I, Assassin
Encyclopedia
I, Assassin is the sixth studio album (the fourth under his own name) by Gary Numan
. Released in 1982, it reached no.8 on the UK charts.
Three songs; "Music for Chameleons
", "We Take Mystery (To Bed)
" and "White Boys and Heroes" were released as singles from the album and all reached the UK Top 20 ("We Take Mystery" reached no.9, and was Numan's last top 10 single to date).
, was an experimental effort that explored and incorporated different musical elements such as jazz
. I, Assassin operates in a similar vein. Although the fretless bass and some of the jazz elements of Dance are still in place, Numan went further with I, Assassin, exploring funk music and blending it together with heavier percussion and his own familiar electronic sound. Numan recalled that an important factor during the album's recording was the contribution made by bassist Pino Paladino:
At the time I, Assassin was released, Numan believed it was the best album he had made. Although it was unsurprisingly slated by the majority of the British music press (which had had a strong dislike for Numan and his music ever since his meteoric rise to fame), the album did garner some praise. Numan was given credit for changing his sound by shifting from synth-heavy music to a more bass-led, electro-dance approach . Numan argued that he wanted to shift away from a lot of electronic artists during this period because he felt they were stuck in an interchangeable and simplistic rut that they could never break . Numan wanted to be ahead of the pack and was interested in experimenting with other genres. For the album's cover sleeve, Numan retained the trilby
hat from Dance, with the trenchcoat and alley background representing I, Assassins 1930s gangster motif. The album cover of I, Assassin was influenced by that of Frank Sinatra
's 1954 album Songs for Young Lovers
.
Before the release of I, Assassin, Numan left Britain to live as a tax exile
in the United States
. He supported the new album with an 18-date concert tour in America in October-November 1982 (his first series of live shows since his "farewell" shows at Wembley Stadium in 1981). No official live albums or videos have been released from Numan's 1982 tour. Numan recorded a second video for "We Take Mystery (To Bed)" during his stay in Los Angeles
, before heading to live in Jersey
where he began writing the material for his next album, Warriors
(1983).
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
. Released in 1982, it reached no.8 on the UK charts.
Three songs; "Music for Chameleons
Music for Chameleons (song)
"Music for Chameleons" is a 1982 single by Gary Numan from his album, I, Assassin. It peaked at number 19 in the UK Singles Chart. The song received its live debut on Numan's 1982 American tour and was performed again in 1984 on the Berserker Tour .Named after the 1980 literature...
", "We Take Mystery (To Bed)
We Take Mystery (To Bed)
"We Take Mystery " is a 1982 song by the British musician Gary Numan. Released as the second single from his I, Assassin album, it reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart...
" and "White Boys and Heroes" were released as singles from the album and all reached the UK Top 20 ("We Take Mystery" reached no.9, and was Numan's last top 10 single to date).
Overview
Numan's previous album, DanceDance (Gary Numan album)
Dance is the fifth studio album, the third under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan, released in 1981. It is his first release after announcing his retirement from touring in April 1981...
, was an experimental effort that explored and incorporated different musical elements such as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. I, Assassin operates in a similar vein. Although the fretless bass and some of the jazz elements of Dance are still in place, Numan went further with I, Assassin, exploring funk music and blending it together with heavier percussion and his own familiar electronic sound. Numan recalled that an important factor during the album's recording was the contribution made by bassist Pino Paladino:
At the time I, Assassin was released, Numan believed it was the best album he had made. Although it was unsurprisingly slated by the majority of the British music press (which had had a strong dislike for Numan and his music ever since his meteoric rise to fame), the album did garner some praise. Numan was given credit for changing his sound by shifting from synth-heavy music to a more bass-led, electro-dance approach . Numan argued that he wanted to shift away from a lot of electronic artists during this period because he felt they were stuck in an interchangeable and simplistic rut that they could never break . Numan wanted to be ahead of the pack and was interested in experimenting with other genres. For the album's cover sleeve, Numan retained the trilby
Trilby
A trilby hat is a type of fedora. The trilby is viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is commonly called the "brown trilby" in England and is much seen at the horse races. It is described as a "crumpled" fedora...
hat from Dance, with the trenchcoat and alley background representing I, Assassins 1930s gangster motif. The album cover of I, Assassin was influenced by that of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's 1954 album Songs for Young Lovers
Songs for Young Lovers
Songs for Young Lovers is the fifth Studio Album by Frank Sinatra, his first released for Capitol Records. It was released as a 10" LP as a set of eight songs....
