What a Life! (album)
Encyclopedia
What a Life! is the second studio album
by Australian band Divinyls
, released in July 1985 by Chrysalis Records
. The album is a genre of rock
and new wave
songs — written by Divinyls members Christina Amphlett
and Mark McEntee
.
, Divinyls came back to Australia to begin the follow-up to Desperate
, with Mark Opitz producing again. They produced three songs including "Don't You Go Walking" and "Motion" but Amphlett and McEntee were not satisfied so they returned to the road, replacing drummer Richard Harvey
with J.J. Harris, and wrote more songs. A year later they again tried recording, this time with the producer Gary Langan
who was the founding member of the band Art of Noise. He brought a sophisticated, high-tech edge to Divinyls' sound, but a full album failed to get done. Recording stopped once more.
Eventually, Amphlett and McEntee made a journey to Los Angeles
, where they asked pop producer Mike Chapman to come back with them to Australia and finish their second album. Chapman ended up producing only two songs: "Pleasure and Pain
" (which he also co-wrote with Holly Knight
) and "Sleeping Beauty". The album was released almost two years after recording began. It reached No.4 in Australia and No.91 in the US, while "Pleasure and Pain" hit No.11 in Australia and the lower reaches of the Top 100 in the US. Two later singles, "Sleeping Beauty
" and "Heart Telegraph
", charted moderately in Australia but did little in the US. Despite its Australian success, Chrysalis declared the album a failure.
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 Australian band Divinyls
Divinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
, released in July 1985 by Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
. The album is a genre of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and new wave
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...
songs — written by Divinyls members Christina Amphlett
Christina Amphlett
Christine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
and Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee
Mark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
.
History
After touring and promoting in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Divinyls came back to Australia to begin the follow-up to Desperate
Desperate (Divinyls album)
Desperate is the debut studio album and second overall album by Australian rock band Divinyls, released in 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The album contains the hits "Boys in Town", "Science Fiction" and "Siren ".-Background:...
, with Mark Opitz producing again. They produced three songs including "Don't You Go Walking" and "Motion" but Amphlett and McEntee were not satisfied so they returned to the road, replacing drummer Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey is a BAFTA Award–winning British musician and composer. He is best known for his film and television soundtracks...
with J.J. Harris, and wrote more songs. A year later they again tried recording, this time with the producer Gary Langan
Gary Langan
Gary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
who was the founding member of the band Art of Noise. He brought a sophisticated, high-tech edge to Divinyls' sound, but a full album failed to get done. Recording stopped once more.
Eventually, Amphlett and McEntee made a journey to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where they asked pop producer Mike Chapman to come back with them to Australia and finish their second album. Chapman ended up producing only two songs: "Pleasure and Pain
Pleasure and Pain (song)
"Pleasure and Pain" is a rock song written by Michael Chapman and Holly Knight, produced by Chapman for Divinyls second studio album What a Life! . It was released as the album's fourth single in the formats of 7" single and 12" single...
" (which he also co-wrote with Holly Knight
Holly Knight
Holly Knight is a songwriter, vocalist and musician of pop and rock music.- Biography :She was born in New York City and started playing classical piano as a young child. She soon became interested in rock music, and left home at about sixteen to pursue her dreams...
) and "Sleeping Beauty". The album was released almost two years after recording began. It reached No.4 in Australia and No.91 in the US, while "Pleasure and Pain" hit No.11 in Australia and the lower reaches of the Top 100 in the US. Two later singles, "Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty (song)
"Sleeping Beauty" is a song by Australian rock band Divinyls. It was released in December 1985 from their second studio album What a Life!. The song proved to be a minor success in Australia when it peaked at number fifty.-Background:...
" and "Heart Telegraph
Heart Telegraph
"Heart Telegraph" is a song by Australian rock band Divinyls. It was released in 1986 as the final single from their second studio album What a Life!...
", charted moderately in Australia but did little in the US. Despite its Australian success, Chrysalis declared the album a failure.
Reception
Rolling Stone described the music as "loud and hard-edged, as purely physical as any metal band, but tempered with ... swaggering rowdiness". Ram magazine noted the band's writing had a newfound maturity, "verbalising adult fears and lingering adolescent yearnings". Allmusic's later review said many of the album tracks were hardly memorable and that the band's best strengths lay both in Amphlett's unique vocal delivery, and McEntee's bottom-heavy, grungy, guitar work.Track listing (Australian release)
Track listing (U.S. release)
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Album Chart | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 91 |
Personnel
- Christina AmphlettChristina AmphlettChristine Joy Amphlett was the lead singer of Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer...
— vocals, writer - Mark McEnteeMark McEnteeMark McEntee is an Australian musician, he was the guitarist for the rock band Divinyls. In May 2001, Divinyls' "Science Fiction", written by lead singer Christina Amphlett and McEntee, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time...
— vocals, guitar, keyboards, writer - Richard HarveyRichard HarveyRichard Harvey is a BAFTA Award–winning British musician and composer. He is best known for his film and television soundtracks...
— drums - Bjarne Ohlin — vocals, guitar, keyboards, writer
- Rick GrossmanRichard Grossman (musician)Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
— bass, writer - Rick Chadwick — keyboards, programming
- Mars Lazaar — keyboards, programming
- Mary Bradfield Taylor — background vocals
- Simon Darlow — keyboards, programming
- Charles FisherCharles Fisher (producer)Charles Fisher is an Australian record producer. Often referred to as the song doctor. He is widely known as the producer of Savage Garden's eponymous album which yielded 10 ARIAs in 1997. "I Want You", a single from the aforementioned album also won a Channel V award in India...
— producer, mixer - Mike Chapman — producer, writer
- Gary LanganGary LanganGary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
— producer - Mark OpitzMark OpitzMark Opitz, started his career with ABC TV in Sydney in the 1970’s and has since gone on to work with many of the great Australian musicians that have graced both the Australian and international music charts for the past 25 years....
— producer - Tom Colley — engineer
- John Bee — engineer
- George Tutko; engineer