Walk Under Ladders

Last updated

Walk Under Ladders
JArmatrading Walk.jpg
Studio album by
Joan Armatrading
Released4 September 1981 (1981-09-04) [1]
RecordedJuly 1981
Studio The Town House (London)
Genre
Length35:16
Label A&M
Producer Steve Lillywhite
Joan Armatrading chronology
Me Myself I
(1980)		Walk Under Ladders
(1981)		 The Key
(1983)
Singles from Walk Under Ladders
  1. "I'm Lucky"
    Released: August 1981
  2. "When I Get It Right"
    Released: October 1981
  3. "No Love"
    Released: January 1982
  4. "I Wanna Hold You"
    Released: February 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Christgau's Record Guide B− [3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Walk Under Ladders is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 4 September 1981 by A&M Records. The album peaked at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. The album peaked at No. 16 in Australia. [5] Two minor hits from the album both fell just short of cracking the UK Top 40: "I'm Lucky", which peaked at No. 46, and "No Love", which peaked at No. 50. [6]

Contents

Background

The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite. Five tracks from the album were released as singles; "I'm Lucky", "When I Get It Right", "No Love", "I Wanna Hold You" and "The Weakness in Me". Thomas Dolby plays most of the synthesizer parts on the album and Andy Partridge of XTC provides guitar on two tracks from the album.

The album was reissued by Cherry Pop in 2010 featuring three bonus tracks.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Joan Armatrading.

Side one

  1. "I'm Lucky" – 3:05
  2. "When I Get It Right" – 3:03
  3. "Romancers" – 3:48
  4. "I Wanna Hold You" – 3:46
  5. "The Weakness in Me" – 3:33

Side two

  2. "No Love" – 3:58
  3. "At the Hop" – 3:26
  4. "I Can't Lie to Myself" – 3:23
  5. "Eating the Bear" – 2:59
  6. "Only One" – 4:15

Bonus tracks on the 2010 reissue

  2. "Shine" – 3:48
  3. "Dollars" – 3:28
  4. "Crying" – 3:23

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Walk Under Ladders liner notes. [7]

Production and artwork

Sales and certifications

Certifications for Walk Under Ladders
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI) [8] Gold50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Armatrading</span> Kittitian-English musician

Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist.

<i>Me Myself I</i> 1980 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Me Myself I is the sixth studio album by British recording artist Joan Armatrading. Released in May 1980, the album was Armatrading's highest ever chart placing both in the UK and in the US. In Australia, the album peaked at number 13. It was certified "Gold" in the UK by the BPI in July 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Weakness in Me</span> 1981 song by Joan Armatrading

"The Weakness in Me" is a song by Joan Armatrading, from her seventh album Walk Under Ladders, released as a single in the US and Netherlands in November 1981. Despite not charting, the song has become one of Armatrading's better-known songs. Armatrading has said "it's about somebody who has an affair and they've fallen for the person that they're having the affair with, but they love the person they were with whilst they were having the affair."

"Love and Affection" is a song by Kittitian-English singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. Her fourth single, and her third for A&M Records, it was her first chart success. It reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1976. One of her best-known recordings, it has been described as a "deceptively feisty ballad ... an instant classic." It appeared on her eponymous third album. The song has twice been used as the title track of compilation albums, for 1999's Love and Affection: The Best of Joan Armatrading and 2003's Love and Affection: Classics 1975–1983.

<i>Joan Armatrading</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Joan Armatrading is the third studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released in 1976 by A&M Records. It was her first album to be recorded entirely in London, as her first two albums – Whatever's for Us and Back to the Night being partially recorded in France and Wales respectively in addition to London.

<i>Rock Me Tonight</i> 1985 studio album by Freddie Jackson

Rock Me Tonight is the platinum selling 1985 debut album from American R&B/Soul singer Freddie Jackson. Released on April 28, 1985, the album yielded four top–10 singles on the U.S. R&B chart, with the first two, "You Are My Lady" and "Rock Me Tonight ", reaching number one. The latter two, "Love Is Just a Touch Away" and "He'll Never Love You", peaked at Nos. 9 and 8, respectively. The album contains a cover of the Billie Holiday classic "Good Morning Heartache". The success of Rock Me Tonight garnered Jackson a Grammy Award nomination in 1986 for Best New Artist, losing out to Sade. Rock Me Tonight went on to top the R&B Albums chart for 14 nonconsecutive weeks, and peaked inside the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Rocky Mountain Music</i> 1976 studio album by Eddie Rabbitt

Rocky Mountain Music is the second studio album by country artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1976 under the Elektra Records label. The album produced three singles: "Drinkin' My Baby ", which became Rabbitt's first number one hit on the Country charts; the title track, which peaked at number 5 and "Two Dollars in the Jukebox", which reached number 3. The song "I Don't Wanna Make Love " was re-recorded for the album Loveline.

<i>Life on the Line</i> 1977 studio album by Eddie and the Hot Rods

Life on the Line is the second studio album by English rock band Eddie and the Hot Rods. The album was mixed by Ed Hollis and Steve Nicol, produced by Ed Hollis, and engineered by Steve Lillywhite. This release is considered a step in the Punk direction for The Rods sound.

