Album (Joan Jett album)

Last updated

Album
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Album.png
Studio album by
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
ReleasedJuly 1983
Recorded1983
StudioKingdom Sound
(Syosset, New York)
Genre
Length34:59 (LP)
39:01 (cassette)
Label
Producer
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts chronology
I Love Rock 'n Roll
(1981)		Album
(1983)		 Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth
(1984)
Singles from Album
  1. "Fake Friends"
    Released: July 1983
  2. "The French Song"
    Released: July 1983 (Canada only)
  3. "Everyday People"
    Released: 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Metal Forces 4/10 [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Village Voice B+ [4]

Album is the third studio album by Joan Jett and the second to feature her backing band the Blackhearts. It was released in July 1983.

Contents

Background and recording

Unlike Joan Jett's two previous albums, only two tracks are cover songs, "Everyday People" and a re-recording of the Runaways "I Love Playing With Fire", though this had not been the original plan. During the recording of the album, Jett commented, "I know what's going to happen. When we included lots of covers, people would call us on it. If we don't they'd say, 'Where's the covers?'" [5]

Release

The cassette tape version had 2 different issues, one issued in a regular black plastic case (MCA MCAC-5437) and one issued in a red plastic case (MCA MCAC-5445). The initial version contained The Rolling Stones song "Star Star" on it as a hidden track at the end of side one. The second version deleted the song and was designated as "Album Version Only". The album was re-released in 1992 with six more bonus tracks.

The first single released from the album was the lead track "Fake Friends". The U.S. 7-inch vinyl featured "Nitetime" on the reverse side, with a locked groove at the end of the song. This meant that jukeboxes playing the track would have to be manually rejected. The CD bonus track "Locked Groove" is an actual recording of the end of the single. A second issue with "Handyman" as the B-side was sent to distributors. A video was shot for "Fake Friends" where Joan and the Blackhearts are continually mobbed by 'fans' and hangers-on who quickly turn into cardboard cut-outs and fall over. It received heavy airplay on MTV, though the song was a relative disappointment on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 35. Kenny Laguna later told Creem magazine that he had objected to "Fake Friends" being the first single, as it wasn't a natural fit for rock radio, but was rebuffed by the label.

The second single, "Everyday People" (backed with "Why Can't We Be Happy") fared no better, peaking at number 37. The release was accompanied by a slapstick video in which Jett is plagued by calamity, including a smoking hair-dryer, a defective alarm clock, and a collapsing bed. Promotional 7-inch and 12-inch records of the song were sent to radio stations featuring the longer "Dance Mix."; and the commercial 12-inch record featured the notorious "Star Star" on the B-side.

A third video was filmed for "The French Song", but MTV gave it scant airtime and a single was only released in Canada, where it was backed with "Coney Island Whitefish".

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fake Friends" Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna 3:23
2."Handyman"Jett, Laguna3:23
3."Everyday People" (Sly and the Family Stone cover) Sylvester Stewart 2:40
4."A Hundred Feet Away"Jett, Laguna, Peter Anders2:33
5."Secret Love"Jett, Laguna4:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."The French Song"Jett, Laguna, Ricky Byrd, Mike Winter Jr.3:35
7."Tossin' and Turnin'" (Bobby Lewis cover)Ritchie Adams, Malou Rene2:25
8."Why Can't We Be Happy"Jett, Laguna3:53
9."I Love Playing with Fire" (the Runaways Re-Recording)Jett3:03
10."Coney Island Whitefish"Jett, Laguna3:35
11."Had Enough"Jett, Laguna, Byrd2:26
1st cassette version bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Star Star" Jagger/Richards 4:00
1992 CD edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Nitetime"Jett, Laguna4:52
14."Everyday People" (Dance Mix)Sylvester Stewart4:19
15."Wait for Me" (The Runaways cover)Jett4:33
16."Who Can You Trust"Jett, Laguna, Stephen Lunt2:51
17."Scratch My Back"Jett, Laguna, Lunt4:13
18."Locked Groove" 3:47

Personnel

The Blackhearts

Additional musicians

Production

Design

Charts

Chart performance for Album
Chart (1983)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] 85
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [7] 48
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [8] 19
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [9] 29
US Billboard 200 [10] 20
US Rock Albums ( Billboard ) [11] 15

Certifications

Certifications for Album
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Joan Jett / Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Album review". AllMusic . Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ling, David (August 1983). "Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Album". Metal Forces (1): 23. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ Considine, J. D. (September 1, 1983). "Album Reviews: Joan Jett - Album". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ Christgau, Robert (July 26, 1983). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  5. ↑ Gross, Jonathan (June 1983). "Joan Jett: The Road Goes On Forever". Record. 2 (8): 1, 10–11, 30.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6289a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Joan Jett – Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Joan Jett – Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Joan Jett the Blackhearts Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Rock Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 31. July 30, 1983. p. 22. ISSN   0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
  12. ↑ "American album certifications – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Album". Recording Industry Association of America. August 23, 1983. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
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