Be Yourself Tonight Explained
Be Yourself Tonight |
Type: | studio |
Artist: | Eurythmics |
Cover: | Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight.png |
Alt: | A photograph of Annie now wearing a jacket, seen with white hair. The name of the duo is seen in red scrolling vertically. |
Released: | 29 April 1985 |
Recorded: | November 1984 – January 1985 in Paris, Detroit and Los Angeles |
Genre: |
|
Length: | 43:15 |
Label: | RCA |
Producer: | David A. Stewart |
Prev Title: | 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) |
Prev Year: | 1984 |
Next Title: | Revenge |
Next Year: | 1986 |
Be Yourself Tonight is the fourth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 April 1985 by RCA Records.[1]
Background
Largely recorded in Paris, with additional recording in Detroit and Los Angeles, this album saw Eurythmics move away from their previous more experimental, synthesizer-based songs, to a more commercial pop/rock sound. Combining elements of Motown and rock music, the album incorporates a more traditional band line-up/instrumentation. Nonetheless, the recordings still possessed an atmospheric and cutting edge sound, winning David A. Stewart awards for his production work on the album. The release of the album coincided with a new look for singer Annie Lennox, who ditched the androgynous look of the previous albums and became, in biographer Lucy O'Brien's words, "a bleach-blonde rock 'n' roller". Be Yourself Tonight includes guest appearances by notable artists such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Elvis Costello.
Chart performance
Be Yourself Tonight reached the top 3 in the UK and top 10 in the US, as well as spawning several hit singles. The album includes the duo's first (and only) UK number-one "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)". The first single released was "Would I Lie to You?". It would hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on the Cash Box Top 100 and also hit #1 in Australia.
No tour followed the album's release, due to Lennox's recuperation from vocal fold nodules (which also caused her to miss 1985's Live Aid concert).
On 14 November 2005, Sony BMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalogue as "2005 Deluxe Edition Reissues". Each of their eight studio albums' original track listings were supplemented with bonus tracks and remixes.
Track listing
Notes
- Track 9 is incorrectly labelled "Better to Have Lost in Love (Then Never to Have Loved at All)" on the 2005 remastered reissue.
- Track 13 of the 2005 remastered reissue is listed as the "ET Mix", but it is actually the "Extended Mix" from the "Would I Lie to You?" 12-inch single.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Be Yourself Tonight.[2]
Eurythmics
- Annie Lennox – vocals ; keyboards ; keyboard sequencers
- David A. Stewart – guitars ; sequencers ; keyboards ; bass sequencer, drum computer program ; electric guitar, slide guitar ; six-stringed octave guitar
Additional musicians
- Nathan East – bass
- Olle Romo – drums ; wood stomping
- Benmont Tench – organ
- Dave Plews – trumpet
- Martin Dobson – saxophones
- Dean Garcia – bass ; wood stomping
- Michael Kamen – strings ; celeste ; brass arrangement idea ; keyboard solo, string parts
- Stevie Wonder – harmonica
- Angel Cross – backing vocals
- The Charles Williams Singers – backing vocals ; gospel choir
- Adam Williams – drum computer program
- Sadie (and other uncredited performers) – gravel stomping
- Aretha Franklin – "super" vocals
- Stan Lynch – drums
- Mike Campbell – lead guitar
- Elvis Costello – harmony vocal
Technical
- David A. Stewart – production, mixing
- Adam Williams – mixing ; engineering
- Don Smith – special help ; engineering ; mixing ; additional engineering
- Jay Willis – engineering assistance
- Shelly Yakus – drum recording
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
Artwork
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
Bibliography
- Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . illustrated . St Ives, N.S.W. . Australian Chart Book . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.
Further reading
Notes and References
- Robin Smith . News . . 4 May 1985 . 8 . 0144-5804.
- Eurythmics . Eurythmics . Be Yourself Tonight . liner notes . . 1985 . PD 70711.
- Web site: Chartifacts . . 1 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150114063104/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/chartifacts.htm . 14 January 2015.
- European Top 100 Albums . . 2 . 24 . 17 June 1985 . 16 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
- Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
- Web site: Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste . InfoDisc . fr . 19 April 2020. Select "EURYTHMICS" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
- Web site: Classifiche . . it . 29 May 2022. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Be yourself tonight" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
- Book: Okamoto, Satoshi . Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 . ja . Roppongi, Tokyo . . 2006 . 4-87131-077-9.
- RPM's Top 100 Albums of 1985 . RPM . 43 . 16 . 25 December 1985 . 14 . 0033-7064 . Library and Archives Canada.
- Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1985 . nl . . 2 April 2014.
- Bakker . Machgiel . Inglis . Cathy . Pan-European Awards 1985 . Eurotipsheet . 2 . 51/52 . 23 December 1985 . 7 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
- Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985 . de . GfK Entertainment . 19 April 2020.
- Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1985 . . 19 April 2020.
- Web site: Topp 40 Album Høst 1985 . no . . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170909053030/http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-40-album/2/dato/1985/periode/h%C3%B8st . 9 September 2017.
- Web site: Topp 40 Album Sommer 1985 . no . VG-lista . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170309140040/http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-40-album/2/dato/1985/periode/sommer . 9 March 2017.
- Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985) . . 18 January 1986 . 11 . 0265-1548 . World Radio History.
- Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1985 . Billboard . 19 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180730184336/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/top-billboard-200-albums . 30 July 2018.
- Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986 . nl . Dutch Charts . 2 April 2014.
- European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986 . . 3 . 51/52 . 27 December 1986 . 35 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
- Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986) . Music Week . 24 January 1987 . 25 . 0265-1548 . World Radio History.