A Woman & a Man

Last updated
A Woman & a Man
BelindaCarlisleAWomanandaMan.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 11, 1996 (1996-09-11)
Recorded1996
Studio
Genre Pop
Length43:14
Label
Producer
Belinda Carlisle chronology
Real
(1993)
A Woman & a Man
(1996)
A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits
(1999)
Singles from A Woman & a Man
  1. "In Too Deep"
    Released: July 1, 1996
  2. "Always Breaking My Heart"
    Released: September 9, 1996
  3. "Love in the Key of C"
    Released: November 18, 1996
  4. "California"
    Released: February 17, 1997

A Woman & a Man is the sixth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in the United Kingdom on September 23, 1996, by Chrysalis Records (then part of the EMI Group, like Carlisle's former label Virgin Records). The album contains songs written by Rick Nowels, Maria Vidal, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey, Neil Finn and Roxette co-founder Per Gessle who also produced one of the tracks.

Contents

It was released in the United States in 1997 (see 1997 in music) on the Ark 21 Records label. There was special DTS (surround sound) version released with a slightly different track listing compared to the original; it was only ten tracks long and did not include "Listen to Love", "Love Doesn't Live Here" and "Always Breaking My Heart" but instead had covers of the songs "Jealous Guy" by John Lennon and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" by Shel Silverstein.

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly C− [2]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Music Week Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

The album received mixed reviews. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four stars out of five saying it is a "mature collection of adult pop, with cool keyboards and subtle arrangements that often make the record sound like background music". However, he also noted that "Carlisle has rarely been in better voice". [1] Entertainment Weekly's Steven Mirkin gave the album C− saying that "Carlisle has neither the voice nor personality to overcome her album's cold, emotionally sterile core." [2]

Music & Media called it a "brilliant album", noting that "added to her west coast pop sound are a melancholic savoir faire and contemporary electronic beats. The best example is the unforgettable "California", which is a mid-tempo declaration of hate to Los Angeles ("I want to walk away from the sharks and the Chardonnay") with spine-chilling harmonies and beautiful melodies. The album's title track is a little faster, an excellent single candidate, which has a highly addictive driving rhythm, whirling strings, a wah wah disco guitar and poppy vocals. Go Go fans will be happy with the '60s bubblegum sound of "Always Breaking My Heart"." [5]

Commercial reception

The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 12. It outsold Carlisle's previous album, Real , and was certified Gold by BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. The album revived Carlisle's career in the singles chart – producing three top twenty hits (two of them top ten). It was released in the US but failed to chart on the Billboard 200 album chart with a total sales of 17,000 copies. [6]

The album charted on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart on November 11, 1996, at No. 31 with only one single released to radio at the time. It only spent ten weeks in the top one hundred making the album her last charting album on the charts. It was Carlisle's last album to chart in Austria, peaking at No. 36 and stayed in the charts for two weeks. It was Carlisle's lowest charting album in Sweden, peaking at No. 44 and only spending one week in the charts. In Italy, the album peaked at No. 35.

The singles had some success in various countries. "In Too Deep" was the first song released from the album and became a top ten hit in the UK and a top twenty in Australia. "Always Breaking My Heart", written and produced by Per Gessle of Roxette, was the second song released from the album; it also reached the top ten in the UK. "Love in the Key of C", the third song released, became Carlisle's tenth top twenty UK hit. The fourth single, "California", was Carlisle's final UK Top 40 hit.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In Too Deep" Rick Nowels 4:05
2."California"Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg, María Vidal2:59
3."A Woman and a Man"Robbie Seidman, María Vidal5:12
4."Remember September"Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley 4:32
5."Listen to Love"Christopher García, John Ingoldby, Ralph McCarthy4:09
6."Always Breaking My Heart" Per Gessle 3:12
7."Love Doesn't Live Here"Per Gessle4:09
8."He Goes On" Neil Finn 3:13
9."Kneel at Your Feet" Charlotte Caffey, Tom Caffey, Belinda Carlisle4:18
10."Love in the Key of C"Rick Nowels3:50
11."My Heart Goes Out to You" Anders Bagge, Rick Nowels, Allen Rich3:35
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" Shel Silverstein 3:50
13."Love Walks In"Charlotte Caffey, Tom Caffey3:19

American DTS (Surround Sound) version

(The regular American version had the same track listing as the UK version)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In Too Deep"Rick Nowels4:08
2."California"Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg, María Vidal2:56
3."A Woman and a Man"Robbie Seidman, María Vidal5:10
4."Jealous Guy" John Lennon 4:07
5."Remember September"Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley4:21
6."He Goes On"Neil Finn3:12
7."Kneel at Your Feet"Charlotte Caffey, Tom Caffey, Belinda Carlisle4:25
8."Love in the Key of C"Rick Nowels3:59
9."My Heart Goes Out to You"Anders Bagge, Rick Nowels, Allen Rich3:24
10."The Ballad of Lucy Jordan"Shel Silverstein3:50

