F.L.M. (album)

Last updated

F.L.M.
Mel & Kim - FLM (album).png
Studio album by
Mel and Kim
Released13 April 1987
Recorded1986–1987
StudioPWL Studios 1 and 2 (London)
Genre
Length38:49
Label Supreme
Producer Stock Aitken Waterman
Mel and Kim chronology
F.L.M.
(1987)		Something Special
(1989)
Singles from F.L.M.
  1. "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)"
    Released: 4 September 1986
  2. "Respectable"
    Released: 18 February 1987
  3. "F.L.M."
    Released: 29 June 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Smash Hits 8/10 [3]

F.L.M. is the only studio album by British pop duo Mel and Kim, released on 13 April 1987 by Supreme Records. [4] [5] The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [5] [6] It also reached the top five in Australia, Finland and Switzerland, the 10 in Norway and the top 20 in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Three successful singles are included on the album: "Showing Out" (number three on the UK Singles Chart), "Respectable" (number one) and "F.L.M." (number seven). [6]

Contents

Background and release

The album was predominantly written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), and contained a mixture of house-infused productions and downtempo, soulful songs. Supreme Records head Nick East said the original plan was to release "every track" from the album as a single, "like [Michael Jackson's] Thriller ", however Mel's cancer diagnosis forced the abandonment of the plan. [7] One track, "I'm the One Who Really Loves You", was originally recorded in 1986 by Austin Howard and was considered for release as the fourth single; however, it was only released in South Africa and North America where it was issued with remixes by Clivillés & Cole. Two other songs from F.L.M. would go on to be recorded by other Stock Aitken Waterman-produced artists; "More Than Words Can Say", which was only released as a single in Scandinavia, was also recorded by Carol Hitchcock and Hazell Dean, while Sinitta and Pepsi and Shirlie both recorded reworked versions of album closer, "Who's Gonna Catch You".

In the United Kingdom, the vinyl LP was issued with either a full colour or monochrome sleeve. US, Canadian, and Japanese pressings had a different sleeve design and track running order to other international releases. In addition, "Feel a Whole Lot Better" was retitled "Whatever It Is" for these territories. A two-disc deluxe edition of the album was released in 2010, including the duo's 1988 single "That's the Way It Is", and its B-side, "You Changed My Life", which were not included on the original release of the album, as well as 7" mixes and extended versions of singles and album tracks.

Critical reception

When reviewing the album, Karen Faux of British magazine Music Week praised "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Week-end)" and "Respectable" as they "undoubtedly shine brighest, with dancefloor bounce and exuberance", as well as the slower tracks which she deemed not vacuous at all, but criticized "weak and ultimately forgettable vocals". [8] Chris Heath of Smash Hits stated that if "you like wonderfully tacky, totally unpretentious dance music where little catchy snippets of tunes and electronic drums a-clinking and a-clattering are more important than anything else in the world, then you'll simply recognise F.L.M.... as a "masterpiece" of sorts". [3] By contrast, Jonathan Lewis of AllMusic was highly critical of F.L.M., deeming it "one of the more insipid examples of '80s dance-pop" and a "completely forgettable album", which shows in his point of view SAW's "weakest" songwriting and Mel & Kim's "limited vocal ability", a duo he considered "the least talented" artists who collaborated with the SAW team. [1] Retrospectively, in 2018, Mark Elliot of Classic Pop considered F.L.M. as the fifth best album ever produced by SAW. [9]

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, F.L.M. started at a peak of number three on 25 April 1987, a position it held for consecutive two weeks, and spent 11 weeks in the top ten and a total of 25 weeks in the top 100. [10] It was the 35th best-selling album of 1987 in the country, [11] and earned a platinum disc awarded by the British Phonographic Industry. [5] In Continental Europe, it also reached the top five in Finland and Switzerland, where it peaked at number two and four, respectively; in the latter country, it appeared for nine weeks in the top 30. [12] [13] In Norway, it also attained the top ten, culminating at number seven for two weeks, and charted for ten weeks in the top 20. [14] In addition, it was a top-20 albums in the Netherlands, West Germany and Sweden, with 18 and 11 weeks of charting in the first two nations. [15] [16] [17] On the Pan-European Top 100 Albums chart compiled by Music & Media , it peaked at number ten, [18] and eventually ranked at number 44 on the European year-end chart of 1987. [19] Regarding the Oceanian markets, F.L.M. barely missed the first position in both Australia and New Zealand where it rose until number two. It spent 19 weeks in the NZ Albums Chart, with two weeks at number two in August 1987, behind U2's The Joshua Tree , and nine weeks in the top ten. In this country, it reached the gold status given by the Recorded Music NZ, [20] and featured at number 18 on the year-end chart. [21]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "F.L.M." – 3:55
  2. "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" – 5:11
  3. "Respectable" – 5:41
  4. "Feel a Whole Lot Better" aka "Whatever It Is" – 4:24

Side two

  1. "I'm the One Who Really Loves You" – 3:40
  2. "More Than Words Can Say" – 4:08
  3. "System" – 4:08
  4. "From a Whisper to a Scream" – 3:24
  5. "Who's Gonna Catch You" – 3:34

CD bonus tracks

  1. "Showing Out" (Freehold mix) – 4:36
  2. "Respectable" (Extra Beats version instrumental) – 6:11

All songs written by Stock Aitken Waterman, except "Who's Gonna Catch You" written by Matt Aitken / Mike Stock / Pete Waterman / Stevie Wonder / Yvonne Wright, [22] and "From a Whisper to a Scream" lyrics by A & A.

2010 reissue

The album was reissued as a double CD in the United Kingdom through Cherry Red Records on 18 October 2010. Notably, the first three tracks are the 7" mixes, not the album versions contained on the original release.

Disc one

  1. "F.L.M." (7" version) – 3:33
  2. "Showing Out" (7" version) – 3:35
  3. "Respectable" (7" version) – 3:22
  4. "Feel a Whole Lot Better" – 4:27
  5. "I'm the One Who Really Loves You" – 3:41
  6. "More Than Words Can Say" – 4:09
  7. "System" – 4:09
  8. "From a Whisper to a Scream" – 3:25
  9. "Who's Gonna Catch You?" – 3:35
  10. "That's the Way It Is" – 3:27
  11. "You Changed My Life" – 3:27
  12. "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" (extended version) – 7:15
  13. "Respectable" (extended version) – 6:14
  14. "F.L.M." (extended version) – 7:50
  15. "That's the Way It Is" (extended version) – 6:49
  16. "System" (previously unreleased alternative mix) – 3:58
  17. "More Than Words Can Say" (previously unreleased extended version) – 6:50

Disc two

  1. "Respectable" (Extra Beats Vocal) – 8:09
  2. "F.L.M." (Two Grooves Under One Nation Remix) – 8:13
  3. "I'm the One Who Really Loves You" (Yoyo's 12" Mix – previously unreleased) – 6:43
  4. "That's the Way It Is" (Acid House Remix) – 7:38
  5. "System" (garage vocal – previously Unreleased) – 7:22
  6. "Feel a Whole Lot Better" (Yoyo's 12" Mix – previously unreleased) – 7:38
  7. "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" (The Mortgage Mix) – 6:26
  8. "That's the Way It Is" (House Remix) – 6:42
  9. "Respectable" (Shop Mix) – 6:17
  10. "F.L.M." (Sonic Remix) – 6:20
  11. "System" (original 12" mix – previously unreleased) – 5:45

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for F.L.M.
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI) [26] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [20] Gold7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI) [5] Platinum300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

Mel and Kim were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Melanie died of cancer in January 1990 at the age of 23.

<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 the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio 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 US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at No. 11 on 17 August of that year, becoming their highest-charting single there. The song also reached No. 1 in Ireland and in Canada, while in Australia it peaked at No. 3 and it charted highly in numerous European countries.

