Kissing to Be Clever

Overview

The album's first two singles were "White Boy" (which failed to crack the US or UK charts at all), 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 global smash hit in over a dozen countries. The album spent 88 weeks on the US Billboard charts and reached its peak position of #14 in March 1983. The follow-up single, "Time (Clock of the Heart)", became a US #2 and UK Top 3 hit. This song appeared on US versions of the album but not initially on the UK version. Another single was released in North America, "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", which became the group's third consecutive Top 10 single in the US. This made Culture Club the first band since The Beatles to have three Top 10 hits in America from a debut album.

Kissing to Be Clever was remastered and re-released in 2003 on CD. This edition contains the song "Romance Beyond the Alphabet", which is the orchestral instrumental version of "Time (Clock of the Heart), also included on Culture Club Collect – 12" Mixes Plus and its subsequent re-release Culture Club Remix Collection as "Time (Clock of the Heart) (Instrumental Mix)". The 2003 release of the album has the restoration of the original colour cover which had been replaced by a black-and-white picture of lead singer Boy George on previous versions.

The album has reportedly sold over 5 million copies worldwide, including over 1 million in the USA where it has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Reception

Reviews for Kissing to Be Clever have been generally positive. Allmusic's Lindsay Planer retrospectively rated it four out of five stars. She noted that it "was embraced by not only post-disco dance music enthusiasts, but also new wave listeners and pop fans as well." She also stated that the singles "provide accurate thumbnail sketches of what Culture Club were capable of pulling off musically." She concluded by saying: "From the light and buoyant Philly soul-inspired string arrangement to the effervescent and singalongable chorus, the melody foreshadowed a similar vibe that would carry over to their sophomore long-player, Colour by Numbers." Robert Christgau rated the album a B, explaining that "for all [Culture Club's] fashionability I think their hearts are in the right place". However, he stated that "their bland Caribbean rhythms move no muscles, and their confrontations with racial issues are rarely more than a phrase deep." Lloyd Sachs of Rolling Stone Magazine rated it three and a half out of five stars, explaining that the album "positively jumps, from the pleasure-seeking masochism of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" to the fearful soul-searching of "I'm Afraid of Me" to the shady "I'll Tumble 4 Ya"". He further stated that "[Boy George's] vocal "normalcy" [plays] against the provocative content of the material." He concluded that "the beat does special service to the message – even when we don't quite know what that message is."

Track listing

All tracks by Culture Club.

International issue (Virgin)

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. "Mistery Boy (Suntory Hot Whisky Song)" [Japan bonus track]
2. "Boy Boy (I'm the Boy)" – 3:50
3. "I'm Afraid of Me" [Remix] – 3:16
4. "White Boys Can't Control It" – 3:43
5. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – 4:22

2003 reissue bonus tracks

1. "Love Is Cold (You Were Never No Good)" – 4:24
2. "Murder Rap Trap" – 4:23
3. "Time (Clock of the Heart)" – 3:45
4. "Romance Beyond the Alphabet" – 3:49

American issue (Epic)

Side one

1. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – 4:22
2. "I'm Afraid of Me" [Remix] – 3:16
3. "You Know I'm Not Crazy" – 3:36
4. "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" – 2:36
5. "Love Twist" [Featuring Captain Crucial] – 4:23

Side two

1. "Time (Clock of the Heart)" – 3:41 (not on original pressings)
2. "White Boy" [Dance Mix] – 4:40
3. "Boy Boy (I'm the Boy)" – 3:50
4. "White Boys Can't Control It" – 3:43
5. "Take Control" – 3:09

Culture Club

Additional musicians

Production