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart performance for A Woman & a Man
Chart (1996)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [7] 31
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [8] 36
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [9] 36
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [10] 34
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [11] 44
UK Albums (OCC) [12] 12
Scottish Albums (OCC) [13] 13

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for A Woman & a Man
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] Gold100,000^
United States17,000 [6]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog
JapanSeptember 11, 1996 EMI CD TOCP-50002
United KingdomSeptember 23, 1996 Chrysalis Records 724385354526
AustraliaOctober 16, 1996853545-2

Related Research Articles

<i>Tourism</i> (Roxette album) 1992 studio album by Roxette

Tourism: Songs from Studios, Stages, Hotelrooms & Other Strange Places is the fourth studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 28 August 1992 by EMI. Despite often being mistaken for a live album, the record was described by Roxette in its liner notes as a "tour album": the band recorded the majority of its material in numerous recording studios in between live dates of their worldwide Join the Joyride! Tour. The album contains three live concert recordings, while another track was recorded live in an empty nightclub in São Paulo. A further two songs were recorded in Buenos Aires' Alvear Palace Hotel.

<i>Room Service</i> (Roxette album) 2001 studio album by Roxette

Room Service is the seventh studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released worldwide from 2 April 2001. A planned release in the United States failed to materialise, as the duo's label there, Edel Records America, had been disbanded the previous month due to financial difficulties. Marie Fredriksson was not as involved in the album's production as she had been on previous records, taking part in the composition of just two songs. The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2009.

<i>Dont Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!</i> 1995 greatest hits album by Roxette

Don't Bore Us - Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 30 October 1995 by EMI. The record contains the duo's four number ones from the US Billboard Hot 100 chart: "The Look", "Listen to Your Heart", "It Must Have Been Love" and "Joyride", and a further two which reached number two on the chart: "Dangerous" and "Fading Like a Flower ". It also includes four newly recorded tracks, three of which were released as singles: "You Don't Understand Me", "June Afternoon" and "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The album's title is based on a quote from Motown-founder Berry Gordy.

<i>The Ballad Hits</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Roxette

The Ballad Hits is the second greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 4 November 2002 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol Records. It was the first of a two-part series of "best of" albums released by the duo in quick succession, and was followed by The Pop Hits in March 2003. Two new songs were recorded specially for The Ballad Hits: lead single "A Thing About You" and "Breathe". The album was a commercial success upon release, and has been certified gold or platinum in a number of territories.

<i>The Pop Hits</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Roxette

The Pop Hits is the third greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 24 March 2003 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol Records. It was the second in a two-part series of "best of" albums released by the duo in quick succession, and was preceded by The Ballad Hits in November 2002. The album was not as commercially successful as its predecessor, although it did peak within the top twenty of various Scandinavian record charts. It was also certified gold in Brazil.

<i>Dance Passion</i> 1987 remix album by Roxette

Dance Passion is a remix album by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 27 March 1987 by EMI. It consists of remixed versions of tracks from their debut album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The album was only released on vinyl in select European territories, namely Sweden, Germany and Italy. It failed to chart in the latter countries, and sold just 27,000 copies in Sweden, peaking at number 19 and spending four weeks on the Swedish Albums Chart. It has never been reissued or pressed onto cassette or CD.

<i>The World According to Gessle</i> 1997 studio album by Per Gessle

The World According to Gessle is the third solo album by Swedish pop singer Per Gessle, released on 2 May 1997. It was his first solo album in English. The title is a paraphrase of "The World According to Garp" - the novel by John Irving. The album topped the Swedish Album Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping in My Car</span> 1994 single by Roxette

"Sleeping in My Car" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 7 March 1994 by EMI as the lead single from the duo's fifth studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). The song was composed by Per Gessle in under an hour, and was the final song the band recorded for the album. It is a pop rock song containing elements drawn from pop punk. Marie Fredriksson's vocal range on the track spans over three octaves. The band performed the song at the inaugural 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Look</span> 1989 song by Roxette

"The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. It topped the charts in 25 countries, and was the first of their four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big L.</span> 1991 song by Roxette

"The Big L." is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. Written by Per Gessle, it was released on 26 August 1991 by EMI as the third single from their third studio album, Joyride (1991). The song became a top ten hit in Belgium, Ireland and Sweden, and was the highest-charting single released from Joyride in France. It also reached the top twenty in a number of other countries, including Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Despite a US radio mix of the song appearing on CD versions of the single, it was never released as a single in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spending My Time</span> 1991 song by Roxette

