Runaway Horses (album)

Last updated

Runaway Horses
RunawayHorses.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 3, 1989 (1989-10-03)
Recorded1988–1989
Studio
Genre Pop rock
Length47:57
Label MCA
Producer Rick Nowels
Belinda Carlisle chronology
Heaven on Earth
(1987)
Runaway Horses
(1989)
Live Your Life Be Free
(1991)
Singles from Runaway Horses
  1. "Leave a Light On"
    Released: September 1989
  2. "(We Want) the Same Thing"
    Released: October 1989
  3. "La Luna"
    Released: December 1989
  4. "Summer Rain"
    Released: January 1990
  5. "Runaway Horses"
    Released: February 1990
  6. "Vision of You"
    Released: May 1990

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.

Contents

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.

Reception and chart performance

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
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.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(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

Personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Runaway Horses
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [32] 2× Platinum140,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [33] Platinum100,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [34] Gold50,000^
Sweden (GLF) [35] Gold50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [36] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] 2× Platinum600,000^
United States (RIAA) [38] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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