Kiss Me Deadly (album)

Kiss Me Deadly
Studio album by Generation X
Released 23 January 1981[1]
Recorded AIR Studios, London
Genre New wave
Length 37:59
Label Chrysalis
Producer Keith Forsey
Generation X chronology
Valley of the Dolls
(1979)Valley of the Dolls1979		 Kiss Me Deadly
(1981)		 The Best of Generation X
(1985)The Best of Generation X1985
Singles from Kiss Me Deadly
  1. "Dancing with Myself"
    Released: 3 October 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]

Kiss Me Deadly is a 1981 studio album by the English New Wave band Gen X,[3][4] produced by Keith Forsey.

On release Kiss Me Deadly failed to secure a place in the United Kingdom's Album Chart.[5] Gen X broke up after the record's commercial failure.

Production

Kiss Me Deadly was recorded at AIR Studios in London in mid-1980, produced by Keith Forsey and engineered by Nigel Walker.[6]

Several of its songs were salvaged from the recording sessions at Olympic Studios in late 1979 of the band Generation X's abortive third long-player, during which it had acrimoniously broken up (the original recording sessions were retrospectively commercially released in 1998 under the title Sweet Revenge). Its lead singer Billy Idol and bass player Tony James had afterwards re-branded the act with a new drummer (Terry Chimes), modified name and a conversion into the nascent New Romantic movement's look and sound.[7]

The LP's title was taken from an earlier 'Generation X' song, one of the signature tunes of the band's early repertoire, and was chosen as a signal of a return to song-writing lyrical content of that period (i.e. "singing about things we knew about personally"), after what was perceived to be the artistic false step of the band's second LP, Valley of the Dolls (1979).[8]

Gen X was without a lead guitarist during the recording of Kiss Me Deadly, and its guitar-work features an ensemble of some of the best players in London's post-punk music scene who were at that time between bands, viz. John McGeoch, Steve Jones, Steve New and Danny Kustow, the latter two not being formally credited on the sleeve.[9] (The guitarist James Stevenson is credited on the sleeve as being in the band, but joined it after the long-player had been recorded and didn't play on the record).[10] On several of the songs different guitarists worked in combination, alternating on each song between lead and rhythm, creating a dynamic fusion of differing playing styles.[11]

"John McGeoch was an incredible guitarist, he really helped to bring (the 'Kiss Me Deadly') album to life".[12]

Billy Idol, Gen X's frontman/vocalist.

"McGeoch said "Oh I'll come down and help out". He rehearsed for three weeks and did the majority of the record with us. Jonesy came back from Thailand and supplied "Bollocks" on some tracks - patented Jonesy "Bollocks" - and he was really good on the raunchy stuff. Danny Kustow did a bit on the ('Dancing With Myself') single".[13]

"It's Steve New playing lead guitar on the single "Dancing With Myself", playing the lick and the solo, and he plays it brilliantly."[14]

Tony James, Gen X's song-lyricist/bass player.

Cover art

The record's cover portrait shot was photographed by Brian Aris.[15]

Track listing

Original LP (1981)

All tracks written by Billy Idol and Tony James, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dancing with Myself" 3:45
2."Untouchables"Idol3:37
3."Happy People" 4:28
4."Heavens Inside" 2:56
5."Triumph" 3:24
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Revenge" 4:19
2."Stars Look Down" 4:39
3."What Do You Want" 4:04
4."Poison" 2:59
5."Oh Mother"Idol, James, Terry Chimes3:33
2005 Bonus CD Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Dubble" (B-Side to 1981 "Dancing with Myself" 12".) 8:28
12."Loopy Dub" (B-Side to 1980 "Dancing with Myself" 12".) 5:04
13."Ugly Dub" (B-Side to 1980 "Dancing with Myself" 12".) 3:07
14."From the Heart" (From Live at the Paris Theatre '78 & '81.) 2:19
15."Andy Warhol" (From Live at the Paris Theatre '78 & '81.)David Bowie3:28

Charts

Kiss Me Deadly on release in January 1981 failed to enter the UK Album Chart. Its only single release "Dancing with Myself" reached #62 in the United Kingdom's Singles Chart on a pre-release in October 1980 before the long-player (although it was later a hit for Billy Idol as a solo artist).

Personnel

Gen X
  • Billy Idol − vocals/guitar.
  • Tony James − bass.
  • Terry Chimes − drums.
  • James Stevenson − guitar (sleeve credited, but didn't participate in the recording).

with:

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Gen X* - Kiss Me Deadly". rateyourmusic.com. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
    2. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. Kiss Me Deadly at AllMusic
    3. ↑ "Gen X* - Kiss Me Deadly". Discogs.com. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
    4. ↑ George Gimarc. "Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock, 1970-1982". Books.google.com. p. 313. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
    5. ↑ "Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
    6. ↑ Entry for 'Kiss Me Deadly' in Discogs online database. http://www.discogs.com/Gen-X-Kiss-Me-Deadly/release/652334
    7. ↑ 'Dancing With Myself', Billy Idol (Simon & Schuster, 2014).
    8. ↑ 'Ballad of Billy & Tony', New Musical Express, 21 February 1981.
    9. ↑ Entry for 'Kiss Me Deadly', Punky Gibbon website. http://www.punkygibbon.co.uk/bands/g/generationx.html
    10. ↑ Interview with James Stevenson with Mariola Fiedorczuk, 'Ola's Cool Kitchen', Los Angeles radio, May 2014.
    11. ↑ 'Dancing With Myself', by Billy Idol (Pub. Simon & Schuster, 2014).
    12. ↑ Interview with Billy Idol, 'Guitar Player' magazine, 20 January 2015. https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/idol-chatter-billy-idol-on-songwriting-gen-x-and-why-vinyl-rules
    13. ↑ Interview with Tony James, 'ZigZag Magazine', March 1981.
    14. ↑ Interview with Tony James in April 2002 for the 'Generation X Anthology'.
    15. ↑ Entry for 'Kiss Me Deadly' L.P. in Discogs internet site. https://www.discogs.com/Gen-X-Kiss-Me-Deadly/release/652334
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