Animal Magic (The Blow Monkeys album) explained

Animal Magic
Type:studio
Artist:The Blow Monkeys
Cover:Animal-magic-cd-cover.jpg
Released:7 April 1986
Recorded:1985–1986
Genre:Sophisti-pop[1]
Length:44:03
48:15 (cassette version)
Label:RCA/Ariola
Producer:Peter Wilson
Dr. Robert
Adam Moseley
Prev Title:Limping for a Generation
Prev Year:1984
Next Title:She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter
Next Year:1987

Animal Magic is the second album from the British band The Blow Monkeys, released in 1986 by RCA/Ariola (now BMG). It gave the group their commercial breakthrough after their debut album, Limping for a Generation, had won critical acclaim but had only sold modestly.[2]

Sales of Animal Magic were boosted by the hit single "Digging Your Scene", which charted in the UK (peaking at No. 12), the rest of Europe and the US.[3] The album's first single, the ballad "Forbidden Fruit", had been released almost a year before the LP. After "Digging Your Scene", two more singles were taken from the album, both of which, though catchy and cleverly built, didn't replicate the same level of commercial success: "Wicked Ways" reached No.60 in Great Britain, and "Don't Be Scared of Me" charted at No.77 in UK.

Animal Magic displayed an intelligent collection of slick, soul-influenced, mid-tempo tunes. A couple of ballads offered some diversity: one of them, "I Backed a Winner (in You)", is a heartfelt track, mostly a cappella, with lead singer Dr. Robert, softly playing acoustic guitar while giving the lyrics its perceptive rhythm, where his vocals, and especially those of an aptly named ensemble, The Demon Barbers, acting as a sort of doo wop choir. Amongst the album's many gems is also a duet with Jamaican toaster Eek-A-Mouse on the duet "Sweet Murder".

In 2012, Cherry Red announced the release of a 2-CD deluxe edition with a whole bonus disc of previously unissued demos and B-sides.[4]

Track listing

Words and music by Dr. Robert.

  1. "Digging Your Scene" – 4:13
  2. "Animal Magic" – 3:07
  3. "Wicked Ways" – 4:14
  4. "Sweet Murder" – 6:31
  5. "Aeroplane City Lovesong" – 4:52
  6. "Walking the Blue Beat" – 4:12 (on cassette edition only) http://www.freedb.org/freedb_search.php
  7. "I Nearly Died Laughing" – 3:37
  8. "Don't Be Scared of Me" – 3:29
  9. "Burn the Rich" – 4:17
  10. "I Backed a Winner (in You)" – 2:39
  11. "Forbidden Fruit" – 3:59
  12. "Heaven Is a Place I'm Moving To" – 3:05

Singles from the album

* Used in the 1999 movie Splendor.[5]

* Cover versions have been released by Ivy on Long Distance (2001) and Guestroom (2002),[6] and by Rahsaan Patterson on the Japanese edition of Love in Stereo (1999).[7]

Personnel

The Blow Monkeys

Musicians

Production

Staff

Release details

align=center Countryalign=center Datealign=center Labelalign=center Formatalign=center Catalog
align=center UK1986RCA/Ariolaalign=center CDPD 70910

Charts

Chart (1986)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[8] 21
Australian (Kent Music Report)54[9]
US Billboard 200[10] 35
SongChartPeakDate
"Animal Magic"359 August 1986
"Digging Your Scene"121 March 1986
"Digging Your Scene"US Billboard Hot 100[11] 142 August 1986
"Wicked Ways"6017 May 1986

External links

The Blow Monkeys' Myspace page, with audio clips to four representative tracks by the band, including the smash hit from Animal Magic, "Digging Your Scene".

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top 15 Sophisti-Pop Albums. 25 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Adzgery. Sandy. Blow Monkeys Hoping for Another Big Success. Associated Press. 14 November 2011. 7 August 1986.
  3. Web site: Mason. Stewart. Digging Your Scene. AllMusic. 11 November 2011.
  4. https://archive.today/20130203164104/http://www.theblowmonkeys.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:deluxe-albums-coming-soon&catid=43:press-releases&Itemid=251 Theblowmonkeys.com – accessed September 2012
  5. Web site: Splendor (1999) – Soundtracks. Internet Movie Database. 14 November 2011.
  6. Web site: Wilson. MacKenzie. Guestroom – Ivy. AllMusic. 14 November 2011.
  7. Web site: Proefrock. Stacia. Love in Stereo [Bonus Track] – Rahsaan Patterson]. AllMusic. 14 November 2011.
  8. Web site: Blow Monkeys. The Official Charts Company. 11 November 2011.
  9. 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. 38.
  10. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=the blow monkeys|chart=all}} Animal Magic – The Blow Monkeys]. Billboard. 11 November 2011.
  11. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=the blow monkeys|chart=all}} The Blow Monkeys Music News & Info]. Billboard. 14 November 2011.

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