Strange Charm

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It was a hard album to finish. The career problems created a dreadful atmosphere to write in because it felt like everything I was doing was for nothing... I knew I wanted a dark and dreamy sound for Strange Charm. However, I didn't quite know in which direction I wanted to take my songwriting. I was also running out of things to write about. There were quite a few arguments and the studio atmosphere was unusually tense and bad-tempered. At one point I had three different versions of a song on the 24-track and I couldn't decide which way I wanted to go. [4]

Not only did Numan find it very difficult to create the kind of sound that he wanted for Strange Charm, but the protracted recording sessions resulted in the album being recorded in its entirety twice, diluting Numan's enthusiasm for the finished product.[ citation needed ]

After initial plans of a September release, [3] Strange Charm was finally released in late October 1986, many months after singles from the album had been released. "This Is Love" was released in April and peaked at No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart; "I Can't Stop" was released in June and reached No. 27, and the original version of "New Thing from London Town" was released as a Sharpe & Numan single in October and reached No. 52. The lack of radio airplay for these singles made Numan desillusioned about releasing further singles from the album. [3] The next single "I Still Remember", was a remake of a song from Numan's previous studio album The Fury (1985). Released as a charity single for the RSPCA, "I Still Remember" reached No. 74 on the UK Singles Chart. The Strange Charm album itself peaked at No. 59 on the UK Albums Chart, and spent only two weeks in the Top 75. [5]

For the visual look of Strange Charm, Numan abandoned the white suit-clad persona of The Fury and instead dyed his hair blond (again) and wore a Blade Runner -esque long leather jacket and sunglasses. Blade Runner was also the influence for one of the B-sides of the album, "Time to Die", which takes its title and most of its lyrical content from Roy Batty's dying speech during the climax scene of the film. Strange Charm is the third of five Numan studio albums to feature saxophonist Dick Morrissey, who performed on the Blade Runner (1982) film score. Vocal samples from the film can also be heard on Numan's studio albums The Fury (1985) and Outland (1991). Numan has referred to Blade Runner as "one of my all-time favourite films." [6]

Numan did not support Strange Charm with a live tour (making it his first studio album since 1981's Dance not to be supported by a concert tour). However, Numan embarked on the 18-date "Exhibition Tour" in September 1987 to promote the compilation album Exhibition . A live album, Ghost , was culled from the final two shows of the tour (25–26 September 1987) and released in March 1988. Ghost features live versions of several Strange Charm tracks.

Different releases

Strange Charm was originally released exclusively in the UK. The original cassette release featured "Time to Die" as an extra track at the end of side one.[ citation needed ] The album saw its first CD reissue on Numan's own Numa label in 1991. It was reissued again in 1996. In 1999 the album was reissued in the UK by Eagle Records in remastered form, with five tracks originally released as B-sides as bonus tracks (including "Time to Die"), new artwork and liner notes. In the same year it was also released in the US by Cleopatra Records, who dropped two of the instrumental bonus tracks of the UK reissue in favour of the extended mixes of "New Thing from London Town" and "I Can't Stop". Additionally the US release used a modified version of the original cover and did not feature liner notes.[ citation needed ]

Track listing

All tracks written by Gary Numan, except for "New Thing from London Town", which has music by Bill Sharpe and lyrics by Numan.

1986 release

  1. "My Breathing" – 6:39
  2. "Unknown and Hostile" – 4:29
  3. "The Sleeproom" – 5:19
  4. "New Thing from London Town" – 5:57
  5. "I Can't Stop" – 5:50
  6. "Strange Charm" – 5:03
  7. "The Need" – 7:07
  8. "This Is Love" – 4:32

1999 Cleopatra US CD reissue (CLP 0534-2)

  1. "My Breathing" – 6:36
  2. "Unknown and Hostile" – 4:31
  3. "The Sleeproom" – 5:19
  4. "New Thing from London Town" – 5:56
  5. "I Can't Stop" – 5:48
  6. "Strange Charm" – 5:00
  7. "The Need" – 7:07
  8. "This Is Love" – 4:31
  9. "New Thing from London Town" (12" Version) – 7:57
  10. "Time to Die" – 4:19
  11. "I Can't Stop" (10" Version) – 6:38
  12. "Faces" – 4:54
  13. "Survival" – 5:12

1999 Eagle Records CD reissue (EAMCD074)

  1. "My Breathing" – 6:39
  2. "Unknown and Hostile" – 4:29
  3. "The Sleeproom" – 5:19
  4. "New Thing from London Town" – 5:57
  5. "I Can't Stop" – 5:50
  6. "Strange Charm" – 5:03
  7. "The Need" – 7:07
  8. "This Is Love" – 4:32
  9. "Survival" – 5:14
  10. "Faces" – 4:54
  11. "Time to Die" – 4:18
  12. "River" – 3:32
  13. "Mistasax (2)" – 3:08

Personnel

Adapted from the Strange Charm liner notes. [7]

Musicians

Production and artwork

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References

  1. ↑ Raggett, Ned. Strange Charm at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Twomey, Chris (8 November 1986). "Albums". Record Mirror . p. 12. ISSN   0144-5804.
  3. 1 2 3 Jenkins, Mark (August 1986). "Just Can't Stop". Sound On Sound.
  4. ↑ Praying to the Aliens: An Autobiography by Gary Numan with Steve Malins. (1997, André Deutsch Limited), p. 211
  5. ↑ "Gary Numan". Official Charts Company.
  6. ↑ Praying to the Aliens: An Autobiography by Gary Numan with Steve Malins. (1997, André Deutsch Limited), p. 210
  7. ↑ Strange Charm (CD booklet). Gary Numan. Numa Records. 1986.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Strange Charm
StrangeCharmOrig.jpg
Studio album by
Gary Numan
ReleasedOctober 1986
Recorded1986
StudioRock City Sound Studios (London)
Genre
Length44:56
Label Numa
Producer
  • Gary Numan
  • The Wave Team
  • Ade Orange
  • Bill Sharpe
  • Nick Smith
Gary Numan chronology
The Fury
(1985)		Strange Charm
(1986)		 Metal Rhythm
(1988)
Alternative cover
StrangeCharm.jpg
1999 UK reissue cover
Albums with Tubeway Army
Studio albums
Collaborations
Live albums
Singles
Soundtracks
Compilations
Related articles
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