| Dress for Excess | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1988 | |||
| Recorded | 1987–1988 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:57 | |||
| Label | Parlophone (Europe) EMI America (USA) | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Sigue Sigue Sputnik chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Dress for Excess | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Record Mirror | [3] |
| Smash Hits | 3/10 [4] |
Dress for Excess is the second album by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released in December 1988 in Brazil and in April 1989 in the UK and US. [5] [6]
The album was released in Brazil before anywhere else, to make way for the band's Brazilian tour. [7] The first single released from the album was "Success" and was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. It became the most successful single from the album, peaking at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. [8] The music video for the single featured a number of famous people saying the word "Success". [9] "Dancerama" peaked at number 50 on the Singles Chart. [8] The video was filmed in Paris and was based on the sci-fi film La Jetée . [10]
The song, "Albinoni vs Star Wars" is a version of "Adagio in G Minor" (attributed to Tomaso Albinoni), which Tony James originally retitled "Tarzan vs. IBM". However, both brand names were copyrighted, so he changed the name to "Albinoni vs. Star Wars". [11] The single peaked at number 75 in the UK. [8] The final single, "Rio Rocks" was produced by Brazilian Liminha and was based on "La Bamba". [12]
Reviewing the album for Record Mirror , David Giles wrote: "The Sputnik language is littered with buzz words – 'star wars', 'satellite', 'dance', 'sex', 'Rio', 'future'. These are intended to act as signifiers for the images that they wish to convey. 'Star Wars' is supposed to make you think of the space age, and the fact that the band are so terribly modern. 'Rio' conjures up the image of Latin America riots, thus lending the lyrics a 'current affairs' angle... but the Big One, SSS's raison d'être, is SEX. SEX SEX SEX, they should have called themselves. That's what it all boils down to, the idea that all women want their bodies". [3]
Reviewing for Smash Hits , Carol Irving described the album as "such a mish mash of echoey spook noises that, far from being the future of rock 'n' roll, if you took all the blips and bleeps away, you'd be left with some terrible, old fashioned rock 'n' roll." [4]
Billboard review: "Cover legend, "This Time It's Music," on SSS' second album is almost laughable; while silly hype that surrounded band's 1986 debut has dissipated (no commercial space for sale this time), music remains in short supply as well. Standard dance-pop stuff won't move anybody; even the S/A/W-produced single, "Success," is sub-Kylie Minogue material." [1]
All tracks are written by Martin Degville, Tony James and Neal Whitmore, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Albinoni vs Star Wars Parts 1 & 2" | Degville, James, Whitmore, Stephen Hague | Hague (part 1), Whitmore (part 2) | 4:37 |
| 2. | "Boom Boom Satellite" | Whitmore | 4:23 | |
| 3. | "Hey Jayne Mansfield Superstar!" | Liminha | 4:29 | |
| 4. | "Super Crook Blues" | Whitmore | 4:00 | |
| 5. | "Rio Rocks!" | Liminha | 5:18 | |
| 6. | "Success" | Stock Aitken Waterman | 3:50 | |
| 7. | "Dancerama" | Whitmore | 4:45 | |
| 8. | "Orgasm" | Whitmore | 3:27 | |
| 9. | "M*A*D (Mutal Assured Destruction)" | Whitmore | 5:32 | |
| 10. | "Is This the Future!" | Whitmore | 2:36 | |
| Total length: | 42:57 | |||
Track 5, "Rio Rocks!", contains a sample of Tony Montana (Al Pacino) saying "Go ahead, Romeo" from the 1983 movie Scarface . The band Boom Boom Satellites named themselves after the second song on the album.
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [13] | 35 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [14] | 53 |
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band formed in 1982 by former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band have had three UK top-40 hit singles, including "Love Missile F1-11" and "21st Century Boy".
Salisbury is the second studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in January 1971 by Vertigo Records. It was produced by Gerry Bron.
Anthony Eric James is an English pop musician and record producer, who was the bassist for the 1970s–1980s bands Generation X, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and the Sisters of Mercy.
