Hand Cut

Infobox Album | Name = Hand Cut
Type = Album
Artist = Bucks Fizz

|250px
Released = March, 1983
Recorded = 1982-83
Genre = Pop
Length =
Label = RCA
Producer = Andy Hill, Bobby Gubby
Reviews =
Last album = "Are You Ready"
(1982)
This album = "Hand Cut"
(1983)
Next album = "Greatest Hits"
(1983) |

"Hand Cut" is an album by pop group Bucks Fizz.

Overview

"Hand Cut" was the third album released by Bucks Fizz. Released in March 1983, the album continued the group's success, which had been building for two years since their Eurovision win.

The first single from the album was "If You Can't Stand the Heat" in November 1982. This became their fourth consecutive top ten hit in the UK charts [ [http://www.yearsofgold.org.uk/1983WEEK3JAN15.htm REMEMBER WHEN - 15TH JANUARY 1983 ] ] and was followed in the new year by "Run For Your Life", which reached UK#14. [ [http://www.yearsofgold.org.uk/1983WEEK13MARCH26.htm REMEMBER WHEN - 26TH MARCH 1983 ] ] [ [http://www.ianbairnson.com/discography/bucksfizzhandcut/bucksfizzhandcut.htm/ Writer/Guitarist Ian Bairnson site] ]

Along with this came the album's release, which received favourable reviews and became their third UK top 20 album, remaining on the chart for three months. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=7172 Chart Stats - Bucks Fizz - Hand Cut ] ] This also coincided with a successful 40 date UK tour.

Despite this, the group's management were concerned that the singles hadn't performed as well as the ones on their previous album and took the decision not to release any further singles from "Hand Cut". Realising that their fans were now slightly older, they made a move for a more adult market - a factor which would remain for the rest of the group's recording career, but would ultimately provide their downfall.

The following single became the hard edged "When We Were Young", which in the Summer of 1983 returned Bucks Fizz to the top ten, and a "Greatest Hits" compilation followed. [ [http://www.ianbairnson.com/discography/bucksfizzgreatesthits/bucksfizzgreatesthits.htm Ian Bairnson Official Site Discography - Bucks Fizz - "Greatest Hits" ] ]

Some time after the group had fallen out of vogue, their record company, RCA made one last attempt to revive fortunes by releasing a single taken from this album six years after its release. The song was the ballad "You Love Love". [ [http://www.raffem.com/BucksFizz85till2003.htm#1989 Rafaels and Stefans pictures ] ] Somewhat predictably it failed to chart and remains the group's last ever UK single release.

Other notable tracks from the album include "10,9,8,7,6,5,4" which was later covered by another Eurovision-winning group, Herreys. While today, fans of the group bemoan the lack of a third single from the album and cite "I'd Like to Say I Love You" as the perfect choice, which was voted in a poll as the group's all-time best song. [ [http://www.bucksfizzearlyyears.co.uk/top40.htm Bucks Fizz - Top 40 ] ]

"Hand Cut" was re-released on CD in 2004. [http://de.click2music.co.uk//3rd/Prezence/bucksfizz/flash.html]

In 2008, alternate versions of tracks "Run For Your Life", "If You Can't Stand the Heat", "I'd Like to Say I Love You" and "You Love Love" were featured on "The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut" compilation.

Track listing

Original album

Side One
#Run for Your Life
#10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
#I Do it All for You
#Where the Ending Starts
#Surrender Your HeartSide Two
#If You Can’t Stand the Heat
#I’d Like to Say I Love You
#You Love Love
#Shot Me Through the Heart
#Running out of Time

Re-issue (2004)

(Bonus tracks):
#If You Can’t Stand the Heat (12" version)
#Stepping Out
#When the Love has Gone
#London Town (Extended Club Mix)
#Identity
#When We Were at War

"+ Hidden track"

Personnel

Bobby G - Lead vocals on "I'd Like to Say I Love You", "Shot Me Through the Heart", "When the Love has Gone", "London Town" and "When We Were at War"

Mike Nolan - Lead vocals on "Surrender Your Heart", "Stepping Out" and "Identity"

Jay Aston - Lead vocals on "Where the Ending Starts" and "Running out of Time"

Cheryl Baker - Lead vocals on "You Love Love"

Producers:
Andy Hill
Bobby G
Bucks Fizz

Reception and Reviews

As with the previous album, "Hand Cut" received many good reviews in the media.

Smash Hits gave the album a 7 out of 10 rating, but thought that the over production was sometimes overpowering and preferred the quieter songs on the album (referencing "Where the Ending Starts").

Record Mirror claimed that "Run For Your Life" was too similar to a previous single "My Camera Never Lies", but did state that the group were now making "exceedingly good pop music".

NME however gave "Run for Your Life" a particularly good review, stating that the group were at their peak and singling out praise to producer, Andy Hill.

Chart performance

References