The Innocents | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 10 April 1988 | |||
Recorded | Fall 1987 | |||
Studio | Blackwing, Swanyard (London) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:08 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer |
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Erasure chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Innocents | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
NME | 7/10 [4] |
Number One | [5] |
Record Collector | [6] |
Record Mirror | 4+1⁄2/5 [7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Smash Hits | 7+1⁄2/10 [9] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [10] |
The Innocents is the third studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 10 April 1988 by Sire and Reprise Records in the United States and on 18 April 1988 by Mute Records in Germany and the United Kingdom. Produced by Stephen Hague, it was the release that made Erasure superstars in their home country of the UK and gave them their breakthrough in the US.
The Innocents became the first in a string of number-one albums by Erasure in the UK, turning double platinum with sales over 600,000. Thanks to heavy exposure on MTV, it also spawned two major Billboard Hot 100 hits, a Top 50 placing on the Billboard 200 and Platinum album certification in the US. According to Nielsen SoundScan, 23 years after its release the album has sold a total of 5 million copies worldwide. It is their best selling album to date.
The album was remastered and re-released on 26 October 2009 to celebrate its 21st anniversary. Prefaced by an EP of remixes led by album track "Phantom Bride", the 21st Anniversary Edition came in a couple of flavours including a limited edition two CD/DVD set, packed inside a CD-sized 20-page hardback book that includes interviews with Vince Clarke and Andy Bell about the making of the record and their thoughts on all the tracks.
The second CD includes various rarities, including the 7″ version of the duo's take on "River Deep, Mountain High" and US-specific remixes of "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect" that were not released in the UK singles box set.
The album cover image derives from the stained glass window of St. James and Charlemagne, in Chartres Cathedral. [11]
All tracks written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, except where noted.
Same as above
The Innocents Live – NEC Birmingham 15/11/88
The Innocents at the BBC
The Innocents – Promotional videos
The Innocents Live – Downloads
Subsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World . All titles were pressed and distributed by Play It Again Sam on 180-gram vinyl and shrinkwrapped with a custom anniversary sticker.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [34] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1984, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.
The Circus is the second studio album by the English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 30 March 1987 by Mute Records in Germany and the United Kingdom and on 7 July 1987 by Sire Records in the United States. It was Erasure's second consecutive album to be produced by Flood.
The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by British pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989 by Fontana Records. It retained the band's epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque pop. Its lengthy production and scrapped recording sessions cost over £1 million. The album spawned the title hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love," as well as "Woman in Chains," and "Advice for the Young at Heart", both of which reached the top 40 in several countries.
Chorus is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 14 October 1991 by Mute Records in Germany and the UK and on 15 October 1991 by Sire/Reprise Records in the United States. In 1999, Ned Raggett ranked the album at number 45 in his list of "The Top 136 or So Albums of the Nineties".
I Say I Say I Say is the sixth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in 1994 by Mute Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. The album was produced by Martyn Ware, who was a founding member of veteran synthpop groups the Human League and Heaven 17.
Crackers International is a Christmas EP released by English synth-pop duo Erasure in November 1988, in between the albums The Innocents (1988) and Wild! (1989). The EP reached number-one in Denmark and Argentina, and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Wild! is the fourth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure. Released in 1989, it was the follow-up album to their 1988 breakthrough The Innocents. The album was produced by Erasure, along with Gareth Jones and Mark Saunders and released by Mute Records in the UK and Sire Records in the US.
Pop! The First 20 Hits is a greatest hits collection from Erasure, released on 16 November 1992 in Germany and the UK and 24 November 1992 in the United States. The album utilises a straightforward format: all of Erasure's singles up to that point, sequenced in chronological order with the addition of the Hamburg Mix of Erasure's first ever single, "Who Needs Love ".
Erasure is the seventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 23 October 1995 by Mute Records. It was produced by Thomas Fehlmann and Gareth Jones.
Cowboy is the eighth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 31 March 1997 by Mute Records. In the United States, it was released by Madonna's former label Maverick Records. Cowboy was produced by Gareth Jones and Neil McLellan and marked the band's return to more simplistic three-minute synth-pop music.
