Primitive Man | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 September 1982 | |||
Recorded | May 1982 | |||
Studio | Paradise Studios, Sydney; Westlake Audio, Eldorado and Musicland West Studios, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 42:45 | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Producer | ||||
Icehouse chronology | ||||
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Singles from Primitive Man | ||||
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Love in Motion | ||||
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
Primitive Man,the second studio album by Australian rock band Icehouse,was released on 20 September 1982. In January 1982,Icehouse founder Iva Davies started recording Primitive Man essentially as a solo project. [3] It was co-produced with Keith Forsey, [4] who later worked with Simple Minds and Billy Idol. Forsey supplied additional percussion;Davies supplied vocals,lead guitar,keyboards (Sequential Circuits Prophet-5),bass guitar and programmed the Linn drum machine. [5] Released as an Icehouse album,Primitive Man reached number 3 on the National album charts [6] and provided their international breakthrough single,"Hey Little Girl",which peaked at number 7 in Australia, [6] number 2 in Switzerland, [7] number 5 in Germany, [8] the top 20 in UK, [9] Sweden and Netherlands, [3] and number 31 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. [10] Another single "Great Southern Land" made the Australian top 5; [6] it was later featured in the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein , [11] and remains their most popular song according to listeners of Triple M in 2007. [12] To promote Primitive Man on tour,Davies re-assembled Icehouse with Michael Hoste (keyboards) and John Lloyd (drums),and new members:Bob Kretschmer (guitar,backing vocals),Guy Pratt (bass guitar,backing vocals) and Andy Qunta (keyboards,backing vocals). [4]
After the United Kingdom top 20 chart success of "Hey Little Girl" the album was re-released as Love in Motion in 1983 and contained the same tracks in different order except "Break These Chains" being replaced by "Love in Motion";the alternate cover work was a still from the Russell Mulcahy directed video for "Hey Little Girl" (see infobox below right). [13] [14] In 1996,Icehouse released a compilation album called Love in Motion on dIVA / Massive Records,which contains "Love in Motion" but does not have any material from the original Australian release of Primitive Man.
Primitive Man represented a slight departure from earlier material and a move from the more rock-based style of their first album to the synth-based,more atmospheric albums such as Sidewalk and Measure for Measure . This style is exemplified in "Hey Little Girl",a very relaxed,introspective song which reflects the overall tone of the album punctuated by the heavier "Glam" and the more dance-based "Mysterious Thing". The final track "Goodnight Mr. Matthews" was Iva Davies by his own account directly referencing John Lennon's songwriting and singing style for the first and only time. [15]
The "Street Café" music video clip was filmed in Tunisia,in a four-day visit into which was packed a lifetime’s worth of difficult,unpleasant,and even hazardous living experiences for performers and film crew alike. Iva Davies flew out of Tunisia still covered with dust and camel dung,clad in the boots,breeches,and bandolier used in the filming,and vowing never to return to that part of the world again. [16]
All songs written by Iva Davies. [17]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Great Southern Land" | 5:19 |
2. | "Uniform" | 4:14 |
3. | "Street Café" | 4:13 |
4. | "Hey Little Girl" | 4:25 |
5. | "Glam" (Instrumental) | 3:27 |
6. | "Trojan Blue" | 5:03 |
7. | "One by One" | 4:02 |
8. | "Break These Chains" | 3:43 |
9. | "Mysterious Thing" | 4:26 |
10. | "Goodnight Mr. Matthews" (re-recording) | 4:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Over the Line" (B-side to "Street Café" single) | 2:46 |
12. | "Uniform" (German version, B-side to "Great Southern Land" single) | 4:06 |
13. | "Glam" (12" version, B-side to "Hey Little Girl" 12" single) | 6:34 |
14. | "Hey Little Girl" (12" version) | 6:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Over the Line" | 2:46 |
12. | "Glam" (12" version) | 6:34 |
13. | "Uniform" (German version) | 4:06 |
14. | "Street Café" (single mix) | 4:34 |
15. | "Love in Motion" (USA recording) | 3:37 |
16. | "Can't Help Myself" (live) | 5:39 |
17. | "We Can Get Together" | 3:55 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Over the Line" | 2:46 |
12. | "Glam" (12" version) | 6:34 |
13. | "Uniform" (German version) | 4:06 |
14. | "Hey Little Girl" (12" version) | 6:59 |
15. | "Street Café" (single mix) | 4:34 |
16. | "Love in Motion" (USA recording) | 3:37 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Uniform" | 4:15 |
2. | "Street Cafe" | 4:13 |
3. | "Hey, Little Girl" | 4:25 |
4. | "Glam" | 3:27 |
5. | "Great Southern Land" | 5:19 |
6. | "Trojan Blue" | 5:03 |
7. | "Love in Motion" | 4:02 |
8. | "Mysterious Thing" | 4:26 |
9. | "One by One" | 4:03 |
10. | "Goodnight Mr. Matthews" | 4:00 |
Credited to: [18]
Icehouse members
Additional musicians
Recording details
Art work
Chart (1982/83) | Peak Position |
---|---|
Australian (Kent Music Report) [19] | 3 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [20] | 1 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] | 31 |
UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 64 |
US Billboard 200 [23] | 129 |
Chart (1982) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [24] | 18 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [25] | 11 |
Chart (1983) | Position |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [26] | 24 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [27] | 6 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [28] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [29] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Icehouse are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1977 as Flowers. Initially known in their homeland for their pub rock style, the band later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synth-pop music and attained Top 10 singles chart success locally and in both Europe and the U.S. The mainstay of both Flowers and Icehouse has been Iva Davies supplying additional musicians as required. The name "Icehouse", adopted in 1981, comes from an old, cold flat Davies lived in and the strange building across the road populated by itinerant people.
