True Confessions (album)
1986 studio album by Bananarama
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True Confessions is the third studio album by the English group Bananarama. It was released on 30 June 1986 by London Records.[3] The majority of the album was produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley (who produced Bananarama's eponymous second album), with the exception of "Venus" and "More Than Physical". The latter, given a garage remix for its single version, was Bananarama's first songwriting collaboration with the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) production team.
| True Confessions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 June 1986 | |||
| Studio | Odyssey, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:47 | |||
| Label | London | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Bananarama chronology | ||||
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| Singles from True Confessions | ||||
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The album contains the group's most commercially successful single to date, a cover version of Shocking Blue's 1969 song "Venus", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. True Confessions reached number 46 on the UK Albums Chart and number 15 on the US Billboard 200, becoming the group's highest-charting album on the latter chart.
The fourth single, "A Trick of the Night" was written by Jolley and Swain and re-recorded and remixed by SAW for release in the UK.[4]
In contrast to the two dance-oriented songs produced by SAW, the majority of the songs produced by Jolley and Swain tend towards rock-based, serious-minded pop. The lyrical content addresses overcoming obstacles in relationships ("Ready or Not", "Promised Land") and tackles social issues, such as the anti-drug stance on "Hooked on Love". Two ballads are included: the aforementioned "A Trick of the Night", which is a cautionary ballad about a male friend trying to survive on city streets, and the jazzy, sophisto-pop track "Dance With a Stranger".
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Baltimore Sun |  [5] |
| Classic Pop | [6] |
| Number One | [7] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [8] |
| Record Mirror | 3/5[9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10[11] |
| Stylus Magazine | C[12] |
| Windsor Star | B+[13] |
Critic Jerry Smith wrote a warm and positive review of True Confessions for British music newspaper Music Week: "... within the confines of what they do they're rather good—notice how they're always five minutes ahead of high street fashion, so maybe it's their suitability as teen role models that's kept them afloat on a tide of paper thin melodies for so long. Fashionable targets they may be, but their latest hit single says they still know what their public wants."[14] In a review for Record Mirror, Lesley O'Toole was less enthusiastic, stating that the album, despite its title, is "no revelation whatsoever. Yet another slab of formula Bananas sees the girls executing cooing harmonies and fey storylines – all about as heavyweight as a mosquito, though marginally less bothersome."[9] Tom Hibbert of Smash Hits praised the album as being "undeniably, convincingly listenable" and "a proper pop 'album'", adding that Bananarama "make 'intriguing' pop – and can even sustain the charm across an entire LP."[11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "True Confessions" | 5:19 | |
| 2. | "Ready or Not" | 3:53 | |
| 3. | "A Trick of the Night" |
| 4:38 |
| 4. | "Dance with a Stranger" | 4:30 | |
| 5. | "In a Perfect World" | 6:02 | |
| 6. | "Venus" | Robbie van Leeuwen | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Do Not Disturb" |
| 3:23 |
| 8. | "A Cut Above the Rest" | 3:40 | |
| 9. | "Promised Land" | 3:43 | |
| 10. | "More Than Physical" |
| 5:03 |
| 11. | "Hooked on Love" | 3:48 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Ghost" |
| 4:03 |
| 13. | "White Train" |
| 3:51 |
| 14. | "More Than Physical" (single version) |
| 3:19 |
| 15. | "Scarlett" |
| 4:12 |
| 16. | "A Trick of the Night" (single version) |
| 4:17 |
| 17. | "Set on You" |
| 3:56 |
| 18. | "Riskin' a Romance" |
| 3:53 |
2013 deluxe edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "True Confessions" | 5:19 | |
| 2. | "Ready or Not" | 3:53 | |
| 3. | "A Trick of the Night" |
| 4:38 |
| 4. | "Dance with a Stranger" | 4:30 | |
| 5. | "In a Perfect World" | 6:02 | |
| 6. | "Venus" | van Leeuwen | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Do Not Disturb" |
| 3:23 |
| 8. | "A Cut Above the Rest" | 3:40 | |
| 9. | "Promised Land" | 3:43 | |
| 10. | "More Than Physical" |
| 5:03 |
| 11. | "Hooked on Love" | 3:48 | |
| 12. | "Too Much of a Good Thing" | 5:12 | |
| 13. | "Vicious Circle" |
| 3:51 |
| 14. | "Ghost" |
| 4:03 |
| 15. | "White Train" |
| 3:51 |
| 16. | "Scarlett" (extended version) |
| 5:19 |
| 17. | "Riskin' a Romance" |
| 3:53 |
| 18. | "Set on You" |
| 3:56 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do Not Disturb" (extended version) |
| 6:07 |
| 2. | "Venus" (extended version) | van Leeuwen | 7:23 |
| 3. | "More Than Physical" (garage mix) |
| 8:46 |
| 4. | "A Trick of the Night" (The Number One mix) |
| 8:14 |
| 5. | "Ready or Not" (Pettibone & Forest mix) | 6:34 | |
| 6. | "Venus" (Fire & Brimstone mix) | van Leeuwen | 6:43 |
| 7. | "More Than Physical" (Musclebound mix) |
| 9:57 |
| 8. | "A Trick of the Night" (dub) |
| 4:33 |
| 9. | "Venus" (dub) | van Leeuwen | 8:15 |
| 10. | "More Than Physical" (dub) |
| 4:57 |
| 11. | "Ready or Not" (Pettibone & Forest dub) | 4:45 | |
| 12. | "Venus" (original mix) | van Leeuwen | 3:18 |
| No. | Title | Director | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do Not Disturb" (music video) | Simon Milne | |
| 2. | "Venus" (music video) | Peter Care | |
| 3. | "More Than Physical" (music video) | Peter Care | |
| 4. | "A Trick of the Night" (music video; UK version) | Paul Heiney | |
| 5. | "A Trick of the Night" (music video; US version) | Peter Care | |
| 6. | "Venus" (music video; 12″ version) | Peter Care | |
| 7. | "Venus" (on Top of the Pops) | Brian Whitehouse | |
| 8. | "More Than Physical" (on Wogan) | Kevin Bishop | |
| 9. | "The Making of 'A Trick of the Night'" (on In at the Deep End) | Nick Handel |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of True Confessions.[17]
Bananarama
Additional musicians
- Tony Swain – keyboards (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Steve Jolley – guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Keith Thomas – saxophone (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Matt Aitken – guitar (track 6); keyboards (track 10)
- Mike Stock – keyboards (tracks 6, 10)
- Gary Hughes – keyboards (track 6)
- Drum Machine – drums (tracks 6, 10)
- Andy Stennett – keyboards (track 10)
Technical
- Tony Swain – production (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Steve Jolley – production (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Stock Aitken Waterman – production (tracks 6, 10)
- Richard Lengyel – recording engineering
- Chips – engineering assistance
- Paul Batchelor – engineering assistance
- Tim Young – mastering (at CBS Studios, London)
Artwork
- Dennis Cockell – tattoos design
- Martin Brading – photography
- Peter Barrett – sleeve design
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[30] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[31] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||