Between Two Fires (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Between Two Fires
Type = Album
Artist = Paul Young


Released = 1987
Recorded = 1986 @ Lark Studios, Carimate & Logic Studios, Milan, Italy (also mixed at Logic Studios - mastering at Masterdisk)
Genre = Pop rock, Soul, Ballad
Length =
Label = Columbia/CBS Records
Producer = Hugh Padgham
Paul Young
Ian Kewley
Reviews =
* Rolling Stone (3.5/5) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/paulyoung/albums/album/233947/review/5945448/between_two_fires link]
Last album = "The Secret of Association"
(1985)
This album = "Between Two Fires"
(1987)
Next album = "Other Voices"
(1990)

"Between Two Fires" is a 1987 album by British pop/soul singer Paul Young. It was released as a follow-up to his first two solo hit albums, 1983's "No Parlez", and 1985's "The Secret of Association". It reached #4 in the UK album chart, stalling at #77 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Three singles were taken from the album, namely "Wonderland", "Some People", and "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong". Compared to earlier single releases, none of the three here actually was a chartbuster in its own right, the best achievement being the UK #24 reached by Paul's cover version of Cook's "Wonderland". The other two singles fared less well: "Some People" went no higher than the UK #56 and U.S. #65, while "Why Does a Man have to be Strong" stalled at #63 in Great Britain. After the numerous covers contained in the previous two works, the 1987 third album presents many more self-penned compositions, and Young actually co-produced, co-wrote and co-arranged most of the tracks.

Extract from Rolling Stone album review

"Through the first few listens, the album seems muted and reticent, a bashful mishmash of pop riffs and references. But after those initial plays, "Between Two Fires" takes on remarkable colours, as if its ten tracks were strips of film coming to life in a photographer's darkroom. The record finally reveals itself to be a detailed portrait of the problems human beings have with sharing things – whether it's a whole planet or just a queen-size bed." (from Laura Fissinger's album review on RollingStone.com)

Track listing

#"Some People" (Young/Kewley)
#"Wonderland" (Cook)
#"War Games" (Barfield)
#"In the Long Run" (Young/Kewley/Palladino)
#"Wasting My Time" (Young/Kewley)
#"Prisoner of Conscience" (Young/Kewley/Palladino)
#"Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong?" (Young/Kewley)
#"A Certain Passion" (Young/Kewley)
#"Between Two Fires" (Young/Kewley)
#"Wedding Day" (Young/Kewley)

ingles taken from the album

*1986 - "Wonderland" (UK #24)
*1986 - "Some People" (UK#56, U.S. #65)
*1987 - "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong?" (UK #63)

Credits

*Paul Young: vocals, arrangement & production

The band

*David Palmer: drums, drum programming
*Pino Palladino: bass
*Matt Irving: keyboards
*Steve Boltz: guitar, sitar
*Tony Jackson: background vocals
*Ian Kewley: keyboards, Hammond organ

Additional musicians

*Hamish Stuart: background vocals
*Betsy Cook: background vocals
*Danny Cummings: percussion

Production

*Hugh Padgham: production & engineering
*Ian Kewley: production & arrangement
*Pino Palladino: arrangement & production assistance
*Croydon: assistant sound engineer
*Bob Ludwig: mastering

taff

*Ged Doherty, Renegade Artists Management: management
*John Swannell: sleeve photography
*Rob O'Connor/Stylorouge: design & art direction