The Warmer Side of Cool
1989 studio album by Wang Chung
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The Warmer Side of Cool is the fifth studio album by the English new wave band Wang Chung, released in May 1989 by Geffen Records. The album marked an artistic transition from the new wave sound of their previous albums into a more traditional rock sound.
| The Warmer Side of Cool | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 May 1989 | |||
| Studio | 41B Studios (Westlake Village) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 52:04 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Peter Wolf | |||
| Wang Chung chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Warmer Side of Cool | ||||
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Reception
Commercially, the album peaked at No. 123 on the Billboard 200 in its sixth and final week on the chart.[3][4] Despite poor sales, the album yielded a minor hit with "Praying to a New God", which peaked at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 27, 1989.[5] Another song, "Swing", was scheduled to be the second single from the album, but its release was ultimately cancelled.[6]
In a retrospective review, Kelvin Hayes of AllMusic awarded the album two out of five stars, opining that the band had focused too heavily on the then-contemporary mainstream rock sound, although he did praise several of the album's tracks as "good melodic rock."[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Praying to a New God" | Nick Feldman, David Chandler, Jack Hues | 3:58 |
| 2. | "What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?" | Feldman, Hues, Chandler | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Snakedance" | Hues | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Swing" | Feldman | 4:29 |
| 5. | "When Love Looks Back at You" | Hues | 4:50 |
| 6. | "Games of Power" | Feldman | 4:53 |
| Total length: | 27:19 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "At the Speed of Life" | Hues | 5:26 |
| 2. | "The Warmer Side of Cool" | Hues | 4:42 |
| 3. | "Logic and Love" | Feldman | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Tall Trees in a Blue Sky" | Hues | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Big World" | Hues | 6:12 |
| Total length: | 24:45 | ||
Personnel
Wang Chung
- Jack Hues – guitars, lead vocals
- Nick Feldman – bass guitar, back-up vocals
Additional musicians
- Peter Wolf – keyboards; tribal vocals (8)
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (3–5, 7, 8, 10, 11)
- Michael Baird – drums (2, 6, 9)
- Bryan Hitt – drums (1)
- Mikal Reid – guitar (6, 9)
- Pete McCray – guitar (9)
- Paulinho Da Costa – percussion (6, 8)
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (4)
- Joe Pizzulo – backing vocals (2, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Gary Falcone – backing vocals (2, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Roger Freeland – backing vocals (2, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Jeff Pescetto – backing vocals (2, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Darren Costin – backing vocals (1)
- Ina Wolf – backing vocals (1)
- Bill Clift – tribal vocals (8)
- Allan Ryder – tribal vocals (8)
- Jeremy Smith – vocal percussion (3)
Technical
- Peter Wolf – producer, arranger
- Jeremy Smith – engineer (1, 3–5, 7, 8); mixing
- Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza – second engineer (1, 3–5, 7, 8), engineer (2, 6, 9–11)
- Carlos Golliher – second engineer (2, 6, 9–11)
- Lynn Robb – art direction, design
- Ron Chadwick – collage
- Victoria Pearson-Cameron – Wang Chung photos
- Reed Davis – photo of Asian boy
- Vitamvas/Camera Agency – photo of kangaroo
- Atlantic Antique Centres – photo of interior
- Julia Whitty – photo of dolphin
- Kevin W. Kelley – aerial photography (from The Home Planet, 1988)
- Stephen Marcussen – album mastering
- Dan Hersch – cassette and compact disc mastering
Chart performance
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 123 |