A Woman and a Man
Encyclopedia
A Woman and a Man is the sixth studio album
by American singer Belinda Carlisle
, released in the United Kingdom
on September 23, 1996 by Chrysalis Records
. It was the first album Carlisle had released since departing Virgin Records
. The album is full of songs that show how Carlisle's style had matured compared to her earlier releases, written by Rick Nowels
, Maria Vidal
, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey
, Neil Finn
and Roxette
cofounder Per Gessle
who also produced one of the tracks.
It was released in the United States
in 1997 (see 1997 in music
) on the Ark 21 Records
label. The track listing was different compared to the original; it was only ten tracks long and did not include "Listen to Love", "Love Doesn't Live Here" and "Always Breaking My Heart
" but instead had covers of the songs "Jealous Guy
" by John Lennon
and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
" by Shel Silverstein
.
rated the album four stars out of five saying it is a "mature collection of adult pop, with cool keyboards and subtle arrangements that often make the record sound like background music" . However, he also noted that "Carlisle has rarely been in better voice". Entertainment Weekly
's Steven Mirkin gave the album C- saying that "Carlisle has neither the voice nor personality to overcome her album's cold, emotionally sterile core."
on September 30, 1996 at number twelve. It became a successful album, in UK it outselling her previous album, Real
, and reviving her career in the singles chart – producing two top tens and a top twenty. It spent a short time in the top seventy-five falling out of it after just five weeks and was in the top two hundred for thirteen weeks accrediting gold by BPI
. It was released in the U.S. but failed to chart on the Billboard 200
album charts with total sales of 17,000 copies.
The album charted on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart on November 11, 1996 at number thirty-one with only one single released to radio at the time. It only spent ten weeks in the top one hundred making the album her last charting album on the charts. It was Carlisle's last album to chart in Austria
as well peaking at number thirty-six and stayed in the charts for two weeks. Of all Carlisle's albums this was her lowest charting in Sweden
peaking at number forty-four and only spending one week in the charts.In Italy
, A Woman and a Man peaked #35 for one week.
The singles had a fair share of success in most music markets. "In Too Deep
" was the first song released from the album and became a top ten hit in the UK and a top twenty in Australia. "Always Breaking My Heart" was the second song released from the album, written and produced by Per Gessle
of Roxette
. It too was a top ten hit in the UK and Carlisle's second hit from this album. "Love in the Key of C" the third song released, became Carlisle's tenth top twenty hit. "California
" was the final and fourth song released and was not as successful as the others but managed to chart in the top forty in the UK.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American singer Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on September 23, 1996 by Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
. It was the first album Carlisle had released since departing Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. The album is full of songs that show how Carlisle's style had matured compared to her earlier releases, written by Rick Nowels
Rick Nowels
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
, Maria Vidal
Maria Vidal
Maria Vidal is an American singer who had one hit single with the song, "Body Rock" in 1984; it also reached #8 on the US dance charts, and #11 in the UK.Vidal was originally a member of the band, Desmond Child & Rouge, but went solo with a self-titled debut album...
, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey
Charlotte Caffey
Charlotte Irene Caffey is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter, best known for her work in the Go-Go's in the 1980s, including writing "We Got the Beat."...
, Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
and Roxette
Roxette
Roxette are a Swedish pop music duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act from the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp!...
cofounder Per Gessle
Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist. He is the lead singer of the Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson...
who also produced one of the tracks.
It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1997 (see 1997 in music
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
) on the Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland & Stewart Copeland. The record label is based out of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.-Artists:* Ragheb Alamah* Beats Antique* The Badlees* Farrah* Faudel* The Human League* Hakim...
label. The track listing was different compared to the original; it was only ten tracks long and did not include "Listen to Love", "Love Doesn't Live Here" and "Always Breaking My Heart
Always Breaking My Heart
"Always Breaking My Heart" is the second single from Belinda Carlisle's A Woman and a Man album, released in 1996 . It made the UK Top 10, peaking at #8....
" but instead had covers of the songs "Jealous Guy
Jealous Guy
"Jealous Guy" is a song written and performed by John Lennon which first appeared on his 1971 album Imagine. It is one of the most commonly covered Lennon songs, with at least ninety-two recorded cover versions, the most notable being Roxy Music's version, which reached number one in several...
" by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" is a song by American poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein. It was originally recorded by Dr Hook and covered by the English singer Marianne Faithfull. Taken from her 1979 album Broken English, it was released as a single in November 1979. It is featured on the...
" by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
.
Critical reception
The album received mixed reviews. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
rated the album four stars out of five saying it is a "mature collection of adult pop, with cool keyboards and subtle arrangements that often make the record sound like background music" . However, he also noted that "Carlisle has rarely been in better voice". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's Steven Mirkin gave the album C- saying that "Carlisle has neither the voice nor personality to overcome her album's cold, emotionally sterile core."
