Sold (Boy George album)

Sold
Studio album by Boy George
Released	15 June 1987 [1]
Recorded	1986
Studio	AIR, Montserrat RAK, London
Genre	Dance-pop [2]
Length	43:50
Label	Virgin
Producer	Stewart Levine Glen Skinner
Boy George chronology
Sold (1987) Tense Nervous Headache (1988)
Singles from Sold
"Everything I Own" Released: 23 February 1987 [3] "Keep Me in Mind" Released: 26 May 1987 [4] "Sold" Released: July 1987 "To Be Reborn" Released: November 1987

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

Sold is the debut solo studio album by English singer Boy George, released in 1987 by Virgin Records. The album includes George's cover of "Everything I Own", which reached number one in the United Kingdom, ^[5] Ireland, ^[6] and Norway, ^[7] and the top 10 in several other countries.

Background

Sold was released following the breakup of George's band Culture Club in 1986 and his subsequent recovery from drug addiction. ^[8]

Commercial performance

The album was successful in Europe, but failed to sell as well in the United States, reaching only No. 145 on the Billboard 200. ^[9] The album got good reviews. ^[10]

Singles

Following on from the success of "Everything I Own", three further singles were released from the album: "Keep Me in Mind" (UK No. 29), the title track "Sold" (UK No. 24) and "To Be Reborn" (UK No. 13). ^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sold"	George O'Dowd Vic Martin Lamont Dozier	3:55
2.	"I Asked for Love"	O'Dowd Dozier	4:43
3.	"Keep Me in Mind"	O'Dowd Glenn Nightingale Jocelyn Brown	4:05
4.	"Everything I Own"	David Gates	3:53
5.	"Freedom"	O'Dowd Martin Richie Stevens	3:49
6.	"Just Ain't Enough"	O'Dowd Dozier	4:18
7.	"Where Are You Now (When I Need You)"	O'Dowd Glenn Skinner Stevens Martin Nightingale Ian Maidman Paul "Wix" Wickens	4:17
8.	"Little Ghost"	Kevin Mooney Marco Pirroni	3:14
9.	"Next Time"	David Lasley	3:28
10.	"We've Got the Right"	O'Dowd Martin Stevens	3:47
11.	"To Be Reborn"	O'Dowd Dozier	4:26

Singles

• "Everything I Own"/"Use Me"
• "Keep Me in Mind"/"State of Love" (+ "I Pray '87" on the 12" maxi single)
• "Sold"/“Are You Too Afraid?”
• "To Be Reborn"/"Where Are You Now (When I Need You?)"

B-sides

• "Use Me" – (O'Dowd, Martin, Stevens)
• "State of Love" (Edit & Extended Mix) – (O'Dowd, Roy Hay, Phil Pickett)
• "I Pray '87" – (O'Dowd, Hay, Jon Moss, Mikey Craig, Pickett)
• "Are You Too Afraid" – (Hay, O'Dowd)

Other songs

• "Let It Be" (with Ferry Aid) (Lennon/McCartney) – 6:08
• "The Wishing Well" (with GOSH!) (Chris Copping) – 5:30
• "Live My Life" (from the Hiding Out soundtrack)

Personnel

Musicians

• Boy George – lead male vocals
• Helen Terry – female vocals
• Richie Stevens – drums, percussion
• Vic Martin – keyboards
• Glenn Nightingale – guitars and background vocals
• Ian Maidman – bass
• Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards and rhythm arrangement on tracks 2, 6 & 11
• Michael Timothy – keyboards
• Juliet Roberts – backing vocals
• Carroll Thompson – backing vocals
• Captain Crucial (Amos Pizzey) – toastin'
• Lorenzo Hall – backing vocals
• Jerry Hey – arranging strings and horns ^[11]

Production

• Stewart Levine – production
• Glenn Skinner – sound engineer; production on track 10
• Steve Reece – assistant sound engineer
• Malcolm Garrett per Assorted iMaGes – sleeve
• Paul Gobel, Johnny Rozsa, Bill Ling – photography

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1987) Peak position Dutch Albums Chart [12] 51 Italian Albums Chart [13] 4 Norwegian Albums Chart [7] 15 Swedish Albums Chart [14] 18 Swiss Albums Chart [15] 15 UK Albums Chart [16] 29 US Billboard 200 145

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI) [17] Silver 60,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Country	Year	Label	Format	Catalogue
United Kingdom	1987	Virgin Records	CD	CDV 2430
			MC	MCV 2430
			LP	V 2430

References

1. Andy Strickland, ed. (13 June 1987). "Index". Record Mirror . p. 5. ISSN   0144-5804.
2. link
3. "New Singles". Music Week . 21 February 1987. p. 38.
4. "New Singles". Music Week . 23 May 1987. p. 37.
5. "Boy George - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
6. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
7. "norwegiancharts.com - Discography Boy George". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
8. "BBC News - Entertainment - More Karma from Boy George". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
9. "Album Search for "sold"". AllMusic .
10. HUNT, DENNIS (22 June 1987). "Pop Album Review : Boy George 'Sold' On Romantic Side". Los Angeles Times.
11. "Sold – Boy George – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic .
12. "Discografie Boy George - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
13. "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1987". www.hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
14. "swedishcharts.com - Discography Boy George". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
15. "Boy George - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
16. "Boy George – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com .
17. "British album certifications – Boy George – Sold". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 25 October 2018.

External links

• Lyrically Speaking: Web page including all the lyrics to the Sold album, the lyrics of its singles, B-sides, "The Wishing Well" and "Let It Be", as well as all lyrics to the songs by Culture Club, Boy George, Jesus Loves You and related projects.