Branigan 2 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1982 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 37:15 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Jack White | |||
Laura Branigan chronology | ||||
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Singles from Branigan 2 | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Branigan 2 is the second studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released in March 1983 by Atlantic Records. The album reached number 29 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 18, 1985, denoting shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. [2]
Three singles were released from the album. The lead single, "Solitaire", is a cover version of a 1981 French-language song of the same name by French singer Martine Clémenceau, with English lyrics written by Diane Warren. The single was a commercial success, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. [3] The second single, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", was co-written by Michael Bolton. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. [3] [4]
Branigan 2 also includes a cover of the Who's "Squeeze Box" (1975), as well as "Deep in the Dark", a newly written song to the music of Falco's "Der Kommissar" (1981). "Deep in the Dark" was released in the United Kingdom as the album's third and final single. [5]
The song "Find Me" was used as the love theme of the 1983 Robert Hays film Touched .
In their review of the album, Billboard commended the album, stating that "Branigan follows the top 40 album Branigan with this set of riveting, pulsating rhythm ballads in the vein of her smash hit "Gloria." The most intriguing cuts on the album is a remake of, of all things, the Who's 1975 hit "Squeeze Box." Branigan shows her vocal power on the new hit "Solitaire," and on two other songs that were first hits in Europe and later translated into English: "Deep In The Dark" (where Branigan mixes talking and singing) and "Mama." The album's title may be disengenious, but the music reflects continued growth by a promising new star." [6]
Cashbox noted that "1982 saw newcomer Laura Branigan capture the #1 spot on the Cash Box Pop Singles chart with a neo-disco tune called “Gloria,” and this year she’s back with another LP boasting a hot single, “Solitaire”. The sultry chanteuse also scores points here with an insightful version of The Who’s “Squeeze Box” and still another In the “Der Kommissar” series of covers, as Branigan takes Falco’s original hit and spices it up with sexy, paranoid lyrics about things moving “Deep In The Dark." [7]
Allmusic praised the album, noting that "Laura Branigan's full, expressive voice shows serious growth on this, her second album. A much more cohesive collection than her first disc, the material on Branigan 2 utilizes her vocals to their fullest extent; and while there were many filler songs on her debut, this album doesn't waste a single track...though this album isn't the most mature album of its time, it shows she's more comfortable with herself and her voice and shows enormous promise of what she's really capable." [8]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Solitaire" | Martine Clémenceau | 4:07 | |
2. | "Deep in the Dark" |
| 3:50 | |
3. | "Close Enough" | John Lang | Robbie Buchanan | 3:41 |
4. | "Lucky" | Steve Bi | Bi | 3:58 |
5. | "Squeeze Box" | Pete Townshend | Townshend | 3:00 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
6. | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" |
|
| 4:29 |
7. | "I'm Not the Only One" |
|
| 3:22 |
8. | "Mama" |
| 3:56 | |
9. | "Find Me" | Carol Connors | David Shire | 3:22 |
10. | "Don't Show Your Love" | Connors | Lee Holdridge | 3:30 |
Total length: | 37:15 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Branigan 2. [9]
Chart (1983) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [10] | 30 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [11] | 46 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [12] | 11 |
US Billboard 200 [13] | 29 |
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums [14] | 30 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [2] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. Branigan's "Gloria" was a cover of a song written by Italian singer-songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Umberto Tozzi. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany and No. 4 in the U.S. with "Self Control" a cover of Italian singer and songwriter Raf from the same year. Both "Gloria" and "Self Control" were successful in the United Kingdom, making the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
Self Control is the third studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on April 1, 1984, by Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, it charted within the top five in several continental European countries.
Branigan is the debut studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released in March 1982 by Atlantic Records. The album's lead single, "All Night with Me", reached number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the second single, an English version of Italian singer Umberto Tozzi's song "Gloria", was a commercial success, propelling Branigan to international prominence.
Hold Me is the fourth studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on July 15, 1985, by Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 71 on the US Billboard 200, though it fared better internationally, reaching the top 10 in Sweden and Switzerland, and the top 15 in Norway.