<i>The Key</i> (Joan Armatrading album) 1983 studio album by Joan Armatrading

The Key is the eighth studio album by the British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 28 February 1983 by A&M Records (AMLX64912). The album was recorded at Townhouse Studios in Shepherd's Bush, London; Polar Studios in Stockholm and also in New York.

<i>Sleight of Hand</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Sleight of Hand is the tenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 12 May 1986 by A&M Records. It was recorded and produced by Armatrading at Bumpkin Studio, her own purpose built studio in the grounds of her home. The album peaked at No. 34 on the UK Album Charts, No. 70 on the US Billboard 200, and No. 39 in Australia. It was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 60,000 copies.

<i>Square the Circle</i> (Joan Armatrading album) 1992 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Square the Circle is the thirteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. It was released on 8 June 1992 by A&M Records and was Armatrading's last album for the company to whom she had been signed for almost 20 years. It includes her last entry in the UK Singles Chart to date, "Wrapped Around Her", which peaked at number 56.

<i>Whats Inside</i> 1995 studio album by Joan Armatrading

What's Inside is the fourteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. The album was written, arranged and produced by Armatrading, co-produced by David Tickle and recorded at the A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood. The strings were recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, with the Kronos Quartet's contribution recorded at The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, California and The Memphis Horns recorded at Kiva Recording Studio, Memphis, Tennessee. The album was released in 1995 by RCA and was Armatrading's only album for the label. She had left A&M in 1992 after an eighteen-year association with the company.

<i>Into the Blues</i> 2007 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Into the Blues is the sixteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 1 May 2007. The album was recorded by Armatrading at Bumpkin Studios, her own purpose-built studios. It was released on the 429 label (17625) and on the Hypertension label. The album was released in 2008 as a deluxe edition, with a DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Love (Joan Armatrading song)</span> 1982 single by Joan Armatrading

"No Love" is a 1981 song by Joan Armatrading from the album Walk Under Ladders. The single reached No. 50 in the UK Singles Chart on 30 January 1982.

<i>Live: All the Way from America</i> 2004 live album by Joan Armatrading

Live: All the Way from America is a live album by the British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. It was Armatrading's second live album, following the 1979 release of Steppin' Out, and was, therefore, the first live album she had released in twenty-five years. Armatrading was on tour following the release of her 2003 studio album Lovers Speak, and a concert from this tour was recorded on 25 June 2003 at the Lillian Fontaine Garden Theatre in Saratoga, California. The album takes its title from her 1980 song "All the Way from America", which originally appeared on the album Me Myself I. It was released in 2004 on digital format, CD and DVD by Savoy Records / SLG, and re-released in 2009 in CD format on the 429 Records label.

<i>Live at the Royal Albert Hall</i> (Joan Armatrading album) 2011 live album by Joan Armatrading

Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a live album by the British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. It was recorded live on tour in 2010 and 2011, following the release of Armatrading's seventeenth studio album This Charming Life. The album was released as a digital album, CD and DVD by 429 Records / Savoy Jazz (FTN17814).

How Cruel is a 12-inch one-sided EP by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, which was released in November 1979 on A&M. The title track had previously appeared on Armatrading's live album Steppin' Out, which was not released in the US. The EP was released in the US and elsewhere, but not in the UK. It peaked at #19 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1981. The single from this EP was "Rosie"/"How Cruel" (1979/1980), which reached #49 in the UK and #52 in Australia. "Rosie" was included on Armatrading's first compilation album, 1983's Track Record, as well as her 2004 live album Live: All the Way from America. All four tracks from this EP were placed at the start of the second CD of Armatrading's 2003 compilation album Love and Affection: Joan Armatrading Classics (1975–1983).

Master of the Game is the fourteenth studio album by American keyboardist and record producer George Duke. It was released in 1979 through Epic Records. Recording sessions for this full-length album took place at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The album features contributions from vocalists Lynn Davis, Josie James and Napoleon Murphy Brock, guitarists David Myles, Ray Obiedo and Roland Bautista, bassists Byron Miller and Freddie Washington, drummer Ricky Lawson, percussionist Sheila Escovedo, trombonist Bill Reichenbach, trumpeters Jerry Hey and Gary Grant, and saxophonist Gary Herbig.

"Me Myself I" is a song by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released in June 1980 as the first single from her album of the same name. The song features jazz musician Marcus Miller on bass. It peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Lucky</span> 1981 single by Joan Armatrading

"I'm Lucky" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released as a single from her seventh studio album, Walk Under Ladders (1981). The single peaked at No. 46 on the UK Singles Chart, with its highest placing being No. 42 on the Dutch Top 40.

References

  1. ↑ "Releases". Record Mirror : 29. 15 August 1981. Retrieved 3 March 2021– via flickr.com.
  2. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "Joan Armatrading – Walk Under Ladders". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1990). "A". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s . Pantheon Books. ISBN   0-679-73015-X . Retrieved 16 August 2020– via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "Official Charts: Joan Armatrading". Official Charts.com. Official Charts Company . Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  7. ↑ Walk Under Ladders (CD booklet). Joan Armatrading. A&M Records. 1981.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Joan Armatrading – Walk Under Ladders" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 16 July 2022.Enter Walk Under Ladders in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle statussen"



This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.