Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1988 [1] | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 1:03:38 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Heaven 17 | |||
Heaven 17 chronology | ||||
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Singles from Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho | ||||
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Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho is the fifth studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in September 1988 by Virgin Records, the band's last studio album for the label.
The album was not a commercial success and failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. [2] The lead single "The Ballad of Go Go Brown" peaked at number 91 in the UK Singles Chart and the second, "Train of Love in Motion", failed to chart. [3]
Speaking to International Musician and Recording World magazine in 1988, Ware said of Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho: "This is the album that should have been made between Penthouse and Pavement and The Luxury Gap . A lot of the lyrical content is similar to side two of Penthouse." [4] Comparing the album's greater use of synthesisers and sampling than the more organic Pleasure One (1986), Ware commented: "We decided that our strength lay in synthetic manipulation. We've actually absorbed the potential of sampling technology more than most bands. We're using it as a replacement and enhancement for real instruments, rather than as a little gimmick that's thrown in." [4] The album's cover art is reminiscent of promotional material for the 1969 New York-based film Midnight Cowboy . [5]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Upon release, Music & Media commented: "After the lacklustre performance of their previous LP, Heaven 17 seem to have recovered some of the joie de vivre that made them so popular. The material now is more organic, lots of funky guitars and more than the occasional flash of 60s Motown in the sound and arrangements." [7] Julian Baggini of the Reading Evening Post wrote: "Heaven 17's new album doesn't exactly break new ground, but tracks like "Big Square People" and "Responsibility" have the potential to attract big sales, simply by being fine examples of their type. For fans of Heaven 17, it will suffice that the band are continuing to do what they do well." [8] Robin Denselow of The Guardian commented: "For those who want well-crafted British pop that's quirky and throw-away, there's Heaven 17. [The album is] a professional, sturdy collection of songs that mix funk and white soul with slick production work and the deep relaxed and very English vocals of Glenn Gregory." [9]
The Journal stated: "I tried to like this. A chorus in one of the songs goes, "You got to sound like you mean it", and frankly the Sheffield lads don't, and sound like they want to take the money and run." [10] Victoria Thieberger of Australian newspaper The Age wrote: "This album confirms a long, slow slide for Heaven 17. Since their pioneering synthpop on Penthouse and Pavement, the band has descended into the banal. Most of this album is irritatingly repetitive: doubtful lyrics chanted to an overbearing disco beat." Thieberger highlighted "The Ballad of Go-Go Brown" and "Don't Stop for No One" as the two standout tracks. [11]
Dale Winnitowy of the Canadian Surrey Leader commented: "Full bodied production ties together glamorous soul and plenty of funky rumble-tumble rhythms. A strong album from Heaven 17, who I had thought were out for the count." [12] In a retrospective review, Aaron Badgley of AllMusic considered the album to be "somewhat disappointing" compared to the band's previous two studio albums, adding: "This release saw Heaven 17 attempting to mix pop with R&B. But with all of the highlights, the CD just does not hold together well. The songs are overlong and the production is so slick that the melodies get lost in the mix." [6]
All tracks are written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Big Square People" | 4:29 |
2. | "Don't Stop for No One" | 3:48 |
3. | "Snake and Two People" | 3:49 |
4. | "Can You Hear Me?" | 3:35 |
5. | "Hot Blood" | 4:25 |
6. | "The Ballad of Go Go Brown" | 3:42 |
7. | "Dangerous" | 3:58 |
8. | "I Set You Free" | 5:08 |
9. | "Train of Love in Motion" | 4:45 |
10. | "Responsibility" | 4:44 |
No. | Title | Length |
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11. | "Work" | 3:36 |
12. | "Giving Up" | 3:00 |
13. | "The Last Seven Days" | 4:08 |
14. | "The Foolish Thing to Do" | 3:35 |
15. | "Slow All Over" | 6:39 |
Total length: | 1:03:38 |
Heaven 17
Additional musicians
Other personnel
Chart (1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] | 46 |
Heaven 17 are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of former Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) with vocalist Glenn Gregory.
Penthouse and Pavement is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in September 1981 by Virgin Records.
Glenn Peter Gregory is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the new wave and synthpop band Heaven 17, which released several UK chart hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including “Temptation”, “Let Me Go”, “Come Live with Me”, “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry”, “Sunset Now”, “This Is Mine”, and “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang”
The Luxury Gap is the second studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 25 April 1983 by Virgin Records. It is the band's best-selling studio album, peaking at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart – eventually becoming the 17th best-selling album of the year – and being certified platinum by the BPI in 1984.
"Temptation" is a single by British band Heaven 17 featuring Carol Kenyon, originally released in April 1983 by Virgin Records, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. This was the second single to be taken from their second album, The Luxury Gap (1983), after "Let Me Go" in November 1982. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by B.E.F. and Greg Walsh. The music video for the song was directed by Steve Barron. "Temptation" was certified silver by the BPI in May 1983, for sales exceeding 250,000 copies.
Before After is the seventh studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was originally released in September 2005, on the label Ninthwave, nine years after their previous album, Bigger Than America.
Pleasure One is the fourth studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 17 November 1986 by Virgin Records. It was the band's last studio album chart entry within the UK Top 100.
Bigger Than America is the sixth studio album by the English synthpop band Heaven 17. It was originally released in September 1996, on the label Eye of the Storm, eight years after their previous album, Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho.
"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" is a song by British synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was their debut single, released on 6 March 1981, and the lead single from their debut studio album, Penthouse and Pavement (1981). It was a minor hit in the UK in 1981, despite being banned by the BBC. It was also a minor dance hit in the US. It developed from an instrumental, "Groove Thang", that Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh created earlier that year for Music for Stowaways, an album they released as British Electric Foundation.
"The Ballad of Go Go Brown" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1988 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho. The song was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. "The Ballad of Go Go Brown" reached No. 91 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.
"Trouble" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1987 as the second and final single from their fourth studio album Pleasure One. It was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. The song peaked at No. 51 in the UK and spent four weeks on the chart. It was a bigger success in Germany where it reached No. 17.
"Contenders" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1986 as the first single from their fourth studio album Pleasure One. It was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. The song reached No. 80 in the UK and spent four weeks on the chart. It also reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Singles Chart.
"Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" is a song by the British synthpop band Heaven 17, released in 1983 as the fifth and final single from their second studio album The Luxury Gap. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart and would be the band's last top 20 hit in the UK until 1992's Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Temptation".
"Sunset Now" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1984 as the first single from their third studio album How Men Are. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached No. 24 in the UK, remaining on the charts for six weeks on. A music video was filmed to promote the single.
"This Is Mine" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1984 as the second single from their third studio album How Men Are. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Greg Walsh. The song reached No. 23 in the UK, remaining in the charts for seven weeks. It would be the band's last Top 30 single until 1992's "Temptation "
"...(And That's No Lie)" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1985 as the third single from their third studio album How Men Are. The song was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached number 52 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for five weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single.
"The Foolish Thing to Do" is a song by the British synthpop band Heaven 17 and featuring American singer Jimmy Ruffin. It was released in 1986 as a non-album single. The song was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware and Nick Plytas, and produced by Marsh and Ware.
"Designing Heaven" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1996 as the lead single from their sixth studio album Bigger Than America. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware under their production company British Electric Foundation. The song peaked at No. 128 in the UK. It was the band's first single of new material since 1988. A music video was filmed to promote the single.
"The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" is a song by British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 1982 as the fifth and final single from their debut album Penthouse and Pavement. It was written by Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory, and produced by Ware and Marsh.
Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17 is a compilation album by English new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 1993.