Runaway Horses | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 3, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988–1989 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 47:57 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Producer | Rick Nowels | |||
Belinda Carlisle chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Runaway Horses | ||||
|
Runaway Horses is the third solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on October 3, 1989, by MCA Records. The album features songs written by Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey and a song co-written by Carlisle herself. The album contains an array of guest artists, including George Harrison and Bryan Adams.
The album peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard 200, a considerable fall in sales from Carlisle's 1987 album, Heaven on Earth , but reached number four in the United Kingdom, where it was certified Platinum.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hi-Fi News & Record Review | A:3 [2] |
Smash Hits | 7/10 [3] |
In positive review of November 11, 1989, Rob Garner of RPM called this record "a very well packaged group effort." He resumed: "Any one of these chorus-with-a-hook tracks could find play." [4]
AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the album as being not as strong as Heaven on Earth but still generally likeable and appealing. [1] The album made its debut on the Billboard 200 on October 21, 1989, and after seven weeks of slowly moving up the charts reached its peak position of number 37, a lower position than her previous two albums. The album spent a total of 25 weeks on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Runaway Horses was Carlisle's last album to chart in the United States. [5]
The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart on November 4, 1989, at number four, which was the album's peak position, matching that of her previous album. [6] The album moved down and back up the chart over the next 18 months and re-entered the top 10 in 1991. Five singles from the album entered the UK Top 40, two of which reached Top 10. The album spent a total of 39 weeks in the UK Top 100 [7] and was certified Platinum by the BPI. Carlisle was presented with her Platinum disc live on the Saturday morning children's television show Going Live! on BBC One.
The album was also a success in Australia; it peaked at number six and was certified double Platinum becoming the 24th best-selling album of 1990. [8]
Six singles were released from Runaway Horses and were successful in most markets, with the album giving Carlisle four more international top ten hits. "Leave a Light On" was the first song released from the album and became a top ten hit around the world including the UK, where it hit number four (and was certified Silver), Australia, where it hit number five, and Canada, where it hit number six. The song narrowly missed the top ten in the United States peaking at number 11. In Japan, "(We Want) The Same Thing" was released alongside "Leave a Light on" as the lead single in October 1989; [9] [10] when issued in the UK the following year, it became her fifth top ten single. "La Luna" was the third song released from the album and became a top 40 hit in Australia and the UK, also becoming her third top ten in Switzerland.
"Summer Rain" was the fourth song released and became a top ten hit in Australia and a top 30 hit in the US (where it was released as the second single) and the UK (where it was released as the sixth single in December 1990). "Runaway Horses" was the fifth single released but was not as successful as the previous singles, only managing to reach number 40 in the UK. "Vision of You" was the sixth song released and became the lowest-charting single on the album only peaking at number 41 in the UK, and a re-release in 1991 reached 71.
Runaway Horses was re-released on August 26, 2013, in a 2CD+DVD casebook edition from Edsel Recording (EDSG 8026) featuring the original album remastered, the single versions, remixes and B-sides. The DVD features the videos from the album and an exclusive interview with Carlisle discussing the album. [11]
Runaway Horses 30th Anniversary Edition was released in 2019 to coincide with her Runaway Horses 30th Anniversary Tour. This version features the 27 tracks from the 2013 re-release without the DVD, plus three new cover recordings: Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind", Elton John's "I Need You to Turn To" and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". The digital download features all 30 tracks and the Deluxe Edition is a 4LP+CD Box Set.
All tracks are written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Leave a Light On" | 4:37 | |
2. | "Runaway Horses" | 4:42 | |
3. | "Vision of You" | 4:40 | |
4. | "Summer Rain" |
| 5:25 |
5. | "La Luna" | 4:43 | |
6. | "(We Want) The Same Thing" | 4:03 | |
7. | "Deep Deep Ocean" | 4:05 | |
8. | "Valentine" |
| 5:03 |
9. | "Whatever It Takes" | 4:47 | |
10. | "Shades of Michaelangelo" |
| 5:52 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [32] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [33] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [34] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [35] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [36] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [38] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and arranger. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists and albums his songs have appeared on have sold over 250 million copies. In 2020, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.
Heart of Stone is the nineteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on June 19, 1989 by Geffen Records. As of January 1991, the album has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. The album was supported by Cher's 1989–1990 Heart of Stone Tour.
The One is the twenty-third studio album by British recording artist Elton John, released on 22 June 1992. It was recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Chris Thomas and managed by John Reid. The album was dedicated to Vance Buck, and its cover artwork was designed by Gianni Versace.
Come on Feel the Lemonheads is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band the Lemonheads. It was released on October 12, 1993. Produced by The Robb Brothers, the band lineup consisted of Evan Dando, Nic Dalton and David Ryan (drums), along with former bassist Juliana Hatfield singing backing vocals on several tracks. The album was written by Dando and his songwriting partner Tom Morgan. Following the success of their prior album, It's a Shame About Ray, the band had attracted considerable media attention as alternative rock darlings, and some big-name guest musicians appeared on the album as well, including the Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle and funk musician Rick James. The song "Into Your Arms", a cover version of a song written and recorded previously by Dalton's former band, became the Lemonheads' biggest charting hit.
