...But Seriously | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 November 1989 | |||
Recorded | April–October 1989 | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 59:42 (CD) 54:25 (LP) | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer |
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Phil Collins chronology | ||||
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Singles from ...But Seriously | ||||
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Alternate cover | ||||
...But Seriously is the fourth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 20 November 1989 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records [5] and by Atlantic Records in the United States. After Collins finished touring commitments with the rock band Genesis in 1987,the group entered a four-year hiatus,during which Collins starred in the feature film Buster (1988). By the spring of 1989,Collins had written material for a new solo album,which addressed more serious lyrical themes,like socio-economic and political issues,as opposed to his previous dance-oriented album, No Jacket Required (1985).
...But Seriously was a huge commercial success worldwide,reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks,respectively. It was the best-selling album of 1990 in the UK,eventually selling 2.75 million copies there and 4 million in the US. The lead single,"Another Day in Paradise",won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Collins supported the album with the Seriously,Live! World Tour in 1990. In 2016,the album was remastered with additional studio,live,and demo tracks,and updated artwork. [6] [7]
In July 1987,Collins finished touring commitments with the band Genesis and resumed his solo career. He had scored a series of hit singles with his previous solo album No Jacket Required (1985) and with Genesis on Invisible Touch (1986),and recognised this period as "severe danger of overkill" due to the high amount of radio airplay the songs had received. [8] To combat this,Collins took a year out solely from music and accepted a lead role in Buster (1988),a romantic comedy film based on the Great Train Robbery. Collins recorded "Two Hearts" and "A Groovy Kind of Love" for the soundtrack,which led to his belief that people thought his songs had become "Very,very light. That wasn't where I was coming from." [8] When he started work on his next solo album,Collins deliberately shifted styles by addressing more serious issues in his lyrics and songs with greater depth than the dance-oriented approach for No Jacket Required. [8] Some bits of music originated as far back as 1978. [9]
...But Seriously was recorded between April and October 1989 at The Farm in Chiddingfold,Surrey and A&M Studios in Los Angeles,California. It was produced by Collins and Hugh Padgham,who had worked on his previous solo albums and with Genesis throughout the decade. The album saw Collins use a live drum kit in contrast with No Jacket Required which had greater use of a drum machine. He also prominently used keyboards and electric piano and fewer synthesisers. Collins made a conscious decision not to rely on vocal effects on the album as his previous recordings,including with Genesis,involved the use of a harmoniser and echo and he looked back on this as a way of hiding the perceived drawbacks he had about his singing. In the end,a small amount of reverb and delay for a slap echo effect were used. [10]
Collins experienced difficulty in naming the album. The initial title was Serious Business,before Collins decided against the potential connotations of business or corporations that it may have on the public. [10] As the title suggests,the album is a change of pace from the lighter tone of Collins's previous work. Collins expanded his focus to the exploration of socio-economic and political themes. There is emotional turmoil underneath the polished studio production and many of the songs are unambiguous and unveiled in their melancholy. While incorporating political themes,...But Seriously does not abandon the theme of relationships. But unlike some of his earlier work,Collins takes a more mature and reflective approach when looking at the relationships in his life.[ original research? ]
As with his previous albums Collins wrote the sleeve notes by hand because "that's all part of the personal statement";the exception being No Jacket Required. [11] He wrote the text on the "Another Day in Paradise" single on the inbound from the album's European press trip in November 1989. [11]
Atlantic Records initially placed a sticker on the CD version that read "Two bonus tracks" which Collins disagreed with and clarified that they were "extra" songs. The sticker was changed accordingly. [11] The album was a departure from the dance pop of the No Jacket Required album. Unlike No Jacket Required,this album was a pop-rock album,but also included various styles and influences,like R&B,dance-pop,jazz,soul and gospel.
"Hang in Long Enough" is the opening track on the album. It is a dance-pop song,with influenced soul and rock,and talks about ambition. [9]
"That's Just the Way It Is" is an anti-war ballad about The Troubles in Northern Ireland and features David Crosby on backing vocals. Collins had wanted Crosby to perform on his first solo album Face Value (1981),but he was unavailable at the time. The two met at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988,and Crosby was keen to participate on the album. When recording moved to Los Angeles,Collins prepared several mixes of the songs that he wanted Crosby to sing on and recalled that Crosby "did exactly what I expected him to do [...] He just picked a few notes out of the air that I would never have thought of". [10] The B-side to the single was "Broadway Chorus",the demo version of "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven".
"Do You Remember?" has lyrics from the perspective of a man whose relationship is failing due to his lover's neglect. It features Stephen Bishop on backing vocals.
"Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" was written by Collins and his longtime touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer. It was the last song written for the album and was originally for the Four Tops,but it was not delivered to the group as Collins wanted to keep it for himself by the time it was finished. [10] While the song was being arranged in the studio in England,Stuermer had devised some chords for the chorus which resulted in Nathan East playing bass on the new parts as Sklar had left for the US. [10]
"Colours" is a politically themed song condemning apartheid in South Africa and displays a progressive rock influence. It was originally titled "Oh Mr. Botha,What Can We Do?",a reference to the English music hall song "Oh! Mr Porter". [10]
"I Wish It Would Rain Down" is a gospel-influenced track that Collins said is the closest he had come to writing a blues song. [12] It features Eric Clapton on lead guitar.
"Another Day in Paradise" addresses the issue of homelessness. [13] Its working title was "Homeless". [10] Among the inspirational sources for the song was Collins's stay in Washington,D.C.,while on tour and encountered homeless people by Capitol Hill trying to keep warm and the contradiction of the White House being so close by. [10]
"Heat on the Street" is a political song about the abuse and violence in the street. The song has a pop-rock oriented sound. [9]
Collins wrote[ citation needed ] in his autobiography I'm Not Dead that "All of My Life" is about his relationship with his late father and his regrets to not have more connection with him during his life. The song was a R&B jazz ballad influenced. Steve Winwood is featured playing the Hammond organ on the song.
The album also features a sole instrumental track,"Saturday Night and Sunday Morning",which recalls the jazz-influenced instrumentals featured on his first two albums, Face Value and Hello,I Must Be Going .
"Father to Son" is a ballad about Collins's relationship with his eldest son,Simon.
The closing track,"Find a Way to My Heart",is a simple rock-sounding love song,though with a heavy horn section and a synthesized intro and coda. It was later used in the 1990 action film Fire Birds .
Collins recorded three other songs that were released as B-sides to the album's singles:
The album spawned six singles released between October 1989 and November 1990.
In Canada,"Another Day in Paradise","I Wish It Would Rain Down","Do You Remember?",and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" reached No. 1.
In the UK,...But Seriously spent 15 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1,including the whole competitive Christmas season,and at the end of 1989 became the third best-selling album of the year in the country after only six weeks on sale. It became the best-selling album of 1990 in the UK. ...But Seriously also peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 for four weeks [14] and became the second best-selling album of 1990 in the US,according to Billboard. It was the last number one album of the 1980s and the first of the 1990s in the UK and in the US.
In Germany,it is the second best-selling album in the chart history of certified albums,and the best-selling album within the foreign repertoire.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [15] |
Classic Pop | 6/10 [16] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [17] |
PopMatters | 5/10 [18] |
Mojo | [19] |
MusicHound | 3.5/5 [20] |
NME | 6/10 [21] |
Record Mirror | 2.5/5 [22] |
Rolling Stone | [23] |
Smash Hits | 6½/10 [24] |
In his review for AllMusic, Geoff Orens praised the decision to use more live instrumentation than No Jacket Required, saying "there's no doubt that tracks such as 'Find a Way to My Heart' and 'Hang in Long Enough' have enough bite to outlast his more dated sounding mid-80s material." He criticised the album for "too many generic ballads", but added that "when Collins moves out of his formula", citing "the dramatic gospel-influenced 'I Wish it Would Rain Down', [...] the results are staggering." [15] In 2014, Corey Deiterman wrote for Houston Press , "One need only look at his album ...But Seriously to see some of the blueprint for being serious without being boring. That album wasn't perfect, by any means, and nowhere near as good as his preceding three records, but it allowed Collins to delve into serious subject matter and more serious musical territory while also retaining the sense of slick, fun pop he had traded in throughout the '80s." [25]
Mark Beaumont, writing for NME in 2016, included it on his list of eight of the all-time best-selling albums in the UK have no redeeming features whatsoever, dubbing the album the "beginning of Collins' solo rot" and particularly criticizing "Another Day in Paradise". [26]
At the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards "Another Day in Paradise" won the award for Record of the Year. ...But Seriously received further nominations for Album of the Year, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) and Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical. "Another Day in Paradise" was further nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, while the instrumental piece "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
...But Seriously received two American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
At the Brit Awards in 1990 "Another Day in Paradise" received the award for British Single, while Collins was named British Male Artist, [27] for which he was nominated again a year later. [28]
In support of the album, Collins' embarked on a worldwide tour, called Seriously Live!. In total, there were 113 shows over three continents and it led to the release of a live album and video Serious Hits... Live! .
All tracks are written by Phil Collins, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hang in Long Enough" | 4:44 | |
2. | "That's Just the Way It Is" | 5:20 | |
3. | "Do You Remember?" | 4:36 | |
4. | "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" |
| 4:52 |
5. | "Colours" | 8:51 | |
6. | "I Wish It Would Rain Down" | 5:28 | |
7. | "Another Day in Paradise" | 5:22 | |
8. | "Heat on the Street" | 3:51 | |
9. | "All of My Life" | 5:36 | |
10. | "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" |
| 1:26 |
11. | "Father to Son" | 3:28 | |
12. | "Find a Way to My Heart" | 6:08 |
The vinyl release features a rearranged track listing and is missing two tracks from the CD/cassette version, "Heat on the Street" and the instrumental "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning".
