Rhythm of Youth | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1982 | |||
Recorded | January–March 1982 | |||
Studio | Listen Audio (Montreal, Quebec) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label |
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Producer | Marc Durand | |||
Men Without Hats chronology | ||||
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Singles from Rhythm of Youth | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Village Voice | C+ [2] |
Rhythm of Youth is the debut studio album by Canadian new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in April 1982 by Statik Records in Europe and Canada and in 1983 by Backstreet Records in the US. It propelled them to fame with its second single, "The Safety Dance". It was released under the Statik Records label in Canada, distributed by Warner Music Canada (then called WEA Canada) where it achieved Platinum status for sales of 100,000 units. [3]
The US releases of this album featured a different track listing, replacing "Living in China" with an edited version of "Antarctica" (the full version of which appeared on Folk of the 80's ) and including an extended version of "The Safety Dance".
In 1984, the album was released on CD in Europe by Statik Records, featuring the Folk of the 80's EP (albeit including the single edit of "Antarctica") and the extended mix of "The Safety Dance" as bonus tracks. It was re-released on CD in Canada in 1997 by Oglio Records as part of a "two-fer" including Folk of the 80's (Part III) and the single edit of "Antarctica".
In 2010, the album was remastered and reissued in Canada by the band's label, Bulldog Brothers, featuring the original US track list (with "Antarctica" replaced with "Living in China") and including all the tracks from both the US and UK LP releases, plus a demo version of "Ban the Game" (known as "Ban the Game II"), an extended mix of "I Got the Message" and a club mix of "The Safety Dance".
Cashbox called the single "I Like" "a forceful performance, grounded...on songwriter Ivan Doroschuk’s sardonic vocal" and particularly praised the production. [4]
All tracks are written by Ivan Doroschuk unless otherwise noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | |
2. | "Living in China" | 3:04 | |
3. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 |
4. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | |
5. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 |
6. | "The Safety Dance" | 2:44 | |
7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | |
8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 |
9. | "I Like" | 4:19 | |
10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Antarctica" | Single edit | 3:29 |
12. | "Modern Dancing" | Also known as "Modern(e) Dancing" | 4:13 |
13. | "Utter Space" | 2:45 | |
14. | "Security (Everybody Feels Better With)" | 4:01 | |
15. | "The Safety Dance" (Club Mix) | Also known as "Extended Dance Version" | 4:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | ||
2. | "The Safety Dance" | "Extended Dance Version" | 4:32 | |
3. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 | ||
4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 | |
5. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | ||
6. | "I Like" | 4:19 | ||
7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | ||
8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 | |
9. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 | |
10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | ||
2. | "The Safety Dance" (Extended Dance Version) | 4:32 | ||
3. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 | ||
4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 | |
5. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | ||
6. | "Living in China" | Bonus track | 3:04 | |
7. | "I Like" | 4:19 | ||
8. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | ||
9. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 | |
10. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 | |
11. | "The Safety Dance" (Short Version) | Bonus track | 2:44 | |
12. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | |
2. | "The Safety Dance" | 4:32 | |
3. | "Living in China" | 3:04 | |
4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 |
5. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | |
6. | "I Like" | 4:19 | |
7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | |
8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 |
9. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 |
10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
11. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 |
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Ban the Game" (Full Version) | 3:49 | |
13. | "I Got the Message" (Long Version) | 5:57 | |
14. | "The Safety Dance" (Video Version) | Also known as "Short Version" | 2:44 |
15. | "The Safety Dance" (Club Mix) | Different than "Club Mix" on original 1985 CD | 5:50 |
Musicians
Production
Chart (1982) | Peak Position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums Chart [6] | 15 |
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] | 56 |
US Billboard Chart [8] | 13 |
UK Albums Chart [9] | 96 |
German Albums Chart [10] | 9 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [11] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [12] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide top ten hit, and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including tour dates in support of the release of two studio albums, Men Without Hats Again , in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Ivan Eugene Doroschuk is an American-born Canadian musician. He is the lead vocalist and founding member of Men Without Hats, best known for the songs "The Safety Dance" (1982) and "Pop Goes the World" (1987).
Folk of the 80's (Part III) is the second studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in early 1984. The album reached #127 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. It was the band's final album with the lineup consisting of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Colin Doroschuk (keyboards) and Allan McCarthy (keyboards).
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"The Safety Dance" is a song by Canadian new wave/synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in Canada in 1982 as the second single from Rhythm of Youth. The song was written by lead singer Ivan Doroschuk after he had been ejected from a club for pogo dancing.
Folk of the 80's is an EP released by Canadian synth-pop group Men Without Hats. Recorded in the summer of 1980 at Studio A in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and released later that year, it was their first release.
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"Pop Goes the World" is a song by Canadian new wave and synthpop band Men Without Hats. It was released in October 1987 as the lead single from their third studio album Pop Goes the World. The song reached No. 1 in Austria, No. 2 in Canada, and No. 3 in South Africa. It was originally written as an electronic instrumental. The song has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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