True Confessions (album)
True Confessions is the third studio album by English girl group Bananarama. It was released on 12 July 1986 by London Records. The majority of the album was produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley (who produced Bananarama's eponymous second album), with the exception of "Venus" and "More Than Physical" (later given a garage remix for its single version), which began Bananarama's association with the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting and production team.
True Confessions | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 12 July 1986 | |||
Recorded | April 1985 – May 1986 | |||
Studio | Odyssey, London | |||
Genre | Dance-pop[1] | |||
Length | 47:47 | |||
Label | London | |||
Producer | ||||
Bananarama chronology | ||||
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Singles from True Confessions | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The album contains the group's most commercially successful single to date, a cover version of Shocking Blue's 1969 song "Venus", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. True Confessions reached number 46 on the UK Albums Chart and number 15 on the US Billboard 200.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "True Confessions" | 5:19 | |
2. | "Ready or Not" | 3:53 | |
3. | "A Trick of the Night" |
| 4:38 |
4. | "Dance with a Stranger" | 4:30 | |
5. | "In a Perfect World" | 6:02 | |
6. | "Venus" | Robbie van Leeuwen | 3:48 |
7. | "Do Not Disturb" |
| 3:23 |
8. | "A Cut Above the Rest" | 3:40 | |
9. | "Promised Land" | 3:43 | |
10. | "More Than Physical" |
| 5:03 |
11. | "Hooked on Love" | 3:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Ghost" |
| 4:03 |
13. | "White Train" |
| 3:51 |
14. | "More Than Physical" (single version) |
| 3:19 |
15. | "Scarlett" |
| 4:12 |
16. | "A Trick of the Night" (single version) |
| 4:17 |
17. | "Set on You" |
| 3:56 |
18. | "Riskin' a Romance" |
| 3:53 |
2013 deluxe edition
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "True Confessions" | 5:19 | |
2. | "Ready or Not" | 3:53 | |
3. | "A Trick of the Night" |
| 4:38 |
4. | "Dance with a Stranger" | 4:30 | |
5. | "In a Perfect World" | 6:02 | |
6. | "Venus" | van Leeuwen | 3:48 |
7. | "Do Not Disturb" |
| 3:23 |
8. | "A Cut Above the Rest" | 3:40 | |
9. | "Promised Land" | 3:43 | |
10. | "More Than Physical" |
| 5:03 |
11. | "Hooked on Love" | 3:48 | |
12. | "Too Much of a Good Thing" | 5:12 | |
13. | "Vicious Circle" |
| 3:51 |
14. | "Ghost" |
| 4:03 |
15. | "White Train" |
| 3:51 |
16. | "Scarlett" (extended version) |
| 4:12 |
17. | "Riskin' a Romance" |
| 3:53 |
18. | "Set on You" |
| 3:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Do Not Disturb" (extended version) |
| 6:07 |
2. | "Venus" (extended version) | van Leeuwen | 7:23 |
3. | "More Than Physical" (garage mix) |
| 8:46 |
4. | "A Trick of the Night" (The Number One mix) |
| 8:14 |
5. | "Ready or Not" (Pettibone & Forest mix) | 6:34 | |
6. | "Venus" (Fire & Brimstone mix) | van Leeuwen | 6:43 |
7. | "More Than Physical" (Musclebound mix) |
| 9:57 |
8. | "A Trick of the Night" (dub) |
| 4:33 |
9. | "Venus" (dub) | van Leeuwen | 8:15 |
10. | "More Than Physical" (dub) |
| 4:57 |
11. | "Ready or Not" (Pettibone & Forest dub) | 4:45 | |
12. | "Venus" (original mix) | van Leeuwen | 3:18 |
No. | Title | Director | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Do Not Disturb" (music video) | Simon Milne | |
2. | "Venus" (music video) | Peter Care | |
3. | "More Than Physical" (music video) | Peter Care | |
4. | "A Trick of the Night" (music video; UK version) | Paul Heiney | |
5. | "A Trick of the Night" (music video; US version) | Peter Care | |
6. | "Venus" (music video; 12″ version) | Peter Care | |
7. | "Venus" (on Top of the Pops) | Brian Whitehouse | |
8. | "More Than Physical" (on Wogan) | Kevin Bishop | |
9. | "The Making of 'A Trick of the Night'" (on In at the Deep End) | Nick Handel |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of True Confessions.[4]
Bananarama
Additional musicians
- Tony Swain – keyboards (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Steve Jolley – guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Keith Thomas – sax (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Matt Aitken – guitar (track 6); keyboards (track 10)
- Mike Stock – keyboards (tracks 6, 10)
- Gary Hughes – keyboards (track 6)
- A. Linn – drums (tracks 6, 10)
- Andy Stennett – keyboards (track 10)
Technical
- Tony Swain – production (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Steve Jolley – production (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11)
- Stock Aitken Waterman – production (tracks 6, 10)
- Richard Lengyel – recording engineering
- Chips – engineering assistance
- Paul Batchelor – engineering assistance
- Tim Young – mastering (at CBS Studios, London)
Artwork
- Dennis Cockell – tattoos design
- Martin Brading – photography
- Peter Barrett – sleeve design
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[17] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[18] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Promis, Jose F. "True Confessions – Bananarama". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
... this album, along with the hit 'Venus,' are prime examples of classic '80s dance-pop music.
- "True Confessions [Bonus Tracks] – Bananarama". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- Sinclair, Paul (30 August 2013). "Bananarama reissue track listings". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- True Confessions (liner notes). Bananarama. London Records. 1986. RAMA 3.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0730". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Bananarama – True Confessions" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3 no. 31. 9 August 1986. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Bananarama – True Confessions" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- "Charts.nz – Bananarama – True Confessions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- "Swisscharts.com – Bananarama – True Confessions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- "Bananarama Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45 no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- "Canadian album certifications – Bananarama – True Confessions". Music Canada. 31 October 1986. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- "American album certifications – Bananarama – True Confessions". Recording Industry Association of America. 1 October 1986. Retrieved 28 August 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.