Divinyls (album)

Divinyls
Studio album by Divinyls
Released	1990 (AUS) 29 January 1991 (1991-01-29) (Australia)
Recorded	Groove Masters Studio, Santa Monica
Genre	Pop rock, rock, soft rock, pop
Length	47:41
Label	Virgin
Producer	Christina Amphlett, Mark McEntee, David Tickle
Divinyls chronology
Temperamental (1988) Divinyls (1990) Essential (1991)
Singles from Divinyls
"I Touch Myself" "Love School" "Make Out Alright" "I'm On Your Side"

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

Divinyls is the fourth studio album by Australian band Divinyls, released on 29 January 1991 (see 1991 in music) by Virgin Records. The album was the band's most successful,^[3], peaking at No.5 in Australia and No.15 in the US. The album also contained the band's biggest-selling single, "I Touch Myself", which reached No.1 in Australia, No.4 in the US and No.10 in the UK.

The album was the only album recorded by the band with the Virgin Records label after a recording contract with Chrysalis Records in the UK was terminated.^[4] Virgin told manager Andrew McManus they were keen to sign the band – by then comprising just singer Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee – because they saw Amphlett as "the next Madonna".^[4] Amphlett and McEntee moved to an apartment in Paris where they wrote "Love School", "Make Out Alright" and "Lay Your Body Down", before transferring to Los Angeles, where the remainder of the album was written, partly in collaboration with songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.^[4]

The album was recorded at Jackson Browne's Groove Masters Studio in Santa Monica, with backing provided by bassist Randy Jackson, keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and drummer Charley Drayton.

Director Michael Bay filmed a video for "I Touch Myself" in a nunnery in Pasadena. The clip was nominated for an MTV award but in their home country was banned from television.^[4]

Track listing

1. "Make Out Alright" (Christina Amphlett, Mark McEntee, Martyn Watson) – 4:38
2. "I Touch Myself" (Amphlett, McEntee, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg) – 3:46
3. "Lay Your Body Down" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:51
4. "Love School" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 5:23
5. "Bless My Soul (It's Rock-n-Roll)" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:00
6. "If Love Was a Gun" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 5:36
7. "Need a Lover" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:50
8. "Follow Through" (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:44
9. "Café Interlude" – 0:41
10. "Bullet" (Amphlett, David Malloy, McEntee) – 4:56
11. "I'm On Your Side" (Kelly, Steinberg) – 4:16

Personnel

• Chrissy Amphlett — vocals
• Mark McEntee — guitars, backing vocals
• Benmont Tench — keyboards, piano, organ
• Randy Jackson — bass
• Charley Drayton — drums, percussion, harmonica
• Brian McLeod - dumbek, tambourine
• Scott Crago - drums, percussion
• Van Dyke Parks — string arrangement ("Love School")

Production

• Produced By Chrissy Amphlett, Mark McEntee & David Tickle
• Engineers: David Tickle, Rob Jacobs, Robert Salcedo
• Mixing: Rob Jacbos; Assisted By Robert Salcedo
• Mastered By Doug Sax

Charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart	5
U.S. Billboard 200	15
Swedish Albums Chart	25

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Rolling Stone review
3. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. http://web.archive.org/web/20020908085403/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=284. Retrieved 30 May 2008. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Amphlett, Chrissy; Larry Writer (2005). Pleasure and Pain: My Life. Sydney: Hodder Australia. p. 336. ISBN 0-7336-1959-2.