Cross Road is the first official greatest hits album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on October 11, 1994, by Mercury Records. The album contains hits from all previously released albums from their debut, Bon Jovi (1984) to Keep the Faith (1992). The album also features two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" entitled "Prayer '94" available only on the North American versions.
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 is the second and final studio album by the Traveling Wilburys, a group consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. It was released on October 29, 1990, as the follow-up to their 1988 debut, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. The band members again adopted pseudonyms for their contributions, using new names from the fictitious Wilbury brothers.
Everything is the third studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released on October 18, 1988 through Columbia Records.
Foreign Affair is the seventh solo studio album by Tina Turner, released on September 13, 1989, through Capitol Records. It was Turner's third album release after her massively successful comeback five years earlier with Private Dancer and her third and last album with the label. Although the album was not a major success in Turner's native United States, it was a huge international hit, especially in Europe. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, her first number one album there. Dan Hartman produced most of the tracks on the album, including the hit single "The Best", which has gone on to become one of Turner's signature songs.
"Circle in the Sand" is a song recorded by American singer Belinda Carlisle for her second studio album, Heaven on Earth (1987). It was written by Rick Nowels, who also produced it, and Ellen Shipley. "Circle in the Sand" was the third single released from Heaven on Earth in May 1988. It reached number seven, becoming Carlisle's fourth and last top-10 hit in the United States. It also charted at number five in Canada, ending the year as the country's 69th-most-successful single.
"(We Want) The Same Thing" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, it was produced by Nowels for Carlisle's third album, Runaway Horses (1989). In Japan, it was released simultaneously with "Leave a Light On" as the album's lead single on October 21, 1989, while in the United Kingdom, it was issued as the album's fifth single in October 1990. To help promote the single in the UK, Virgin Records released a deluxe 12-inch vinyl box set with free stickers and a picture disc single on CD, in addition to standard formats. The single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and spent 10 weeks in the top 75.
Alannah Myles is the debut album by Canadian singer Alannah Myles, released on March 28, 1989. It includes the worldwide hit single "Black Velvet". The album was a big seller worldwide, and reached number one for two weeks in her native Canada, number 5 on the Billboard 200 in the US and number 3 in the UK Albums Chart. The album cover comes from a photoshoot by Canadian photographer Deborah Samuel.
The solo discography of Belinda Carlisle, an American pop singer, contains eight studio albums, 11 compilations and six video albums. Her singles discography features 32 physical releases, eight digital-only and five promotional releases. She has also made nine other appearances and 31 music videos.
A Woman & a Man is the sixth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in the United Kingdom on September 23, 1996, by Chrysalis Records. The album contains songs written by Rick Nowels, Maria Vidal, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey, Neil Finn and Roxette co-founder Per Gessle who also produced one of the tracks.
"Summer Rain" is a song written by Robbie Seidman and Maria Vidal, produced by Rick Nowels for American singer Belinda Carlisle's third album, Runaway Horses (1989). The power ballad is about a man who goes away to war and leaves his wife, saying that nothing will change—they will be together forever and always. Although the conflict is unidentified, images in the video of a transport aircraft on an airfield and troops parachuting from transport aircraft suggest the man is an airborne soldier. The song is set in the present as his widow sings it, remembering the last time she saw him.
Heaven on Earth is the second solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released on October 5, 1987, by MCA Records. Three singles reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, including the number-one single and Carlisle's signature song "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". The album has been certified triple Platinum in the United Kingdom and Platinum in many countries, including the United States.
Live Your Life Be Free is the fourth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in 1991 by MCA Records in the United States and Virgin Records in the UK. This was the first of Carlisle's albums not to chart on the Billboard charts The album was also the last of hers to produce a U.S. Billboard Hot 100 single. The album fared better in the UK, where it peaked at number seven.
Real is the fifth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on September 29, 1993, by Virgin Records. The album has a genre of mainly pop songs written by Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Ralph Schuckett and half co-written by Carlisle. It was the second Belinda Carlisle album where Rick Nowels had no writing or producing credits and was also Carlisle's first album where she contributed to the producing. The album cover was designed by Tom Dolan and is a departure for Carlisle, who presented a glamorous look on all her previous covers, choosing a "jeans and tee shirt" look instead this time without make-up. The album features a cover version of the Graces' song "Lay Down Your Arms". Former Germs guitarist Pat Smear, as well as Redd Kross members Jeff and Steve McDonald, and The Bangles' Vicki Peterson appear on the record.
"Leave a Light On" is a song written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, produced by Nowels for American rock singer Belinda Carlisle's third solo studio album, Runaway Horses (1989). It was released as the album's lead single in September 1989; in Japan, "(We Want) The Same Thing" was issued as the lead single concurrently with "Leave a Light On" the following month. The single narrowly missed the top 10 in the United States, peaking at number 11. It fared better elsewhere, reaching the top five in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by Peter Care.
Love Is is the eighth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in spring 1992. The album was not released in North America.