"Brand New Lover" is a song recorded by English pop band Dead or Alive. It was the lead single released from the band's third studio album, Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know on Epic Records. It achieved international success when released as a single in 1986, but while it was a major hit in a number of territories, including the United States and Japan, in the UK the single significantly underperformed, failing to crack the top 20.[1]
Following a fraught six-month recording session with producers Stock Aitken Waterman, which was marked by fights and disagreements between the band, record company and producers over the sound of their new material, singer Pete Burns claimed he struggled to get Epic to commit to a release schedule for the single.[1] He said this changed when Bananarama had major success with their Dead or Alive-inspired cover of "Venus", which Burns claimed encouraged the label to schedule "Brand New Lover" for release.[1] Later, Burns blamed the song's disappointing chart run in his home country on his then-ongoing war with his UK label, alleging that the company had failed to press and distribute enough copies of the single to make it a hit, and claiming the band had lost out on 67,000 UK sales as a result.[1]
The song features western motifs, with lyrics that describe the singer's desire to leave his current partner for one who is more exciting. His motivation is that he admittedly does not desire a stable relationship with one partner, but rather is "a pleasure seeker."
Critical receptionedit
Jerry Smith of the Music Week magazine described "Brand New Lover" a "high energy dance track" with a "typically effervescent style", and praised "Burns' "instantly memorable vocal" and SAW's "polished production".[2] By contrast, Ro Newton of Smash Hits considered "it's just the same old... Hi-NRG stomp" and "that's a lost thing" here, as there are "no surprises, no shocks and harldy worth the wait".[3] Retrospectively, in 2021, British magazine Classic Pop ranked "Brand New Lover" number 31 in their list of "Top 40 Stock/Aitken/Waterman songs", adding that it "shared rhythmic similarities to their No.1 smash "You Spin Me Round" but leaned heavily on the synth bass, with Pete Burns' goth-pop tones vocalising his need to flee his lover".[4]
Chart performanceedit
"Brand New Lover" proved to be more successful in the U.S. and in Japan than in the band's native UK, where it reached number 31.[5] In the US, "Brand New Lover" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (the band's second and last single to reach the top 20),[6] and spent two weeks at number one on the American dance chart in December 1986.[7]
^ abcd"A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 14: I'm The One Who Really Loves You to Brand New Lover on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^Smith, Jerry (13 September 1986). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 18. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
^Newton, Ro (27 August – 9 September 1986). "Singles reviewed by Ro newton" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 8, no. 18. p. 47. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 4 December 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs". Classic Pop. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
^"officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 166.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 72.
^Dead Or Alive - Brand New Lover, 1986, retrieved 2023-08-11
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 85. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
^"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 39. 4 October 1986. p. 12-13. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 38. 27 September 1986. p. 4. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
^Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Dead or Alive". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021(PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 59. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Brand New Lover". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
brand, lover, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, 2014, learn, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Brand New Lover news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Brand New Lover is a song recorded by English pop band Dead or Alive It was the lead single released from the band s third studio album Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know on Epic Records It achieved international success when released as a single in 1986 but while it was a major hit in a number of territories including the United States and Japan in the UK the single significantly underperformed failing to crack the top 20 1 Brand New Lover Single by Dead or Alivefrom the album Mad Bad and Dangerous to KnowB side In Too Deep live Released11 September 1986 1986 09 11 GenreSynth popLength5 19 Album Version 3 35 Single Version LabelEpicSongwriter s Pete Burns Tim Lever Mike Percy Steve CoyProducer s Stock Aitken WatermanDead or Alive singles chronology My Heart Goes Bang Get Me to the Doctor 1985 Brand New Lover 1986 Something in My House 1986 Music video Brand New Lover on YouTubeAudio sample source source filehelp Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 3 Chart performance 4 Track listing 5 Charts 