Air Supply (1976 album) explained

Air Supply
Type:studio
Artist:Air Supply
Cover:Air supply 1976 album cover.jpg
Released:December 1976
Recorded:October 1976
Studio:Albert Studio, Sydney
Genre:Soft rock, disco
Label:CBS Records
Producer:Peter Dawkins
Next Title:The Whole Thing's Started
Next Year:1977

Air Supply is the debut album by British/Australian soft rock band Air Supply released on CBS Records in December 1976.[1] The lead single "Love and Other Bruises" was released in October, reaching No. 6 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart, followed by the album peak at No. 17 on the Kent Albums Chart.[2] While the album reached gold status in Australia, the second single "Empty Pages" did not reach the Top 40 in February 1977.[2] The album was issued as Strangers in Love in Japan.

The album preceded the band's international recognition, which followed Lost in Love in 1980; the band would later release another self-titled album in 1985.

Background

Chrissie Hammond, Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell met in May 1975 while performing in the Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.[3] [4] With Hammond and Hitchcock on vocals and Russell on guitar, they formed Air Supply as a harmony vocal group in Melbourne.[5] Hammond left to form Cheetah and was replaced by Jeremy Paul (ex-Soffrok) on bass guitar and vocals in 1976.[3] The group's first single, "Love and Other Bruises", peaked at No. 6 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October.[2] It was followed by Air Supply, their debut album, in December, which reached No. 17 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart and achieved gold in Australia.[2] [3] The album was produced by Peter Dawkins (Spectrum, Ross Ryan) with Air Supply line-up as Hitchcock, Paul, Russell and drummer Jeff Browne, guitarist Mark McEntee and keyboardist/arranger Adrian Scott.[3] [4] The second single was "Empty Pages" peaked at No. 43.[2] A national tour followed with Hitchcock, Paul, Russell and Scott joined by Nigel Macara (ex-Tamam Shud, Ariel) on drums and Brenton White (Skintight) on guitar.[3] [4] Brenton White rehearsed but did not perform with Air Supply.

Reception

Cash Box magazine said "Their music is polished, poised and mainstream without being predictable."[6]

Personnel

Air Supply members

Additional musicians

Recording details

Artwork

Release history

DateRegionLabelFormatCatalogNotes
1976AustraliaCBSLPSBP 234929[8]
New Zealand
CanadaColumbiaPES 90413
1976AustraliaCBSCASPC 4929
Summit/RainbowSUL 3002
1977AustraliaCBS2LPSBP 241031Repackaged with The Whole Thing's Started
1980JapanLP25•3P-232Issued as Strangers in Love, alternate cover
1981AustraliaHarmonyLPHC 15070Love and Other Bruises compilation, includes six tracks from Air Supply
CASTCHC 15070
Summit/RainbowSC 3036
1988AustraliaColumbia/SonyCD463016 2
CBS/Disctronics463016 2Reissue of 1981 compilation, alternate cover[9]
CBSCAS463016 4
1991AustraliaRainbowCDRCD 1118First appearance of full album on CD [10]
1992AustraliaRainbow2CD2RCD 111/112Feel the Breeze, includes Air Supply and The Whole Thing's Started
1996KoreaColumbia/SonyCD486553.2Once Upon a Time, includes three tracks from Air Supply
CAS486553.4

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.airsupplyheartandsoul.net/airsupplyhistory.html Air Supply History
  2. Book: Kent, David . . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book Ltd . . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6 . NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  3. Encyclopedia: McFarlane. Ian. Ian McFarlane. Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Whammo Homepage. Encyclopedia entry for 'Air Supply'. https://web.archive.org/web/20040803083316/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=19. 16 August 2010. 1999. Allen & Unwin. St Leonards, NSW. 1-86508-072-1. https://web.archive.org/web/20040405231007/http://www.whammo.com.au/index.asp. 5 April 2004. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  4. Book: Spencer, Chris. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry with notes by Ed Nimmervoll. 1987. 2002. Five Mile Press. Noble Park, Vic.. Air Supply entry. 1-86503-891-1.
  5. Web site: Air Supply . . Magnus Holmgren . Magnus . Holmgren . Thornton . Mary Ann . Padgett . Chris . 16 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100926155029/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/airsupply.html . 26 September 2010 . dead .
  6. Album Reviews . Cash Box. World Radio History. 20. 3 December 1977. 25 November 2021.
  7. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 13.
  8. http://airsupplyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/10/chapter-three-cbs-records.html "Air Supply History: Chapter 3"
  9. http://airsupplyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/07/chapter-sixteen-silent-years.html "Air Supply History: Chapter 16"
  10. http://airsupplyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/01/chapter-eighteen-giant-records-new.html "Air Supply History: Chapter 18"