I Say I Say I Say
| I Say I Say I Say | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Erasure | ||||
| Released | 16 May 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop, dance | |||
| Length | 44:08 | |||
| Label |
Mute Records (UK) Elektra Records (US) | |||
| Producer | Martyn Ware | |||
| Erasure chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Say I Say I Say | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
I Say I Say I Say is the sixth studio album from synthpop 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 fourth studio album release to consecutively hit No.1 in the UK, and fifth overall,[2] generating three Top 20 singles. In the U.S., I Say I Say I Say debuted and peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200, easily beating their previous highest chart placing. In Germany, the album climbed to #6.
Although Erasure always maintained popularity in the U.S. dance club community, with the rise of grunge rock Erasure saw their exposure on college radio, mainstream stations and MTV 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.
The album saw keyboardist/programmer Vince Clarke continue with his by-then trademark exclusive usage of pre-MIDI analog synthesizers and sequencers, with the additional self-imposed constraint that no drum machines were to be used either. Instead, Clarke used synthesizers to create the album's drum and percussion sounds.
Track listing
All tracks written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take Me Back" | 4:55 |
| 2. | "I Love Saturday" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "Man in the Moon" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "So the Story Goes" | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Run to the Sun" | 4:25 |
| 6. | "Always" | 3:57 |
| 7. | "All Through the Years" | 4:59 |
| 8. | "Blues Away" | 5:01 |
| 9. | "Miracle" | 4:12 |
| 10. | "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[3] | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart[4][5] | 32 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[6] | 85 |
| German Albums Chart[7] | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[8] | 3 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[9] | 17 |
| UK Albums Chart[10] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Chart[11] | 18 |
Personnel
- Andy Bell – vocals
- Vince Clarke – synthesizers, 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
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23453/erasure/
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - I Say I Say I Say". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - I Say I Say I Say". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. 1994-05-16. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - I Say I Say I Say". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - I Say I Say I Say". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23453/erasure/
- ↑ Erasure. "Erasure - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
| Preceded by Our Town - The Greatest Hits by Deacon Blue |
UK number one album 28 May 1994 – 3 June 1994 |
Succeeded by Seal by Seal |