Future Shock (Gillan album) explained

Future Shock
Type:	studio
Artist:	Gillan
Cover:	Future Shock - Gillan.jpg
Released:	17 April 1981^[1]
Recorded:	January 1981^[2]
Studio:	Kingsway Recorders, London, UK
Genre:	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length:	43:24
Label:	Virgin
Producer:	Gillan
Prev Title:	Glory Road
Prev Year:	1980
Next Title:	Double Trouble
Next Year:	1981

Future Shock is the fourth studio album by the British hard rock band Gillan. Released by Virgin in 1981, it reached number 2 in the UK album chart; this would remain the band's highest placing.^[3]

The title is taken from Alvin Toffler's book Future Shock.

The original vinyl LP had a gatefold sleeve, with centre pages. Cover painting is by Alan Daniels for Young Artists.

Reception

In 2005, Future Shock was ranked number 467 in the German Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.^[4]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Future Shock" (Ian Gillan, John McCoy, Bernie Tormé) – 3:06
2. "Night Ride Out of Phoenix" (Gillan, Colin Towns) – 5:06
3. "(The Ballad Of) The Lucitania Express" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 3:10
4. "No Laughing in Heaven" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé, Towns, Mick Underwood) – 4:58
5. "Sacre Bleu" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 3:03
6. "New Orleans" (Frank Guida, Joseph Royster) – 2:37 (Gary U.S. Bonds cover)

Side two

7. "Bite the Bullet" (Gillan, Towns) – 4:50
8. "If I Sing Softly" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 6:10
9. "Don't Want the Truth" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 5:40
10. "For Your Dreams" (Gillan, Towns) – 5:04

1989 re-release bonus tracks

In 1989 the album was re-released in CD format again on the Virgin label. The revised track listing featured several bonus tracks:

11. "One for the Road" (Gillan, Towns) – 3:03
12. "Bad News" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé, Underwood) – 3:08
13. "Take a Hold of Yourself" (Gillan, McCoy, Towns, Underwood) – 4:42
14. "Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé, Towns, Underwood) – 3:13
15. "The Maelström (Longer Than the A Side)" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé, Towns, Underwood) – 5:07
16. "Trouble" (Leiber, Stoller) – 2:39
17. "Your Sister's on My List" (Gillan, Towns) – 4:07
18. "Handles on Her Hips" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 2:10
19. "Higher and Higher" (Gillan, McCoy, Tormé) – 3:42
20. "I Might As Well Go Home (Mystic)" (Gillan, Towns) – 2:16

2007 re-release bonus tracks

In 2007 the album was re-released in CD format again on the Edsel label. This has retrospective comments by Ian Gillan and the original artwork, plus pictures of various single picture sleeves. The revised track listing, similar to the 1989 release, had the following bonus tracks:

11. "Trouble" – 2:40
12. "Your Sister's on My List" – 4:07
13. "Mutually Assured Destruction" – 3:13
14. "The Maelström (Longer Than the A Side)" – 5:16
15. "Take a Hold of Yourself" – 4:42
16. "One for the Road" – 3:02
17. "Lucille" (Richard Wayne Penniman, Albert Collins) – 2:39
18. "Bad News" – 3:06

Other notable re-releases

In August 2012 a new collectors edition of the album was released on vinyl. The release was produced as a 12-inch hardback book, with all the lyrics, images, photos and art from the original. The records themselves are housed in black holders within the book, each in a special bag with sleeve notes detailing the story of the album. The discs were pressed at 45 rpm for clarity of sound. This edition was limited to just 1,000 copies.

Personnel

Gillan

• Ian Gillan – lead vocals
• Bernie Tormé – guitar
• Colin Towns – keyboards
• John McCoy – bass
• Mick Underwood – drums

Production notes

• Recorded and mixed at Kingsway Recorders, London, January 1981
• Produced by K.R.
• Engineered by Paul Watkins
• Mixed by Paul Watkins, John McCoy with contributions from Colin Towns, Bernie Tormé and Mick Underwood

Charts

Singles

New Orleans

No Laughing in Heaven

External links

• Ian Gillan's website
• The Ian Gillan Discobiography (The Highway Star)
• Edsel Records feature about Gillan's Future Shock

Notes and References

1. Book: Popoff . Martin . Martin Popoff . The Deep Purple Family, vol 2 . 2nd . Wymer Publishing . 2018 . 49 . 978-1-908724-87-8.
2. Book: Gillan . Ian . Ian Gillan . The Autobiography . 3rd . John Blake Publishing . 2016 . 325 . 978-1-786-06135-5.
3. Web site: Gillan Official Charts . . 2019-05-19 .
4. Book: Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. 2005. Rock Hard. 3-89880-517-4. 22.
5. 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.