Whose Side Are You On?

Infobox Album
Name = Whose Side Are You On?
Type = studio
Longtype =
Artist = Matt Bianco


Released = 1984
Recorded = 1984
Genre = Jazz / Pop / Soul / Ballad
Length = 40:58 (LP)
44:36 (CD)
53:12 (MC)
Label = WEA
Producer = Danny White
Mark Reilly
Peter Collins
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9fyxqq5ldae link]
Last album = /
This album = "Whose Side Are You On?"
(1984)
Next album = "Matt Bianco"
(1986)

"Whose Side Are You On?" was the first album by Matt Bianco (which featured Basia as lead vocalist on the song called "Half a Minute", one of the singles from the record). Released in 1984, the title has long been out of print in most territories. At the time of first release, this smash hit work was instead available in three different editions, each featuring alternative track listings and length of songs.

The original vinyl record featured the classic 10 tracks, as the vast majority of record albums in the Eigthies, including the album/single version of the group's very first single, "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed".

The related tape edition had 12 tracks instead, and included 2 bonus tracks consisting in previously unreleased B-sides, one of which, "The Other Side", closing the cassette version, was an instrumental tune, and the other, "Big Rosie", appeared in extended version, the original edit one only featuring on the B-side for the band's debut single, "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" (both songs were the oldest on the long playing work, dating back to 1983, whereas all of the other tracks were recorded in 1984 - and the latest single was released in early 1985).

Finally, the CD edition (out slightly later, one of the earliest compact discs to be ever released in the music industry) again featured 10 songs, as the vinyl record, the only difference lying in the length of the above mentioned first single by the group, which was an edit extended version on the cassette, while the original LP contained the single version, both actually almost 3 minutes shorter than the corresponding full-length extended version featuring on the CD edition only (and on the releated maxi single as well).

Besides the title track, which got much airplay, though not being taken out as a single, 5 tracks were officially promoted from the album, totally making 4 singles, one of which a double-A-side single, all songs but one in their corresponding album versions, the only exception being the suggestive ballad "More Than I Can Bear", which, due to its release happening more than a year later than the long playing work, was heavily remixed, before being marketed as a single, since the original version was too well known. The 1985 remix of this last single only features on Matt Bianco's first Greatest Hits collection, released in 1991, but not on the vinyl, cassette or CD edition of the 1984 album. The two B-sides, "Big Rosie" and "The Other Side", are not available in any digital version so far.

Track listings

All songs by Reilly/White except "Whose Side Are You On?" by Reilly/White/Ross, "Half a Minute" and "Big Rosie" by Reilly/White/Poncioni.All songs 1984 except "Big Rosie" and "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" 1983.

LP/CD

# "Whose Side Are You On?" - 4:32
# "More Than I Can Bear" - 4:15
# "No No Never" - 3:43
# "Half a Minute" - 3:49
# "Matt's Mood" - 5:19
# "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" - (Single Version) 3:28 (LP) / (Extended Version) 7:06 (CD)
# "It's Getting Late" - 3:29
# "Sneaking Out the Back Door" - 3:46
# "Riding With the Wind" - 3:22
# "Matt's Mood II" - 5:15

MC

# "Whose Side Are You On? (Extended Version)" - 4:32
# "More Than I Can Bear" - 4:15
# "No No Never" 3:43
# "Half a Minute" - 3:49
# "Matt's Mood" - 5:19
# "Big Rosie" - 6:07
# "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed (Edit Extended Version)" - 4:30
# "It's Getting Late" - 3:20
# "Sneaking Out the Back Door (Extended Version)" - 4:46
# "Riding With the Wind" - 3:22
# "Matt's Mood II" - 5:15
# "The Other Side" - 4:14

ingles from the album

*11 February 1984 - "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" (UK Singles Chart #15 - 8 weeks)
*14 April 1984/5 May 1984 - "Sneaking Out the Back Door"/"Matt's Mood" (UK # 44 - 7 weeks) ("Matt's Mood" only credited from May 5th)
*10 November 1984 - "Half a Minute" (UK #23 - 10 weeks)
*2 March 1985 - "More Than I Can Bear" (UK #50 - 7 weeks)

Credits

Band

*Mark Reilly: vocals and production
*Basia Trzetrzelewska: vocals and arrangement of vocal harmonies
*Danny White: keyboards and production

Production

*Peter Collins for Loose End Productions: production on "Big Rosie"
*Phil Harding: sound engineer on all except "Matt's Mood", "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Sneaking Out the Back Door", and mixing on all except "Matt's Mood"
*John Buckley: sound engineer on "Matt's Mood", "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Sneaking Out the Back Door", mixing on "Matt's Mood"

Musicians

*Robin Jones: percussion on all except "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Sneaking Out the Back Door"
*Ronnie Ross: baritone sax on "No No Never", "Half a Minute", "Matt's Mood", "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed", "Matt's Mood II" and "The Other Side"
*Charles Morgan: drums on "Whose Side Are You On?" (title track)
*Guy Barker: flugelhorn on "More Than I Can Bear"
*Chris Dean: trombone on "It's Getting Late"
*Luke Tanny: trumpet on "Sneaking Out the Back Door"
*Peter Ross: drums and percussion on "Big Rosie", "Get Out of Your Lazy Bed" and "Sneaking Out the Back Door"
*Ray Warleigh: flute on "Big Rosie"
*Kito Poncioni: music on "Big Rosie"

taff

*Jallé Bakke: hair and make up
*Monica Curtin: photography
*Simon Pickford: graphics
*Trina Baer: clothes
*Peter White, Brian Carr, Richard Evans, Oliver "The Lizard" Smallman, and WEA Records: special thanks and collaboration
*Matt Music Ltd: publishers
*Matt Music Ltd/Rondor Music (London Ltd): publishers for "Whose Side Are You On?" (title track)

Release details

References

*Paul Gambaccini, Tim Rice, Jonathan Rice, "Guinness Book of British Hit Singles" (9th edition) ISBN 0-85112-526-3

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000071ZZ Amazon.com]
* [http://www.mattbianco.com Matt Bianco's official site]