First Offense
Encyclopedia
First Offense is the debut album by Corey Hart, released in 1983. It featured the hit singles "Sunglasses at Night
" (along with an award-winning music video) and the ballad "It Ain't Enough". Hart was subsequently nominated for four Juno Award
s and a Grammy Award
for "Best New Artist
".
in a New York
recording studio, Corey Hart was signed to Aquarius Records and went to England
to record his first album. Much of it was recorded at Revolution Recording Studios in Cheshire, where owner Andy Macpherson helped Hart acquire a mix of English musicians who were known for their work in other bands, including Gary Tibbs
(Adam and the Ants
) on bass, Paul Burgess (10cc
) on drums and Michael Hehir (Sad Café
) on guitar. Hehir would become a fulltime member of Hart's band for the next seven years. The album also features a cameo by Eric Clapton
, playing the Dobro (Resonator guitar
); a fact mentioned in Hart's early promotional materials.
Hart had completed the album by August 1983, minus "Sunglasses at Night" which had yet to be written. In a 1985 radio interview with CHUM-FM
, Hart described how he had returned to Canada and then penned the song: "I wrote 'Sunglasses' and I said to the record company "I gotta do this song. I've just got to put it on the album" because... it's just such an immediate song for me that when I wrote it, when I wrote the riff to that song, I said there's just something about it, some magic about this song. It was one of the only songs that I've written where I actually thought of the video at the time that I was writing it. I had that same gut feeling about 'Sunglasses' the minute I wrote it." The song, with its synth
-driven beat and distinctive guitar, was added to the album and became the hit lead single, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
charts.
The other singles from the album included the ballad "It Ain't Enough" which became a Top-20 hit, "She Got the Radio" which features a lead saxophone and "Lamp at Midnite". Hart would tour North America and subsequently Europe and Australia on the strength of the "Sunglasses" single.
Two versions of the album were released, with the Canadian edition (on Aquarius Records) featuring a black & white photograph of Hart on the cover standing against a brick wall. The other edition (released on EMI) is more familiar as it is the cover used for all CD releases of the album and features a color close-up shot of Hart with stubble
. The Canadian LP
edition features an extra track "Araby (She's Just a Girl)", which was not used on the EMI edition and has never been released on CD.
In the liner notes, Hart dedicated the album to his mother Mindy.
Outtakes:
s were produced for this album, all of them directed by Rob Quartly
who was one of the most active Canadian music video directors at that time (and would go on to produce more videos for Hart).
The iconic video for "Sunglasses at Night" featured a futuristic vision of a police-run state with a young Hart wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and trying to outrun the authorities. The video received heavy airplay on MTV
and helped push the song up the Billboard charts. Quartly received the Juno Award
for "Video of the Year
for "Sunglasses" in 1984.
Two versions of the video for the ballad "It Ain't Enough" were made, one redone for the U.S. market. The difference between these two versions is that one simply features Hart singing the song into a classic Shure
model 55 microphone in a shadowy room, while the other focuses on a storyline of Hart trying to win back the affections of a girl. The audio is also different between the two. The first version features the original mix of "It Ain't Enough", while the second version features the remix/single version, which adds a little guitar riff throughout the entire song.
The girl who appears as Hart's love interest in both the video for "Sunglasses" and one of the versions of "It Ain't Enough" is Laurie Brown
, who was a host of The NewMusic and later became a VJ on MuchMusic
.
Sunglasses at Night
"Sunglasses at Night" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984...
" (along with an award-winning music video) and the ballad "It Ain't Enough". Hart was subsequently nominated for four Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s and a Grammy Award
Grammy Awards of 1985
The 27th Grammy Awards were held February 26, 1985, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1984.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
for "Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
".
