Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet is the fifth studio album by rock musician Rick Springfield, released by RCA Records in 1982. The album was certified platinum in the United States, and produced three top 40 singles: "Don't Talk to Strangers" (No. 2 for four weeks), "What Kind of Fool Am I" (No. 21, not the show tune of the same name) and "I Get Excited" (No. 32). "Don't Talk to Strangers" and "Calling All Girls" also received considerable album rock airplay, charting at No. 11 and No. 4 respectively.
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 23, 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | Rock, pop | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Producer | Keith Olsen | |||
Rick Springfield chronology | ||||
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Singles from Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
The album's name is a play on the question Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, the name used for a 1955 play and a 1957 film that were mostly unrelated to each other. As the follow-up to the breakout album Working Class Dog, the album features cover art with a return of Springfield's pet Bull Terrier dog, Ronnie, this time enjoying the fruits of success.
In an interview with Songfacts, Springfield explained that "Don't Talk to Strangers" was about his paranoia that his girlfriend was being unfaithful when he was away.[3] The song melody is actually from the earlier recording called "Spanish Eyes", found on Rick's "Sound City Recordings" from 1978. "Kristina" is a remake of the Bachman–Turner Overdrive song "Jamaica", using different lyrics.[4]
The last song on the Album,"April 24, 1981", was written as an ode to his father who died on April 24, 1981. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Springfield#Personal_life) & (https://rscrush.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/april-24-1981-his-last-words/)
Track listing
All songs written by Rick Springfield, except where noted.
- "Calling All Girls" – 3:26
- "I Get Excited" – 2:32
- "What Kind of Fool Am I" – 3:19
- "Kristina" (Springfield, Jim Vallance) – 3:01
- "Tonight" – 3:19
- "Black Is Black" (Tony Hayes, Michelle Grainger, Steve Wadey) – 2:52
- "Don't Talk to Strangers" – 2:59
- "How Do You Talk to Girls" – 3:17
- "Still Crazy for You" (Charles Sanford) – 3:56
- "The American Girl" – 3:09
- "Just One Kiss" (Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg) – 3:14
- "April 24, 1981" – 1:33
Charts
Chart (1982) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 28 |
Canada (Canadian Albums Chart) | 6 |
United States (Billboard 200) | 2 |
Production
- Produced by Keith Olsen
- Engineered by Chris Minto at Goodnight LA
- Assistant engineer: Kim Turner
- Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders
Personnel
- Rick Springfield - lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals
- Tim Pierce, Charles Sandford - guitars
- Gabriel Katona, Alan Pasqua - keyboards
- Dennis Belfield - bass
- Mike Baird - drums
- Tommy Funderburk, Tom Kelly, Richard Page - backing vocals
References
- Allmusic review
- Rolling Stone review
- Don't Talk To Strangers Songfacts
- "Rick Springfield - Kristina". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 289. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.