Arc of a Diver
1980 studio album by Steve Winwood
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Arc of a Diver is the second and breakout solo studio album by the English singer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood. Released in 1980, Winwood played all of the instruments on the album.
| Arc of a Diver | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 December 1980[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | Netherturkdonic, Gloucestershire, England | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39.49 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Steve Winwood | |||
| Steve Winwood chronology | ||||
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The lead single, "While You See a Chance" (which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States), was Windwood's first solo hit. The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, establishing Winwood as a commercially viable act.
The cover artwork for the album is by Tony Wright. He took inspiration from Jazz by Henri Matisse, notably VIII: Icarus.
Recording
Critical reception
Reviewing for The Village Voice in June 1981, Robert Christgau credited Winwood for overdubbing all his self-performed instruments, but still found his brand of "British-international groove" more atmospheric than song-oriented and ultimately "lulling".[15] Robert Palmer was more enthusiastic in The New York Times, saying that Winwood has transformed himself into a "rock traditionalist" with the album. While highlighting "Dust" and the album's title track as "first-rate lyrics", Palmer said that "Winwood's impressive playing and arranging and utterly distinctive vocals make several of his collaborations with Will Jennings, especially the brooding 'Night Train,' almost as memorable."[16] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann wrote of the album, "Utterly unencumbered by the baggage of his long years in the music business, Winwood reinvents himself as a completely contemporary artist on this outstanding album, leading off with his best solo song, 'While You See a Chance'."[17]
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,[18] and was voted number 455 in the third edition (2000) of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[19]
Track listing
All songs written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings except where noted.
Original release
Side one
- "While You See a Chance" – 5:12
- "Arc of a Diver" (Winwood, Vivian Stanshall) – 5:28
- "Second-Hand Woman" (Winwood, George Fleming) – 3:41
- "Slowdown Sundown" – 5:27
Side two
- "Spanish Dancer" – 5:58
- "Night Train" – 7:51
- "Dust" (Winwood, Fleming) – 6:20
2012 Deluxe reissue
Tracks 1–7 on disc one, per the 1980 release, with disc two containing bonus tracks.
- "Arc of a Diver" [edited US single version] (Winwood, Stanshall) – 4:16
- "Night Train" [instrumental version] – 6:44
- "Spanish Dancer" [2010 version] – 6:13
- "Arc of a Diver: The Steve Winwood Story" [originally aired on BBC Radio 2] – 56:33
Track 3 originally released on Revolutions – The Very Best of Steve Winwood.
Personnel
- Steve Winwood – lead and backing vocals, Prophet-5, Minimoog, Yamaha CS-80, Hammond B3 organ, Steinway piano, Ovation acoustic guitar, Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Ibanez mandolin, bass guitar, Multimoog (also used for keyboard fretless bass), Hayman and Ludwig drums, Linn LM-1 programming, percussion, producer, engineer, mixing
- John "Nobby" Clarke – additional engineer
- John Dent – mastering at The Sound Clinic (London, UK)
- Tony Wright – artwork
- Fin Costello – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Sales and certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | — | 70,000[35] |
| Canada (Music Canada)[36] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[37] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[38] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||