Everybody's Crazy Explained

Everybody's Crazy
Type:	Album
Artist:	Michael Bolton
Cover:	michael-bolton-album-cover-everybodys-crazy.jpg
Released:	March 15, 1985
Recorded:	August–December 1984
Genre:	AOR, hard rock, glam metal
Length:	37:12
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	Neil Kernon Randy Goodrum (track 6 only)
Prev Title:	Michael Bolton
Prev Year:	1983
Next Title:	The Hunger
Next Year:	1987

Everybody's Crazy is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on March 15, 1985 by Columbia Records.

The lead guitarist on the album is Bruce Kulick, later of KISS fame. After Kulick left to join KISS in late 1984, Kevin Reye/Reyes (Black Sheep, Fortress, White Lie/TRIIX, Martial Law, Network, Power Squadron, Zodiac) replaced him on guitar for post album support and performed in the CBS/Columbia MTV video of the title track, produced and directed by Wayne Isham and Curt Marvis of the New Company. The title track was a minor hit on hard rock radio stations, and the MTV video of the title track was also featured in the 1986 Rodney Dangerfield movie Back to School. The album was reissued overseas in the mid-1990s with a then-current photo of Bolton on the cover. It was reissued again on CD in the UK on February 25, 2008 by Rock Candy Records with a 12-page full colour booklet with original and new artwork.

Given the contrast in musical style between this album and the majority of Bolton's later (and more successful) musical output, songs from the album rarely appear on Bolton compilations. However, the title track was included on Bolton's entry in the Playlist series of Greatest Hits compilations.^[1]

Background

Producer Neil Kernon described how he became involved with the album: "Well, I got a call from Michael's manager asking me if I'd be interested. I'd heard 'Fools Game' [from his previous album, ''[[Michael Bolton (album)|Michael Bolton]]] and liked that, so we met and hit it off straight away. Michael was one of the funniest people I've ever met." Kernon also said that later on, Bolton did not want to re-release Everybody's Crazy or his self titled 1983 album on CD for fear of confusing and alienating fans of his later adult contemporary music.^[2]

Reception

In their retrospective review, AllMusic criticized Everybody's Crazy for muting Bolton's distinctive vocals, remarking that "much of the time he seemed to be fighting to be heard, and when he was, all he had was a mouthful of cliches to offer."

The album has an average rating of 88/100 on the hard rock/AOR database Heavy Harmonies.^[3]

Personnel

• Michael Bolton – lead vocals, backing vocals, additional guitar, arrangements (1, 3, 5)
• Bruce Kulick – lead guitar (1-5, 7, 8, 9)
• Dennis Feldman – bass, backing vocals
• Lloyd Landesman – keyboards
• Mark Mangold – keyboards, arrangements (1, 3, 5)
• Jan Mullaney – keyboards
• Mark Radice – keyboards
• Allan St. John – keyboards
• Chuck Burgi – drums (uncredited on the original release, but credited in the reissue)
• Mark Rivera – saxophone
• Larry Fast – synthesizer programming
• Schuyler Deale – additional bass
• Doug Katsaros – additional keyboards
• Neil Kernon – additional keyboards
• Terry Brock – backing vocals
• Peppy Castro – backing vocals
• Joe Cerisano – backing vocals
• Randy Goodrum – keyboards, synthesizer programming, drum programming, backing vocals (all on 6 only)
• Kevin Dukes – guitar (6)
• Paul Pesco – additional guitar (6)

Production

• Producers – Neil Kernon (tracks 1–5, 7, 8 & 9); Randy Goodrum (track 6)
• Co-producer – Michael Bolton (tracks 1–5, 7, 8 & 9)
• Executive producer – Louis Levin
• Engineers – John Abbey, Bruce Buchalter, Bobby Cohen, John Davenport, Neil Kernon, Bruce Lampcov, Andrew Milano and Malcolm Pollack.
• Additional engineer on track 6 – Larold Rebhun
• Assistant engineers on track 6 – Michael Sommers-Abbott and Paul Ericksen.
• Recorded at The Power Station, Electric Lady Studios and Delta Recording Studios (New York, NY).
• Additional overdubs on track 6 engineered by Jay Graydon at Garden Rake Studios (Sherman Oaks, CA).
• Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 9 mixed by Neil Kernon.
• Track 4 mixed by Bobby Cohen, Jan Mullaney and Michael Bolton at The Hit Factory (New York, NY).
• Track 6 mixed by Elliot Scheiner at Soundcastle (Los Angeles, CA).
• Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
• Studio maintenance – Bruce Friedman
• Direction – Louis Levin, in association with David Krebs and Steve Leber for Contemporary Communications Corporation
• Photography – Randee St. Nicholas
• Stylist – Fleur Thiemeyer

Cover versions

• Starship covered "Desperate Heart" for their 1985 album Knee Deep in the Hoopla.
• Jennifer Rush covered "Call My Name" (with slightly altered lyrics, thus earning Rush a co-writing credit on her version) for her 1987 album Heart Over Mind.

External links

• Everybody's Crazy at Discogs

Notes and References

1. http://www.allmusic.com/album/playlist-the-very-best-of-michael-bolton-mw0000806126 Michael Bolton - Playlist: The Very Best of Michael Bolton @AllMusic.com
2. http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/neilkernon.html Interview with the album's producer, Neil Kernon
3. http://www.heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=3553&CDName=Everybody's+Crazy Heavy Harmonies entry for Everybody's Crazy