"Electric Blue" is a song by Australian rock band Icehouse. It was co-written by Iva Davies of Icehouse and John Oates of US band Hall & Oates. Oates became involved with Davies after contacting him to state he was a fan. The resulting collaboration produced this song and Oates has stated that if Davies had not released the song under the Icehouse name, then it would have been a Hall & Oates track.
Icehouse is the first album released by the Australian rock/synthpop band Flowers, later known as Icehouse, on the independent label Regular Records in October 1980. The title and the artist are sometimes incorrectly swapped, because the band changed their name from Flowers to Icehouse after this album was released. Containing the Top 20 Australian hits "Can't Help Myself", "We Can Get Together" and "Walls"; the album made heavy use of synthesisers, which would continue to be used throughout the band's career. Founder Iva Davies wrote all the tracks including four co-written with keyboardist Michael Hoste, however Hoste was replaced during recording sessions by Anthony Smith.
Sidewalk is the third studio album by Australian rock band Icehouse, released on 26 June 1984 by Chrysalis Records and Regular Records. It peaked at No. 8 on the National albums chart. Founding member Iva Davies used the Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer on this more sombre and reflective album. This is the first studio album that bassist Guy Pratt worked on as a member of the band. Pratt would later become a session musician, and go on to work with artists such as Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Measure for Measure is the fourth studio album by the Australian rock/synth-pop band Icehouse, released on 21 April 1986 in Australia by Regular Records and in the United States by Chrysalis Records. It was one of the first three albums to be recorded entirely digitally.
Great Southern Land is the first compilation album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse, released by Chrysalis Records / Regular Records in October 1989. It peaked at No. 2 on the Australian albums charts, and contained two new singles "Touch the Fire", which peaked at No. 13 on the singles chart, and "Jimmy Dean", which peaked at No. 47. Several different versions of this album exist; the Regular Records release for Australian / New Zealand markets was as a 16 track double vinyl LP, twin music cassette or CD; Chrysalis Records US versions were as 10 track LP / music cassette or 11 track CD release with a different track order; Chrysalis Records UK versions had 12 tracks ; and a video version of 15 tracks was released in VHS PAL format.
Code Blue is the sixth studio album by the Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse and was released in November 1990 by Regular Records. Code Blue peaked at #7 on the Australian album charts.
Masterfile is the second compilation album by the Australian rock band, Icehouse. The album covers material from the band's first album Icehouse (1980) to Measure for Measure (1986). It also has a re-recorded version of the band's 1981 single, "Love In Motion", with Christina Amphlett of Divinyls.
Fresco is an early 1983 EP released by Australian rock/synthpop band, Icehouse. It contains the same versions of "Hey Little Girl" and "Glam" from their 1982 album Primitive Man together with different versions of "Break These Chains", "Street Cafe" and "Over the Line". It was produced by Icehouse founder Iva Davies together with Keith Forsey for Chrysalis Records.
"Hey Little Girl" is a single released by Australian band Icehouse, the second single from the band's 1982 album, Primitive Man. The album and single were co-produced by band member and the track's writer, Iva Davies, and Keith Forsey. It was released in November 1982 on Regular Records in 7" vinyl single and 12" vinyl single formats. UK and Europe releases by Chrysalis Records were also on 7" and 12" formats, but with different track listings. The single was then released in the US in 1983 on the same formats. On "Hey Little Girl", Iva Davies uses the Linn drum machine—the first for an Australian recording. It peaked at No. 7 on the Australian singles chart and No. 2 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Germany, Top 20 in UK, Sweden and Netherlands, and No. 31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
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Man of Colours is the fifth studio album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse, released locally on 21 September 1987 on Regular Records / Chrysalis Records.
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Werk 80 II is the eighth full-length album by German industrial gothic metal band Atrocity, released on February 29, 2008 and their 2nd full-length cover album after the original Werk 80 album released in 1997. Burlesque artist Dita Von Teese is the cover model.
The discography of Icehouse, an Australian rock and synthpop band, includes releases under the earlier band name, Flowers, which was formed in 1977 by the mainstay Iva Davies, and was renamed Icehouse in 1981; material was also released by "Iva Davies and Icehouse". Flowers or Icehouse have released seven studio albums, one soundtrack album, as well as four remix albums and forty-one singles.
"Can't Help Myself" is the first single released by the Australian synthpop/rock band Flowers, later known as Icehouse. It was released in May 1980 as a 7" vinyl single on independent label, Regular Records, five months ahead of debut album Icehouse. A 10" vinyl single was released in July and had a cover depicting individual images of band members diagonally across the band's name and the single's title. It peaked at #10 on the Australian Singles Charts.
"Walls" is the third single released by the Australian rock band Flowers, later known as Icehouse. It was released in January 1981, on independent label Regular Records from their debut album, Icehouse, it peaked at #20 on the Australian Kent Music Reoport Singles Charts. It was also released in New Zealand, with a different cover, which was the last release before the band was renamed as Icehouse.
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Anderson Amos Temba "Andy" Qunta is an English singer, songwriter, composer and musician. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Qunta is best known as the keyboardist of the Australian rock band Icehouse from between 1982 and 1988. As a popular musician, he has been influenced by artists including the Who, Cliff Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Genesis, Manfred Mann, Yes, Todd Rundgren and Queen.
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