Commercial reception
It made its debut on the UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on September 30, 1996 at number twelve. It became a successful album, in UK it outselling her previous album, Real
Real (Belinda Carlisle album)
Real is the fifth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, first released on September 29, 1993. The album has a genre of mainly pop songs written by Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Ralph Schuckett and half co-written by Carlisle...
, and reviving her career in the singles chart – producing two top tens and a top twenty. It spent a short time in the top seventy-five falling out of it after just five weeks and was in the top two hundred for thirteen weeks accrediting gold by BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. It was released in the U.S. but failed to chart on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts with total sales of 17,000 copies.
The album charted on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart on November 11, 1996 at number thirty-one with only one single released to radio at the time. It only spent ten weeks in the top one hundred making the album her last charting album on the charts. It was Carlisle's last album to chart in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
as well peaking at number thirty-six and stayed in the charts for two weeks. Of all Carlisle's albums this was her lowest charting in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
peaking at number forty-four and only spending one week in the charts.In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, A Woman and a Man peaked #35 for one week.
The singles had a fair share of success in most music markets. "In Too Deep
In Too Deep (Jenny Morris song)
"In Too Deep" is a pop song written by Rick Nowels and produced by Andrew Farriss for Jenny Morris's fourth studio album Salvation Jane...
" was the first song released from the album and became a top ten hit in the UK and a top twenty in Australia. "Always Breaking My Heart" was the second song released from the album, written and produced by Per Gessle
Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist. He is the lead singer of the Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson...
of Roxette
Roxette
Roxette are a Swedish pop music duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act from the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp!...
. It too was a top ten hit in the UK and Carlisle's second hit from this album. "Love in the Key of C" the third song released, became Carlisle's tenth top twenty hit. "California
California (Belinda Carlisle song)
"California" is a pop song written by Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg and Maria Vidal, produced by David Tickle for Belinda Carlisle's sixth studio album A Woman and a Man...
" was the final and fourth song released and was not as successful as the others but managed to chart in the top forty in the UK.
Track listing
American version
Peak Positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 31 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 36 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart | 34 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 44 |
| UK Albums Chart | 12 |
Certifications
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
September 11, 1996 | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
TOCP-50002 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
September 23, 1996 | Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis... |
724385354526 | |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
October 16, 1996 | 853545-2 |
Personnel
- Lorenzo Agius – photography
- Nick BeggsNick BeggsNick Beggs is a British musician, noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick; he is a member of Kajagoogoo and formerly Iona and Ellis, Beggs, & Howard.-Personal life:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(tracks 1–5 and 7), stick - Andy BrownAndy BrownAndy Brown may refer to:*Andy Brown , former ice hockey player in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association*Andy Brown , Indy Racing League winning chief engineer* Andy Brown , UK football player...
– conductor - Belinda CarlisleBelinda CarlisleBelinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
– vocals (tracks 1–11) - Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
– percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(tracks 1–5 and 8–10) - Caroline DaleCaroline DaleCaroline Dale is a widely-recorded British cellist who has performed music for numerous films, including Truly, Madly, Deeply, Hilary and Jackie, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as well as the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and 2007's Academy Award winner Atonement...
– string arrangements - Steve Farris – acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Per GesslePer GesslePer Håkan Gessle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist. He is the lead singer of the Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson...
– electric guitar, background vocals, producer - Phil Grande – guitar (tracks 1 and 2)
- Andres Herlin – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Jonas Isacsson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Davey JohnstoneDavey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
– mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
(track 1)
- Rory Kaplan – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s (tracks 1 and 2), drum programming - Brian Lapin – assistant engineer, mixing
- Louis Metoyer – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar
- Clarence Ofwerman – keyboards, programming, producer
- Ellen ShipleyEllen ShipleyEllen Shipley, born 24 March 1949 in New York, is a US musician and songwriter.-Biography:Shipley is best known for work with Rick Nowels. Together they've written for Kim Wilde and worked on the Belinda Carlisle albums Belinda, Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses, and Live Your Life Be Free...
– background vocals (track 1) - David TickleDavid TickleDavid Tickle is a British record producer and engineer. As a producer, he is most noted for his work with Split Enz, and in Canada, for his mid-80s work with Red Rider, Platinum Blonde and Gowan...
– producer, engineer, mixing - Maria VidalMaria VidalMaria Vidal is an American singer who had one hit single with the song, "Body Rock" in 1984; it also reached #8 on the US dance charts, and #11 in the UK.Vidal was originally a member of the band, Desmond Child & Rouge, but went solo with a self-titled debut album...
– background vocals (track 1) - Ellen Von UnwerthEllen von UnwerthEllen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
– photography - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
– background vocals (track 2) - Randy Wine – engineer, mixing
- Steve Wren – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(tracks 1 and 2) - Red Young – organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...