This listing applies only to original 1989 releases of the album. Vinyl releases of 2016 remaster feature all tracks and the same track listing as for CD and cassette releases, split between two discs, three tracks per side.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hang in Long Enough" | 4:44 |
2. | "That's Just the Way It Is" | 5:20 |
3. | "Find a Way to My Heart" | 6:08 |
4. | "Colours" | 8:51 |
5. | "Father to Son" | 3:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Another Day in Paradise" | 5:22 | |
2. | "All of My Life" | 5:36 | |
3. | "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" |
| 4:52 |
4. | "Do You Remember?" | 4:36 | |
5. | "I Wish It Would Rain Down" | 5:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hang in Long Enough" (live 1997) | 4:52 | |
2. | "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (live 2004) |
| 5:26 |
3. | "Colours" (live 1990) | 11:20 | |
4. | "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" (live 1990) |
| 1:54 |
5. | "Always" (live 1990) | Irving Berlin | 4:30 |
6. | "Find a Way to My Heart" (live 1997) | 5:40 | |
7. | "That's How I Feel" (B-side) | 5:05 | |
8. | "You've Been in Love (That Little Bit Too Long)" (B-side) | 4:49 | |
9. | "Another Day in Paradise" (demo) | 5:21 | |
10. | "That's Just the Way It Is" (demo) | 4:54 | |
11. | "I Wish It Would Rain Down" (demo) | 5:30 | |
12. | "Hang in Long Enough" (demo) | 4:34 | |
13. | "Do You Remember?" (demo) | 4:43 |
Adapted from liner notes. [29]
Musicians
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF) [67] | 3× Platinum | 180,000^ |
Australia (ARIA) [68] | 5× Platinum | 350,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [69] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [70] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [71] | Gold | 100,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [72] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [73] | 2× Platinum | 160,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [74] | Platinum | 74,715 [74] |
France (SNEP) [75] | Diamond | 2,000,000 [76] |
Germany (BVMI) [77] | 6× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [78] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Italy (FIMI) [73] | 3× Platinum | 750,000 [79] |
Japan (RIAJ) [80] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [81] | 2× Platinum | 400,000 [82] |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [83] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [73] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Portugal (AFP) [84] | 2× Platinum | 80,000^ |
South Africa | — | 300,000 [85] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [86] | 7× Platinum | 750,000 [87] |
Sweden (GLF) [88] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [89] | 5× Platinum | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [90] | 9× Platinum | 2,750,000 [91] |
United States (RIAA) [92] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Philip David Charles Collins is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis and had a successful solo career, achieving three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. In total, his work with Genesis, other artists, and solo resulted in more US top-40 singles than any other artist throughout the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds ", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down".
No Jacket Required is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally.
Hello, I Must Be Going! is the second solo studio album by the English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 5 November 1982 on Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and on Atlantic Records in North America, and named after the Marx Brothers' song of the same name. After Genesis took a break in activity in late 1981, Collins started work on a follow-up to his debut solo studio album Face Value (1981).
We Can't Dance is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded with drummer and singer Phil Collins before his departure in 1996 to pursue solo projects full time. The album marked the return of band activity following an almost four-year hiatus after touring their previous album, Invisible Touch (1986).
Face Value is the debut solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 13 February 1981, by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America. After his first wife filed for divorce in 1979, Collins began to write songs during a break in activity from Genesis with much of the material concerning his personal life. The album was recorded from mid-1980 to early 1981 with Collins and Hugh Padgham as producers. Additional musicians include the Phenix Horns, Alphonso Johnson, and Eric Clapton.
Invisible Touch is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 6 June 1986 by Atlantic Records in the United States and on 9 June 1986 by Charisma/Virgin Records in the United Kingdom. After taking a break in 1984 for each member to continue his solo career, the band reconvened in October 1985 to write and record Invisible Touch with engineer and producer Hugh Padgham. As with their previous album, it was written entirely through group improvisations and no material developed prior to recording was used.
"You Can't Hurry Love" is a 1966 song originally recorded by the Supremes on the Motown label. It was released on July 25, 1966 as the second single from their studio album The Supremes A' Go-Go (1966).
Both Sides is the fifth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Featuring an adult-oriented soft rock-based sound, released on 8 November 1993 by Virgin in the UK and Atlantic in the US. Collins created the album entirely by himself, without any collaborations from outside songwriters and performers. The record received generally positive critical reviews, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stating that the album's "artistically satisfying" songs feature "troubled, haunting tales".