EBX is a series of box sets released by English synth-pop duo Erasure, collecting material originally released on 12″, cassette, CD, and DVD singles, released in the UK by Mute Records between 1999 and 2021. Seven volumes of EBX have been released. EBX1 and EBX2 were released in 1999, then EBX3 and EBX4 in 2001. EBX5 refers to the retrospective box set From Moscow to Mars, released in 2016. The standard EBX series resumed in 2018 with the release of EBX6, followed by EBX7 in 2019 and EBX8 in 2021.
Automatic is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 9 October 1989 by Blanco y Negro Records. The group on this record consists of the core duo of brothers William and Jim Reid, with a drum machine providing percussion and synthesised bass. The only other credited musician was Richard Thomas, who joined the touring version of the Jesus and Mary Chain as a drummer. Thomas drummed on "Gimme Hell" and was a former member of Dif Juz. He also made appearances on Cocteau Twins' 1986 album Victorialand and This Mortal Coil's 1986 album Filigree & Shadow.
Erasure are an English synth-pop duo that have released 19 studio albums, six live albums, nine compilation albums, seven box sets, 14 extended plays, 62 singles, 14 video albums and 50 music videos. Erasure consists of keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell.
"Chains of Love" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in May 1988 as their ninth single overall. It was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, and released by Mute Records as the second single from Erasure's third studio album, The Innocents (1988). In the United States, Sire Records released it as the first single. The chorus is memorable for Bell's use of falsetto. The album version was produced by Stephen Hague and was slightly remixed for its single release. The accompanying music video featured Clarke and Bell performing the song while being hoisted through the air by thick, metal chains.
"A Little Respect" is a song written and recorded by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in September 1988 by Mute. It was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. The lyrics are a plea to a lover to show compassion and respect. The heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell's vocal falsetto in the chorus. It was their tenth single and was taken from their third studio album, The Innocents (1988). Known as one of their signature songs, the single reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and was Erasure's second consecutive top-20 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it made number 14, and reached number two on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart.
Singles is the first greatest hits album by English singer Alison Moyet, released on 22 May 1995 by Columbia Records. The album includes two previously unreleased tracks, Moyet's version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Solid Wood", as well as a number of hits from the singer's stint in 1980s synth-pop duo Yazoo.
Tears Roll Down is a greatest hits album by the English pop/rock band Tears for Fears. It was released on 2 March 1992 by Fontana Records. Preceded by the single "Laid So Low ", the album contains the band's UK and international top-20 singles. It has been certified double platinum in the United Kingdom, platinum in the United States, and gold in several other countries including Canada, France and Germany.
Total Pop! The First 40 Hits is a greatest hits collection from Erasure, released on 23 February 2009 by Mute Records. The album utilizes a straightforward format: all of Erasure's singles up to that point, sequenced in chronological order. This is a continuation of the format used in Erasure's 1992 hits collection Pop! The First 20 Hits.
Innocents is the second concert video release by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in 1989 and recorded at the NEC Arena, Birmingham on 15 November 1988. It was recorded in the latter stages of the band's tour of their third studio album The Innocents. Unlike the studio album, the definite article ("the") is omitted from the video title. Originally only available on VHS, the video features 14 songs recorded at the concert, including performances of tracks from Wonderland, The Circus and the Crackers International EP. Only 4 of the included tracks are songs from The Innocents.
Always: The Very Best of Erasure is a compilation album released by English synth-pop duo Erasure. It was released on 30 October 2015 to commemorate their 30th anniversary since the formation of the band. The album contains all of the band's highest charting songs, as well as their more popular recordings. The deluxe edition contains two additional CDs with corresponding remixes, including some of their singles that did not make the compilation. It is available through Lexer Music, Amazon and iTunes. The band's members, Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, announced that this will kick off a campaign to celebrate their thirty years in the music industry together. The compilation followed the release of the first and only single from the album, entitled "Sometimes 2015", a re-vamped version of the original single mixed by David Wrench. The single was released on 23 October 2015, and contains a mixture of previously released remixes of Sometimes as well as a new remix by Love to Infinity.