Bouncing off the Satellites | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 8, 1986 [1] | |||
Recorded | July 1985 | |||
Studio | Sigma Sound (New York City, New York) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 45:55 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Tony Mansfield | |||
The B-52's chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Bouncing off the Satellites | ||||
|
Bouncing off the Satellites is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released on September 8, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded in July 1985 and was produced by Tony Mansfield. Founding member and guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS after most of the work on the album was completed, but a year prior to its release. The B-52's had gone on hiatus by the time Bouncing Off the Satellites was released, and it took three years for the band to recover from Wilson's death and release their next studio album, Cosmic Thing .
Bouncing off the Satellites was recorded in July 1985. [2]
According to Kate Pierson, "Wig" was written and recorded after the band's label, Warner Bros., asked them to write a hit song for the album. [3] The band had the title in mind for years and devised the song via a jam session. [3]
A backwards message was deliberately inserted into the song "Detour Thru Your Mind": in the last 30 seconds of the track, Fred Schneider says, "I buried my parakeet in the backyard. Oh no, you're playing the record backwards. Watch out, you might ruin your needle." [4] [5] [6]
During the recording, guitarist Ricky Wilson was suffering from AIDS. [7] Keith Strickland was the only bandmate who was informed of Wilson's illness. [8] Strickland later stated that Wilson "was very protective, particularly of Cindy and his family", due to the public's misconceptions about AIDS. [9]
On October 12, 1985, Wilson finally succumbed to the illness, at the age of 32. [7] [10] Pierson has stated that Wilson worked on the album in its entirety prior to his death, and that it was completed. [3] Strickland later recalled, "After Ricky Wilson died, we felt that the band was finished. We couldn't imagine continuing without him. So, we each went our separate ways." [8] The band took a hiatus from their musical careers until they reformed in 1988 for the recording of their next studio album, Cosmic Thing . [11]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
PopMatters | 6/10 [13] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
Select | 3/5 [15] |
Sounds | [16] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [17] |
The Village Voice | B+ [18] |
The album was finally released on September 8, 1986. [1] Devastated at Wilson's death, the band did not tour and were involved in minimal promotion for the album. [12] [3] However, they did produce a music video for "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland", which Schneider has stated was both "bittersweet" and the best video they ever made. [19] Two other singles were released from the album: "Summer of Love", which peaked at N° 3 at Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play, and the UK only "Wig", which peaked at N° 90.
Pierson later stated, "Warner Bros. figured since we weren't touring after Ricky died that they would just not promote the record. We all went through so many changes—especially without touring, and the record just dropped like a stone—and we all dealt with our grief." [8] Pierson also theorized that the label did not promote the album because the band stated they had no intention of hiring a new guitar player to replace Wilson, thus the label assumed the band would not continue on without him. [3] However, on August 5, 1987, the band appeared on the British ITV show Hold Tight!, miming to the song "Wig", with Strickland now on guitar and Ralph Carney credited on-screen for drums. [20] Carney had previously played saxophone on the B-52's' Mesopotamia (1982) and Whammy! (1983) releases, [21] and had subsequently toured with the band. [22]
Despite the relative lack of promotion, "Summer of Love" was released as the lead single and initially received a considerable amount of airplay from some radio stations, managing to peak at No. 3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. [23] Pierson later recalled that Warner Bros. employee Steve Baker had tried to get the label to promote the album in light of the single's success, to no avail. [3] Subsequently, the album only reached No. 85 on the Billboard 200 chart. [23]
Robert Christgau of The Village Voice felt Wilson's and Pierson's contributions to the album were "watercolors posing as Kenny Scharfs—not only don't 'Summer of Love' and 'She Brakes for Rainbows' redeem anybody's '60s retro, they don't even take off on it", adding that "Fred's abrasive camp saves the day". [18] Trouser Press opined, "The first side is entirely delightful, filled with such classic B-52 silliness as 'Wig,' 'Detour Thru Your Mind' and 'Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland,' but the flip is overly smooth, limp and uninspired." [24]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated, "Considering their loss, it's not surprising that the B-52's don't sound entirely focused throughout the record", adding that "There are so many musicians on the record that it winds up sounding too carefully considered -- the polar opposite of the loose, inspired fun of their early work." [12] Similarly, in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), J.D. Considine felt the album "flops miserably" and sounded "hollow and contrived", due to the addition of session players. [14] Rich Wilhelm of PopMatters called the album "wistful" and "subdued", concluding that it was "the most subtle of the B-52s' albums, with the loss of Ricky Wilson adding to the album's poignancy." [13] The Spectator felt the album was darker and more melancholy than the band's previous work. [25]
In spite of the lack of promotion and the hiatus the band was involved in, Bouncing Off the Satellittes gained cult status over the years and the band have incorporated its songs both on concerts and on best-of compilations. Six out of its ten songs were included on 2002's Nude on the Moon (only surpassed by Cosmic Thing) and "Summer of Love" was remixed and re-released as "Summer of Love '98" to promote 1998's Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation .
Sinéad O'Connor recorded a cover of "Ain't It A Shame" for her 2003 double-album She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty .
All tracks are written by the B-52's, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocal | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Summer of Love" |
| 4:02 | |
2. | "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland" |
| C. Wilson | 4:22 |
3. | "Housework" |
| Pierson | 4:04 |
4. | "Detour Thru Your Mind" |
| 5:06 | |
5. | "Wig" |
| 4:22 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocal | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Theme for a Nude Beach" |
| 4:50 | |
2. | "Ain't It a Shame" |
| C. Wilson | 5:30 |
3. | "Juicy Jungle" |
| Schneider | 4:50 |
4. | "Communicate" |
| 4:08 | |
5. | "She Brakes for Rainbows" |
| C. Wilson | 4:41 |
Total length: | 45:55 |
The B-52's
Additional musicians
Technical
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard 200 | 85 [23] |
The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (guitar), and Keith Strickland. Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.
The B-52's is the debut album by American New wave band the B-52's. The kitschy lyrics and mood, and the hook-laden harmonies helped establish a fanbase for the band, who went on to release several chart-topping singles. The album cover was designed by Tony Wright.
Catherine Elizabeth Pierson is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52's. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main keyboard player and performed on a keyboard bass during live shows and on many of the band's recordings, taking on a role usually filled by a bass guitar player, which differentiated the band from their contemporaries. This, along with Pierson's distinctive wide-ranging singing voice, remains a trademark of the B-52's' unique sound. Pierson has also collaborated with many other artists including the Ramones, Iggy Pop and R.E.M. Pierson possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.
Frederick William Schneider III is an American singer and frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his sprechgesang, which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.
Wild Planet is the second studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1980 by Warner Bros. Records.
Good Stuff is the sixth studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1992 by Reprise Records. It was conceived after the band's manager urged them to quickly issue a follow-up to their highly successful album Cosmic Thing (1989) and was created without founding member Cindy Wilson, who was on a temporary hiatus. The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and its title track peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Good Stuff was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards.
Cosmic Thing is the fifth studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1989 by Reprise Records. It contains the singles "Love Shack", "Roam" and "Deadbeat Club", which reached the Top 10, 20 and 30 of the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, respectively. The music video for "Love Shack" won the award for Best Group Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. Six of the album's songs were produced by Nile Rodgers in New York City, and the remaining four by Don Was in upstate New York.
Whammy! is the third studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released on April 27, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, in December 1982 and produced by Steven Stanley. The album spawned three singles: "Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss", and "Song for a Future Generation".
Cynthia Leigh Wilson is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays percussion during live shows. She is the younger sister of the late guitarist Ricky Wilson (1953–1985), who was also a founding member of the band.
Ricky Helton Wilson was an American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52s. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52s were founded in 1976, when Ricky, Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. Wilson's unusual guitar tunings were a large contribution to the band's quirky sound.
"Rock Lobster" is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records.
Party Mix! is a remix album by American new wave band the B-52's, originally released in 1981 by Warner Bros. Records.
Mesopotamia is an EP by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne of Talking Heads and was originally planned to be the band's third studio album. Due to conflicts with Byrne and record label pressure, recording sessions were aborted prematurely and only six of ten songs to be completed were released. The record was distributed as a 12-inch EP by Warner Bros. in the U.S. and by Island Records on vinyl and cassette in the UK and other non-U.S. markets.
"Roam" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). The vocals are sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, making it the only vocal track on the album without any vocal involvement from Fred Schneider. It is also the only track from the album in which the B-52's worked with a co-writer, Robert Waldrop, who penned the lyrics. Released as a single in 1989, "Roam" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.
"Wig" is a song by American new wave band The B-52's, the third and final single from their 1986 album Bouncing Off the Satellites.
Funplex is the seventh studio album by the B-52s, recorded during 2006 and 2007. The album was released on March 25, 2008 by Astralwerks Records. It was the first album of new material the group had released since Good Stuff in 1992, although the band did record two new songs for their 1998 compilation album Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation.
"Legal Tender" is the first single released by American new wave band the B-52's from their third studio album Whammy! (1983).
"Dance This Mess Around" is a song by American new wave band The B-52's. It was released in 1979, as the third and final single from their self-titled debut album. The song features Cindy Wilson on lead vocals, as well as Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson, and has become a live favorite, even 40 years after its release. It was heard once in Alex Strangelove.
"Love Shack" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band, following their decline in popularity in the mid-1980s and the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985.
Live! 8-24-1979 is the second official live album by American new wave band The B-52s. The concert was recorded on August 24, 1979 at The Berklee Center in Boston, Massachusetts, before the release of their second album.
While the band was recording Bouncing off the Satellites (1986), tragedy struck. Ricky Wilson died from HIV/AIDs-related illness.