| The Spell | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 25, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996-1997 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 46:14 | |||
| Label | Tox | |||
| Producer | John Punter | |||
| Ivan Doroschuk chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
The Spell is a 1997 solo album by singer and songwriter Ivan Doroschuk, the leader of Men Without Hats, recording as "Ivan."
The release and songwriting credits for The Spell used only Doroschuk's first name.
The Spell was the only solo album that Doroschuk released. He recorded demos for an intended solo follow-up, Mote in God's Eye , some of which were worked into the 2003 album No Hats Beyond This Point and released under the name of Men Without Hats.[ citation needed ]
Two singles from the album, "Open Your Eyes" and "Superbadgirls", were released with music videos.
Writing for AllMusic, Aaron Badgley wrote that the album was a "disappointing affair", referring to "Superbadgirls" as "embarrassing." He nevertheless described the title track and "Open Your Eyes" as "highlights." [1]
All songs written by Ivan Doroschuk, except as noted.
Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their American-born Canadian lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide Top Ten hit and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The reformed group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including a European tour in 2015 and Australia in 2016.
Ivan Eugene Doroschuk, born 9 October 1957, is a Canadian musician. He is the lead vocalist and founding member of Men Without Hats, with the hit song "The Safety Dance".
Rhythm of Youth is the debut studio album by Canadian new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in April 1982 by Statik Records in Europe and Canada and in 1983 by Backstreet Records in the US. It propelled them to fame with its second single, "The Safety Dance". It was released under the Statik Records label in Canada, distributed by Warner Music Canada where it achieved Platinum status for sales of 100,000 units.
Folk of the 80s is the second studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in early 1984. The album reached #127 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. It was the band's final album with the lineup consisting of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Colin Doroschuk (keyboards) and Allan McCarthy (keyboards).
Pop Goes the World is the third studio album by Canadian new wave band Men Without Hats, released in 1987. It contained the single "Pop Goes the World", which reached the top twenty in Canada and the United States. The album went Platinum in Canada.
The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, often shortened to In the 21st Century, is the fourth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in 1989. It was the second and last album to be released with the lineup of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Marika Tjelios (bass), Heidi Garcia, Richard Samson (drums) and Bruce Murphy (keyboards), which was also the lineup that toured to promote the previous album Pop Goes the World.
Sideways is the fifth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released on 30 April 1991, it featured a new sound based around electric guitars instead of the group's normal use of synthesizers. It was the second album to be recorded at Hudson Studios in New York and produced by bassist Stefan Doroschuk, with Mike Scott as co-producer.
No Hats Beyond this Point is the sixth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released in 2003, it was their first album in twelve years. After the release of the album, the group broke up. It was the group's third and final album to be produced by Stefan Doroschuk.
"The Safety Dance" is a song by Canadian new wave/synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in Canada in 1982 as the second single from Rhythm of Youth. The song was written by lead singer Ivan Doroschuk after he had been kicked out of a club for pogo dancing.
Folk of the 80's is an EP released by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Recorded in the summer of 1980 at Studio A in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and released later that year, it was their first release.
Angel Rat is the sixth studio album released by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. Produced by Terry Brown of Rush fame, it was released in 1991 by Mechanic/MCA Records and is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed release, 1989's Nothingface. On this album, Voivod adopted a more alternative/progressive/psychedelic rock sound, as opposed to the progressive metal of Nothingface and the thrash metal of previous releases. A music video was made for the song "Clouds in My House".
"Pop Goes the World" is a song recorded by Canadian new wave/synthpop group Men Without Hats. It was released in October 1987 as the lead single from the album of the same name. The song reached Number 1 in Austria, and No. 2 in Canada and Sweden. The song has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Freeways is the second EP released by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. It was released in Canada only, and for a limited time. Released in 1985, it contains songs originally released on the group's 1980 EP Folk of the 80's, plus several versions of the song "Freeways".
"Hey Men" is a song from Canadian new wave/synthpop band Men Without Hats' fourth album, The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, released as the album's first single in 1989.
Live Hats is a concert released on DVD by Canadian new wave/synthpop group Men Without Hats. It was recorded in Montreal on August 8, 1985, televised later on MuchMusic, and eventually released in 2006.
My Hats Collection is a compilation album by Canadian new wave/synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in 2006. The compilation is notable for including "Tomorrow Today", a song by a pre-Men Without Hats band called Heaven 17, which featured Ivan Doroschuk on keyboards, and "Gravity is My Enemy", a song from the original demo tape that got the group signed to Statik.
"Open Your Eyes" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1997 album of the same name. It was a rock radio hit for the band, reaching number 33 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It would also be the only song from the Open Your Eyes album that would be performed live regularly during the subsequent tour.
Love in the Age of War, released in 2012, is the seventh studio album by Canadian new wave group Men Without Hats.
"Sideways" is the first single by Canadian new wave/synthpop band Men Without Hats from the album of the same name, released in 1991.
James Love is a Canadian guitarist from British Columbia. From 2010 to 2016, he was a member of the Canadian new wave/synthpop band Men Without Hats.