The Blue Cafe
1998 studio album by Chris Rea
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The Blue Cafe is the fourteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in January 1998. The singles released for the album were "The Blue Cafe", "Thinking of You", "Sweet Summer Day" and "Square Peg, Round Hole". There was also a Japanese version with three bonus tracks, "Kyoto Blue", "Ameno Nakano Kiirono Herumetto" and "On the Beach".[2] It was Rea's sixth successive album to reach the UK top ten, peaking at No. 10.
| The Blue Cafe | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 January 1998[1] | |||
| Recorded | May – September 1997 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Album-oriented rock | |||
| Length | 53:39 67:38 including Japanese Bonus Tracks | |||
| Label | East West | |||
| Producer | Chris Rea | |||
| Chris Rea chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "The Blue Cafe (Official Music Video)" on YouTube | ||||
Critical reception
The Irish Times noted the "menacing atmosphere" evident on the album, "rooted mostly in Rea's sandpaper voice. And the twisted blues lines he plays on guitar". "Shadows of the Big Man" is "focused, multifaceted...But best of all is the title song, The Blue Cafe. An album that is bound to be a pure delight for fans of the man."[3]
Track listing
All songs by Chris Rea.
- "Square Peg, Round Hole" – 3:58
- "Miss Your Kiss" – 4:05
- "Shadows of the Big Man" – 4:49
- "Where Do We Go from Here?" – 4:32
- "Since I Found You" – 4:37
- "Thinking of You" – 3:31
- "As Long as I Have Your Love" – 4:44
- "Anyone Quite Like You" – 4:49
- "Sweet Summer Day" – 4:45
- "Stick by You" – 4:05
- "I'm Still Holding On" – 4:55
- "The Blue Cafe" – 4:49
Japanese bonus tracks
- "Kyoto Blue" – 4:44
- "Ameno Nakano Kiirono Herumetto" – 4:12
- "On the Beach" – 5:03
Personnel
Musicians
- Chris Rea – vocals, guitars
- Max Middleton – keyboards
- Sylvin Marc – bass
- Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion
Production
- Chris Rea – producer
- Frédéric Blanc-Garin – engineer
- Ian Cooper – mastering at Metropolis Mastering (London, UK)
- Tommy Willis – guitar and amplifier technician
- John Carver – art direction
- Insect – design, artwork
- Brian R. Brown – photography
- Terry O'Neill – cover photography
- Jim Beach – management
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium (BRMA)[19] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[20] | Gold | 25,065[20] |
| Poland (ZPAV)[21] | Gold | 50,000* |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Silver | 60,000^ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
