| Now & Forever | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 October 1995 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, dance | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Ricky Wilde, C.J. Mackintosh, Serious Rope | |||
| Kim Wilde chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Music & Media | Positive [1] |
| Music Week | [2] |
Now & Forever is the ninth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in autumn 1995 via MCA Records.
After three albums featuring a consistent pop sound, Wilde decided it was time for another change and chose to make an album with a decided soul/R&B feel to it. Ricky Wilde still produced, but joined forces with CJ Mackintosh for four of the album's tracks and co-produced with the Serious Rope team for seven others.
Opening with "Breakin' Away", an obvious dance track, and including R&B tracks like "C'mon Love Me", "You're All I Wanna Do" and "Where Do You Go From Here", the album was a departure from the familiar Wilde sound and didn't please fans and audience. It was her first album not to chart in the UK, and Radio One refused to add "Breakin' Away" to its airplay lists. The album was a daring move for Wilde, who wanted to make something to please herself first and foremost. Her interest in music by artists such as Chaka Khan and Pebbles heavily influenced the album.
Lyrically, the songs were either very happy ("Sweet Inspiration", "Heaven", "High on You") or bordering on depression ("Now & Forever", "Hold On"). Two singles were released in the UK, "Breakin' Away" and the second being "This I Swear", a dubious choice given the array of more radio-friendly songs on the album. The flip-side, "Heaven", was remixed twice (once mix by Matt Darey) and helped sales, but "This I Swear" stalled at No. 46 in early 1996.
Now & Forever was Wilde's last album before she started working in the musical Tommy and wound down her pop career. During the twelve-month run of the play, she remixed and released a version of the disco track "Shame", which had been recorded in the Now & Forever sessions but not included on the album.
Music & Media commented, "A true bonanza of ACE nuggets are offered on this album. The collection of US-style R&B tunes with grand production contains at least five solid airplay candidates. The ballads C'mon Love Me and Hypnotise are perfect shimmering beauties. The midtempo number True To You as well as uptempo dance tracks Heaven and Breakin' Away combine R&B elegance with tight garage house rhythms." [3] Music Week wrote, "Kim has come a long way since Kids In America and, now in her disco diva phase, she offers a soulful enough selection." [4] Q described Wilde's voice as "more likable than impressive" but praised her ability to adapt "to prevailing trends like a blank canvas". Favorably comparing the album to the recent work of Kylie Minogue, the reviewer notes: "Wilde has taken on the trappings of swingbeat, soft soul and jazziness; unlike the Australian, she's done so with convincing songs, invested with enough charisma to make them hers.". "This I Swear" was described as melodic and charming while the "eminently catchy" and "gutsy" "High on You" was compared to the work of Five Star. [5]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [6] | 37 |
Ricky Wilde is a British songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the younger brother of singer Kim Wilde ; their father is singer-actor Marty Wilde.
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which reached number two in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo artist. In 1986, she had a UK number two hit with a reworked version of the Supremes' song "You Keep Me Hangin' On", which also topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1987. Between 1981 and 1996, she had 25 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK singles chart. Her other hits include "Chequered Love" (1981), "You Came" (1988) and "Never Trust a Stranger" (1988). In 2003, she collaborated with Nena on the song "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime", which topped the Dutch charts.
Steven Nicholas Jolley and Tony Swain were a successful songwriting and record production duo in the United Kingdom in the early to mid-1980s, producing some of the top artists and songs of the era.
"Girls of Summer" is a single by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Released in 2002 as the only single from the band's 2002 greatest hits album, O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, the song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry and professional songwriter Marti Frederiksen in Hawaii, following the end of the Just Push Play Tour. The song, described by the band's frequent collaborator Jack Douglas as "George Harrison meets the Beach Boys", reflected the laid back atmosphere of its composition, where according to Tyler, he along with Perry and Fredericksen utilized Pro Tools and just started flailing to see which vibe would come out.
"Cambodia" is the fourth single by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released at the end of 1981; a year in which Wilde had already scored three highly successful hit singles and a best-selling debut album.
"Breakin' Away" is the first single from Kim Wilde's 1995 album Now & Forever. Wilde had initially made her name in the 1980s as the highest-selling British female soloist of that decade. She had also earned some degree of success in the early 1990s. "Breakin' Away" was released both in its original form and as several different extended remixes on the 12" and CD-single formats. On the CD-single and cassette single a song called "Staying with My Baby" was also included. This track was somewhat exclusive as it was only included on the Japanese issue of the Now & Forever album.
"This I Swear" is the second single from the album Now & Forever released by Kim Wilde in 1996. It was issued in 1996 in a slightly different form to that which is found on the album. Several extended remixes were also found on the 12" and CD-single formats. Another track from the same album, "Heaven" was used as the B-side and also underwent several remixes. The UK 12" single also contained a remix of the previous single, "Breakin' Away".
Kim Wilde is the eponymous debut studio album by English singer Kim Wilde, released on 29 June 1981 by Rak Records.
Select is the second studio album by British singer Kim Wilde, released on 10 May 1982 via RAK label.
Catch as Catch Can is the third studio album by Kim Wilde, released in autumn 1983.
Teases & Dares is the fourth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in November 1984 via MCA Records. The song "Is It Over" featured in the film Fletch.
Another Step is the fifth studio album by British pop singer Kim Wilde, released in November 1986. The album contained her comeback worldwide hit "You Keep Me Hangin' On", which reached No. 1 in the US, as well as the UK top 10 hit "Another Step " and "Say You Really Want Me".
Close is the sixth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in mid 1988.
Love Moves is the seventh studio album by Kim Wilde, released in May 1990.
Love Is is the eighth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in spring 1992.
Never Say Never is the tenth studio album by Kim Wilde and was released in September 2006. It was a comeback album after being away from the music business for a number of years and her first studio album for eleven years. The album features several of Wilde's hits that have been updated with modern dance beats, interspersed with eight new songs.
English singer Kim Wilde has released 14 studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, one remix album, 62 singles, six video albums and 60 music videos.
Dillon & Dickins is a dance music production group based in London, England, and one of the many aliases used by house music producers and DJs Marc Dillon and Patrick Dickins who also founded the dance record company and music publishing company Higher State. Other aliases include the commonly miss-spelt Dillon & Dickens, Dpd, 99 Allstars, Disco Biscuit, Sound Environment, Spacebase, Upstate and their more successful one, Illicit.
Snapshots is the 12th studio album and the first covers album by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released in Germany on 26 August 2011 by Columbia SevenOne. The album features versions of songs hand-picked by Wilde from the last five decades. It was later released in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, on 28 November 2011.
Here Come the Aliens is the fourteenth studio album by English singer Kim Wilde, released on 16 March 2018 by Wildeflower Records. It is her first studio album since Wilde Winter Songbook (2013). It contains the singles "Pop Don't Stop", "Kandy Krush" and "Birthday", while a deluxe edition released in October housed the single "Amourese des Reves". The album was produced by her long-time producer Ricky Wilde. In the United Kingdom, the album became her first charting album for 25 years, peaking at number 21.