6 References 7 External linksBackground editFollowing a fraught six month recording session with producers Stock Aitken Waterman which was marked by fights and disagreements between the band record company and producers over the sound of their new material singer Pete Burns claimed he struggled to get Epic to commit to a release schedule for the single 1 He said this changed when Bananarama had major success with their Dead or Alive inspired cover of Venus which Burns claimed encouraged the label to schedule Brand New Lover for release 1 Later Burns blamed the song s disappointing chart run in his home country on his then ongoing war with his UK label alleging that the company had failed to press and distribute enough copies of the single to make it a hit and claiming the band had lost out on 67 000 UK sales as a result 1 The song features western motifs with lyrics that describe the singer s desire to leave his current partner for one who is more exciting His motivation is that he admittedly does not desire a stable relationship with one partner but rather is a pleasure seeker Critical reception editJerry Smith of the Music Week magazine described Brand New Lover a high energy dance track with a typically effervescent style and praised Burns instantly memorable vocal and SAW s polished production 2 By contrast Ro Newton of Smash Hits considered it s just the same old Hi NRG stomp and that s a lost thing here as there are no surprises no shocks and harldy worth the wait 3 Retrospectively in 2021 British magazine Classic Pop ranked Brand New Lover number 31 in their list of Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs adding that it shared rhythmic similarities to their No 1 smash You Spin Me Round but leaned heavily on the synth bass with Pete Burns goth pop tones vocalising his need to flee his lover 4 Chart performance edit Brand New Lover proved to be more successful in the U S and in Japan than in the band s native UK where it reached number 31 5 In the US Brand New Lover peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the band s second and last single to reach the top 20 6 and spent two weeks at number one on the American dance chart in December 1986 7 Track listing editUK 7 1986No TitleLength1 Brand New Lover 3 352 In Too Deep Live at the Hammersmith Odeon July 1985 4 34 UK 12 single 1986No TitleLength1 Brand New Lover The Dust Monkey s Love Bubble Club Mix 9 002 Brand New Lover Instrumental 4 153 In Too Deep Live at the Hammersmith Odeon July 1985 4 34 UK 12 single Up Ducky Mix 1986No TitleLength1 Brand New Lover Up Ducky Mix 6 252 Cake And Eat It Live at the Hammersmith Odeon July 1985 5 333 In Too Deep Live at the Hammersmith Odeon July 1985 4 34 US 12 single 1986No TitleLength1 Brand New Lover The Dust Monkey s Love Bubble Club Mix 9 002 Brand New Lover Instrumental 4 153 Brand New Lover Up Ducky Mix 6 354 In Too Deep Live at the Hammersmith Odeon July 1985 4 34 Source 8 Charts editWeekly chart performance for Brand New Lover Chart 1986 1987 PeakpositionAustralia Kent Music Report 9 21Canadian RPM Top Singles 27Europe European Hot 100 10 84Europe European Airplay Top 50 11 32Finland Suomen virallinen lista 12 6Ireland IRMA 13 22Japanese Singles Chart 2Italian Singles Chart 44New Zealand 14 15South Africa 15 19UK Singles Chart 31US Billboard Hot 100 15US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1US Billboard 12 inch Singles Sales 1References edit a b c d A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman Ep 14 I m The One Who Really Loves You to Brand New Lover on Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts Retrieved 2021 10 18 Smith Jerry 13 September 1986 Singles PDF Music Week p 18 Retrieved 8 September 2023 via World Radio History Newton Ro 27 August 9 September 1986 Singles reviewed by Ro newton PDF Smash Hits Vol 8 no 18 p 47 ISSN 0260 3004 Retrieved 4 December 2023 via World Radio History Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs Classic Pop 18 August 2021 Retrieved 11 August 2023 officialcharts com officialcharts com Retrieved May 5 2021 Whitburn Joel 2004 The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits Eighth Edition Record Research p 166 Whitburn Joel 2004 Hot Dance Disco 1974 2003 Record Research p 72 Dead Or Alive Brand New Lover 1986 retrieved 2023 08 11 Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 St Ives N S W Australian Chart Book p 85 ISBN 0 646 11917 6 N B The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 3 no 39 4 October 1986 p 12 13 OCLC 29800226 Retrieved 27 September 2023 via World Radio History European Airplay Top 50 PDF Music amp Media Vol 3 no 38 27 September 1986 p 4 OCLC 29800226 Retrieved 27 September 2023 via World Radio History Pennanen Timo 2021 Dead or Alive Sisaltaa hitin 2 laitos Levyt ja esittajat Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1 1 1960 30 6 2021 PDF in Finnish Helsinki Kustannusosakeyhtio Otava p 59 Retrieved 12 August 2023 The Irish Charts Search Results Brand New Lover Irish Singles Chart Retrieved 27 September 2023 The Official New Zealand Music Chart South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 1989 Songs A B External links editBrand New Lover at Discogs list of releases nbsp This 1980s pop song related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brand New Lover amp oldid 1188302411, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
