Bridge of Spies (album)

Last updated

Bridge of Spies
TpauBridgeOfSpies.JPG
Studio album by
T'Pau
Released14 September 1987 (1987-09-14)
Genre
Length44:19
Label Siren
Producer Roy Thomas Baker
T'Pau chronology
Bridge of Spies
(1987)		 Rage
(1988)
Singles from Bridge of Spies
  1. "Heart and Soul"
    Released: May 1987
  2. "Intimate Strangers"
    Released: 1987
  3. "China in Your Hand"
    Released: October 1987
  4. "Bridge of Spies"
    Released: 1987
  5. "Valentine"
    Released: 1988
  6. "Sex Talk (Live)"
    Released: 1988
  7. "I Will Be with You"
    Released: 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Bridge of Spies is the debut studio album by English pop group T'Pau, released on 14 September 1987 by Siren Records. In the United States and Canada, Virgin Records released the album under the title T'Pau. [3]

Contents

Overview

The album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker. It spawned five singles—"Heart and Soul" (a top-five entry in the US), the chart-topper "China in Your Hand" (re-recorded especially for single release), "Valentine", a live version of "Sex Talk" (previously released in its original form as "Intimate Strangers"), and "I Will Be with You". A further release, a remix of the title track "Bridge of Spies", was also released in the US, Canada, Australia and Germany.

The artwork for the release includes the name "T'Pau" rearranged to form a face (similar to the Moai stone heads found on Easter Island). This practice was replicated with the titles of the band's follow-up albums Rage and The Promise .

The album spent one week at number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold on 14 October 1987 and Platinum on 18 November 1987. It was eventually certified four-times Platinum in September 1988. [4]

An extended and digitally remastered version of Bridge of Spies was released in the UK and Europe in 2017. It includes remixes, B-sides and live versions of the album tracks. A companion album called The Virgin Anthology was released shortly afterwards, and this triple CD and DVD contains the radio edits and remixes of all the singles released from Bridge of Spies and digitally remastered versions of the follow-up albums Rage and The Promise.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Carol Decker and Ron Rogers

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Heart and Soul"4:16
2."I Will Be with You"4:05
3."China in Your Hand"5:06
4."Friends Like These"3:45
5."Sex Talk"4:14
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Bridge of Spies"5:23
2."Monkey House"4:24
3."Valentine"3:58
4."Thank You for Goodbye"3:54
5."You Give Up"4:39
6."China in Your Hand" (Reprise)0:45

View from a Bridge

A video of the following selected tracks was released as View from a Bridge in 1988 on VHS and LaserDisc.

  1. "Intro"
  2. "Heart and Soul"
  3. "Bridge of Spies"
  4. "China in Your Hand"
  5. "Valentine"
  6. "Sex Talk"

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Bridge of Spies
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [25] Gold50,000^
Germany (BVMI) [26] Gold250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [27] Gold50,000^
Sweden (GLF) [28] Gold50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [29] Platinum50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [4] 4× Platinum1,200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Disco</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 1986 remix album by Pet Shop Boys

Disco is the first remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 17 November 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. Disco consists of remixes of tracks from the band's debut album Please and its respective B-sides. The album includes remixes by Arthur Baker, Shep Pettibone and the Pet Shop Boys themselves.

<i>Actually</i> 1987 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Actually is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. According to Neil Tennant and music historian Wayne Studer, Actually loosely critiques Thatcherism, the political zeitgeist of the 1980s, and was recorded in anticipation of Margaret Thatcher's re-election.

<i>The Circus</i> (Erasure album) 1987 studio album by Erasure

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.

<i>Revenge</i> (Eurythmics album) 1986 studio album by Eurythmics

Revenge is the fifth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States. Following on from their previous album, Be Yourself Tonight, Revenge continued further in this direction as the duo embraced a more "rock band" style. The album spawned four singles and was a commercial success. The fourth and final single, "Missionary Man", won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its release was supported by an extensive world tour. A 1987 concert from the Australian leg of the tour was also released on home video as Eurythmics Live.

<i>Savage</i> (Eurythmics album) 1987 studio album by Eurythmics

Savage is the sixth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 9 November 1987 by RCA Records.

<i>We Too Are One</i> 1989 studio album by Eurythmics

We Too Are One is the seventh studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 11 September 1989 by RCA Records. It would be the duo's last studio release until 1999's Peace.

<i>The Whole Story</i> 1986 compilation album by Kate Bush

The Whole Story is the second compilation album by English singer Kate Bush, and first greatest hits album worldwide. Released on 10 November 1986, it earned Bush her third UK number-one album and went on to become her best-selling release to date, being certified four-times platinum in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Innocents</i> (Erasure album) 1988 studio album by Erasure

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.