"Another Day in Paradise" is a song written and recorded by English drummer and singer Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album ...But Seriously (1989). As with his song for Genesis, "Man on the Corner", the track has as its subject the problem of homelessness and paradise; as such, the song was a substantial departure from the dance-pop music of his previous album, No Jacket Required (1985).
Something's Going On is the third solo album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), one of the founding members of the Swedish pop group ABBA, and her first album recorded entirely in English. Her previous two albums had been recorded in Swedish. Recorded in early 1982 during the final months of ABBA, the album was released on 10 September of that same year.
Dance into the Light is the sixth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 21 October 1996 in the United Kingdom by Face Value Records. It features guest backing vocals from some of Collins' touring accompanists, including Arnold McCuller and Amy Keys. It was the first album that Collins released as a full-time solo artist, having left Genesis earlier that year.
Testify is the seventh solo studio album by English musician Phil Collins, released on 11 November 2002. The album debuted at No. 30 on the US Billboard 200, which was also the album's peak position. It was also the second Phil Collins studio album where no track peaked within the American top 40 singles chart. It was also his lowest charting album in the UK, becoming his only solo effort not to reach the Top 5. However, the album achieved success in some countries of Continental Europe. It is his second album not to be co-produced by Hugh Padgham, who co-produced Collins' most successful albums.
Hits is the first greatest hits album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 5 October 1998 in the United Kingdom, and one day later in the United States. The collection included fourteen top 40 hits, including seven American number one songs, spanning from the albums Face Value (1981) through Dance into the Light (1996). One new Collins recording, a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors", also appeared on the collection and was a popular song on adult contemporary stations. Hits was also the first Phil Collins album to include four songs originally recorded for motion pictures as well as his popular duet with Philip Bailey, "Easy Lover".
English musician Phil Collins has released 8 studio albums, 1 live album, 5 compilation albums, 2 remix albums, 3 soundtrack albums, 2 box sets, 50 singles, 18 video albums, and 41 music videos. A Grammy and Academy Award-winning solo artist, Collins has sold more than 34.5 million albums in the United States, and 150 million records worldwide.
Serious Hits… Live! is the name of Phil Collins' 1990 live album, released on vinyl, cassette and CD. It is also the title of the 2003 DVD video release of his concert at Berlin's Waldbühne on 15 July 1990. The songs on the CD version are taken from various concerts during the Seriously, Live! World Tour. At the Brit Awards in 1992, the album brought Collins a nomination for British Male Artist.
Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1999 Disney animated feature film Tarzan. The songs on the soundtrack were composed by Phil Collins and the instrumental score was composed by Mark Mancina. The song "You'll Be in My Heart" won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, while the soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album. For his contribution to the soundtrack, Collins received an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.
Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1988 British film Buster. The album was released on September 19, 1988. It is essentially a collection of oldies, tucked in between two Phil Collins songs that were recorded for the film, in which he starred. "Two Hearts" was specially written for the film, having earned a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1989, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and "A Groovy Kind of Love" with a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male was a remake of a song taken to #2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 by The Mindbenders. Both were released as singles, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "A Groovy Kind of Love" also reaching #1 in the UK. Other new songs include Collins' "Big Noise" and Four Tops' "Loco in Acapulco", co-written by Collins. At the Brit Awards in 1989 it won for Soundtrack/Cast Recording, while Collins received the award British Male Artist for his contribution to the soundtrack album.
Chinese Wall is the third solo album by American singer Philip Bailey, released on the Columbia Records label in October 1984. The album reached number 22 on the Billboard 200 and number 10 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively. The album was Grammy nominated in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. Chinese Wall has also been certified gold in the US by the RIAA.
Going Back is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter and drummer Phil Collins, released on 13 September 2010 by Atlantic Records. His first solo album in eight years, it features covers of 1960s Motown and soul standards.
The Singles is a compilation album by English drummer Phil Collins. It was released on 14 October 2016 through Atlantic Records and Warner Music. The album is Collins' fourth compilation album—after ...Hits (1998), The Platinum Collection (2004) and Love Songs: A Compilation... Old and New (2004)—and came at the end of his Take a Look at Me Now series, which saw him remaster and reissue his entire back catalogue dating back to 1981's Face Value. The compilation is made up of most of the hit singles from Collins' solo career, as well as lesser-known singles. The album was released in two versions, a standard 2-CD edition and a deluxe 3-CD edition. A vinyl edition was also released, first available as a 4-LP set with the same track list as in standard 2-CD edition, but it was, in 2018, replaced with a 2-LP set, which have only 19 selected tracks from previous version.
Il giro italiano di Phil Collins si intitola "The Serious Tour" con riferimento all'ultimo album "But Seriously", che in tutto il mondo ha gia venduto 12 milioni di copie in iItalia si parla di 750 mila album.