Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Man of Colours

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Producer
  
David Lord

Release date
  
21 September 1987

Genres
  
Rock music, New wave

Artist
  
Icehouse

Label
  
Chrysalis Records

Man of Colours httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen557Man

Released
  
AUS: 21 September 1987 United States: 22 September 1987

Recorded
  
February to May 1987 @ E.M.I. Studios 301 and Trash Studios, Sydney, Australia and Crescent Studios, Bath, England

Length
  
44:36 AUS 1987 LP 56:45 AUS 1987 CD

Man of Colours (1987)
  
Great Southern Land (1989)

Similar
  
Icehouse albums, Rock music albums

Man of Colours is Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse's best-selling album, which was released in September 1987 on Regular Records / Chrysalis Records. The album peaked at #1 on the Australian album charts for 11 weeks from 5 October 1987 and has sold over 700,000 copies. "Electric Blue" was their only Australian #1 single, the release of the album and its singles marked the zenith of Icehouse's commercial success, both locally and internationally. Several other songs from the album also charted well.

Contents

Founding Icehouse member Iva Davies (vocals, guitars, keyboards, Fairlight CMI, Cor Anglais) was joined by Robert Kretschmer (guitars), Andy Qunta (keyboards, piano), Simon Lloyd (reeds, brass, keyboards, programming), Stephen Morgan (bass guitar) and Paul Wheeler (drums, percussion) in recording the album from February 1987.

It was the first Australian album to supply five top 30 hit singles "Crazy" (3# in July), "Electric Blue" (co-written by Davies and John Oates of US band Hall & Oates) (#1, October), "My Obsession" (#5, December), "Man of Colours" (#28, February 1988) and "Nothing Too Serious" (#29, May 1988). With US chart success for "Crazy", which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on its Mainstream Rock chart, and "Electric Blue" (#7 Hot 100, #10 Mainstream), the album Man of Colours reached #43 on the Billboard 200.

Man of Colours was lauded in Australia during 1988. The album won two ARIA Awards, 'Album of the Year' and 'Highest Selling Album'; the associated song "Electric Blue" won 'Most Performed Australasian Popular Work' at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Music Awards for its writers Davies and Oates.

The cover artwork, designed by Davies and Kretschmer, depicts a human figure holding three different coloured flowers. Different versions of the album have been released, the initial Australian release by Regular Records (see infobox above right) was as a ten track vinyl LP or as a music cassette or as a twelve track CD with two additional mixes of "Crazy". An alternate Limited Black Sleeve release depicted the cover art on a reversed background (see infobox bottom right) from Regular Records in Australia but had the same track listing. The US / UK release by Chrysalis Records had a different track order from the Australian LP, and the track lengths for the two big singles ("Crazy" and "Electric Blue") are longer on this version of the album. The 1997 Japanese CD version released by For Life Records had two different tracks added. In 2002, Warner Music Australia re-released Man of Colours, with Davies and Ryan Scott digitally remastering, including five bonus tracks. In Australia, the album was also offered on three limited edition coloured vinyl pressings, which were the colours of the flowers that the human figure on the cover was holding.

Icehouse man of colours alb m 1987 b nus great southern land


Track listing

Songwriters according to Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA).

Australian releases

  1. "Crazy" (Iva Davies, Robert Kretschmer, Andy Qunta) – 3:24
  2. "Electric Blue" (Davies, John Oates) – 4:24
  3. "Nothing Too Serious" (Davies) – 3:28
  4. "Man of Colours" (Davies) – 5:12
  5. "Heartbreak Kid" (Davies, Kretschmer) – 5:19
  6. "Kingdom" (Davies) – 4:52
  7. "My Obsession" (Davies) – 4:09
  8. "Girl in the Moon" (Davies, Kretschmer) – 4:01
  9. "Anybody's War" (Davies) – 4:05
  10. "Sunrise" (Davies, Kretschmer) – 5:45
  1. "Crazy" (12" Version) – 7:21 *
  2. "Crazy" (Midnight Mix) – 4:48 *

