Huey Lewis and the News (album)

Huey Lewis and the News
Studio album by Huey Lewis and the News
Released June 25, 1980
Recorded December 1979
Studio American Recording, Studio City,
Redwing Sound, Los Angeles,
Studio 55, Los Angeles
Genre Rock, pop rock
Length 31:20
Label Chrysalis
Producer Bill Schnee
Huey Lewis and the News chronology
Huey Lewis and the News
(1980)		 Picture This
(1982)
Singles from Huey Lewis and the News
  1. "Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)"
    Released: 1980
  2. "Now Here's You"
    Released: 1980

Huey Lewis and the News is the debut album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1980.

Background

In 1979, the band's name was Huey Lewis and the American Express. Under this name they released a single and secured their recording contract with Chrysalis Records at the end of the year. The album was recorded within three weeks and the producer was Bill Schnee, who had produced for Boz Scaggs and Pablo Cruise.

Chrysalis did not like the addition 'American Express' to the band's name, fearing that the credit card company of the same name could sue them.[1] In January 1980, just prior to the release of their debut album, the band changed their name to 'Huey Lewis and the News'.

On June 25, 1980, the band released their first album, the self-titled LP Huey Lewis and the News. Though not a commercial success on a national level (reaching No. 203 on the Billboard album chart[2]), the album helped to enlarge the band's local following in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
BillboardFavorable[4]

Billboard states that producer Bill Schnee mastered the "clean, sparse rock" that every rock band was trying to achieve at the time by "skinning the uptempo, light rockers down to basic guitars and vocals."[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in a retrospective review for AllMusic, says the News turn out "hard-driving covers and originals in a workmanlike fashion" but their "debut suffers from an uneven selection of material."[3]

Track listing

All tracks written by Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper and Huey Lewis except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)" 3:23
2."Don't Make Me Do It" 2:50
3."Stop Trying" 3:31
4."Now Here's You"Cipollina, Colla, Gibson, Hayes, Hopper, Lewis, John McFee4:12
5."I Want You"Brian Marnell2:48
6."Don't Ever Tell Me That You Love Me" 2:53
7."Hearts" 2:51
8."Trouble In Paradise" 3:11
9."Who Cares?" 3:49
10."If You Really Love Me You'll Let Me" 1:52

Singles

"Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)" was written in San Francisco by the band and recorded in Los Angeles at Studio 55 within three weeks, and the track was released as the album's first single. The song is about people betraying other people, including friends, old friends, and enemies.

The B-side for the single was "Don't Ever Tell Me That You Love Me". The songs, along with the album, failed to chart.

Videos were shot for both songs and were later included on the band's 1985 VHS compilation, Video Hits. In 1986, remixes of the songs were included as B-sides to the singles "Hip to Be Square" and "Stuck with You", respectively.

Personnel

  • Huey Lewis – vocals, harmonica
  • Chris Hayes – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Johnny Colla – rhythm guitar, saxophone, backing vocals
  • Mario Cipollina – bass
  • Bill Gibson – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Sean Hopper – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Bill Schnee – producer, engineer
  • Bill Cooper – assistant engineer
  • Kirk Butler – assistant engineer
  • Tim Dennen – assistant engineer
  • Bill Murphy – design
  • Rod Dyer – design
  • Doug Sax – mixing, mastering
  • Billy Bass – art direction, cover concept
  • Ron Slenzak – photography
  • Chris Welch – liner notes
  • Bob Brown – management
  • Mark Deadman – management
  • John Burnham – management

References

  1. ↑ Sheff, David (16 August 1982). To Get His News on the Air, Rocker Huey Lewis Had to Wait for a Commercial Break, People (magazine), Retrieved November 29, 2010
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1998). Bubbling Under Singles & Albums. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 15. ISBN 0-89820-128-4.
  3. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Huey Lewis and the News – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Top Album Picks: First Time Around – Huey Lewis and the News". Billboard. 92 (27): 66. July 9, 1980. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
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