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Tear Down These Walls

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Recorded
  
1987

Tear Down These Walls(1988)
  
Greatest Hits(1989)

Release date
  
January 1988

Length
  
46:57

Artist
  
Label
  
Arista Records

Tear Down These Walls httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb5

Released
  
January 1988 (January 1988)

Producer
  
Barry EastmondWayne BrathwaiteRobert John "Mutt" LangeTeddy Riley

Genres
  
Pop music, Rhythm and blues, Soul music

Similar
  
Billy Ocean albums, Pop music albums

Tear Down These Walls is the seventh solo studio album by British recording artist Billy Ocean. It was originally released in January 1988 by Jive and Arista as the follow-up to Ocean's critically and commercially successful 1986 album Love Zone. The album's title is a reference to then-President Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall!!" speech. It features guest backing vocalists, including The Manhattans, Will Downing, Carroll Thompson, and Mary Cassidy, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Ocean's later work.

Contents

On release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. Ocean's second most commercially successful solo album, it went on to peak at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and reached #18 on the Billboard 200. The album launched four charting singles in the UK. "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart; "Calypso Crazy" peaked at #35; "The Colour of Love" at #65; "Stand and Deliver" at #97.

Tear Down These Walls was released in 39 versions, including a unique Mini CD version (three 3" CDs) for the UK.

The album was re-released on 16 June 2014 on Cherry Pop featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a 2-CD set with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of associated 7", and 12" mixes.

Billy ocean tear down these walls side one 1988 33 rpm


Critical reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Ron Wynn gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that "While he was still a successful attraction, this album wouldn't reach the multi-platinum levels of its predecessors." also noting that "Ocean's voice also lacked the resonance and authority it had on earlier dance tunes and wasn't as convincing or confident on ballads."

Track listing

All tracks written by Wayne Braithwaite, Barry Eastmond, Billy Ocean, Jolyon Skinner, except where noted.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Production team
  • Carl Beatty – engineer
  • Jerry Peal – engineer
  • Steve Power – engineer
  • Wayne Brathwaite – producer
  • Barry J. Eastmond – producer
  • Robert John "Mutt" Lange – producer
  • Teddy Riley – producer
  • Bruce Robbins – assistant engineer
  • Chris Trevitt – assistant engineer
  • Nigel Green – mixer
  • Songs

    1Tear Down These Walls3:41
    2Gun for Hire4:59
    3Stand and Deliver5:02

    References

    Tear Down These Walls Wikipedia


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