Rhythm of Youth
1982 studio album by Men Without Hats
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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 (then called WEA Canada) where it achieved Platinum status for sales of 100,000 units.[3] The album entered the Canadian Top 100 on the 5th of March, 1983[4] and reached number 15 on the 11th of June, 1983.[5]
| Rhythm of Youth | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1982 | |||
| Recorded | January–March 1982 | |||
| Studio | Listen Audio (Montreal, Quebec) | |||
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| Producer | Marc Durand | |||
| Men Without Hats chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rhythm of Youth | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Village Voice | C+[2] |
Release history
The US releases of this album featured a different track listing, replacing "Living in China" with an edited version of "Antarctica" (the full version of which appeared on Folk of the 80's) and including an extended version of "The Safety Dance".
In 1984, the album was released on CD in Europe by Statik Records, featuring the Folk of the 80's EP (albeit including the single edit of "Antarctica") and the extended mix of "The Safety Dance" as bonus tracks. It was re-released on CD in Canada in 1997 by Oglio Records as part of a "two-fer" including Folk of the 80's (Part III) and the single edit of "Antarctica".
In 2010, the album was remastered and reissued in Canada by the band's label, Bulldog Brothers, featuring the original US track list (with "Antarctica" replaced with "Living in China") and including all the tracks from both the US and UK LP releases, plus a demo version of "Ban the Game" (known as "Ban the Game II"), an extended mix of "I Got the Message" and a club mix of "The Safety Dance".
Critical reception
Cashbox called the single "I Like" "a forceful performance, grounded...on songwriter Ivan Doroschuk’s sardonic vocal" and particularly praised the production.[6]
Track listing
1982 Canada/UK LP/CD
Source:[7]
All tracks are written by Ivan Doroschuk unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | |
| 2. | "Living in China" | 3:04 | |
| 3. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 |
| 4. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | |
| 5. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 |
| 6. | "The Safety Dance" | 2:44 | |
| 7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | |
| 8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 |
| 9. | "I Like" | 4:19 | |
| 10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Antarctica" | Single edit | 3:29 |
| 12. | "Modern Dancing" | Also known as "Modern(e) Dancing" | 4:13 |
| 13. | "Utter Space" | 2:45 | |
| 14. | "Security (Everybody Feels Better With)" | 4:01 | |
| 15. | "The Safety Dance" (Club Mix) | Also known as "Extended Dance Version" | 4:32 |
1983 US LP
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | ||
| 2. | "The Safety Dance" | "Extended Dance Version" | 4:32 | |
| 3. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 | ||
| 4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 | |
| 5. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | ||
| 6. | "I Like" | 4:19 | ||
| 7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | ||
| 8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 | |
| 9. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 | |
| 10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
1983 US cassette
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | ||
| 2. | "The Safety Dance" (Extended Dance Version) | 4:32 | ||
| 3. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 | ||
| 4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 | |
| 5. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | ||
| 6. | "Living in China" | Bonus track | 3:04 | |
| 7. | "I Like" | 4:19 | ||
| 8. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | ||
| 9. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 | |
| 10. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 | |
| 11. | "The Safety Dance" (Short Version) | Bonus track | 2:44 | |
| 12. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
2010 Canadian CD remaster
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ban the Game" | 0:48 | |
| 2. | "The Safety Dance" | 4:32 | |
| 3. | "Living in China" | 3:04 | |
| 4. | "The Great Ones Remember" |
| 4:41 |
| 5. | "I Got the Message" | 4:44 | |
| 6. | "I Like" | 4:19 | |
| 7. | "Ideas for Walls" | 2:59 | |
| 8. | "Things in My Life" |
| 4:56 |
| 9. | "Cocoricci (Le tango des voleurs)" |
| 3:24 |
| 10. | "The Great Ones Remember" (Reprise) |
| 1:59 |
| 11. | "Antarctica" | 3:29 |
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Ban the Game" (Full Version) | 3:49 | |
| 13. | "I Got the Message" (Long Version) | 5:57 | |
| 14. | "The Safety Dance" (Video Version) | Also known as "Short Version" | 2:44 |
| 15. | "The Safety Dance" (Club Mix) | Different than "Club Mix" on original 1985 CD | 5:50 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Ivan Doroschuk – vocals, guitars, piano, percussion, electronics
- Allan McCarthy – keyboards, piano, electronics, percussion
- Stefan Doroschuk – guitars, violin
- Martin Cartier – percussion
- Colin Doroschuk – additional guitars
- Anne Dussault – female vocals
- Michel Jermone – castanets
- Daniel A. Vermette – acoustic guitars
Production
- Marc Durand – producer
- Dixon Van Winkle – recording and engineering
Charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[8] | 15 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 56 |
| US Billboard Chart[10] | 13 |
| UK Albums Chart[11] | 96 |
| German Albums Chart[12] | 9 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[13] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||