"Spending My Time" is a song by Swedish duo Roxette, released as the fourth single from their third studio album, Joyride (1991). It was written by Per Gessle and Mats Persson, and produced by Clarence Öfwerman. The single attained moderate success, reaching the top 10 in Germany and Italy, and the top 20 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, while peaking at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Its music video was directed by Wayne Isham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opportunity Nox</span> 2003 single by Roxette

"Opportunity Nox" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 25 February 2003 as the lead single from the duo's third greatest hits compilation album, The Pop Hits (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Doesn't Live Here Anymore</span> 1996 single by Roxette

"She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a song by Roxette, released as the third and final single from their greatest hits compilation Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits (1995). The song had originally been written and recorded for the duo's 1994 studio album Crash! Boom! Bang! but, according to Marie Fredriksson, that version "sounded really tired", and has yet to be released. It was later re-recorded in July 1995 with members of Per Gessle's former band Gyllene Tider. It is the only song in Roxette's discography to not be produced by Clarence Öfwerman. "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was only released in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, also in Hungary, in the Czech Republic peaking at number 86 on the German Singles Chart. The single included two remixed versions of "The Look" as b-sides. Its music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye to You (Roxette song)</span> 1986 single by Roxette

"Goodbye to You" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 3 December 1986 by EMI as the second single from their debut studio album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The song was written by Per Gessle, and was backed by album track "So Far Away". It was only released commercially on 7" vinyl exclusively in Sweden, although a limited test pressing 12" vinyl was also created, containing an exclusive remix of the song. The single peaked at number nine on the Swedish Singles Chart. No music video was created for the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk and Toast and Honey</span> 2001 single by Roxette

"Milk and Toast and Honey" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 September 2001 as the third and final single from their seventh studio album, Room Service (2001). It was the only single from the album to be released in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 89. The song performed better elsewhere, becoming the album's highest-charting single in Portugal, and Roxette's longest-charting single in several years in both Sweden and Switzerland.

<i>Heaven on Earth</i> (Belinda Carlisle album) 1987 studio album by Belinda Carlisle

Heaven on Earth is the second solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released on October 5, 1987, by MCA Records. Three singles reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, including the number-one single and Carlisle's signature song "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". The album has been certified triple Platinum in the United Kingdom and Platinum in many countries, including the United States.

<i>Runaway Horses</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Belinda Carlisle

Runaway Horses is the third solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on October 3, 1989, by MCA Records. The album features songs written by Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey and a song co-written by Carlisle herself. The album contains an array of guest artists, including George Harrison and Bryan Adams.

<i>Live Your Life Be Free</i> 1991 studio album by Belinda Carlisle

Live Your Life Be Free is the fourth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in 1991 by MCA Records in the United States and Virgin Records in the UK. This was the first of Carlisle's albums not to chart on the Billboard charts The album was also the last of hers to produce a U.S. Billboard Hot 100 single. The album fared better in the UK, where it peaked at number seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always Breaking My Heart</span> 1996 single by Belinda Carlisle

"Always Breaking My Heart" is the second single from American singer Belinda Carlisle's sixth studio album, A Woman and a Man (1996). The song was written by Per Gessle from Swedish band Roxette, and a demo of the song recorded by Gessle was later released as a B-side of his single "Do You Wanna Be My Baby?", as well as the 2009 reissue of Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). Released on September 9, 1996, "Always Breaking My Heart" peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and number 50 in Australia. It remains Carlisle's final UK top-10 hit.

<i>Roxette XXX – The 30 Biggest Hits</i> 2014 greatest hits album by Roxette

Roxette XXX – The 30 Biggest Hits is the sixth greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 3 November 2014 by Roxette Recordings in conjunction with Parlophone and Warner Music Group.

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. A Woman & a Man at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Mirkin, Steven (August 1, 1997). "Music Review - A Woman & a Man (1997)". EW.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009.
  3. Sullivan, Caroline (September 20, 1996). "Music: This Week's Pop CD Releases". The Guardian .
  4. "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week . September 14, 1995. p. 26. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  5. "New Releases" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 37. September 14, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Keith Caulfield "Ask Billboard". Billboard . Retrieved September 23, 2007.
  7. "Australiancharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – A Woman & a Man". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  8. "Austriancharts.at – Belinda Carlisle – A Woman & a Man" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  9. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 41. October 12, 1996. p. 17. OCLC   29800226 via World Radio History.
  10. オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  11. "Swedishcharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – A Woman & a Man". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  12. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  14. "British album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – A Woman and a Man". British Phonographic Industry. May 1, 1997. Retrieved May 18, 2021.