Drowning in the Sea of Love (The Adventures song)

Last updated
"Drowning in the Sea of Love"
The Adventures Drowning in the Sea of Love 1988 single cover.jpg
Single by The Adventures
from the album The Sea of Love
B-side "Stay Away"
Released1988
Length4:19 (single version)
4:35 (album version)
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s) Pat Gribben
Producer(s) Pete Smith
The Adventures singles chronology
"Broken Land"
(1988)
"Drowning in the Sea of Love"
(1988)
"One Step from Heaven"
(1988)

"Drowning in the Sea of Love" is a song by Northern Irish band the Adventures, which was released in 1988 as the second single from their second studio album The Sea of Love . The song was written by Pat Gribben and produced by Pete Smith. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" peaked at No. 44 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 15 on the Irish Singles Chart. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

"Drowning in the Sea of Love" was released as the follow-up to the band's UK breakthrough hit "Broken Land". The follow-up was expected to replicate the single's success, but stalled at No. 44 on the UK Singles Chart after radio play dropped following the Piper Alpha Disaster in July 1988. Lead vocalist Terry Sharpe told Sunday World in September 1988, "The British press started phoning up the BBC saying that they found the record offensive because of the Piper Alpha tragedy, so they stopped playing it." [3]

Critical reception

On its release, Music & Media described the song as a "strong if slightly old-fashioned number" with "excellent singing" and a "strong melodic sensibility". [4] Billboard commented, "Badfinger-flavored track should excite programmers because it's that good." [5] Tim Nicholson of Record Mirror was critical of the song, writing, "It sounds as if it was written on a computer and recorded in an aircraft hangar. If you were hearing it for the first time you'd be able to sing along after the first chorus." [6]

In a review of The Sea of Love, Ferdia MacAnna of the Evening Herald (Dublin) praised the song as "the kind of rumbustious anthem that will have people wailing the chorus from here to Alice Springs". [7] Mario Tarradell of The Miami News commented, "The harmonies are beautifully arranged to create a pop song in the tradition of Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb." [8]

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" – 4:26
  2. "Stay Away" – 4:37
7" single (US promo)
  1. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" – 4:19
  2. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" – 4:19
12" and CD single
  1. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" (LP Version) – 4:35
  2. "Stay Away" – 4:37
  3. "The Curragh of Kildare" – 2:50
12" single (UK limited edition)
  1. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" (LP Version) – 4:35
  2. "Stay Away" – 4:37
  3. "The Curragh of Kildare" – 2:50
  4. "Feel the Raindrops" – 3:44
CD single (US promo)
  1. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" (Edit) – 4:26

Personnel

The Adventures

Additional musicians

Production

Other

Charts

Chart (1988)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [9] 15
UK Singles (OCC) [10] 44
West Germany (Official German Charts) [11] 53

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bananarama</span> English pop group

Bananarama are an English pop trio from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 30 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead or Alive (band)</span> British band

Dead or Alive was an English pop band that released seven studio albums from 1984 to 2000. The band formed in 1980 in Liverpool and found success in the mid-1980s, releasing seven singles that made the UK top 40 and three albums on the UK top 30. At the peak of their success, the lineup consisted of Pete Burns (vocals), Steve Coy (drums), Mike Percy (bass) and Tim Lever (keyboards), with the core pair of Burns and Coy writing and producing for the remainder of the band's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)</span> 1984 single by Dead or Alive

"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second album, Youthquake (1985). Released as a single in November 1984, it reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985, taking 17 weeks to get there. It was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. On the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at No. 11 on 17 August of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Je ne sais pas pourquoi</span> 1988 single by Kylie Minogue

"Je ne sais pas pourquoi" (English: "I Do Not Know Why"), also known as "I Still Love You (Je ne sais pas pourquoi)" in Australia and New Zealand, is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album Kylie (1988). Released as a single on 10 October 1988 by PWL, the song has subsequently appeared on most of Minogue's hits compilations including Greatest Hits (1992), Ultimate Kylie (2004) and, most recently, Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection, released in 2019. Like most of Minogue's material between 1988 and 1992, it was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drowned World/Substitute for Love</span> 1998 single by Madonna

"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). It was written and produced by Madonna and William Orbit, with additional songwriters including Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins. McKuen and Kerr received the credits due to the usage of a sample from one of their songs, "Why I Follow the Tigers". "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is an ambient pop song which lyrically describes Madonna's spiritual transformation to seek authentic love over superficial alliances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Bites (Def Leppard song)</span> 1988 single by Def Leppard

"Love Bites" is a song by English glam metal band Def Leppard from their album Hysteria. The power ballad is Def Leppard's only number-one single and 4th and last top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. On the UK Singles Chart, the track peaked at number 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Starjets</span>

The Starjets are a Northern Irish power pop group from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

"Raindrops" is a dance music song released in 2006 by the British production team Stunt. Produced in Canada by Dave Valler and Gary Johnson, it reached number 8 in Finland. At least six different mixes have been released. Lyrically, "Raindrops" compares the feeling of "raindrops on my skin" to love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love in the First Degree (Bananarama song)</span> 1987 single by Bananarama

"Love in the First Degree" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, Wow! (1987). It was released on 28 September 1987 as the album's second single, except in the United States, where it was released in 1988 as the third single. The track was co-written and produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio.

