Afternoons In Utopia
Encyclopedia
Afternoons in Utopia is the second album released by Alphaville
in 1986, by Warner Music. The album was recorded between September 1985 and May 1986, and Alphaville employed no less than 27 guest musicians and singers to record the songs. 500,000 copies of the album have been sold.
The album finished in the Top 20 in five European countries, and while its #174 placement on the US charts may be considered a disappointment, that was actually better than its arguably better-well-known predecessor, Forever Young fared. Another reviewer points out that "by the time of this album's 1986 release, synth-pop was no longer a chart concern," which may explain Alphaville's poor showing in the charts from that point forward in their careers.
s (in general), the planet Mars
and its landscape, and a starship
. When the word "smile" is used in the songs "Afternoons in Utopia," "Lassie Come Home," and "Red Rose," it's printed in the liner notes as the acronym S.M.I².L.E., a reference to Timothy Leary
, which stands for "Space Migration, Increased Intelligence, [and] Life Extension."
Marian Gold, singer and songwriter for the band, acknowledged that the message of their music was different from their previous album with this comment, which accompanied the song "Sensations" in the liner notes for the 1992 release First Harvest 1984-92
:
about relativity, wherein the lady Bright leaves one day and returns the night before.
The song "Afternoons in Utopia" is dedicated "For Inka" in the liner notes for the album.
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
in 1986, by Warner Music. The album was recorded between September 1985 and May 1986, and Alphaville employed no less than 27 guest musicians and singers to record the songs. 500,000 copies of the album have been sold.
Reviews
Reviews for this album were again generally positive, with one reviewer saying "at points things are just bad yup-funk for wine bars, but a couple of misfires aside, Afternoons in Utopia holds up well" and "in retrospect it's actually a successful endeavour, perfectly evocative of a mainstream style."The album finished in the Top 20 in five European countries, and while its #174 placement on the US charts may be considered a disappointment, that was actually better than its arguably better-well-known predecessor, Forever Young fared. Another reviewer points out that "by the time of this album's 1986 release, synth-pop was no longer a chart concern," which may explain Alphaville's poor showing in the charts from that point forward in their careers.
Album notes
The album's lyrics make several references to cosmic entities ("sci fi" as one reviewer called it), including cometComet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s (in general), the planet Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and its landscape, and a starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
. When the word "smile" is used in the songs "Afternoons in Utopia," "Lassie Come Home," and "Red Rose," it's printed in the liner notes as the acronym S.M.I².L.E., a reference to Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
, which stands for "Space Migration, Increased Intelligence, [and] Life Extension."
Marian Gold, singer and songwriter for the band, acknowledged that the message of their music was different from their previous album with this comment, which accompanied the song "Sensations" in the liner notes for the 1992 release First Harvest 1984-92
First Harvest 1984-92
First Harvest 1984–92 is Alphaville's first "real" greatest-hits compilation ....
:
Track listing
The first song, "IAO" (which stands for International Aquarian Opera) begins with the word "night," which fades until the short IAO chorus is sung (which itself is just a lyric from the song "Afternoons in Utopia"). This word is the last word of the song "Lady Bright," which ends the album. "Lady Bright" is a limerickLimerick (poetry)
A limerick is a kind of a witty, humorous, or nonsense poem, especially one in five-line or meter with a strict rhyme scheme , which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The form can be found in England as of the early years of the 18th century...
about relativity, wherein the lady Bright leaves one day and returns the night before.
The song "Afternoons in Utopia" is dedicated "For Inka" in the liner notes for the album.
Chart positions
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Albums Chart |
13 |
| 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... Albums Chart |
41 |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... Albums Chart |
8 |
| 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.... Albums Chart |
7 |
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... Albums Chart |
12 |
| US United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... 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... |
174 |
Album credits
Afternoons in Utopia was composed by Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Ricky Echolette. All songs produced by Peter Walsh except where noted.- IAO
- Children's Choir: Stephanie Cooling, Peter Docherty, Louise McKenna, Jenny Troy, David Walround
- Fantastic Dream (produced by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero)
- Alan Childs: Drums
- David Lebold: Keyboards
- Jimmy MaelenJimmy MaelenJimmy Maelen was a percussionist in the 1960s-1980s, who worked with many artists including Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, Dire Straits, Barry Manilow, Alice Cooper and John Lennon...
