Rhythm of Life
Rhythm of Life is the debut studio album by Scottish musician Paul Haig, released in November 1983 by Island Records. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City and RAK Studios in London with renowned producer Alex Sadkin. The album features guest musicians such as Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic, Anton Fier of the Feelies and the Golden Palominos, and Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins. Four singles were released from Rhythm of Life: "Heaven Sent", "Never Give Up (Party Party)", "Justice" and "Blue for You". The track "Adoration" was originally performed while Haig was still a member of post-punk band Josef K.[1] The album spent 2 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 82.
| Rhythm of Life | ||||
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| Released | November 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound Studios, New York City and RAK Studios, London | |||
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| Singles from Rhythm of Life | ||||
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In 2004, LTM remastered and re-issued the album on CD for the first time with five bonus tracks taken from the 1984 mini album Rhythm of Life Remixes. These are extended dance remixes by New York DJ Bruce Forest. The same track listing was issued again in 2014 on Les Disques du Crépuscule.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Ned Raggett described the album as "something of a strained effort, finding Haig coming to grips with his dancefloor aspirations but not quite hitting the bull's-eye." Adding that "he often sounds like a guest on his own record -- the exception, besides his singing, being his recognizable guitar parts, though often they are buried in the arrangements. His voice frankly sounds unpleasant as well."[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Paul Haig, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heaven Sent" | 3:57 | |
| 2. | "Never Give Up (Party Party)" | 3:24 | |
| 3. | "Adoration" | Jack Waldman | 3:00 |
| 4. | "Stolen Love" | 4:41 | |
| 5. | "Don't Rush In" | James Locke | 3:56 |
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Blue for You" | James Locke | 4:36 |
| 7. | "In the World" | 4:23 | |
| 8. | "Justice" | 4:19 | |
| 9. | "Work Together" | 4:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Heaven Sent" (Remix) | 6:00 |
| 11. | "Blue for You" (Remix) | 7:15 |
| 12. | "Never Give Up" (Remix) | 6:14 |
| 13. | "Stolen Love" (Remix) | 5:35 |
| 14. | "Justice" (Remix) | 5:10 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the Rhythm of Life liner notes.[3]
- Paul Haig – lead and backing vocals; guitars; drum machine programming
- Jack Waldman – keyboards; drum machine programming
- Bernie Worrell – keyboards
- Tom Bailey – keyboards; percussion
- Anton Fier – percussion
- Mike Nocito – percussion
- JS Subera – percussion
- Tina Baker – backing vocals
- Nikki Lauren – backing vocals
- Karen Brown – backing vocals
Production and artwork
- Alex Sadkin – producer
- Paul Haig – producer; sleeve concept
- Phil Thornalley – engineer
- John Potoker – engineer
- John Dent – mastering engineer
- Sheila Rock – photography
References
- https://lesdisquesducrepuscule.com/rhythm_of_life_twi188cd.html
- Raggett, Ned. "Rhythm of Life – Paul Haig". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- Rhythm of Life (CD booklet). Paul Haig. Island Records. 1983.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Paul Haig | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 10 May 2020.