The Warmer Side of Cool explained
| The Warmer Side of Cool |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Wang Chung |
| Cover: | The Warmer Side of Cool album art.JPG |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 23 May 1989 |
| Recorded: | 41B Studios, Westlake Village, CA from 1988-1989 |
| Genre: |
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| Length: | 52:04 |
| Label: | Geffen
24222 |
| Producer: | Peter Wolf |
| Prev Title: | Mosaic |
| Prev Year: | 1986 |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
The Warmer Side of Cool is the fifth studio album by Wang Chung released in May 1989 by Geffen Records. The album marked an artistic change from the new wave sound of their previous albums into a more traditional rock sound. Commercially, the album was a disappointment, peaking at #123 on the Billboard 200 in its sixth and final week on the chart.[1] Despite poor sales, the album managed to provide a minor hit with "Praying to a New God", which peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 27, 1989.[2] Another song, "Swing", was scheduled to be the second single from The Warmer Side Of Cool, but its release was ultimately cancelled.[3]
Reception
The album received 2 of 5 stars from Allmusic's Kelvin Hayes. Hayes concentrated his criticism's on the band's shift into rock from the band's original sound that had made them popular, and that they focused too heavily on the then contemporary mainstream rock music. Apart from the previous criticism, he did praise several of the album's tracks describing them as 'good melodic rock.'[4]
Track listing
Cassette/LP
Side One
Side Two
Personnel
- Lead Vocals: Jack Hues
- Additional Vocals: Bill Clift, Darren Costin, Gary Falcone, Nick Feldman, Roger Freeland, Jeff Pescetto, Joe Pizzulo, Ina Wolf and Peter Wolf
- Tribal Vocals: Bill Clift, Allan Ryder and Peter Wolf
- Guitars: Jack Hues, Pete McCray and Mikal Reid
- Bass Guitar: Nick Feldman
- Drums: Michael Baird, Vinnie Colaiuta and Bryan Hitt
- Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
- Vocal Percussion: Jeremy Smith
- Trombone: Bill Reichenbach Jr.
- Keyboards: Peter Wolf
- Mixed by Jeremy Smith
- Engineers: Jeremy Smith and Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza
- Assistant Engineers: Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza and Carlos Golliher
- Management: David Massey
- Art Direction/Design: Lynn Robb
- Collage by Ron Chadwick
- Wang Chung photos: Victoria Pearson-Cameron
- Photo of Asian boy: Reed Davis
- Photo of Kangaroo: Vitamvas/Camera Agency
- Photo of Interior: used by kind permission of Atlantic Antique Centres with thanks to Soho Design
- Photo of Dolphin: Julia Whitty
- Aerial Photography: from The Home Planet © 1988 Kevin W. Kelley. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.
- Album mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer
- Cassette and CD mastered by Dan Hersch at DigiPrep, Los Angeles, CA
- John Kalodner
- Special Thanks to: David Massey, John Kalodner, David Geffen, Ed Rosenblatt and everyone at Geffen Records (especially Al Coury, Marko Babineau, Peter Napoliello, Jonas Livingston, Norman Beil, Eddie Gilreath, Peter Baron, and Robin Rothman). Robin Godfrey-Cass, Ronny Vance, Ken Kraus, Nick Ben-Meir, Sandy Campbell, Lynn Robb, Rob Kline, and Bruce Jackson at 41B. Elaine Black, Debra Shallman, Cathy Woller, Lyn Fey, Roz Schrank, Sigrine Vally, David Chandler, Mikal Reid, Martin Winning (especially for help on "Swing"), Darren Costin, Brian Hitt, Debra Dobkin, and Jeff Naideau.
- Thanks too, to: Toru Nittono at L.A. Guitar Works, all at Norm's Rare Guitars, Bill Reim and Chuck Fukagawa at Ibanez Guitars, Chris and Allen at the Bass Centre, L.A., Beverly Lund, Francis and Rick at Bull Hitt Productions, the inventor of 'Asteroids', New England Digital, AKG, Monster Cables, Zildjian Cymbals, and D.W. Drums
References
- Web site: The Warmer Side of Cool chart database. Billboard.elpee.jp. en-us. 2023-09-17.
- Praying for a New God Charts on AllMusic.com
- Web site: Wang Chung History. wangchung.com. en-us. 2023-09-17.
- Web site: The Warmer Side of Cool - Wang Chung Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic. en-us. 2019-07-09.
