Waking Up the Neighbours is an album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams released in 1991 (see 1991 in music) and his sixth studio album. The album was recorded at Battery Studios in England, and at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, mixed at Mayfair Studios in England, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York City. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was number one on the British charts for a record-breaking sixteen weeks.[1] After this success, the album was propelled to the #1 spot on the UK album chart, however only for one week.[2] The album has sold 15 million copies worldwide becoming Adams'best-selling album.[3]
The album was also notable in Canada for creating controversy concerning the system of Canadian content.[4] Although Adams was one of Canada's biggest recording stars at the time, his collaboration with the British–Zambian Lange meant that, under the rules in force until 1991, Waking Up the Neighbours did not qualify as Canadian content.[4] In September of that year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced that the Canadian content rules would be changed to allow collaborations with non-Canadians.[4]
Music
Recording and production
The album was recorded at Battery Studios in England and the Warehouse Studios in Canada. Recording began in March 1990, and along with mixing, finished in June 1991. The tune for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" had been written by Michael Kamen in the 60s.[5] When he was finished he sent it to Adams and Lange who wrote the lyrics and instead of using traditional instrumentation for a medieval lyric gave it a rock treatment featuring Little Feat’s Billy Payne on keyboards.[5] On its release it topped the charts in 16 countries and sold over eight million copies worldwide becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time.[5] The song was nominated for an Academy Award but it lost to the Disney theme “Beauty and The Beast”.[5]
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, previously known for his work with AC/DC, Foreigner, and Def Leppard, was helping Adams' writing the songs for his next album. Adams' spent much of his time in England with Lange working on his sixth album.[6]
When the BBC asked Adams' "Do you ever get bored of hearing your record-breaking hit Everything I Do?" Adams said
"Of course not. What a silly question. Everyone has heard the big production of the record many times, so that now I sing it very simply with my acoustic guitar, which is the way it was meant to be played when it was first written."[7]
In 1991, Adams was approached by the producers of the upcoming Kevin Costner film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and asked to work on a theme song. He was provided a melody written by the composer of the movie's score, Michael Kamen.[6] With this, he and Lange fashioned "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," which he also recorded and which played under the closing credits of the film when it opened on June 14, 1991.[6]
Songs
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song co-written and performed by Bryan Adams, featured on the soundtrack for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. It was an enormous chart success internationally, spending seven weeks at number one in the United States' Billboard Hot 100, sixteen consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart (the longest in British chart history), and nine weeks at number one on the Canadian singles chart in Canada.[2][6][8] The song won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in the Grammy Awards of 1992, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song of 1991.[9] In May 1991, Julien Temple directed the music video for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", The music video was shot in Sheffield, England May 17 - 18.[10]
"Can't Stop This Thing We Started" was the second single from the album. A rock song in contrast to "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Prince's "Cream".[8] "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" received two nominations at the Grammy Awards of 1992 for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance, Solo, winning none.[3]
"There Will Never Be Another Tonight" was the third single from the album. The title came from a fragment Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance wrote in late 1980s. The phrase was written into the song in the end of 1990 and released on Adams' album in 1991.
"Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" was the fourth single released from Waking up the Neighbours. Penned down by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams the song has much rock flavour in its music part, however lyrically it's a love song.[3] "Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, In the UK, it reached #8.[2][8]
"All I Want Is You", "Do I Have to Say the Words?" (#11 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Touch the Hand" where also released as singles but didn't get the heavy rotation as the first four singles released.[8]
Release and reception
Waking Up the Neighbours co-produced by Adams and Mutt Lange and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.[8] The album was released in September 1991 and featured the single "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", which was also used in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner and Alan Rickman. The album and single topped the charts in many countries with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" spending record-breaking 16 weeks at number one on UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in 17 countries.[4][11] It also made record-breaking sales of 4 million copies in the US.[12] Canadian content regulations were revised in 1991 to allow radio stations to credit airplay of this album towards their legal requirements to play Canadian music.[4] The album has sold a total of 10 million copies worldwide and has become Adams second best-selling album worldwide.[3] Adams won a Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You".
Waking Up the Neighbours included the hit singles "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", "Can't Stop This Thing We Started", "There Will Never Be Another Tonight", "Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven", "All I Want Is You", "Do I Have to Say the Words?" and "Touch the Hand" the four first had accompanying music videos. The four first including "Do I Have to Say the Words?" was placed on the Billboard Hot 100. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was the most successful song from Waking Up the Neighbours on the rock charts, reaching number 10 on the Mainstream Rock Charts and number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" arguably became Adams' most recognizable and popular song. Its music video received heavy airplay on music television.
