I Say I Say I Say
Encyclopedia
I Say I Say I Say is the sixth studio album from synth pop duo Erasure
, released in 1994 by Mute Records
in the UK and Elektra Records
in the U.S. The album was produced by Martyn Ware
, who was a founding member of veteran synthpop groups The Human League
and Heaven 17
.
Upon its release it became Erasure's fifth consecutive album to hit number one in the UK, generating three top twenty singles. In the U.S., I Say I Say I Say debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200
, easily besting their previous highest chart placing. In Germany
, the album climbed to number six.
Although Erasure always maintained popularity in the U.S. dance club community, with the rise of grunge rock
Erasure's exposure on college radio, mainstream stations and MTV
had become mostly non-existent by 1994. This made it even more of a surprise when the ballad "Always
" gave them their third top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
in September.
On the Chilean/Argentinian cassette version, there's a Spanish rendition of "Always" (Spanish vocal), just before "Always".
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, released in 1994 by Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
in the UK and Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in the U.S. The album was produced by Martyn Ware
Martyn Ware
Martyn "Teddy Bear" Ware is a British musician and music producer. He is the chairman of a local football team: PPA. As a founder member of both The Human League and Heaven 17, he was partly responsible for hit records such as "Being Boiled" and "Temptation"...
, who was a founding member of veteran synthpop groups The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
and Heaven 17
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English synthpop band originating from Sheffield in the early 1980s. The trio comprises Martyn Ware , Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory...
.
Upon its release it became Erasure's fifth consecutive album to hit number one in the UK, generating three top twenty singles. In the U.S., I Say I Say I Say debuted and peaked at number 18 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...
, easily besting their previous highest chart placing. In 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...
, the album climbed to number six.
Although Erasure always maintained popularity in the U.S. dance club community, with the rise of grunge rock
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
Erasure's exposure on college radio, mainstream stations and 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....
had become mostly non-existent by 1994. This made it even more of a surprise when the ballad "Always
Always (Erasure song)
"Always" is a synthpop ballad by British duo Erasure. It was released in 1994 as the first single from their sixth studio album I Say I Say I Say. Mute Records issued the single in the UK, while Elektra Records released it in the U.S...
" gave them their third top 20 hit 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...
in September.
Track listing
All tracks by Clarke and Bell.- "Take Me Back" – 4:55
- "I Love SaturdayI Love Saturday"I Love Saturday" is a song by British synth pop duo Erasure. It was released as the third single from the band's sixth studio album I Say I Say I Say. An uptempo love song, "I Love Saturday" was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell and produced by Martyn Ware.Mute Records issued the single in...
" – 4:02 - "Man in the Moon" – 4:06
- "So the Story Goes" – 4:08
- "Run to the SunRun to the Sun"Run to the Sun" is a song by British synth pop duo Erasure, released as the second single from their sixth studio album I Say I Say I Say. An uptempo dance music track, the song displays signature synthesizer programming by band member Vince Clarke...
" – 4:25 - "AlwaysAlways (Erasure song)"Always" is a synthpop ballad by British duo Erasure. It was released in 1994 as the first single from their sixth studio album I Say I Say I Say. Mute Records issued the single in the UK, while Elektra Records released it in the U.S...
" – 3:57 - "All Through the Years" – 4:59
- "Blues Away" – 5:01
- "Miracle" – 4:12
- "Because You're So Sweet" – 4:17
On the Chilean/Argentinian cassette version, there's a Spanish rendition of "Always" (Spanish vocal), just before "Always".
Chart performance
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 32 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 85 |
| German Albums Chart | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 17 |
| UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 18 |
Personnel
- Andy BellAndy Bell (singer)Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
– vocals - Vince ClarkeVince ClarkeVince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
– synthesizerSynthesizerA 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...
s, programming - Sy-Jenq Cheng – Design
- Mike Cosford – Paintings
- John R. Dexter – Arranger, Conductor
- Luke Gifford – Assistant Engineer
- Norman Hathaway – Design
- Andy Houston – Engineer
- Rob Kirwan – Assistant Engineer
- Phil Legg – Engineer, Mixing
- Kevin Metcalfe – Editing
- St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir – Choir, Chorus
- Al Stone – Engineer
- Martyn Ware – Producer
- Olaf Wendt – Artwork