A Pocketful of Dreams

A Pocketful of Dreams
Studio album by Big Fun
Released	30 April 1990
Recorded	1989–1990
Genre	Dance-pop
Label	Jive
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman (tracks 1–3, 6, 10), Phil Harding & Ian Curnow (tracks 4, 7, 11), Pete Hammond (tracks: 5, 8, 9)

A Pocketful of Dreams is the only album by English boy band Big Fun. It was released in 1990 by Jive Records and reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart, ^[1] peaking at No. 7. The album includes the UK top 40 hit singles "Blame It on the Boogie" (a cover of the Jacksons' 1978 hit), "Can't Shake the Feeling" and "Handful of Promises". Also included is their cover of "Hey There Lonely Girl", which was released as a single but stalled at No. 62 in the UK.

In 2010, the album was re-released by the Cherry Pop label, including previously unreleased and rare songs, among them their duet with Sonia, "You've Got a Friend", which was released as a charity single in 1990, and a cover of the unrelated Carole King song of the same name, which both artists also recorded but had never been released.

Critical reception

A review published in Music Week magazine gave a negative review, stating that "it's a sad indictment of the UK public that such mediocre performances can sell in such quantity", and considered the band's inability to reach the high notes on "Hey There Lonely Girl" as a proof of a "severe lack of talent". ^[2]

Track listing

1. "Handful of Promises"
2. "Blame It on the Boogie" (12")
3. "Can't Shake the Feeling"
4. "Fight for the Right to Party"
5. "Not That Kinda Guy"
6. "We're in This Love Forever"
7. "Why Did You Break My Heart"
8. "Bring Your Love Back"
9. "The Heaven I Need"
10. "Hey There Lonely Girl"
11. "I Feel the Earth Move" (CD and cassette bonus track)

2010 re-release (Cherry Pop Records)

1. "Handful of Promises"
2. "Blame It on the Boogie"
3. "Can't Shake the Feeling"
4. "Fight for the Right to Party"
5. "Not That Kinda Guy"
6. "We're in This Love Forever"
7. "Why Did You Break My Heart"
8. "Bring Your Love Back"
9. "The Heaven I Need"
10. "Hey There Lonely Girl"
11. "You've Got a Friend" (with Sonia)
12. "I Feel the Earth Move" (Club Mix) *
13. "Blame It on the Boogie" (PWL Mix)
14. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (12" Remix) *
15. "Handful of Promises" (12" Version)
16. "I Feel the Earth Move" (The Techno Mix) +
17. "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King cover) (with Sonia) +

+ Previously unreleased

* First time on CD

Charts

Weekly charts

1990 weekly chart performance for A Pocketful of Dreams

Chart (1990)	Peak Position
European Albums (European Albums Chart) [3]	26
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [4]	36
German Albums (Media Control Charts) [5]	39
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [6]	12
UK Albums (OCC) [7]	7

Certifications

Certifications for A Pocketful of Dreams

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [8]	Platinum	100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [9]	Gold	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 57. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
2. "LP Reviews" (PDF). Music Week . 12 May 1990. p. 26. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
3. "Hits of the World – Eurochart". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 26 May 1990.
4. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
5. "Album: Big Fun, A Pocketful Of Dreams". officialcharts.de.^{[ dead link ]}
6. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
7. "Big Fun | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
8. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN   8480486392.
9. "British album certifications – Big Fun – A Pocket Full of Dreams". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 25 July 2012.