Love Zone

Love Zone is the sixth album recorded by British R&B singer and songwriter Billy Ocean, released in 1986 through Jive Records. The album includes Ocean's second US #1 hit "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and the US top ten hit "Love Zone". It also features the UK #1 and US #2 single "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", which had originally been released on the soundtrack to the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile.

Love Zone
Studio album by
Released1986
Recorded1985-1986
StudioBattery Studios, London
Genre
Length44:56
Label
Producer
  • Barry Eastmond
  • Wayne Brathwaite
Billy Ocean chronology
Suddenly
(1984)
Love Zone
(1986)
Tear Down These Walls
(1988)
Singles from Love Zone
  1. "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going"
    Released: 15 November 1985
  2. "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"
    Released: 22 January 1986
  3. "Love Zone"
    Released: 5 July 1986
  4. "Love Is Forever"
    Released: 1986

A critical and commercial success, it became his highest charting album in both the UK and the US, being certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 2 million copies.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
People(favourable)[2]
New York Times(favourable)[3]

Love Zone received favourable reviews from critics. People noted that "Ocean just floats along on this smooth" album and that "the moods (he) creates are so richly romantic they shouldn’t be inflicted on the brokenhearted".[2]

The album received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.[4] Ocean also won two American Music Awards, including for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Wayne Brathwaite, Barry Eastmond and Billy Ocean, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going"
3:41
2."Love Zone" 5:37
3."Without You" 5:03
4."There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" 4:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Bittersweet" 4:58
6."It's Never Too Late to Try"
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Ocean
  • Jolyon Skinner
4:54
7."Showdown"
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Ocean
  • Skinner
4:58
8."Promise Me"
  • Jonathan Butler
  • Skinner
4:36
9."Love Is Forever" 4:15
Total length:44:56
Bonus tracks on 2011 reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Love Zone (Extended Version)" 6:21
11."Bittersweet (Extended Version)" 6:40
13."When the Going Gets Tough (Club Mix)"
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Lange
  • Ocean
6:46
14."There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) (12" Version)" 8:12

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Production credits

  • Executive Producer on Track 1 – Robert John "Mutt" Lange
  • Producers – Barry J. Eastmond and Wayne Brathwaite
  • Engineer – Steve Power
  • Mixing – Nigel Green (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 & 9); Bryan "Chuck" New (Tracks 2, 6 & 7).

See also

References

  1. Wynn, Ron. "Billy Ocean: Love Zone". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
  2. "Picks and Pans Review: Love Zone". people.com. People. 16 June 1986.
  3. Holden, Stephen (21 December 1986). "ULTRA-ROMANTIC POP-SOUL MUSIC REMAINS A POWERFUL FORCE". nytimes.com. New York Times.
  4. "Billy Ocean". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
  5. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Ocean – Love Zone" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  8. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 227. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Billy Ocean – Love Zone" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  10. "Charts.nz – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  11. "Norwegiancharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  12. "Swedishcharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  13. "Swisscharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  14. "Billy Ocean | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  15. "Billy Ocean Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  16. "Billy Ocean Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  17. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  18. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  19. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  20. "British album certifications – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Love Zone in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  21. "American album certifications – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 



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