[* Denotes 1987 CD bonus tracks]

  1. "Shakin' the Cage" (Davies, Kretschmer, Qunta, Simon Lloyd) – 4:00 **
  2. "Over My Head" (Davies, Kretschmer, Qunta, Lloyd) – 3:47 **
  3. "Touch the Fire" (Davies) – 3:46 **
  4. "Jimmy Dean" (Davies, Kretschmer) – 4:00 **
  5. "Electric Blue" (Extended Mix) – 7:34 **

[** Denotes bonus tracks on Australian 2002 remastered version]

US/UK release

  1. "Crazy" (4:48)
  2. "Electric Blue" (4:38)
  3. "My Obsession" (4:07)
  4. "Man Of Colours" (5:09)
  5. "Heartbreak Kid" (5:18)
  6. "The Kingdom" (4:51)
  7. "Nothing Too Serious" (3:25)
  8. "Girl In The Moon" (4:00)
  9. "Anybody's War" (4:05)
  10. "Sunrise" (5:44)
  11. "Crazy" (12" Mix) * (7:22)
  12. "Crazy" (Midnight Mix) * (4:49)

[* Denotes CD bonus tracks]

[1], [2]

Japanese release

  1. "Crazy"
  2. "Electric Blue"
  3. "Nothing Too Serious"
  4. "Man of Colours"
  5. "Heartbreak Kid"
  6. "Kingdom"
  7. "My Obsession"
  8. "Girl in the Moon"
  9. "Anybody's War"
  10. "Sunrise"
  11. "Man of Colours" (6 am Mix) *
  12. "Shakin' the Cage" (D. Lord Mix) *

[* Denotes remix version on 1997 CD by For Life Records]

Chart positions

Album

Singles

Personnel

Credited to:

Icehouse members

  • Iva Davies – vocals, guitars, keyboards, Fairlight CMI, cor anglais
  • Robert Kretschmer – guitars
  • Simon Lloyd – reeds, brass, keyboards, programming
  • Stephen Morgan – bass guitar
  • Andy Qunta – keyboards, piano, backing vocals
  • Paul Wheeler – drums, percussion

    • Additional musicians

  • Andy Cichon – bass guitar
  • Stuart Gordon – strings
  • David Lord – additional keyboards
  • Glenn Tommey – guitar, percussion
  • John Oates – backing vocals on "Electric Blue"
  • Shena Power – backing vocals
  • Tommy Dassolo – Triangle
  • Karl Chandler – Tuba

    • Recording details

  • Producer – David Lord
  • Engineer – David Hemming, David Wright
  • Assistants – Carrie Motzing, Greg Henderson
  • Studio – E.M.I. Studios 301 and Trash Studios, Sydney, Australia and Crescent Studios, Bath, England
  • Mixer – David Lord, assisted by Raine Shine @ Crescent Studios, except:
  • "Crazy", mixed by David Lord, assisted by David Hemming @ E.M.I. Studios 301, Sydney
  • "Man Of Colours" mixed by Iva Davies, assisted by David Hemming @ Albert Studios, Sydney
  • "Electric Blue" and "My Obsession" mixed by Michael Brauer @ Sigma Sound Studios, New York City, United States
  • Mastering: Don Bartley, assisted by David Hemming @ E.M.I. Studios, Sydney
  • Digital remastering (2002) – Iva Davies, Ryan Scott

    • Art work

  • Artwork – Iva Davies, Robert Kretschmer
  • Art Direction & Layout – Sue Goff
  • Photography – Hugh Stewart

    • Covers

    Australian-born classical-crossover soprano, Grace Bawden released a version of "Man of Colours" as her debut single. Her rendition of the track received Davies' blessing and was aired on national television program, Rage on 4 September 2009.

    Songs

    1Crazy4:49
    2Electric Blue4:33
    3My Obsession4:09

    References

    Man of Colours Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA