In Color (album)

Last updated
In Color
Cheap Trick In Color.jpg
Studio album by
Cheap Trick
ReleasedSeptember 1, 1977 (September 1, 1977)
Recorded1977 (original version) 1997 (rerecorded version)
StudioKendun Recorders, Los Angeles
Genre
Length31:50
Label Epic
Producer Tom Werman
Cheap Trick chronology
Cheap Trick
(1977)		In Color
(1977)		 Heaven Tonight
(1978)
Singles from In Color
  1. "I Want You to Want Me"
    Released: September 1977
  2. "Southern Girls"
    Released: December 1977

In Color is the second studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1977 and produced by Tom Werman. Considered a classic of the power pop genre, the album was ranked No. 4 on Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. In 2003, the album was also ranked number 443 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [1]

Contents

The album was Cheap Trick's first to reach the Billboard 200, peaking at number 73, but was far more successful in Japan, where the singles "I Want You to Want Me" and "Clock Strikes Ten" were very popular. [2] The former became a top 10 US hit as a live version from the Cheap Trick at Budokan album, recording on the band's first Japanese tour, and remains Cheap Trick's signature song.

Overview

In Color, as opposed to the band's self-titled debut, features a more polished production in the hopes of making a commercial impact.

The album made the band superstars in Japan, where "I Want You to Want Me" and "Clock Strikes Ten" were hit singles.

Five of the ten tracks on In Color were later released in live form on Cheap Trick's live album Cheap Trick at Budokan ("Hello There", "Big Eyes", "I Want You to Want Me", "Clock Strikes Ten" and "Come On, Come On").

In Color's front cover has a color photo of Robin Zander and Tom Petersson sitting on motorcycles with the words "Cheap Trick, In Color." across the top. Its back cover has an upside-down black-and-white photo of Carlos and Nielsen sitting on mopeds with the words "And In Black and White." across the top.

The In Colour radio show which airs on Ireland's national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann RTÉ 2XM is named after the album. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [5]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]

The Daily Breeze listed In Color as the 3rd best album of 1977, deeming it "uncluttered rock ... a great pop collection." [7] Rolling Stone noted that "Cheap Trick has already won the battle against the formulaic and pedestrian that punk rock is trying to fight... That vision of the music is also the source of the group's other most salient and appealing characteristic: its humor." [8]

Re-recorded version

In Color was re-recorded by the band in 1997 with producer Steve Albini. The band's intention was to record the album on their own terms and for the songs to sound the way that they had originally intended. It was never officially completed or released, but a rough mix of the album was leaked onto the internet along with a handful of other tracks recorded during the same sessions.

In September 2008, the re-recorded version of "Hello There" was featured as a playable song in the video game Rock Band 2 , raising suspicions that the album may have been finished.

"Oh Boy," the B-side of the single "I Want You to Want Me" was re-recorded with vocals in 1980. It was released in 2003 on the "Oh Boy (Demo)/If You Want My Love (Demo)" promotional seven-inch vinyl record.

In April 2010, Rick Nielsen confirmed to the online music site Spinner that the band had in fact finished re-recording the album and planned to release the new version in "the not so distant future". [9]

Later in an interview with Eddie Trunk in 2021, Tom Petersson claimed that the recordings were never finished. [10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rick Nielsen, except where indicated

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hello There" 1:41
2."Big Eyes" 3:10
3."Downed" 4:12
4."I Want You to Want Me" 3:11
5."You're All Talk"Nielsen, Tom Petersson 3:36
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Oh Caroline" 2:59
7."Clock Strikes Ten" 2:59
8."Southern Girls"Nielsen, Petersson3:44
9."Come On, Come On" 2:41
10."So Good to See You" 3:37
Total length:31:50

The 1998 reissue of In Color featured five bonus tracks, including the B-side to "I Want You to Want Me," entitled "Oh Boy," and "Goodnight," a live, show-closing variation of "Hello There."

1998 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Oh Boy" (instrumental version)3:09
12."Southern Girls" (1975 demo)3:03
13."Come On, Come On" (1975 demo)2:04
14."You're All Talk" (live at Whisky a Go Go 1977)3:41
15."Goodnight" (live at Whisky a Go Go 1977)2:19

Unreleased outtake

Personnel

Cheap Trick
Additional musicians
Technical

Charts

Chart (1977)Peak
position
Australian Albums ( Kent Music Report ) [12] 93
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] 30
US Billboard 200 [14] 73
Chart (2017)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [15] 95

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [16] Platinum100,000^
United States (RIAA) [17] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheap Trick</span> American rock band

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s guitar pop, '70s hard rock, and the emerging punk rock sound, and would help set the template for subsequent power pop artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Zander</span> American singer and guitarist

Robin Wayne Zander is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bun E. Carlos</span> American musician

Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.

<i>Cheap Trick at Budokan</i> 1978 live album by Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick at Budokan is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick, and their best-selling recording. Recorded at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, the album was first released in Japan on October 8, 1978, and later released in the United States in February 1979, through Epic Records. After several years of constant touring but only middling exposure for the band, At Budokan steadily grew off radio play and word-of-mouth to become a high-selling success, kickstarting the band's popularity and becoming acclaimed as one of the greatest live rock albums of all time and a classic of the power pop genre.

<i>Heaven Tonight</i> 1978 studio album by Cheap Trick

Heaven Tonight is the third studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was produced by Tom Werman and released on April 24, 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album cover features lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson on the front, with guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos on the back.

<i>Dream Police</i> 1979 studio album by Cheap Trick

Dream Police is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was released in 1979, and was their third release in a row produced by Tom Werman. It is the band's most commercially successful studio album, going to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and being certified platinum within a few months of its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want You to Want Me</span> 1977 single by Cheap Trick

"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album In Color, released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it did not chart in the United States in its original studio version, which was influenced by music hall styles.

<i>All Shook Up</i> (Cheap Trick album) 1980 studio album by Cheap Trick

All Shook Up is the fifth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. Released in 1980, it was produced by former Beatles producer George Martin. It was the first studio album since their debut to be produced by someone other than Tom Werman.

<i>Rockford</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Cheap Trick

Rockford is the fifteenth studio album by Cheap Trick, released on June 6, 2006 by Big3. The album's title refers to Rockford, Illinois, the band's hometown.

<i>Found All the Parts</i> 1980 EP by Cheap Trick

Found All the Parts is an EP released by Cheap Trick in 1980. It was released on a 10-inch disc as part of Epic Records' short-lived Nu-Disk series. The EP also contained a bonus promotional 7" single of "Everything Works If You Let It". Found All the Parts was re-issued in 12-inch format in 1983.

<i>Cheap Trick</i> (1997 album) 1997 studio album by Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick, commonly referred to as Cheap Trick '97, is the second eponymous album, and thirteenth studio album, by the American rock band Cheap Trick, produced by the band and Ian Taylor and released on Red Ant Records and Alliance Entertainment. The album is referred to as "Cheap Trick II" when it is referenced on the promotional DVD that was released with the band's Special One album in 2003. Ian Taylor had previously engineered the One On One LP in 1982 and produced a handful of other tracks from 1983's Next Position Please LP, as well as the title track for the 1983 Sean S. Cunningham comedy film Spring Break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flame (Cheap Trick song)</span> 1988 single by Cheap Trick

"The Flame" is a power ballad released in 1988 by the American rock band Cheap Trick as the first single from their tenth album, Lap of Luxury. It was written by songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham, and was produced by Richie Zito. "The Flame" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1988, becoming the band's only number one hit. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrender (Cheap Trick song)</span> 1978 single

"Surrender" is a single by Cheap Trick released in June 1978 from the album Heaven Tonight. It was the first Cheap Trick single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 62. Its success in Japan, as well as the success of its preceding singles "Clock Strikes Ten" and "I Want You to Want Me", paved the way for Cheap Trick's concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April 1978 which were recorded for Cheap Trick at Budokan, the group's most popular album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clock Strikes Ten</span> 1977 single by Cheap Trick

"Clock Strikes Ten" is a song released in 1977 by Cheap Trick on their second album, In Color. It was written by Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. It was released as a single in Japan, where it was a major hit and reached No. 1 on at least one singles chart. Its success, as well as the success of two follow up singles, "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender", paved the way for Cheap Trick's famous concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April 1978 that were recorded for the group's most popular album - Cheap Trick at Budokan.

"Hello There" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and first released on Cheap Trick's 1977 album, In Color. The song was also often used as the first song of Cheap Trick concerts, and as a result was the first song on the band's seminal live album Cheap Trick at Budokan.

Need Your Love is a song written by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson that was originally performed by American rock band Cheap Trick. The song appeared on Cheap Trick's 1979 album Dream Police. A live version was included on the 1978 album Cheap Trick at Budokan, which initially appeared only in Japan but eventually was in the United States in early 1979. Because Cheap Trick was immensely popular in Japan, the band's Japanese label demanded that At Budokan include three new songs. The three songs were "Ain't That a Shame", "Goodnight Now" and "Need Your Love."

"High Roller" is a song written by Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and Tom Petersson that was first released on Cheap Trick's 1978 album Heaven Tonight. It later appeared on a number of Cheap Trick live and compilation albums, and was covered by Scrawl on their 1991 album Bloodsucker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Way of the World (Cheap Trick song)</span> 1980 single by Cheap Trick

"Way of the World" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1980 as a single from their fourth studio album Dream Police (1979). The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander and produced by Tom Werman. In February 1980 it was released as a 7" vinyl single in the UK only, backed by "Oh, Candy," from the first Cheap Trick album, and peaked at #73. It attempted to capitalize on the success of the mid-1979 single "I Want You to Want Me" and the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan which both entered the top 30.

<i>Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello</i> 2016 studio album by Cheap Trick

Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. The album was released on April 1, 2016, by Big Machine Records. The album is the first in the band's history to not feature Bun E. Carlos on drums, instead featuring Daxx Nielsen on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When I Wake Up Tomorrow</span> 2016 single by Cheap Trick

"When I Wake Up Tomorrow" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 2016 as the second and final single from their seventeenth studio album Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello. It was written by Julian Raymond, Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson, and produced by Raymond and Cheap Trick. Released as a promotional single in the United States, "When I Wake Up Tomorrow" reached No. 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

References

  1. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  2. ↑ BUDOKAN! 30th Anniversary DVD+3CDs (insert booklet).
  3. ↑ "GoldenPlec Team Up with RTÉ 2XM's In Colour | News". 30 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "In Color - Cheap Trick". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved February 23, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  157. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone cheap trick album guide.
  7. ↑ Meyer, Bruce (Dec 23, 1977). "Fleetwood Mac is tops critically and in sales". Daily Breeze. p. E11.
  8. ↑ Marsh, Dave (22 September 1977). "In Color". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  9. ↑ Ayers, Mike (9 April 2010). "Cheap Trick Planning to Release New Version of 'In Color'". Spinner . AOL . Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  10. ↑ Cheap Trick Virtual Invasion, 6 May 2021, retrieved 2021-06-11
  11. ↑ "CRR Interview - Bun e. Carlos – Everything Works Out if You Let It…Well, Sort Of…".
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. ↑ "Cheap Trick Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ "蒼ざめたハイウェイ+7 | チープ・トリック".
  16. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Cheap Trick – In Color". Music Canada.
  17. ↑ "American album certifications – Cheap Trick – In Color". Recording Industry Association of America.
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.