Waking Up with the House on Fire
Encyclopedia
Waking Up with the House on Fire is the third album by New Wave
band Culture Club
, released in 1984.
. It sold more than 4 millions copies worldwide, being gold or platinum in many countries, and being 2 X Platinum in Canada.
Despite a strong first single, "The War Song
" which became a number 2 hit in the UK and a top 20 hit in the US in the Autumn of 1984, the album didn't achieve the level of success expected. The other two singles were "The Medal Song" (#32 in UK), (with its B-side, "Don't Go Down That Street
" being released as a single from a subsequent EP in Japan but only reaching #69 in the charts) and "Mistake No.3" (#33 in US). In Mexico, "Don't Talk About It" was a single.
On the VH1
program Behind the Music
, the narrator states, “Today, the band admits the album was a hurried and halfhearted effort.” Many music insiders also feel that Culture Club and Boy George may have fallen victim to overexposure in both the British and American press by the end of 1984. Subsequently, Culture Club decided to change direction for the next album, From Luxury to Heartache
, by choosing a new producer and moving in a dance-oriented direction.
In 2008, this album was re-released in Japan, as a special collector "mini-LP" edition. That version is a CD in a cardboard sleeve (featuring booklets) as a miniature version of the original vinyl album.
The album's cover can be seen in the 2008 film Sex and the City as part of Carrie Bradshaw
's collection of LP
s from the 1980s.
Side One
Side Two
2003 CD re-issue
The Chilean cassette edition starts with an extended version of "The War Song".
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Culture Club
Culture Club
Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss...
, released in 1984.
Overview
While Waking Up with the House on Fire did reach platinum status in the US it was considered to be a disappointment compared to the 4X platinum status of the groups last album Colour by NumbersColour by Numbers
Colour by Numbers is the second album by New Wave band Culture Club, released in 1983.-Overview:The album features several international hits such as "Church of the Poison Mind" and the worldwide hit "Karma Chameleon" which had sales of over one million in the United Kingdom alone...
. It sold more than 4 millions copies worldwide, being gold or platinum in many countries, and being 2 X Platinum in Canada.
Despite a strong first single, "The War Song
The War Song
"The War Song" is the first single from Culture Club's 1984 Waking Up with the House on Fire album. The song became the group's seventh top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number two....
" which became a number 2 hit in the UK and a top 20 hit in the US in the Autumn of 1984, the album didn't achieve the level of success expected. The other two singles were "The Medal Song" (#32 in UK), (with its B-side, "Don't Go Down That Street
Don't Go Down That Street
"Don't Go Down That Street" is a song by 1980s New Wave band Culture Club. It was released as the B-side to their 1984 single "The Medal Song"...
" being released as a single from a subsequent EP in Japan but only reaching #69 in the charts) and "Mistake No.3" (#33 in US). In Mexico, "Don't Talk About It" was a single.
On the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
program Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, the narrator states, “Today, the band admits the album was a hurried and halfhearted effort.” Many music insiders also feel that Culture Club and Boy George may have fallen victim to overexposure in both the British and American press by the end of 1984. Subsequently, Culture Club decided to change direction for the next album, From Luxury to Heartache
From Luxury to Heartache
From Luxury to Heartache is the fourth album by New Wave band Culture Club, released in 1986.-Overview:From Luxury to Heartache was a deliberate departure for Culture Club, a move away from the reggae-flavoured pop of their previous releases into dance-oriented music. Veteran pop and R&B producer...
, by choosing a new producer and moving in a dance-oriented direction.
In 2008, this album was re-released in Japan, as a special collector "mini-LP" edition. That version is a CD in a cardboard sleeve (featuring booklets) as a miniature version of the original vinyl album.
The album's cover can be seen in the 2008 film Sex and the City as part of Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
's collection of LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
s from the 1980s.