: Percussion - Jimmy RippJimmy RippJimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
: Guitars - Carmine RojasCarmine RojasCarmine Rojas, Bassist, Musical Director, Composer & Producer born February 14, 1953, Brooklyn, NY.With the efforts and support of his family, friends and professional relationships, Carmine has traveled the World earning the reputation as one of the most renowned and respected bass players in the...
: Bass guitar
- Jerusalem (produced by Wolfgang Loos)
- Denice Brooks: Backing vocals
- Turhan Geza: Percussion
- Roger LinnRoger LinnRoger Linn is an industrial designer, mainly of electronic drum machines, and has recently branched out into guitar effects pedals. His products have become underground hits, being used on many famous recordings...
: Drums - Wolfgang Loos: Keyboards
- Gustl Luetjens: Guitars
- William "Kooley" Scott: Backing vocals
- Jocelyn B. Smith: Backing vocals
- Dance with Me (produced by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero)
- Michael BarbieroMichael BarbieroMichael Francis Barbiero , is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, songwriter, and journalist.-Background:Michael Barbiero has worked with a number of artists, such as Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tesla, Cinderella, Blues Traveler, Ziggy Marley, Belouis Some, Cutting Crew, Counting Crows,...
: Backing vocals - Dave Lebold: Keyboards
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Jimmy Maelen: Percussion
- Jimmy Ripp: Guitars
- Michael Barbiero
- Afternoons in Utopia (produced by Wolfgang Loos and Peter Walsh)
- Children's Choir: Stephanie Cooling, Peter Docherty, Louise McKenna, Jenny Troy, David Walround
- Wolfgang Loos: Keyboards
- Sensations
- Guy BarkerGuy BarkerGuy Barker is an English jazz trumpeter and composer. Barker was born in Chiswick, London, the son of an actress and a stuntman. He started playing the trumpet at the age of twelve, and within a year had joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra...
: Trumpets - Stuart Brooks: Trumpets
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Judy CheeksJudy CheeksJudy Cheeks is a female dance music singer born in Miami, Florida in 1954 and is the daughter of gospel singer and preacher Rev. Julius Cheeks. In 1978 she hit #10 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Mellow Lovin'," and then had a career resurgence in the 1990s, when she re-emerged with a...
: Backing vocals - Roger Linn: Drums
- Victoria Miles: Backing vocals
- Phil PalmerPhil PalmerPhilip 'Phil' John Palmer is a sideman and session guitarist in jazz and rock who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous famous artists...
: Guitars - Frank RicottiFrank RicottiFrank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
: Percussion - Neil Sidwell: Trombone
- Robin Smith: Brass arrangements
- Phil Todd: Saxophones
- Guy Barker
- 20th Century
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Robin Smith: Keyboards
- The Voyager
- Guy Barker: Trumpets
- Stuart Brooks: Trumpets
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Judy Cheeks: Backing vocals
- Bob Jenkins: Additional drums
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Robin Smith: Keyboards and Brass arrangements
- Phil Todd: Saxophones
- Peter Walsh: Keyboards
- Carol Masters
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Bob Jenkins: Additional drums
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Phil Palmer: Guitars
- Frank Ricotti: Percussion
- Peter Walsh: Keyboards
- Universal Daddy
- Guy Barker: Trumpets
- Stuart Brooks: Trumpets
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Judy Cheeks: Backing vocals
- Bob Jenkins: Additional drums
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Victoria Miles: Background vocals
- Phil Palmer: Guitars
- Frank Ricotti: Percussions
- Neil Sidwell: Trombone
- Robin Smith: Keyboards and Brass arrangements
- Phil Todd: Saxophones
- Lassie Come Home
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Bob Jenkins: Additional drums
- Janey Klimek: Guest vocal performance
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Phil Palmer: Guitars
- Frank Ricotti: Percussion
- Robin Smith: Keyboards and Brass arrangements
- Phil Todd: Saxophones
- Red Rose
- Guy Barker: Trumpets
- Stuart Brooks: Trumpets
- Andy Brown: Bass guitar
- Judy Cheeks: Backing vocals
- Roger Linn: Drums
- Victoria Miles: Backing vocals
- Phil Palmer: Guitars
- Frank Ricotti: Percussion
- Neil Sidwell: Trombone
- Robin Smith: Keyboards and Brass arrangements
- Phil Todd: Saxophones