Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know (Dead or Alive album)
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know is the third studio album by English pop band Dead or Alive, released on 21 November 1986 on Epic Records. Continuing their association with the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) production team, Dead or Alive scored several hit singles from this album, including "Brand New Lover" and "Something in My House".[3] In addition to an image of singer Pete Burns, the cover features one of the game walls at the Château de Raray, where some of the scenes for La Belle et la Bête were filmed. The cover photographer was Bob Carlos Clarke. The phrase "Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" itself comes from a statement by Lady Caroline Lamb describing controversial English literary figure Lord Byron.
| Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 November 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:58 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Stock Aitken Waterman | |||
| Dead or Alive chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Smash Hits | 6.5/10[2] |
Production of the album was marked by arguments between the band and SAW, with the latter frustrated by the band's refusal to branch into house music,[4] and singer Pete Burns unwilling to hand over songwriting duties to the producers.[5] Burns expressed frustration with his record company's attitude to his single choices, complaining the label only relented on scheduling "Brand New Lover" for release after Bananarama had a hit with their Dead or Alive-inspired cover of "Venus", and alleging they also refused to give "Something In My House" a Halloween release date.[4][6]
While Burns claimed vicious studio arguments during production of the album made him ill,[5] recording engineer Karen Hewitt stated the singer appeared to thrive on his often explosive and confrontational dynamic with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken during the album sessions.[4] Fellow album engineer Yoyo described tensions as mostly good humoured and centred on artistic disagreements, rather than personal animosity.[7][8]
Track listing
editSide one
- "Brand New Lover" – 5:18
- "I'll Save You All My Kisses" – 3:35
- "Son of a Gun" – 4:15
- "Then There Was You" – 3:45
- "Come Inside" – 4:28
Side two
- "Something in My House" – 7:20
- "Hooked on Love" – 3:55
- "I Want You" – 4:12
- "Special Star" – 4:10
Personnel
editDead or Alive
- Pete Burns – vocals
- Mike Percy – bass guitar, guitars
- Tim Lever – keyboards
- Steve Coy – drums
Additional personnel
- Mike Stock – producer
- Pete Waterman – producer
- Matt Aitken – producer
- Mark McGuire – engineer
- Burni Adams – tape operator
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report)[9] | 37 |
| Canada Top 100 Albums[10] | 52 |
| Finnish Album Chart[11] | 14 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart | 19 |
| Sweden Top 60 Albums[12] | 21 |
| U.K. Top 75 Albums[13] | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[14] | 52 |
References
editExternal links
edit- Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know at Discogs (list of releases)
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