Agent Provocateur (album)

Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1984. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 5 in the United States. Although album sales were lower than their previous work in the U.S., it contains the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is", which is their only #1 single in the UK and the U.S., staying at the top spot for three and two weeks respectively. The follow-up single, "That Was Yesterday", also proved to be a sizeable hit, peaking at #12 in the U.S. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.[2]

Agent Provocateur
Studio album by
Foreigner
ReleasedDecember 7, 1984
RecordedApril−September 1984
StudioThe Hit Factory and Right Track Recording (New York, NY).
GenreRock
Length42:23
LabelAtlantic
ProducerMick Jones, Alex Sadkin
Foreigner chronology
Records
(1982)		 Agent Provocateur
(1984)		 Inside Information
(1987)
Singles from Agent Provocateur
  1. "I Want to Know What Love Is"
    Released: November 13, 1984
  2. "That Was Yesterday"
    Released: February 1985
  3. "Reaction to Action"
    Released: April 1985
  4. "Growing Up the Hard Way"
    Released: May 1985
  5. "Down on Love"
    Released: September 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tooth and Nail"Lou Gramm, Mick Jones3:54
2."That Was Yesterday"Jones, Gramm3:46
3."I Want to Know What Love Is"Jones5:04
4."Growing Up the Hard Way"Jones, Gramm4:18
5."Reaction to Action"Jones, Gramm3:57
6."Stranger in My Own House"Jones4:54
7."A Love in Vain"Jones, Gramm4:12
8."Down on Love"Jones, Gramm4:08
9."Two Different Worlds"Gramm4:28
10."She's Too Tough"Jones, Gramm3:07

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production
  • Producers – Mick Jones and Alex Sadkin
    • Trevor Horn originally worked as producer on the album, before leaving the project[3]
  • Chief Engineer – Frank Filipetti
  • Additional Engineers – Josh Abbey, Larry Alexander, Jason Corsaro, Joe Ferla and Howie Lindeman.
  • Assistant Engineers – Bobby Cohen, Tim Crich and Scott Mabuchi.
  • Original Mastering and Digital Remastering – Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC.
  • Art Direction and Design – Bob Defrin
  • Management – Bud Prager, E.S.P. Management Ltd.

Critical reception

By the time of Agent Provocateur, Foreigner was frequently savaged by the contemporary rock music press. A review in Creem read: "On this, their latest excursion into the gaping jaws of pulverizing mediocrity, our boys continue to wrestle with an all-too-turgid identity crisis — they still can't decide whether it's stupider to aspire to poor man's Led Zep status or settle for being a weightier version of Chicago. Some swinging choice, huh? Either way they lose and this record is simply jammed with one dull defeat after another."[4]

Charts and certifications

References
  1. Adams, Bret. Foreigner: Agent Provocateur at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  2. RIAA database Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/trevor-horn-buggles-in-the-bassbin-2
  4. Zeller, Craig (April 1985). "Foreigner: Agent Provocateur (Atlantic)". Creem. Retrieved July 25, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  7. "100 Albums". RPM. 42 (3): 5. March 30, 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Archived from the original (PHP/PDF) on 2012-10-23. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  8. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 2008-08-20. Find "FOREIGNER" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
  9. "Album – Foreigner, Agent Provocateur" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  10. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  11. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  12. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  13. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  14. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  15. "All the Number One Albums: 1985". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  16. "Agent Provocateur – Foreigner". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  17. "Foreigner Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  18. "French album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur" (in French). InfoDisc. Select FOREIGNER and click OK. 
  19. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  20. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  21. "British album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Agent Provocateur in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  22. "American album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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