Arc of a Diver explained

Arc of a Diver
Type:Studio album
Artist:Steve Winwood
Cover:Arc_of_a_Diver_cover.jpg
Released:29 December 1980[1]
Recorded:1980
Studio:Netherturkdonic Studios, Gloucestershire, England
Genre:
Length:39.49
Label:Island
Producer:Steve Winwood
Prev Title:Steve Winwood
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Talking Back to the Night
Next Year:1982

Arc of a Diver is the second solo studio album by singer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood. Released in 1980, Winwood played all of the instruments on the album.

Featuring his first solo hit, "While You See a Chance" (which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States), this was Winwood's breakthrough album as a solo artist. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, establishing him as a commercially viable act.

The cover artwork for the album is by Tony Wright. He took inspiration from Jazz by Henri Matisse, notably VIII: Icarus.

Recording

The album was recorded at Winwood's Netherturkdonic Studios, built at his farm in Gloucestershire;[4] he played all the instruments, wrote all the music, producing and engineering it himself.[5]

Critical reception

Reviewing for The Village Voice in June 1981, Robert Christgau credited Winwood for overdubbing all his self-performed instruments, but still found his brand of "British-international groove" more atmospheric than song-oriented and ultimately "lulling".[6] Robert Palmer was more enthusiastic in The New York Times, saying that Winwood has transformed himself into a "rock traditionalist" with the album. While highlighting "Dust" and the album's title track as "first-rate lyrics", Palmer said that "Winwood's impressive playing and arranging and utterly distinctive vocals make several of his collaborations with Will Jennings, especially the brooding 'Night Train,' almost as memorable."[7] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann wrote of the album, "Utterly unencumbered by the baggage of his long years in the music business, Winwood reinvents himself as a completely contemporary artist on this outstanding album, leading off with his best solo song, 'While You See a Chance'."[8]

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,[9] and was voted number 455 in the third edition (2000) of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[10]

Track listing

All songs written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings except where noted.

Original release

Side one

  1. "While You See a Chance" – 5:12
  2. "Arc of a Diver" (Winwood, Vivian Stanshall) – 5:28
  3. "Second-Hand Woman" (Winwood, George Fleming) – 3:41
  4. "Slowdown Sundown" – 5:27

Side two

  1. "Spanish Dancer" – 5:58
  2. "Night Train" – 7:51
  3. "Dust" (Winwood, Fleming) – 6:20

2012 Deluxe reissue

Tracks 1–7 on disc one, per the 1980 release, with disc two containing bonus tracks.

  1. "Arc of a Diver" [edited US single version] (Winwood, Stanshall) – 4:16
  2. "Night Train" [instrumental version] – 6:44
  3. "Spanish Dancer" [2010 version] – 6:13
  4. "Arc of a Diver: The Steve Winwood Story" [originally aired on [[BBC Radio 2]]] – 56:33

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1981)Position
Australian Kent Music Report[11] 5
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[12] 1
Dutch Mega Albums Chart[13] 6
New Zealand Albums Chart[14] 3
Norwegian Albums Chart[15] 24
Swedish Albums Chart[16] 33
UK Albums Chart[17] 13
United States Billboard 200[18] 3
West German Media Control Albums Chart[19] 26

Year-end charts

Chart (1981)Position
Canadian Albums Chart[20] 12
Dutch Albums Chart[21] 35
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 49
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[23] 15
US Billboard Pop Albums[24] 17
[25]

Certifications

Chart singles

YearTitleUS BillboardUS Cash BoxCAN
1981"While You See a Chance"7103
"Arc of a Diver"486419

External links

Notes and References

  1. 22 November 1980. Winwood LP. Record Mirror. 4. 19 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Steve Winwood: A guide to his best albums. Paul. Elliott. 23 March 2021. Louder Sound.
  3. Book: Evans, Paul . Steve Winwood . Paul Evans . . 2004 . . 4th . Brackett . Nathan . Hoard . Christian . 0-7432-0169-8 . 882-883.
  4. Book: 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die . 1315 . Hachette UK . 5 December 2011 . 9781844037148 . 3 August 2012.
  5. News: Arc of a Diver Review : New York Times : Steve Winwood . . Robert Palmer . Robert Palmer (American writer) . 21 January 1981 . 3 August 2012.
  6. News: Christgau . Robert . Robert Christgau . 8 June 1981 . Christgau's Consumer Guide . . 10 July 2020 . robertchristgau.com.
  7. Web site: Official Site.
  8. Web site: Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic. AllMusic.
  9. Book: Robert Dimery . Michael Lydon . 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition . 7 February 2006 . Universe . 0-7893-1371-5.
  10. Book: . Colin Larkin . Colin Larkin (writer) . . 2000 . 3rd . 0-7535-0493-6 . 164.
  11. Book: Kent, David . . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book . . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.
  12. Top Albums/CDs – Volume 34, No. 23 . . PHP . 16 May 1981 . 10 October 2013.
  13. Web site: dutchcharts.nl Steve Winwood – Arc of a Diver . dutchcharts.nl . . ASP . 10 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131028112924/http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Steve+Winwood&titel=Arc+Of+A+Diver&cat=a . 28 October 2013.
  14. Web site: charts.nz Steve Winwood – Arc of a Diver . . ASP . 1 May 2014 .
  15. Web site: norwegiancharts.com Steve Winwood – Arc of a Diver . ASP . 11 May 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131018003007/http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Steve+Winwood&titel=Arc+Of+A+Diver&cat=a . 18 October 2013 .
  16. Web site: swedishcharts.com Steve Winwood – Arc of a Diver . . ASP . 1 May 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150128042206/http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Steve+Winwood&titel=Arc+Of+A+Diver&cat=a . 28 January 2015 .
  17. Web site: Steve Winwood > Artists > Official Charts. UK Albums Chart. 1 May 2014.
  18. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r22080/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} allmusic (((''Arc of a Diver'' > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))]. AllMusic. 1 May 2014.
  19. Web site: Album Search: Steve Winwood – Arc of a Diver. de. Media Control. ASP. 1 May 2014.
  20. RPM Top 100 Albums of 1981. RPM. 26 December 1981. 1 May 2014.
  21. Web site: Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1981. ASP. nl. 1 May 2014.
  22. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. 1981. GfK Entertainment Charts. de. 3 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211019142750/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1981. 19 October 2021.
  23. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1981 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Recorded Music New Zealand. 1 February 2022.
  24. Billboard Top Pop Albums of 1981. Billboard. 29 July 2016. 26 December 1981.
  25. Web site: Steve Winwood: Arc of a Diver Production Notes. 28 May 2020.

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