Background and writing
After his first break in meeting Billy JoelBilly Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
in a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
recording studio, Corey Hart was signed to Aquarius Records and went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to record his first album. Much of it was recorded at Revolution Recording Studios in Cheshire, where owner Andy Macpherson helped Hart acquire a mix of English musicians who were known for their work in other bands, including Gary Tibbs
Gary Tibbs
Gary Tibbs is a bass guitarist and actor, who appeared in the film Breaking Glass, alongside Hazel O'Connor....
(Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
) on bass, Paul Burgess (10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
) on drums and Michael Hehir (Sad Café
Sad Café (band)
Sad Café were an English rock band, which formed in Manchester in 1976, as a result of the unification of the rock bands Mandala and Gyro. Sad Café are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979....
) on guitar. Hehir would become a fulltime member of Hart's band for the next seven years. The album also features a cameo by Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, playing the Dobro (Resonator guitar
Resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...
); a fact mentioned in Hart's early promotional materials.
Hart had completed the album by August 1983, minus "Sunglasses at Night" which had yet to be written. In a 1985 radio interview with CHUM-FM
CHUM-FM
CHUM-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario and operated by Bell Media. It broadcasts at 104.5 MHz with a hot adult contemporary format that leans towards rhythmic adult contemporary...
, Hart described how he had returned to Canada and then penned the song: "I wrote 'Sunglasses' and I said to the record company "I gotta do this song. I've just got to put it on the album" because... it's just such an immediate song for me that when I wrote it, when I wrote the riff to that song, I said there's just something about it, some magic about this song. It was one of the only songs that I've written where I actually thought of the video at the time that I was writing it. I had that same gut feeling about 'Sunglasses' the minute I wrote it." The song, with its synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-driven beat and distinctive guitar, was added to the album and became the hit lead single, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts.
The other singles from the album included the ballad "It Ain't Enough" which became a Top-20 hit, "She Got the Radio" which features a lead saxophone and "Lamp at Midnite". Hart would tour North America and subsequently Europe and Australia on the strength of the "Sunglasses" single.
Two versions of the album were released, with the Canadian edition (on Aquarius Records) featuring a black & white photograph of Hart on the cover standing against a brick wall. The other edition (released on EMI) is more familiar as it is the cover used for all CD releases of the album and features a color close-up shot of Hart with stubble
Stubble
Stubble is the regrowth of shaven hair, when it is short and has a rough, abrasive texture.-Facial:During the 1980s, facial stubble on men became fashionable, partly due to being popularized by the singer George Michael, as well as Miami Vice. This was also known as designer stubble and was...
. The Canadian LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
edition features an extra track "Araby (She's Just a Girl)", which was not used on the EMI edition and has never been released on CD.
In the liner notes, Hart dedicated the album to his mother Mindy.
Track listing
All Songs Written By Corey Hart.- "Sunglasses at NightSunglasses at Night"Sunglasses at Night" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984...
" 5:17 - "Peruvian Lady" 4:21
- "Lamp at Midnite" 4:06
- "She Got the Radio" 3:56
- "It Ain't Enough" 3:31
- "Does She Love You" 3:35
- "Cheatin' in School" 4:25
- "World Is Fire" 5:09
- "At the Dance" 3:31
- "Jenny Fey" 3:37
Outtakes:
- "Araby (She's Just a Girl)" - from the Canadian LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
edition - "Don't Keep Your Heart" - b-side from the "Sunglasses at Night" 7" singleGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
(unreleased outside this 45)
Singles
The following singles were released from the album, with the highest charting positions listed.| # | Title | B-side | Date | CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunglasses at Night" | "Don't Keep Your Heart" | 1984 | 24 | 7 |
| 2. | "It Ain't Enough" | "Cheatin' in School" | 1984 | 74 | 17 |
| 3. | "She Got the Radio" | "Araby" | 1984 | 40 | — |
| 4. | "Lamp at Midnite" | "Sunglasses at Night" (extended version) | 1985 | 38 | — |
Charts and awards
- First Offense reached a high of #31 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200The 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. - The album was certified gold (over 500,000 sold in the U.S.) by the RIAA on Jan. 1987.