.
Before the release of I, Assassin, Numan left Britain to live as a tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He supported the new album with an 18-date concert tour in America in October-November 1982 (his first series of live shows since his "farewell" shows at Wembley Stadium in 1981). No official live albums or videos have been released from Numan's 1982 tour. Numan recorded a second video for "We Take Mystery (To Bed)" during his stay in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, before heading to live in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
where he began writing the material for his next album, Warriors
Warriors (Gary Numan album)
Warriors is the seventh studio album by the British musician Gary Numan, released in 1983. It was his last studio album released on Beggars Banquet Records.-Preproduction:...
(1983).
Track listing
All songs are written by Gary Numan.- "White Boys And Heroes" – 6:23
- "War Songs" – 5:05
- "A Dream Of Siam" – 6:13
- "Music for ChameleonsMusic for Chameleons (song)"Music for Chameleons" is a 1982 single by Gary Numan from his album, I, Assassin. It peaked at number 19 in the UK Singles Chart. The song received its live debut on Numan's 1982 American tour and was performed again in 1984 on the Berserker Tour .Named after the 1980 literature...
" – 6:06 - "This Is My House" – 4:52
- "I, Assassin" – 5:26
- "The 1930s Rust" – 3:55
- "We Take Mystery (To Bed)We Take Mystery (To Bed)"We Take Mystery " is a 1982 song by the British musician Gary Numan. Released as the second single from his I, Assassin album, it reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart...
" – 6:10 - "War Games"* – 3:55
- "Glitter And Ash"* – 4:42
- "The Image Is"* – 5:55
- "This House Is Cold"* – 5:27
- "Noise Noise"* – 3:49
- "We Take Mystery"* – 5:58
- "Bridge? What Bridge?"* – 4:22
- CD bonus tracks marked with asterisk (*).
- The track "Bridge? What Bridge?" is an improvisational piece and includes David Van DayDavid Van DayDavid Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
and Thereza BazarThereza BazarThereza Bazar is a British-Canadian singer, best known as one half of the pop duo, Dollar.- Career :Bazar first found fame in her teens as a member of 1970s group Guys 'n' Dolls, who scored a 1975 hit with There's A Whole Lot Of Lovin and went on to have a short hit career, which also included...
from the group DollarDollar (band)Dollar are a pop vocal duo from the UK, consisting of David Van Day and Thereza Bazar. The duo were successful in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Career:...
. Bazar also contributes backing vocals, and Van Day handclaps, to the song "Noise Noise".
Personnel
- Gary NumanGary NumanGary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Synthesisers, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Producer - Roger MasonRoger Mason (musician)Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of New Wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists...
- Synthesisers - Pino PalladinoPino PalladinoPino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
- Fretless Bass, Guitar - Chris SladeChris SladeChris Slade is a Welsh rock drummer.-Career:Slade has worked with Gary Numan, Tom Jones, Olivia Newton-John , and Uriah Heep. He was a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1972 to 1978...
- 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 ....
, 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... - John Webb - Percussion
- Mike - SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, HarmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Thereza BazarThereza BazarThereza Bazar is a British-Canadian singer, best known as one half of the pop duo, Dollar.- Career :Bazar first found fame in her teens as a member of 1970s group Guys 'n' Dolls, who scored a 1975 hit with There's A Whole Lot Of Lovin and went on to have a short hit career, which also included...
- Backing vocals on "Noise Noise" - Nick Smith - Engineer