Contact (Platinum Blonde album)

Last updated
Contact
Contact PB.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1987
Label CBS Canada - 80105
Producer Mark Holmes, David Bendeth, Bernard Edwards, John Dexter
Platinum Blonde chronology
Alien Shores
(1985)
Contact
(1987)
Yeah Yeah Yeah
(1990)
Singles from Contact
  1. "Contact"
    Released: 1987
  2. "Connect Me"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Fire"
    Released: 1988
  4. "If You Go This Time"
    Released: 1988

Contact is the third studio album by the Canadian band Platinum Blonde, released in 1987. [1] [2] It sold more than 150,000 copies in its first year of release. [3] [4] The album reached a high of 25 for 3 weeks on the Canadian charts. [5] The first single was the title track; its video was shot at Lamport Stadium. [6] Another music video was filmed for the second track, "Connect Me". [7]

Contents

The supporting tour was a disappointment, with the band forced to cancel dates due to low ticket sales; the band claimed that the cancellations were due to substance abuse issues. [8] [9]

Production

CBS Canada pushed the band to adopt a style that would appeal to U.S. album-oriented rock radio stations; the company admitted its mistake when Canadian sales declined. [10] Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner sang on the cover version of "Fire". [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

The Gazette wrote that "lead singer Mark Holmes has little or no vocal personality, but at least this time he keeps the whining to a minimum." [13] The Vancouver Sun determined that Platinum Blonde "do a pretty fair Duran Duran imitation, only their lyrics are a little dumber, their melodies aren't as catchy and ... they don't exactly measure up in the looks department, either." [14] The Ottawa Citizen called the album "reminiscent, although not imitative, of the metalized funk of Power Station." [15]

The Kingston Whig-Standard deemed the band "talented craftsman who do deserve respect if not superstardom." [1] The Toronto Star labeled Contact "an album rooted in the hot, street-tough funk of New York City, not in the fluff of snow-covered hockey arenas, suburban high school dances or video dreams." [16]

Track list

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Contact" Mark Holmes, Kenny MacLean, David Bendeth Holmes, Bendeth3:56
2."Connect Me"Sergio Galli, MacLeanHolmes, Bendeth3:46
3."Diamonds"HolmesHolmes, Bendeth3:11
4."If You Go This Time"Holmes, MacLean, Chris WardmanHolmes, John Dexter3:59
5."System"Holmes, Galli, MacLean Bernard Edwards 3:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fire" Ohio Players Holmes, Bendeth3:51
2."Tough Enough"HolmesEdwards3:30
3."Automatic Drive"HolmesHolmes, Bendeth3:46
4."Chaperone Sally"Holmes, Galli, MacLeanHolmes3:33
5."I Might Have You"Holmes, MacLeanHolmes, Bendeth3:17
6."Beauty of the Beast"Holmes, MacLean, BendethHolmes, Bendeth3:46

Credits

Platinum Blonde:

with:

Engineers:

References

  1. 1 2 Burliuk, Greg (28 Oct 1987). "Platinum Blonde Loses Hair Color But Gains Respect". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Entertainment. p. 1.
  2. "Platinum Blonde Biography by Keith Pettipas". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  3. "Platinum Blonde cancels Maritime section of tour". Ottawa Citizen. 19 Jan 1988. p. D19.
  4. "Platinum Blonde". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  5. "RPM Top 100 Albums - November 21, 1987" (PDF).
  6. Gross, Jonathan (September 12, 1987). "Fast Forward". Toronto Star. p. S28.
  7. PlatinumBlondeVEVO (July 28, 2021). "Platinum Blonde - Connect Me (Official Remastered HD Video)". YouTube.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  8. MacInnis, Craig (21 Jan 1988). "Platinum Blonde's eastern tour killed". Toronto Star. p. B1.
  9. O'Connor, Tim (9 Mar 1988). "Platinum Blonde cleaning up its act". Ottawa Citizen. p. E7.
  10. Quill, Greg (14 Feb 1988). "The bubble has popped for teen-oriented music". Toronto Star. p. D1.
  11. MacInnis, Craig (October 9, 1987). "Contact Platinum Blonde". Toronto Star. p. E4.
  12. AllMusic review
  13. Lepage, Mark (15 Oct 1987). "Platinum Blonde: Contact". The Gazette. p. E7.
  14. Mackie, John (17 Oct 1987). "Platinum Blonde: Contact". Vancouver Sun. p. C10.
  15. Erskine, Evelyn (23 Oct 1987). "Rock". Ottawa Citizen. p. D5.
  16. Quill, Greg (7 June 1988). "Platinum Blonde a musical powerhouse". Toronto Star. p. F1.