Results for Colour by Numbers
On this page:
 
Album Review:

Colour by Numbers

Colour by Numbers
Buy Now
  • Release Date: 1983
  • Genre: Rock
  • Label: Virgin Vip
  • Total Time: 18:59

Review

Colour by Numbers was Culture Club's most successful album, and, undoubtedly, one of the most popular albums from the 1980s. Scoring no less than four U.S. hit singles (and five overseas), this set dominated the charts for a full year, both in the United States and in Europe. The songs were infectious, the videos were all over MTV, and the band was a media magnet. Boy George sounded as warm and soulful as ever, but one of the real stars on this set was backing vocalist Helen Terry, who really brought the house down on the album's unforgettable first single, "Church of the Poison Mind." This album also featured the band's biggest (and only number one) hit, the irresistibly catchy "Karma Chameleon," its more rock & roll Top Five follow-up "Miss Me Blind," and the fourth single (and big club hit), "It's a Miracle" (which also featured Helen Terry's unmistakable belting). Also here are "Victims," a big, dark, deep, and bombastic power ballad that was a huge hit overseas but never released in the U.S., and other soulful favorites such as "Black Money" and "That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)," where Boy George truly flexed his vocal muscles. In the 1980s music was, in many cases, flamboyant, fun, sexy, soulful, colorful, androgynous, and carefree, and this album captured that spirit perfectly. A must for any collector of 1980s music, and the artistic and commercial pinnacle of a band that still attracts new fans years later. ~ Jose Promis, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title iTunes Composers Performers Time
Karma Chameleon
Culture Club, Mikey Craig, Roy Hay, Phil Pickett, Jon Moss Culture Club (4:12)
It's a Miracle
Culture Club, Mikey Craig, Roy Hay, Phil Pickett, Jon Moss, George O'Dowd Culture Club (3:25)
Black Money
Culture Club Culture Club (5:19)
Changing Every Day
Culture Club Culture Club (3:17)
That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)
Culture Club Culture Club (2:46)
Church of the Poison Mind
Culture Club Culture Club (3:30)
Miss Me Blind
Culture Club Culture Club (4:29)
Stormkeeper
Culture Club Culture Club (2:49)
Victims
Culture Club Culture Club (4:53)
Mister Man
Culture Club Culture Club (3:36)

Credits

Boy George (Vocals), Culture Club (Main Performer), Jermaine Stewart (Vocals (Background)), Terry Bailey (Trumpet), Trevor Bastow (String Arrangements), Graham Broad (Percussion), Mikey Craig (Bass), Steve Grainger (Saxophone), Roy Hay (Guitar), Roy Hay (Keyboards), Roy Hay (Sitar), Simon Humphrey (Engineer), Simon Humphrey, Steve Levine (Producer), Steve Levine (Digital Mixing), Julian Lindsay (Piano), Gordon Milne (Engineer), John Moss (Percussion), John Moss (Drums), Phil Pickett (Keyboards), Mike Ross (String Engineer), Patrick Seymour (Flute), Helen Terry (Vocals), Tim Young (Mastering), Ron Hay (Guitar), Ron Hay (Keyboards), Jon Moss (Percussion), Jon Moss (Drums), Jon Moss (Digital Mixing), Pat Seymour (Flute)
 
 
Wikipedia: Colour by Numbers
Colour by Numbers
Colour by Numbers cover
Studio album by Culture Club
Released October, 1983
Recorded 1983
Genre New Wave
Length 57:51
Label Virgin
Producer Steve Levine
Professional reviews
Culture Club chronology
Kissing to Be Clever
(1982)		 Colour by Numbers
(1983)		 Waking Up with the House on Fire
(1984)

Colour by Numbers is an album by New Wave band Culture Club, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). Featuring a plethora of international hits including the track, "Church of the Poison Mind", and the worldwide number one single "Karma Chameleon" which passed sales of one million in the United Kingdom. The album features the vocal talents of Helen Terry alongside Boy George, and chartwise improves upon the successful formula of Culture Club's début album Kissing to Be Clever.

In 1989, Colour by Numbers was ranked #96 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.

The album, now sold at more than 16 millions copies worldwide, contains more than 5 singles. "Church Of The Poison Mind" was released worldwide, going top 10 in UK, USA, Canada and many European countries. "Karma Chameleon" was a #1 almost everywhere and a song that defines the decade. The ballad "Victims" was released only in Europe and was a surprising top 3 hit for an orchestral ballad in UK. "Miss Me Blind" was released instead in North and South America, in Japan and Australia with great success (top 5 in Canada and USA). "It's A Miracle" was issued almost everywhere with great success for a fourth single. "Mister Man" was issued as a single in South Africa.

The album went gold or platinum in many countries. In Canada, Culture Club was the first band to achieve 10 x platinum success, giving the album the "diamond" status (more than a million copies sold).

In an interview in 1998, the four members of Culture Club agreed that "Colour By Numbers" was their best work.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Culture Club

  1. "Karma Chameleon" – 4:12
  2. "It's a Miracle" – 3:25
  3. "Black Money" – 5:19
  4. "Changing Every Day" – 3:17
  5. "That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)" – 2:45
  6. "Church of the Poison Mind" – 3:30
  7. "Miss Me Blind" – 4:30
  8. "Mister Man" – 3:36
  9. "Stormkeeper" – 2:46
  10. "Victims" – 4:55
  11. "Man-Shake" – 2:34 (2003 remastered CD bonus track)
  12. "Mystery Boy" (Suntori Hot Whiskey Song) – 3:33 (2003 remastered CD bonus track)
  13. "Melting Pot" – 4:31 (2003 remastered CD bonus track)
  14. "Colour by Numbers" – 3:57 (2003 remastered CD bonus track)
  15. "Romance Revisited" – 5:00 (2003 remastered CD bonus track)

"Time (Clock Of The Heart)" was included in japanese vinyl pressings.

Personnel

Production

  • Steve Levine - Producer, digital mixing
  • Simon Humphrey - Engineer
  • Gordon Milne - Engineer
  • Tim Young - Mastering
  • Jon Moss - Digital mixing
  • Mike Ross - String engineer

Charts

Album

Chart (1983) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart 1
U.S. Billboard 200 2
U.S. Top R&B Albums 7
Australian Albums Chart 1

Singles

Chart (1983/1984) Single Position
"Church of the Poison Mind" UK Singles Chart 2
"Church of the Poison Mind" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 10
"Karma Chameleon" UK Singles Chart 1
"Karma Chameleon" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
"Karma Chameleon" U.S. R&B Chart 67
"Karma Chameleon" U.S. Adult Contemporary 3
"Victims" UK Singles Chart 3
"It's a Miracle" UK Singles Chart 4
"It's a Miracle" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 13
"It's a Miracle" U.S. Adult Contemporary 8
"Miss Me Blind" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 5

Release details

Country Date Label Format Catalog
1983 Virgin CD 91391-2
LP 39170
1990 CD V2-86180
2003 CD 92408

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "Colour by Numbers" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ® , a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Colour by Numbers".  Read more

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In:

 |  More >More >
 

Do you have the answers?