Touch is the fifth studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on July 7, 1987, by Atlantic Records. The album saw Branigan's return to dancefloors with the lead single, the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced "Shattered Glass", which was released in June 1987 and reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, a cover of Jennifer Rush's "Power of Love", was released in October 1987, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Spirit of Love" was released as a single in Europe, while "Cry Wolf" served as the album's third single in the United States.
Laura Branigan is the sixth studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on March 21, 1990, by Atlantic Records. The album's lead single, "Moonlight on Water", reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single, "Never in a Million Years", peaked at number 22 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. The third and final single, a cover version of Vicki Sue Robinson's 1976 song "Turn the Beat Around", failed to chart. The song "Unison" was recorded by Celine Dion the same year.
"Young Love" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson from her self-titled debut album (1982). It was written and produced by René Moore, Angela Winbush, with additional production by Bobby Watson. It was released as Jackson's debut single on July 7, 1982, by A&M Records. Prior to her rise to fame, the singer had no interest in pursuing a musical career. Despite this, she was motivated to pursue a career in entertainment, and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio. After acting in the variety show The Jacksons, she began starring in several TV series and commenced recording her debut album.
The Best of Branigan is a greatest hits compilation by singer Laura Branigan released in the United States in 1995, and re-released in 2007. The anthology also marked the end of Branigan's relationship with Atlantic Records. Of the thirteen tracks, eight had charted, including her major hit singles "Gloria", "Solitaire", "Self Control", "Power of Love", and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You".
"Gloria" is a 1979 love song written and composed in Italian by Umberto Tozzi and Giancarlo Bigazzi, and first translated to English by Jonathan King. A 1982 cover version by American singer Laura Branigan, with different English lyrics, peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song co-written in 1982 by Doug James and Michael Bolton. The track was originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983, charting at number one in both the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. Bolton later recorded his own version of the song that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit.
"The Power of Love" is a pop song co-written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Jennifer Rush in 1984. It was released in December 1984 by CBS Records as the fifth single from her debut album, Jennifer Rush (1984), and has since been covered by Air Supply, Laura Branigan, and Celine Dion.
"I Found Someone" is the name of a chart single originally written and composed for Laura Branigan by Michael Bolton and Touch keyboardist Mark Mangold. The song was a bigger hit for Cher in 1987, reaching the top 10.
"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.
"Squeeze Box" is a song by the Who from their album The Who by Numbers. Written by Pete Townshend, the lyrics are couched in sexual double entendres. Unlike many of the band's other hits, the song features country-like elements, as heard in Townshend's banjo picking.
"Dim All the Lights" is a song by American recording artist Donna Summer released as the third single from her 1979 album Bad Girls. It debuted at number 70 on August 25, 1979, and peaked that year at number two on November 10 and November 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Produced by her longtime collaborator Giorgio Moroder with Pete Bellotte, the track combines Summer's trademark disco beats with a more soulful pop sound. It was the third Hot 100 top-two single from the album and her sixth consecutive Hot 100 top-five single.
"Der Kommissar" is a song recorded by Austrian artist Falco in 1981. The song was written by Robert Ponger and Falco. It reached the top of the charts in many European countries. The cover version as an English translation by the group After the Fire in 1982 had greater success in other countries.
"Solitaire" is a 1981 song sung and written by Martine Clémenceau. The English version was later released in March 1983 as the lead single of American singer Laura Branigan's second studio album, Branigan 2 (1983). It was lyricized in English by Diane Warren and produced by Jack White and Robbie Buchanan.
"Shattered Glass" is a song written by Bob Mitchell and Steve Coe which was originally recorded in 1980 by Scottish singer Ellie Warren. The song was recorded in 1987 by American singer Laura Branigan with the Stock Aitken Waterman production team to serve as the lead single from Branigan's fifth studio album, Touch (1987).
"Hold Me" is a song by the American pop singer Laura Branigan, which was released in 1985 as the second single from her fourth studio album Hold Me. It was written by Bill Bodine and Beth Andersen, and produced by Jack White and Harold Faltermeyer.
"All Night with Me" is a song by the American pop singer Laura Branigan, released in 1982 as the lead single from her debut studio album Branigan. It was written by Chris Montan and produced by Jack White. "All Night with Me" was released in the United States and Germany, and reached No. 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
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