Reception
Reviews for Waking Up with the House on Fire have been mixed. Allmusic's Lindsay Planer rated the album two out of five stars. She noted that "overexposure in the media, the ever-changing tides and trends of pop music, and, quite frankly, a less than laudable collection of songs resulted in [the album] receiving a less than enthusiastic response." She also explained that it "was in no way aided by the irony-laden yet undeniable banality of the emphasis track [...], "The War Song"." However, she stated: "Two of the more interesting cuts are the vintage R&B "Crime Time" and the upbeat and soulful "Mannequin," blending Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies with a distinctly Carolina beach and shag flavor." Robert Christgau rated it a B, stating: "Since I had even less use for the dismissive because-he-wears-dresses theory than for the ridiculous new-Smokey analysis, I could never figure out [Boy George's] means of commercial propulsion". He also stated that "this calls for concerted protest – which might be easier to whip up if the latest album weren't part three of more-of-the-same."Track listing
All tracks composed by Culture ClubSide One
- "Dangerous Man" – 4:14
- "The War Song" – 4:13
- "Unfortunate Thing" – 3:08
- "Crime Time" – 2:59
- "Mistake No. 3" – 4:36
Side Two
- "The Dive" – 3:47
- "The Medal Song" – 4:15
- "Don't Talk About It" – 3:17
- "Mannequin" – 2:53
- "Hello Goodbye" – 3:25
2003 CD re-issue
- "La Cancion de Guerra" – 4:04
- "Love Is Love" – 3:51
- "The Dream" – 2:29
- "Don't Go Down That StreetDon't Go Down That Street"Don't Go Down That Street" is a song by 1980s New Wave band Culture Club. It was released as the B-side to their 1984 single "The Medal Song"...
" – 6:34
The Chilean cassette edition starts with an extended version of "The War Song".
Personnel
- Boy GeorgeBoy GeorgeBoy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
(George O'Dowd) - 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... - Mikey CraigMikey CraigMikey Craig is a former DJ who became the bassist with Culture Club, one of the most popular bands of the 1980s.-Personal life:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Roy Hay - 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...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, 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...
, sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, electric sitarElectric sitarAn electric sitar is a kind of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the traditional Indian instrument, the sitar. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar... - Jon MossJon MossJon Moss is an English drummer best known as a member of the 1980s pop group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, The Nips and The Damned.-Early life:...
- 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 ....
Additional musicians
- Phil Pickett - keyboards, background vocals
- Steve Grainger - saxophone
- Kenneth McGregor - trombone
- Ron Williams - trumpet
- Helen TerryHelen TerryHelen Terry is a British singer, known for her backing vocal work with Culture Club. As a solo performer, she scored a Top 40 hit single in 1984 with "Love Lies Lost", and released one album in 1986, Blue Notes....
- backing vocals - Imogen Exton - backing vocals
- Derek Green - backing vocals
- Alice Kemp - backing vocals
- Andriana Loizou - backing vocals
- Alanda Marchant - backing vocals
- Nancy Peppers - backing vocals
- Christopher Rainbow - backing vocals
- Louis Rogers - backing vocals
- Martin Sunley - backing vocals
- Tara Thomas - backing vocals
- Clare TorryClare TorryClare Torry is a British singer who famously performed the wordless vocals on Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" on the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.-Education:...
- backing vocals
Production
- Steve Levine - producer, digital mixing
- Gordon Milne - engineer
- Peter Lees - assistant engineer
- Jon Moss - digital mixing
- Ray Allington - hair stylist
- Kim Bowen - stylist
- Stevie Hughes - photography, makeup
- Connie Jude - cover and rear sleeve illustration
Album
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
26 |
| U.S. Top R&B Albums | 55 |
Singles
| Single | Chart (1984/1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "The War Song" | 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 ... |
2 |
| "The War Song" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| "The War Song" | U.S. R&B Chart | 87 |
| "The War Song" | U.S. Hot Dance Club Play | 7 |
| "The Medal Song" | UK Singles Chart | 32 |
| "Mistake No. 3" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 33 |
| "Mistake No. 3" | U.S. R&B Chart | 61 |
| "Mistake No. 3" | U.S. Adult Contemporary | 18 |
Release details
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| 1984 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
91392 | |
| LP | 39881 | |||
| 1996 | CD | 86181 | ||
| 2003 | CD | 92406 |