- Hart was nominated for four Juno AwardsJuno Awards of 1984The Juno Awards of 1984, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 5 December 1984 in Toronto at a ceremony hosted by Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin of SCTV at Exhibition Place Automotive Building...
in 1984 including "Male Vocalist of the Year", "Composer of the Year", "Single of the Year" and "Best Video" (winner).
Music videos
Three music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s were produced for this album, all of them directed by Rob Quartly
Rob Quartly
Robert "Rob" Quartly is a Canadian music video, television and commercial director. During the 1980s, Quartly produced numerous Juno award-winning music videos for artists including Corey Hart, Gowan, Platinum Blonde and Rush....
who was one of the most active Canadian music video directors at that time (and would go on to produce more videos for Hart).
The iconic video for "Sunglasses at Night" featured a futuristic vision of a police-run state with a young Hart wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and trying to outrun the authorities. The video received heavy airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and helped push the song up the Billboard charts. Quartly received the Juno Award
Juno Awards of 1984
The Juno Awards of 1984, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 5 December 1984 in Toronto at a ceremony hosted by Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin of SCTV at Exhibition Place Automotive Building...
for "Video of the Year
Juno Award for Video of the Year
The Juno Award for "Video of the Year" has been awarded since 1984, as recognition each year for the best music video in Canada. The award was previously called the "Best Video".-Best Video :...
for "Sunglasses" in 1984.
Two versions of the video for the ballad "It Ain't Enough" were made, one redone for the U.S. market. The difference between these two versions is that one simply features Hart singing the song into a classic Shure
Shure
Shure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,...
model 55 microphone in a shadowy room, while the other focuses on a storyline of Hart trying to win back the affections of a girl. The audio is also different between the two. The first version features the original mix of "It Ain't Enough", while the second version features the remix/single version, which adds a little guitar riff throughout the entire song.
The girl who appears as Hart's love interest in both the video for "Sunglasses" and one of the versions of "It Ain't Enough" is Laurie Brown
Laurie Brown (broadcaster)
Laurie Brown is a Canadian television journalist. Her parents were originally from Nova Scotia, and when Brown was in her teens, they and her sister moved back to that province...
, who was a host of The NewMusic and later became a VJ on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
.
Personnel
- Corey Hart - vocals, background vocals, keyboards
- Richie Close - keyboards
- Phil Chapman - keyboards
- Andy Barnett - lead guitar
- Michael Hehir - guitar
- Jon AstleyJon AstleyJon Astley is a British record producer who also recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. His most commercially successful song was "Jane's Getting Serious", later popularized by a Heinz ketchup television commercial starring a pre-Friends cast member Matt...
- guitar, background vocals on "At the Dance" - Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
- Dobro guitarDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
on "Jenny Fey" - Andy Macpherson - guitar
- Andy HamiltonAndy Hamilton (pop musician)Andy Hamilton is a British saxophonist who has played with Duran Duran , Wham!, Elton John, Pet Shop Boys, Tina Turner, George Michael, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Bon Jovi and David Bowie....
- tenor & alto saxophone - Gary TibbsGary TibbsGary Tibbs is a bass guitarist and actor, who appeared in the film Breaking Glass, alongside Hazel O'Connor....
- bass guitar - Paul Burgess - drums, percussion
- Phil Wooley & Tim Green - background vocals on "Peruvian Lady" and "At the Dance"
Production
- Jon Astley - producer, engineer
- Phil Chapman - producer, engineer
- Andy Macpherson - engineer
- Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
- mastering at Artisan Sound RecordersArtisan Sound RecordersArtisan Sound Recorders was one of Southern California's premier disk mastering facilities. It was founded by Bob MacLeod in the 1960s and acquired by Kent Duncan in 1979 when MacLeod retired. In the early 1990s it was sold and the mastering operation ceased operation.More than 500 Gold & Platinum... - Henry Marquez - art direction
- Michael Diehl - design
- Raul Vega & Jerry McGaraughty - photography