Blue Views

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Blue Views
Paul Carrack - Blue Views 1996.jpg
Studio album by
Paul Carrack
Released1995
Studio Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre
Length48:20
Label I.R.S. Records (UK)
Ark 21 (US)
Producer Peter Van Hooke
Paul Carrack chronology
Groove Approved
(1989)		Blue Views
(1995)		 Beautiful World
(1997)

Blue Views is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, then a member of the supergroup Mike + The Mechanics. It was Carrack's first solo album in seven years; in the interim period between solo albums, he had recorded one album as a member of Squeeze, one album as a member of Spin 1ne 2wo, and two albums as a member of Mike + The Mechanics. Blue Views was originally released in 1995 on I.R.S. Records in the UK and most other territories. In the US, it appeared on the Ark 21 label.

Contents

The album was produced by Carrack's erstwhile Mike + The Mechanics bandmate Peter Van Hooke, who had left the group the previous year. Blue Views spun off two UK top 40 hits: "Eyes of Blue" and a re-recording of "How Long", which Carrack had originally written and sung 22 years earlier as a member of the band Ace.

In the US, "Eyes of Blue" was a minor hit on the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts, while the track "For Once in Our Lives" was a major AC hit, peaking at #3.

The song "Love Will Keep Us Alive", a Carrack co-wrote, had been previously recorded by The Eagles for their 1994 album Hell Freezes Over .

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls Blue Views "solid adult contemporary pop", and while criticizing some of the "spotty" material, writes that "Carrack's vocals are terrific and the sound is appealingly polished." [1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eyes of Blue"Paul Carrack3:59
2."For Once in Our Lives"Carrack, Chris Difford 5:53
3."No Easy Way Out"Carrack, Rafe Van Hoy5:14
4."Oh Oh Oh My My My"Carrack4:12
5."Only a Breath Away"Carrack, Brenda Russell, Mark Cawley4:21
6."Nothing More Than a Memory"Carrack4:59
7."Somewhere in Your Heart"Carrack, Van Hoy3:41
8."Love Will Keep Us Alive"Carrack, Jim Capaldi, Peter Vale4:35
9."Always Have Always Will"Carrack, Russell, Cawley4:41
10."Don't Walk Over Me"Carrack, Difford4:40
11."How Long"Carrack3:51
12."Over My Shoulder" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition)Carrack, Mike Rutherford 3:14
13."People Get Ready" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition) Curtis Mayfield 2:35

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [2]

Production

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [3] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [4] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. 1 2 AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Blue Views liner notes. I.R.S. Records. 1995.
  3. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 940. ISBN   84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "British album certifications – Paul Carrack – Blue Views". British Phonographic Industry.
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