Bitter Sweet (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Bitter Sweet
Type = Album
Artist = King


Released = 1985
Recorded = Park Gate & Wessex Studios
Genre = New Wave
Length = 39:55 (LP)
45:28 (MC)
77:34 (CD)
Label = CBS (LP/MC)
Cherry Red (CD)
Producer = Richard James Burgess
Reviews =
Last album = "Steps in Time"
(1984)
This album = "Bitter Sweet"
(1985)
Next album = "Joy"
(Paul King solo)(1987)

Bitter Sweet was the second and last album by the English Coventry band King, released on CBS label, in 1985.

Although lasting just two years and a half as a band, King had five UK Top 30 hit songs out of five singles released, including two Top 10 hits: "Love & Pride" (#2), the re-release of the debut single from their first album, "Steps in Time", and "Alone With You" (#8), the first single taken out this second album of theirs.

Both albums reached the UK Top Ten; after that, King disbanded, and the lead singer Paul King went on to start a brief, unlucky solo career, releasing one more album, the unsuccessful "Joy".

After the first Top 10 single, "Alone without You", two further singles were taken out of their second long playing, namely "The Taste of Your Tears", peaking at #11, and "Torture", reaching #23, in the UK.

The tape edition of the record featured a slightly different track listing, containing a slow reprise of the first single "Alone without You", and a 12" extended remix replacing the 7" version of the second single from the album, namely the Top 20 hit "The Taste of Your Tears".

In September 2007, King's second album was remastered and re-released on CD by Cherry Red label, in a new edition with eight bonus tracks, including remixes and B-Sides, such as "The Taste of Your Tears (Breaker Heart Mix)" (both versions are included), an alternative U.S. remix of "Love & Pride", "I Kissed the Spikey Fridge (Rock Hard Mix)", which was the original B-Side to the "Alone without You" 45 rpm, and two reprises: "These Things" and "Alone without You" (the latter is the same as that featured on the tape edition that was mentioned above).

Track listing

LP

#"Alone without You" - 3:35 (P. King)
#"Platform One" - 3:05 (P. King)
#"I Cringed, I Died, I Felt Hot" - 4:56 (P. King/M. Roberts)
#"(KFAD) Wait For No-One" - 3:37 (P. King/M. Roberts/J. Lantsbery/A. Wall)
#"2 M.B." - 3:38 (P. King)
#"These Things" - 4:34 (P. King/M. Roberts)
#"The Taste of Your Tears" - 4:03 (P. King)
#"Torture" - 4:29 (P. King)
#"Sugar Candy Mountain Buddhas" - 3:51 (P. King/A. Wall/J. Lantsbery)
#"Mind Yer Toes" - 4:07 (P. King)

MC

#"Alone without You" (3:38)
#"Platform One" (3:07)
#"I Cringed, I Died, I Felt Hot" (4:58)
#"(KFAD) Wait for No-One" (3:39)
#"2 M.B." (3:50)
#"Alone without You - The Reprise" (3:23)
#"These Things" (4:37)
#"The Taste of Your Tears (Breaker Heart Mix)" (5:42)
#"Torture" (4:29)
#"Sugar Candy Mountain Buddhas" (3:54)
#"Mind Yer Toes" (4:11)

CD

#"Alone without You" (3:38)
#"Platform One" (3:07)
#"I Cringed, I Died, I Felt Hot" (4:58)
#"(KFAD) Wait for No-One" (3:39)
#"2 M.B." (3:50)
#"These Things" (4:37)
#"The Taste of Your Tears" (4:05)
#"Torture" (4:29)
#"Sugar Candy Mountain Buddhas" (3:54)
#"Mind Yer Toes" (4:11)
#"Crazy Party" (3:26)
#"Alone without You (Scorcher Mix)" (4:30)
#"The Taste of Your Tears (Breaker Heart CD Mix)" (5:42)
#"Torture (Passion Fruit Mix)" (6:43)
#"Love & Pride (USA Summer Mix)" (6:17)
#"I Kissed the Spikey Fridge (Rock Hard Mix)" (4:02)
#"These Things (Reprise)" (2:30)
#"Alone without You - The Reprise" (3:23)

ingles from the album

*1985 - "Alone without You" (UK #8)
*1985 - "The Taste of Your Tears" (UK #11)
*1986 - "Torture" (UK #23)

Credits

Line-up

*Paul King: vocals
*Mick Roberts: keyboards
*Anthony "Tony" Wall: bass guitar
*Jim "Jackal" Lantsbery: guitar

Additional musicians and production

*Adrian Lillywhite: drums
*Richard James Burgess: producer
*Phill Brown: engineering and mixing

Recording and mixing studios

*Park Gate: recording studio
*Wessex Studios: mixing studio

taff

*Perry Haines for Dolphin Lovers Ltd.: management and inner bag photos
*Rob O'Connor, James Palmer e Jeff Veitch: inner bag photos
*Simon Fowler: sleeve photography
*Rob O'Connor/Stylo Rouge: design
*The Unity Club: fan club & info

Release details

External links

* [http://www.discogs.com/release/194465 Discogs] : track listing, credits, timings, label, date of vinyl LP edition
* [http://www.discogs.com/release/1094400 Discogs] : track listing, credits, timings, label, date of remastered CD edition