Lonnie Gordon is an American female dance, pop and R&B singer and songwriter. She scored several chart hits during the 1990s, most notably for her 1990 UK top 10 single "Happenin' All Over Again".

<i>Wow!</i> (Bananarama album) 1987 studio album by Bananarama

Wow! is the fourth studio album by English group Bananarama, released on 4 September 1987 by London Records. The album was entirely produced and co-written with the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Tensions between group member Siobhan Fahey and Stock, Aitken and Waterman regarding songwriting input and lyrical content prompted Fahey's departure from Bananarama five months after its release. The album reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart and number 44 on the US Billboard 200, while peaking at number one in Australia. The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 3 February 1988.

Carol Hitchcock is an Australian singer and actress. She had a top 20 hit on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart with her cover version of "Get Ready" in mid-1987. It also peaked in the top 60 in the United Kingdom and top 50 in New Zealand. In 1985 Hitchcock had acted in the TV series, Prisoner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Gonna Give You Up</span> 1987 single by Rick Astley

"Never Gonna Give You Up" is a song by English singer Rick Astley, released on 27 July 1987. Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was released by RCA Records as the first single from Astley's debut studio album, Whenever You Need Somebody (1987). The song became a worldwide hit, initially in the United Kingdom in 1987, where it stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks and was the best-selling single of that year. It eventually topped charts in 25 different countries, including the United States and West Germany, and winning Best British Single at the 1988 Brit Awards. The song is widely regarded as Astley's most popular, as well as his signature song, and it is often played at the end of his live concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respectable (Mel and Kim song)</span> 1987 single by Mel and Kim

"Respectable" is a song by English musical duo Mel and Kim from their only studio album, F.L.M. (1987). It was released on 18 February 1987 as the album's second single. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for one week in March 1987, becoming the second UK number-one single produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), following Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round " (1985), and the first UK number one that the trio had written themselves. The single also topped the charts in many European countries, as well as in Oceania.

<i>Whenever You Need Somebody</i> 1987 studio album by Rick Astley

Whenever You Need Somebody is the debut studio album by English singer Rick Astley released on 16 November 1987 by RCA Records. It is his best-selling album, which, according to his own official website, has sold 15.2 million copies worldwide. The album is listed as the 136th best-selling album in Spain and was the seventh best-selling album of 1987 in the United Kingdom. A remastered version, containing rare remixes and extended versions, was released on 12 April 2010.

<i>The Hit Factory: The Best of Stock Aitken Waterman</i> 1987 compilation album by various artists

The Hit Factory: The Best of Stock Aitken Waterman is a compilation album released in 1987 by Stylus Records in association with PWL Records. The collection brought together some the biggest hits by British production team Stock Aitken Waterman. It reached #18 in the UK Top 100 Album Chart and achieved a Gold BPI award.

<i>A Ton of Hits: The Very Best of Stock Aitken Waterman</i> 1990 compilation album by Various Artists

A Ton of Hits : The Very Best of Stock Aitken Waterman is a compilation album released in the UK in November 1990 bringing together the hits of Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) in a continuously sequenced mix. It was released by Chrysalis Records on their subsidiary label Dover Records and followed the previous "Best of Stock Aitken Waterman" collections; The Hit Factory: The Best of Stock Aitken Waterman, The Hit Factory Volume 2 and The Hit Factory Volume 3. The album reached #7 in the compilation Top 20. Notably absent from this release are Bananarama and Dead or Alive, presumably due to licensing issues, whilst including nine songs by Jason Donovan, and ten by Kylie Minogue.

<i>The Hit Factory: Pete Watermans Greatest Hits</i> 2000 compilation album by various artists

The Hit Factory: Pete Waterman's Greatest Hits is a compilation album featuring music produced by Pete Waterman. It was released by Universal Music in 2000 and reached #3 in the UK compilation Top 20 chart, achieving a Gold BPI award.

