30 (3:22 on older pressings) - "Born Bad" (Bellotte, Geoff Bastow) – 5:16 (6:20 on older pressings)
Side two
- "Thunder in the Night" (Bellotte, Michael HofmannMichael HofmannMichael Hofmann is a German-born poet who writes in English and a translator of texts from German.-Biography:...
) – 4:40 - "Spotlight" (Bellotte, Wisnet, Moll) – 4:24
- "Street Boogie" (Bellotte, Wisnet, Moll) – 3:56
- "Victim of Love" (Bellotte, Sylvester LevaySylvester LevaySylvester Levay is a Hungarian composer. He was born 16 May 1945 in Subotica , in the North Bačka District of Vojvodina, Yugoslavia ; his name is pronounced in English similarly to "lave-ah-ee."...
, Jerry Rix) – 4:52 (5:02 on older pressings)
B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Strangers Strangers (Elton John song) "Strangers" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Gary Osborne. It was originally released as the B-side to his 1979 disco single "Victim of Love", but was recorded during the sessions for A Single Man. It appeared on that album's 1998 remaster as the last track.-Musical structure:The song is... " |
Victim of Love 7" (US/UK) |
Personnel
- Elton John - vocals
- Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
- vocals - Keith ForseyKeith ForseyKeith Forsey is an English soundtrack composer, drummer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:Forsey's first recordings were as the younger member of the group The Spectrum, better known for the end title theme for Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet, but hit makers across Europe in their own...
- drums - Todd Canedy - drums
- Patrick SimmonsPatrick SimmonsPatrick Simmons is an American musician best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the rock band The Doobie Brothers. His fingerstyle guitar playing complements the strumming style of Tom Johnston. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, he has been the band's only consistent member throughout their tenure...
- vocals - Thor Baldursson - keyboards, arranger
- Tim Cansfield - guitar
- Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
- percussion - Roy Davies - keyboards
- Steve LukatherSteve LukatherSteve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
- guitar - Marcus MillerMarcus MillerMarcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
- bass - Lenny Pickett - saxophone
- Julia Tillman Waters - background vocals
- Craig Snyder - guitar
- Stephanie Spruill - background vocals
- Maxine Willard Waters - background vocals