Harman Patil (Editor)

The First of a Million Kisses

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Released
  
16 May 1988

Length
  
47:53

Artist
  
Fairground Attraction

Label
  
RCA Records

Recorded
  
1988

The First of a Million Kisses (1988)
  
Ay Fond Kiss (1990)

Release date
  
16 May 1988

Genre
  
Skiffle

The First of a Million Kisses httpslastfmimg2akamaizednetiuar0c0207794

Producer
  
Fairground Attraction, Kevin Maloney

Awards
  
Brit Award for MasterCard British Album of the Year

Similar
  
Ay Fond Kiss, The Very Best of Fairgroun, Mirmama, Angels & Electricity, Sings the Songs of Robert B

A smile in a whisper


The First of a Million Kisses is the debut album by Fairground Attraction, released in 1988. The album features the number one single, "Perfect".

Contents

Fairground attraction moon on the rain


Composition

The album is a characteristic blend of folk, jazz, country, and Cajun elements (all but one of its songs being written by band member Mark E. Nevin). Released on 16 May 1988, it followed the success of the band's first single, "Perfect," by entering the UK Albums Chart at number seven, and peaking at number two. It was the only album released by the band before their break-up in 1990.

Three other singles were released from the album: "Find My Love" (which reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart), "A Smile in a Whisper" (UK #75), and "Clare" (UK #49).

The First of a Million Kisses won the award for best album at the 1989 Brit Awards, and was certified double platinum in the UK.

Cover

The photo on the album cover is from Magnum photographer Elliot Erwitt and was taken in 1955.

Track listing

All tracks written by Mark E. Nevin, except track 11 by Eddi Reader

  1. "A Smile in a Whisper"
  2. "Perfect"
  3. "Moon on the Rain"
  4. "Find My Love"
  5. "Fairground Attraction"
  6. "The Wind Knows My Name"
  7. "Clare"
  8. "Comedy Waltz"
  9. "The Moon Is Mine"
  10. "Station Street"
  11. "Whispers"
  12. "Allelujah"

The following two tracks are available only on CD issues of the album:

  • 13. "Falling Backwards"
  • 14. "Mythology"

    • The following tracks have been added to the new expanded 2CD edition and come from the Ay Fond Kiss release, the Live in Japan release or are (*) previously unreleased:

    15. TRYING TIMES

    16. WINTER ROSE

    17. AY FOND KISS

    18. YOU SEND ME

    19. WATCHING THE PARTY

    20. JOCK O’ HAZELDEAN

    21. THE GAME OF LOVE

    DISC TWO:

    1. MYSTERY TRAIN

    2. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

    3. THE WALTZ CONTINUES (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    4. DON’T BE A STRANGER (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    5. DANGEROUS (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    6. I KNOW WHY THE WILLOW WEEPS (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    7. HOME TO HEARTACHE (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    8. FEAR IS THE ENEMY OF LOVE (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    9. BROKEN BY A BREEZE (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    10. GOODBYE TO SONGTOWN (LIVE IN JAPAN)

    11. I MAY NEVER BE QUEEN*

    12. PRAYER FOR ST VALENTINE*

    13. SWING TRUMPET (DEMO)*

    14. RED RIBBON (DEMO)*

    15. FIND MY LOVE (DEMO)*

    16. MYTHOLOGY (DEMO)*

    17. STATION STREET (DEMO)*

    18. THE MOON IS MINE (DEMO)*

    19. WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT (VERSION)*

    Musicians

  • Eddi Reader – lead vocals
  • Mark E. Nevin – guitars
  • Simon Edwards – guitarrón
  • Ray Dodds – drums & percussion

    • Guests

  • Kim Burton – accordion, tiny harp, piano
  • Roger Beaujolais – vibes, glockenspiel
  • Anthony Thistlethwaite – mandolin
  • Steve Forster – mandolin
  • Ian Shaw – backing vocals
  • Will Hasty – clarinet

    • Songs

    1A Smile in a Whisper3:31
    2Perfect3:37
    3Moon on the Rain3:54

    References

    The First of a Million Kisses Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA