- Mr. Universe (album)
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For other uses, see Mr. Universe (disambiguation).
Mr. Universe Studio album by Gillan Released October 1979 Recorded Kingsway Recorders, London, UK Genre Heavy metal, Hard rock Length 44:09 Label Acrobat Producer Paul "Chas" Watkins
Ian Gillan
Colin Towns
John McCoyGillan chronology Gillan
(1978)Mr. Universe
(1979)Glory Road
(1980)Alternative cover Cover of the Japanese releaseProfessional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1] Mr. Universe is the second album by the British rock band Gillan, and the first with the classic line-up with Gillan, Towns, McCoy, Tormé and Underwood. Released in October 1979. The album reached #11 in the UK album charts.
Contents
Track listing
- All songs written by Ian Gillan and Colin Towns except where noted.
Side 1
- "Second Sight" - (2.33) (Towns)
- "Secret Of The Dance" - (2.54)
- "She Tears Me Down" - (5.07) (Towns)
- "Roller" - (4.43)
- "Mr Universe" - (6.14)
Side 2
- "Vengeance" - (3.34)
- "Puget Sound" - (4.23) (Gillan/Towns/McCoy/Tormé/Underwood)
- "Dead Of Night" - (4.04)
- "Message In A Bottle" - (3.09)
- "Fighting Man" - (7.28) (Towns)*
* Recorded at an earlier session with a different line-up and can be found on the original Japanese version of the album Gillan. Musicians for this track were Ian Gillan, Colin Towns, John McCoy, Steve Byrd (guitar) and Liam Genockey (drums).
Alternative version
A variant of the album was also released in 1979 in Japan (East World), Australia (Interfusion) and New Zealand (Parlophone) only. The release contained alternative tracks to avoid reusing songs already released in these countries on the album Gillan. The track listing was as follows:
Side 1
- "Vengeance" - (3.34)
- "Mr Universe" - (6.14)
- "She Tears Me Down" - (5.08) (Towns)
- "Your Sister's On My List" - (4.09) ***
Side 2
- "Street Theatre" - (2.42) (Towns)*
- "Roller" - (4.37)
- "Puget Sound" - (4.26) (Gillan/Towns/McCoy/Tormé/Underwood)
- "Move With The Times" - (5.00) (Gillan/Towns/McCoy)*
- "Sleeping On The Job" - (3.34) **
Total running time 39.24
* These appear on the 1993 RPM release Gillan - The Japanese Album, see Gillan (album)
** This version has not yet been released on CD
***Used as a B-side to the UK Trouble single and appears on the first release of Future Shock on CD as a bonus track1989 Re-release
In 1989 the album was re-released in CD format on the Virgin label. The revised track listing was as follows:
- "Second Sight" - (2.33) (Towns)
- "Secret Of The Dance" - (2.54)
- "She Tears Me Down" (5.08) (Towns)
- "Roller" - (4.43)
- "Mr Universe" - (6.14)
- "Vengeance" - (3.34)
- "Puget Sound" - (4.23) (Gillan/Towns/McCoy/Tormé/Underwood)
- "Dead Of Night" (4.04)
- "Message In A Bottle" - (3.09)
- "Fighting Man" - (7.28) (Towns)*
- "On The Rocks" (live) - (6.38) **
- "Bite The Bullet" (live) - (5.38) **
- "Mr Universe" (live) - (7.20) ***
- "Vengeance" (live) - (4.42) ***
- "Smoke On The Water" (live) - (10.10) (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice)***
- "Lucille" (live) - (2.32) (Penniman/Collins)****
Total running time 80.02
* Recorded at an earlier session with a different line-up and can be found on the original Japanese version of the Gillan album. Musicians were Ian Gillan, Colin Towns, John McCoy, Steve Byrd (guitar) and Liam Genocky (drums)
** Recorded at the Reading Festival 29 August 1981
*** Recorded at the Reading Festival 22 August 1980
**** Previously unreleased
This version of the album was produced by Ian Gillan and Paul "Chas" Watkins, and mixed by John McCoy and Watkins.
2007 Re-release
Re-released in remastered Format with new sleevenotes by Ian Gillan by Demon Music Group
- Second Sight
- Secret of the Dance
- She tears me down
- Roller
- Mr Universe
- Vengeance
- Puget Sound
- Dead of Night
- Message in a Bottle
- Fighting Man
- Smoke on the Water - Bonus Track (live at the Kingsway Recorders)
Personnel
- Ian Gillan - vocals, harmonica
- Colin Towns - keyboards/flute
- John McCoy - bass guitar
- Bernie Tormé - guitar
- Mick Underwood - drums/percussion
Audio files
References
Categories:- 1979 albums
- Gillan albums
- New Wave of British heavy metal albums
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