The Adventures were a Northern Irish rock/pop band, formed in Belfast in 1984 who had a number of hits during the 1980s and early 1990s.

<i>Mandy</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Mandy Smith

Mandy is the only studio album by Mandy Smith. It was released by PWL in 1988, re-issued in 1993 in Japan and re-mastered and re-issued in 2009.

<i>Theodore and Friends</i> 1985 studio album by The Adventures

Theodore and Friends is the debut album from the Northern Irish rock band the Adventures, released in 1985.

<i>The Sea of Love</i> 1988 studio album by The Adventures

The Sea of Love is the second album by the Irish rock band The Adventures, released in May 1988. Entirely written by band member Pat Gribben, the album was produced by Pete Smith and Garry Bell. The Sea of Love featured the single "Broken Land", their only Top 40 hit in the UK, and also their only chart entry in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Work (Ciara song)</span> 2009 single by Ciara featuring Missy Elliott

"Work" is a song recorded by American recording artist Ciara for her third studio album Fantasy Ride (2009). It was released by LaFace Records on July 24, 2009, as the album's third and final single. Rapper Missy Elliott provides featured vocals on the song. Ciara and Elliott wrote it in collaboration with its producers Nate "Danja" Hills and Marcella Araica. "Work" is a fast-paced electropop and dance song with elements of house and hip hop. Ciara described it as an energetic club track, and considered it initially as the lead single of Fantasy Ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Believe in Miracles (Sinitta song)</span> 1988 single by Sinitta

"I Don't Believe In Miracles" is a song by American-British singer Sinitta. It was released in September 1988 as the first single from her second album, Wicked. This song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was a top 30 hit in UK and Ireland. This song was also her last single produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, as after this release, Sinitta moved away from working directly with them although she continued to record at PWL under the direction of mixmasters Pete Hammond, Phil Harding and Ian Curnow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Wants to Dance with Me</span> 1988 single by Rick Astley

"She Wants to Dance with Me" is a song written and recorded by Rick Astley in 1988. It is the lead single from his second studio album, Hold Me in Your Arms. The song was released in United Kingdom on September 20, 1988; it entered the chart at the number 16 and its highest chart position was number 6; it stayed 11 weeks in the UK Singles Chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, it also reached number 6. Astley kicked off Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and stayed at number one for two weeks in Canada. It was an international success.

<i>Messy Little Raindrops</i> 2010 studio album by Cheryl Cole

Messy Little Raindrops is the second studio album by English singer Cheryl Cole, released on 29 October 2010 by Fascination Records. The project is the follow-up to Cole's multi-platinum debut solo album 3 Words (2009), following seven successful years as a member of girl group Girls Aloud. Recorded in Los Angeles and London, Cheryl mainly worked with Wayne Wilkins, who previously produced Cole's number one debut single "Fight for This Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flood (Cheryl Cole song)</span> 2011 single by Cheryl Cole

"The Flood" is a song by English recording artist Cheryl Cole. The song was written by Priscilla Hamilton and Wayne Wilkins, for Cole's second studio album, Messy Little Raindrops (2010). It was released on 2 January 2011 through Fascination Records, as the album's second and final single. The song, produced by Wilkins and Antwoine Collins, has lyrics that refer to a "natural disaster love" and make many allusions to shipwreck, the sea, and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Land</span> 1988 single by The Adventures

"Broken Land" is a song by Northern Irish band the Adventures, released in 1988 as the first single from their second album The Sea of Love. It was their biggest hit in the UK, spending 10 weeks on the chart, and was also a big hit in Ireland, where it reached the top ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raining All Over the World</span> 1992 single by The Adventures

"Raining All Over the World" is a song by Northern Irish band The Adventures, which was released in 1992 as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album Lions and Tigers and Bears (1993). The song was written by Pat Gribben and produced by Pat Collier. "Raining All Over the World" reached number 68 in the UK Singles Chart and number 21 in the Music Week Top 50 Airplay Chart.

References

  1. "ADVENTURES; full Official Chart History; Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. "Adventures; Irish Singles Chart". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. Rowley, Eddie; Bryson, Kate (25 September 1988). "My Bananarama beauty". Sunday World. p. 20.
  4. "Previews: Singles". Music & Media. 23 July 1988. p. 11.
  5. "Single Reviews". Billboard. 18 June 1988. p. 65.
  6. Nicholson, Tim (25 June 1988). "45". Record Mirror . p. 29. ISSN   0144-5804.
  7. MacAnna, Ferdia (5 May 1988). "Slick sounds mean that The Adventures are going places". The Evening Herald. p. 23.
  8. Tarradell, Mario (28 April 1988). "Record review: 'The Adventures' find their musical voices". The Miami News. p. 3C.
  9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Adventures". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  10. "The Adventures: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Adventures – Drowning in the Sea of Love". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 September 2020.