<i>Solitude Standing</i> 1987 studio album by Suzanne Vega

Solitude Standing is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, released on April 1, 1987, by A&M Records. It is the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album of Vega's, being certified Platinum in the US and reaching number 11 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China in Your Hand</span> 1987 single by TPau

"China in Your Hand" is a song by English pop group T'Pau from their debut studio album, Bridge of Spies (1987). A re-recorded version was released as a single in October 1987, spending five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. "China in Your Hand" was the 600th single to top the UK chart and kept George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You" from hitting the top spot. The song also reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 11th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV, and in 2017 was chosen by The Daily Telegraph as one of the 21 best power ballads.

<i>Bad Animals</i> 1987 studio album by Heart

Bad Animals is the ninth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on May 15, 1987, by Capitol Records. The album continues the mainstream hard rock style from the band's 1985 self-titled release, all while enjoying similar success. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 in August 1987 and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 4, 1992. Internationally, Bad Animals charted within the top five in Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and the top 10 in the United Kingdom.

<i>Rage</i> (TPau album) 1988 studio album by TPau

Rage is the second album by British pop group T'Pau, released in 1988. It reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and gave the group three hit singles—"Secret Garden", "Road to Our Dream" and "Only the Lonely". It was not issued in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart and Soul (T'Pau song)</span> 1987 single by TPau

"Heart and Soul" is the debut single by British pop rock band T'Pau, released in a rerecorded version from their debut studio album Bridge of Spies in 1987. Following its inclusion in a Pepe Jeans advert, the single reached number four on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

<i>A New Flame</i> 1989 studio album by Simply Red

A New Flame is the third album by British pop and soul group Simply Red, released in February 1989. It was a huge success worldwide, becoming the band's first UK number one album and certified 7× Platinum by the BPI for sales of 2,100,000 copies in the UK alone. The album was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

<i>Stop!</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Sam Brown

Stop! is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Sam Brown, released on 8 June 1988 by A&M Records. It includes Brown's biggest and best-known single, the title track "Stop!".

<i>Dancing with Strangers</i> 1987 studio album by Chris Rea

Dancing with Strangers is the ninth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1987. It became Rea's first major success in the UK, peaking at No. 2 behind Michael Jackson's Bad, and spent 46 weeks in the charts before going platinum. The album entered the Top 10 in six other European countries, and topped the chart in New Zealand.

<i>Live 1980/86</i> Live album by Joe Jackson

Live 1980/86 is a Joe Jackson double live album, released in May 1988. It was recorded during the 1980 Beat Crazy tour, the 1982-83 Night and Day tour, the 1984 Body & Soul tour, and the 1986 Big World tour. Notably, the album contains three different versions of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?"

<i>Whenever You Need Somebody</i> 1987 studio album by Rick Astley

Whenever You Need Somebody is the debut studio album by English singer Rick Astley released on 16 November 1987 by RCA Records. It is his best-selling album, which, according to his own official website, has sold 15.2 million copies worldwide. The album is listed as the 136th best-selling album in Spain and was the seventh best-selling album of 1987 in the United Kingdom. A remastered version, containing rare remixes and extended versions, was released on 12 April 2010.

<i>F.L.M.</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Mel and Kim

F.L.M. is the only studio album by British pop duo Mel and Kim, released on 13 April 1987 by Supreme Records. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also reached the top five in Australia, Finland and Switzerland, the 10 in Norway and the top 20 in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Three successful singles are included on the album: "Showing Out", "Respectable" and "F.L.M.".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex Talk</span> 1988 single by TPau

"Sex Talk" is a song by British band T'Pau, written by Carol Decker and Ron Rogers, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. It was originally released as a single in 1987 under the title "Intimate Strangers", but failed to chart. It was re-titled "Sex Talk" and included on the band's debut studio album Bridge of Spies (1987). In 1988, a live version of the song, recorded at the SEC Centre on 29 October 1987, was released as a single and reached No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart. This live version of "Sex Talk" was only released in the UK and Ireland. Elsewhere, a 7" remix of the track, "Bridge of Spies", was released instead.

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ O'Toole, Lesley (26 September 1987). "Albums". Record Mirror . p. 18. ISSN   0144-5804.
  3. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5588/biography
  4. 1 2 "British album certifications – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies". British Phonographic Industry. 22 September 1988. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Peter Ballin has performed or recorded with". peterballin.com. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 312. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0874". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums". Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 9. 27 February 1988. p. 24. OCLC   29800226.
  11. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "T'Pau". Sisältää hitin – Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 262. ISBN   978-952-7460-01-6.
  12. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Charts.nz – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  15. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "Billboard 200 – Week of August 29, 1987". Billboard . Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  19. ↑ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums". Record Mirror . 23 January 1988. p. 37. ISSN   0144-5804.
  20. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – CD 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Top 100 Albums". Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1989. p. 31. OCLC   29800226.
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  23. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1988". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Albums – Year-End Chart 1988". Music Week Awards. Music Week . 4 March 1989. p. 8. ISSN   0265-1548.
  25. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – T'Pau – T'Pau". Music Canada . Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (T'Pau; 'Bridge of Spies')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – T'Pau – Bridge of Spies" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 16 July 2022.Enter Bridge of Spies in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1988 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  28. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  29. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Bridge of Spies')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
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.