Released 1993 Length 46:35 | Genre Pop, dance, house | |
Label BMG Records, Ariola Records Producer Geoff Dugmore, Nigel Butler (tracks 1, 3 to 8)
Robin Goodfellow (tracks 2, 9) | ||
Living Your Life is the third and final studio album from British new wave musician Belouis Some. It was released in Germany in 1993.
Contents
Background
Living Your Life was Belouis Some's first studio album in six years, and would also be his last (as of 2014). After finding differing levels of commercial success with the albums Some People (1985) and Belouis Some (1987), Belouis Some decided to form a band. In 1989 he formed The Big Broadcast, and the band toured the UK playing small venues and clubs. However the group never made any recorded releases. Living Your Life was recorded after a long absence. The album, as described by Allmusic, blended contemporary pop with harder-edged techno. The album was produced for Kickstart Music Ltd, and recorded at Marcus Recording Studios in London, between February–April 1993. It was mastered at Transfermation, and produced in London by Geoff Dugmore and Nigel Butler (although "Sometimes" and "Total Control" were both produced by Robin Goodfellow). Some musicians appearing on the album included Karl Hyde, Steve Barnacle, Peter Oxendale, and J.J. Belle.
Belouis Some solely wrote six of the album tracks. Peter Oxendale co-wrote "Sometimes" with him, whilst Dugmore and Butler co-wrote "Wonderful Life" with Belouis Some. The album's only cover, "Total Control", was written by Jeff Jourard and Martha Davis. It was originally recorded and released by the American new wave band The Motels as a single from their self-titled debut in 1979. The band featured both songwriters of the track.
The album, released in Germany only, was not a commercial success. It did spawn two singles, but they were also commercial failures. "Something She Said", the lead single, was released by Arista and BMG in the UK and Germany. "Sometimes" was released by Some Music LTD and BMG in the UK and Germany as the second single. In addition to these two singles, a promotional CD single was released by BMG Ariola to promote the album. "Living Your Life" was the featured track, and three other album tracks were included. Belouis Some would not release any new material after the album, except for one single in 1995. This was "Let Me Love You For Tonight", released in the UK only.
Release
The album was issued via BMG Ariola München GmbH on CD in Germany only. The CD remains out-of-print today, and the album itself has not been made available as an official MP3 download.
Critical reception
In the Billboard magazine of 30 July 1994, one article under the Dance Trax section mentioned the upcoming album and the single "Sometimes". Writer Larry Flick stated, "Belouis Some is out to prove that there is life beyond mid-'80s dance/pop stardom. The singer who scored with 'Imagination' and 'Some People' at the height of the second British invasion of Duran Duran and Frankie Goes to Hollywood is wiping the slate clean with 'Sometimes', a dark and jangly mover produced by Robin Goodfellow. Some's voice has developed a worldly edge to his intelligent lyrics. Jon and Helena Marsh of the Beloved have recrafted the arrangement with a trance-induced house bottom that adds a nice bit of motion to the chorus. 'Sometimes' is an enticing peek into Living Your Life, an album that gingerly walks the line between hardcore dance and smooth urban pop. Among the standouts are the languid 'Birthday in Paradise' and the stomping 'New World', both of which are accessible to remixing to better suit the U.S. market. Signed to Ariola/BMG overseas, but up for grabs here. Open your mind and give a listen."