<i>Stock Aitken Waterman Gold</i> 2005 compilation album by Various artists

Stock Aitken Waterman Gold is a compilation album released in 2005 by Sony BMG, PWL Records and EBUL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Astley discography</span>

The discography of English singer and songwriter Rick Astley consists of nine studio albums, five compilation albums, two remix albums, and twenty-four singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)</span> 1986 single by Mel and Kim

"Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" is the debut single of English pop duo Mel and Kim, released in September 1986. The song became a chart hit in the UK, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number one in four European countries.

<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>Samantha Fox</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Samantha Fox

Samantha Fox is the second studio album by the English pop singer Samantha Fox, released in July 1987 by Jive Records. The album charted at number 22 in the United Kingdom, number 51 in the United States, number 41 in Canada, number 86 in Australia and number 16 in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now (Samantha Fox song)</span> 1987 single by Samantha Fox

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" is a song performed by British singer Samantha Fox and written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman (SAW). It was released as the first single from Samantha’s eponymous second album, Samantha Fox, in the spring of 1987. The single became Fox's third and final top ten single in the United Kingdom, peaking at number eight in June. In the United States, the single was released in the fall of 1987 and reached only number 80 that October. It was a top 10 hit in continental Europe and also reached number 22 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.L.M. (song)</span> 1987 single by Mel and Kim

"F.L.M." is a song by British pop duo Mel and Kim, released as their third single in 1987. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song is the title track on F.L.M., their debut album, and was remixed for its single release. "F.L.M." would be the penultimate international single released by the duo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's the Way It Is (Mel and Kim song)</span> 1988 single by Mel and Kim

"That's the Way It Is" is a song by British pop duo Mel and Kim that was featured on the soundtrack album of Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). The single, released by Supreme Records and PolyGram peaked at number ten in the United Kingdom, becoming their fourth consecutive top ten hit.

<i>Pete Waterman Presents the Hit Factory</i> 2012 compilation album by Various Artists

Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory is a compilation album released in July 2012 collecting 39 hits produced by Pete Waterman. Included are a vast number of tracks that were written and produced by Waterman along with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken during their most successful period working as Stock Aitken Waterman, becoming among the most successful music producers of all-time.

References

  1. 1 2 Lewis, Jonathan. "F.L.M. Review by Jonathan Lewis". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Bernard, Edwin J. (18 April 1987). "Albums". Record Mirror . p. 10. ISSN   0144-5804.
  3. 1 2 Heath, Chris (8–21 April 1987). "Albums" (PDF). Smash Hits . Vol. 9, no. 7. p. 64. ISSN   0260-3004 . Retrieved 20 November 2023– via World Radio History.
  4. ↑ "Mel & Kim". Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "British album certifications – Mel & Kim – Flm (Fun, Love and Money)". British Phonographic Industry. 5 August 1987. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Mel and Kim | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 22: Respectable on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Faux, Karen (18 April 1987). "LP Reviews" (PDF). Music Week . p. 26. Retrieved 10 September 2023– via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ Elliot, Mark (July 2018). "Top 15 Stock Aitken Waterman Albums". Classic Pop . Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Mel and Kim | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror . 23 January 1988. p. 37. ISSN   0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  12. 1 2 Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  13. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Mel & Kim – F.L.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Norwegiancharts.com – Mel & Kim – F.L.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Mel & Kim – F.L.M." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Mel & Kim – F.L.M." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – Mel & Kim – F.L.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  18. 1 2 "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 22. 6 June 1987. p. 15. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  19. 1 2 "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 35. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. 1 2 "New Zealand album certifications – Mel & Kim – F.L.M." Recorded Music NZ. 16 August 1987. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  21. 1 2 "Top Selling Albums of 1987". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "Mel & Kim - Mel & Kim | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  23. ↑ Kent 1993 , p. 197
  24. ↑ "Charts.nz – Mel & Kim – F.L.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  25. ↑ Kent 1993 , p. 439
  26. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Mel & Kim – F.L.M." (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 16 July 2022.Enter F.L.M. in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1987 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.