Babe Rainbow

Background

Babe Rainbow is the only House of Love studio album to feature Simon Walker (ex-Dave Howard Singers as well as being Chris Groothuizen and Pete Evans’ bandmate in My White Bedroom). Walker had replaced Terry Bickers as lead guitarist in December 1989 and would himself leave the band in mid-1992 (to be replaced by Simon Mawby of The Woodentops). Former House of Love member Andrea Heukamp returned as a guest performer to add extra guitar and backing vocals.

The album’s producer Warne Livesey co-wrote two songs with Guy Chadwick – "You Don’t Understand" and "Feel" – which were the first House of Love songs not entirely written by Chadwick. Both were released as singles, as were "The Girl With the Loneliest Eyes" (which was released as a taster for the album) and "Crush Me". The album's title comes from a picture by Peter Blake which was also used for the cover artwork. The album was mixed by Tim Palmer at Townhouse Studios in London.

In his review for Select magazine, David Cavanagh detailed the line-up changes and other difficulties the band had experienced in recent years, before writing: "Jesus, why didn't they just split up? Why drag us into their private hell, already? Because this is brilliant is why … Because 'Babe Rainbow' is born of defiance, and because it's gorgeous." In Spin, David Quantick wrote that the album "finds the House of Love entering the mainstream with their post-punk English alternative sensibilities intact". Babe Rainbow was not as popular as the first two House of Love albums, however, and signalled the start of the band's commercial decline.

Track listing

All songs written by Guy Chadwick unless otherwise noted

1. "You Don't Understand" - 3:48 (Guy Chadwick, Warne Livesey)
2. "Crush Me" - 3:46
3. "Cruel" - 5:46
4. "High in Your Face" - 4:41
5. "Fade Away" - 3:24
6. "Feel" - 3:54 (Guy Chadwick, Warne Livesey)
7. "Girl with the Loneliest Eyes" - 3:42
8. "Burn Down the World" - 5:53
9. "Philly Phile" - 4:21
10. "Yer Eyes" - 4:11

Personnel

with