Culture Club - Kissing To Be Clever (1982) (LP) - €10,00

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Kissing to Be Clever is the debut album by the English band Culture Club, released on 8 October 1982 in the United Kingdom. It includes Culture Club's international breakthrough hit single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me".

The album's first two singles were "White Boy" (which failed to crack the US or UK charts), and "I'm Afraid of Me" (which peaked at No. 100 in the UK). But with the release of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", the band scored a number one hit in over a dozen countries.

Kissing to Be Clever is the album that put Culture Club on the musical map. Incorporating pop, rock, dance, new wave, soul, and Caribbean rhythms (an amalgamation of "cultures"), the result was a soulful, progressive pop outing that scored several landmark international hits and made a star out of the band's outrageous frontman, Boy George. 

A couple of tracks were European dance hits, but the first "official" single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," was a simple masterpiece, resonating with an ache that harked back to the classic torch songs of yesteryear. 

Most of the other songs were quite different, with energetic beats and sometimes silly, campy themes ("Boy Boy I'm the Boy," "White Boys Can't Control It," and "White Boy"). The album scored two other major hits, the zippy and bouncy "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and the gorgeous "Time (Clock of the Heart)." However, beware that "Time" is only on certain pressings of the album. 

When the album was issued on CD, and once the Epic label dissolved, the formerly colorful album cover had turned to black and white, and "Time" had been omitted, which is pretty ridiculous, considering the song was a huge number two hit, and the album was then left with only nine tracks. 

Still, this set is a highlight of 1980s music, and set the stage for one of the decade's most loved and oft-remembered bands.

Side one

1.  White Boy [Dance Mix] - 4:40

2.  You Know I’m Not Crazy - 3:36

3.  I’ll Tumble 4 Ya - 2:36

4.  Take Control - 3:09

5.  Love Twist   [Featuring Captain Crucial] - 4:23

Side two

1.  Boy Boy (I’m the Boy) - 3:50

2.  I’m Afraid of Me [Remix] - 3:16

3.  White Boys Can’t Control It - 3:43

4.  Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - 4:22

Culture Club

• Boy George – vocals
• Michael Craig – bass
• Roy Hay – guitar, piano, keyboards, sitar, electric sitar
• Jon Moss – percussion, drums

Additional musicians

• Keith Miller – Synclavier
• Terry Bailey – trumpet
• Colin Campsie – background vocals
• Nicky Payne – flute, harmonica, saxophone
• Denise Spooner – background vocals
• Helen Terry – backing vocals
• Phil Pickett – keyboards, background vocals
• Trevor Bastow – strings arrangement

Production

• Steve Levine – producer, engineer
• Gordon Milne – assistant engineer, mixing
• Jon Moss – mixing, Linn LM-1 drum programming
• Keith Miller – Synclavier programming
• Jik Graham – cover design, logo, typography
• Andy Phillips – photography
• Mark Lebon – photography
• Jackie Ball – artwork
• Nick Egan – logo

Notes

Release:  1982

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Blue-Eyed Soul

Label:  Virgin Records

Catalog#  204958

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00