W.A.S.P. is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released August 17, 1984. The album has been known under three different names; the spine of the original European vinyl release had Winged Assassins printed on it, while early cassette releases of the album had the name of the album's first track, "I Wanna Be Somebody", printed in bold letters on the cover. The album is officially entitled simply W.A.S.P., which it is typically referred to as.
Martin Degville is the lead vocalist and co-songwriter of the UK pop band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, which had a worldwide hit single in 1986 with "Love Missile F1-11" and six other EMI single releases. Sigue Sigue Sputnik was formed with ex-Generation X bassist Tony James.
Inside the Electric Circus is the third studio album by heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in October 1986 through Capitol Records; a remastered edition featuring two bonus tracks was reissued in 1997 through Snapper Music. The album is the band's first to feature singer and bandleader Blackie Lawless playing guitar, having switched from bass to rhythm guitar. It reached No. 60 on the US Billboard 200 chart, where it remained for 19 weeks.
"Rio" is the seventh single by English new wave band Duran Duran. It was first released as a single in Australia, in August 1982, followed by a UK release on 1 November 1982.
Flaunt It is the debut studio album by British new wave band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released on 28 July 1986 by Parlophone. The album featured remixes of their hit singles "Love Missile F1-11" and "21st Century Boy" and peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart.
Jesus não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas is the fourth studio album by Brazilian rock band Titãs, released on November 23, 1987. Like its predecessor Cabeça Dinossauro, it was produced by Liminha and featured electronic music experimentations and funk rock influences, besides tackling social issues in its lyrics. Its recording took place at Nas Nuvens studio in Rio de Janeiro and lasted for little more than two months.
In Your Face is the second album by the hard rock band Kingdom Come. Two singles were released in support of the album, both becoming minor hits in the UK: "Do You Like It" and "Overrated". The band was due to tour the UK, supporting W.A.S.P., shortly after release of the second single, but split up before the tour commenced. A third single "Stargazer" was pressed, but never officially released.
"Love Missile F1-11" is the debut single by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released in 1986 from their debut album Flaunt It. It was the band's biggest hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. The track was produced by Giorgio Moroder, after Prince rejected a request to oversee production, complaining the track was "too violent." The band approached Moroder due to his work on a number of Hollywood film scores, as well as his early Donna Summer records, with the latter inspiring the band's trademark repetitive, synthetic bass sound.
"Like a Yo-Yo" is a song by Italian singer Sabrina. This song was written and produced by Italian singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Giorgio Moroder, and was released in February 1989, as the third and final single from the album, Super Sabrina. The song's B-sides "Doctors Orders" and "Sex" appeared on Sabrina's second studio album. "Like A Yo-Yo" was Sabrina's first collaboration with disco-legend Giorgio Moroder and peaked at number-one in Finland. Additionally it charted within the top 10 in Denmark and Spain. In the United Kingdom, the single reached number 72. For the single-release, the song was remixed by the English team of Stock/Aitken/Waterman for 7" and 12" use. SAW had been responsible for an earlier Sabrina's single "All Of Me". Videogram only used the 12"-remix, while Carrere in France used both, but edited the 7"-version. Different picture-sleeves were used for the 7" and 12"-releases in Italy. France used the Italian 12" design on all formats.
"21st Century Boy" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released in May 1986 and is the second single from their debut album Flaunt It. It was the band's second biggest hit, peaking at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Sex Bomb Boogie" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released as single from their debut album Flaunt It. It was only released as a vinyl single in Germany and as a video-only in the UK.
"Dancerama" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released in March 1989 as the second single from their second album Dress for Excess. It peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Rockit Miss U.S.A" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released as a single in October 1986 under the pseudonym Sci-Fi Sex Stars. It was released as a double A-sided single with "Teenage Thunder" and peaked at number 121 on the UK Singles Chart.
This is the discography of British synth-pop band Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
"Success" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released in November 1988 as the lead single from their second album Dress for Excess. It peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Albinoni vs Star Wars" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released in May 1989 as the third single from their second album Dress for Excess. It was their last single to chart, peaking at number 75 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Rio Rocks" is a song by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released in July 1989 as the fourth and final single from their second album Dress for Excess. It was the last single released before the band split and failed to make the UK Singles Chart Top 100, though bubbled under, peaking at number 104.