Canadian content
The album made much controversy in Canada concerning the system of Canadian Content, even if Adams was one of Canada's biggest recording star at the time, his collaboration with non Canadians meant that the album and songs were not Canadian.[4]
In February 1992, Adams had issues with his homeland’s “Canadian Content” regulations, which restricted airplay of his album because Adams co-wrote and co-produced the record with an Englishman, Mutt Lange.[13] Adams briefly threatened to boycott the annual Juno Awards, where he ended up winning Entertainer and Producer of the Year awards.[13]
Adams called the Canadian Content rule "a disgrace, a shame...stupidity." and said:
"You'd never hear Elton John being declared un-British," Adams continues. It's time to abolish the CRTC. Not everyone agrees."[4]
In September of that year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced that the Canadian content rules would be changed to allow collaborations with non-Canadians.[4]
Waking Up the World tour
Before the release of the album, he began touring in support of it, and on June 8, 1991, he had gone back on the road in Europe co-headlining with ZZ Top. Shortly after the tour started, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was released as the debut single for the album which became a massive hit.[14] Adams further supported the album with his tour Waking Up the World, which started in October 1991 and ran through May 1993. On October 4, 1991, the World Tour started in Belfast, Northern Ireland. On December 18, 1991, Adams played his 2 first-ever shows in Reykjavik, Iceland. Adams went to the U.S. where he performed at the Ritz Theatre on January 10.[10] It was a sell-out in less than 20 minutes.[10] In attendance were music legends Ben E. King and Nona Hendrix.[10] The Canadian leg of the ‘Waking Up The World’ Tour kicked off in Sydney, Nova Scotia on January 13, 1992, and wrapped up with a standing room only concert in Vancouver, Canada, on January 31. In February 1992, he started touring in New Zealand & Australia for 7 dates - kicking off with a press conference in Sydney. On February 21 the tour headed to Japan for close to a dozen shows in 6 cities. Bryan taped an interview with Much Music’s Terry Dave Mulligan in Calgary, Alberta and the[10] air date was scheduled for mid-March. The tour continued through several European countries in June of 1992, including Italy, Germany, Holland and Scandinavia, and in July 1992, Bryan performed for the first time in Hungary and Turkey. September through December of 1993 saw the tour in the U.S. The Asian tour headed to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong in February, 1993, before returning to the U.S. during March through May.[10][14]
Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?" |
Adams |
4:40 |
| 2. |
"Hey Honey - I'm Packin' You In!" |
Adams, Lange, Russell, Scott |
3:59 |
| 3. |
"Can't Stop This Thing We Started" |
Adams |
4:29 |
| 4. |
"Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" |
Adams |
5:48 |
| 5. |
"Not Guilty" |
Adams |
4:12 |
| 6. |
"Vanishing" |
Adams |
5:03 |
| 7. |
"House Arrest" |
Adams, Lange, Vallance |
3:57 |
| 8. |
"Do I Have to Say the Words?" |
Adams, Lange, Vallance |
6:11 |
| 9. |
"There Will Never Be Another Tonight" |
Adams, Lange, Vallance |
4:40 |
| 10. |
"All I Want Is You" |
Adams |
5:20 |
| 11. |
"Depend on Me" |
Adams, Lange, Vallance |
5:07 |
| 12. |
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" |
Adams, Lange, Kamen |
6:34 |
| 13. |
"If You Wanna Leave Me (Can I Come Too?)" |
Adams |
4:43 |
| 14. |
"Touch the Hand" |
Adams |
4:05 |
| 15. |
"Don't Drop That Bomb on Me" |
Adams |
5:58 |
Personnel
Chart positions
Album
| Country |
Peak Position |
Certification (If Any) |
Sales/shipments |
ref. |
| Canada |
1 |
Diamond |
+1,000,000 |
[15][16] |
| Australia |
1 |
|
|
[17] |
| Germany |
1 |
Platinum |
+500,000 |
[18][19] |
| Austria |
1 |
Platinum |
+20,000 |
[20][21] |
| UK |
1 |
3× Platinum |
+900,000 |
[2][22] |
| Norway |
1 |
|
|
[23] |
| Sweden |
1 |
|
|
[24] |
| Switzerland |
1 |
4× Platinum |
+120,000 |
[25][26] |
| United States |
6 |
4× Platinum |
+4,000,000 |
[8][12] |
| Italy |
9 |
|
|
[27] |
| Hungary |
18 |
|
|
[28] |
| New Zealand |
28 |
|
|
[29]
|
| Netherland |
N/A |
3× Platinum |
120,000 |
[30] |
| France |
N/A |
Gold |
+100,000 |
[31] |
| Finland |
N/A |
Platinum |
+30,000 |
[32] |
References
