Blue Views
Blue Views is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, then a member of the supergroup Mike + The Mechanics. It was Carrack's first solo album in seven years; in the interim period between solo albums, he had recorded one album as a member of Squeeze, one album as a member of Spin 1ne 2wo, and two albums as a member of Mike + The Mechanics. Blue Views was originally released in 1995 on I.R.S. Records in the UK and most other territories. In the US, it appeared on the Ark 21 label.
| Blue Views | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:20 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. Records (UK) Ark 21 (US) | |||
| Producer | Peter Van Hooke | |||
| Paul Carrack chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album was produced by Carrack's erstwhile Mike + The Mechanics bandmate Peter Van Hooke, who had left the group the previous year. Blue Views spun off two UK top 40 hits: "Eyes of Blue" and a re-recording of "How Long", which Carrack had originally written and sung 22 years earlier as a member of the band Ace.
In the US, "Eyes of Blue" was a minor hit on the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts, while the track "For Once in Our Lives" was a major AC hit, peaking at #3.
The song "Love Will Keep Us Alive", a Carrack co-wrote, had been previously recorded by The Eagles for their 1994 album Hell Freezes Over.
Reception edit
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls Blue Views "solid adult contemporary pop", and while criticizing some of the "spotty" material, writes that "Carrack's vocals are terrific and the sound is appealingly polished."[1]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eyes of Blue" | Paul Carrack | 3:59 |
| 2. | "For Once in Our Lives" | Carrack, Chris Difford | 5:53 |
| 3. | "No Easy Way Out" | Carrack, Rafe Van Hoy | 5:14 |
| 4. | "Oh Oh Oh My My My" | Carrack | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Only a Breath Away" | Carrack, Brenda Russell, Mark Cawley | 4:21 |
| 6. | "Nothing More Than a Memory" | Carrack | 4:59 |
| 7. | "Somewhere in Your Heart" | Carrack, Van Hoy | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" | Carrack, Jim Capaldi, Peter Vale | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Always Have Always Will" | Carrack, Russell, Cawley | 4:41 |
| 10. | "Don't Walk Over Me" | Carrack, Difford | 4:40 |
| 11. | "How Long" | Carrack | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Over My Shoulder" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition) | Carrack, Mike Rutherford | 3:14 |
| 13. | "People Get Ready" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition) | Curtis Mayfield | 2:35 |
Personnel edit
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[2]
- Paul Carrack – vocals, keyboards
- Rod Argent – keyboards
- Tim Renwick – guitars (1-6, 8-11)
- Robbie McIntosh – guitars (1-6, 8-11)
- Mitch Dalton – classical guitar (1)
- Neil Hubbard – guitars (7)
- Pino Palladino – bass (1-7, 9, 10, 11)
- Keith Wilkinson – bass (8)
- Andy Newmark – drums
- Martin Ditcham – percussion
- Luís Jardim – percussion
- Frank Ricotti – percussion
- Roger Chase – viola (10)
- Bill Hawkins – viola (10)
- Perry Montague-Mason – violin (10)
- Gavyn Wright – violin (10)
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
- Tessa Niles – backing vocals
- Lance Ellington – backing vocals (5, 9, 10)
Production edit
- Producer – Peter Van Hooke
- Engineers – Paul Mortimer and Simon Smart
- Assistant Engineers – Danny Dawson, Paul Hicks, Robbie Kazandjian and Guy Massey.
- Mixing – John Brough and Simon Smart
- Mastered by Chris Blair
- Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Abbey Road Studios (London, UK).
- Photography – Paul Cox
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[3] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Silver | 60,000* |
| * Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b AllMusic review
- ^ Blue Views liner notes. I.R.S. Records. 1995.
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 940. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – Paul Carrack – Blue Views". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
External links edit
- Blue Views at Discogs (list of releases)