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Dancing with Strangers

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Dancing With Strangers

| type = Album

| artist = Chris Rea

| cover = Dancing_with_Strangers.jpg

| border = yes

| alt =

| released = 14 September 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/1675-3605-2|title=BPI}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Album-oriented rock

| length = 49.16 (58:54 on cd with bonus tracks)

| label = Magnet
Motown (US)

| producer = Chris Rea

| prev_title = On the Beach

| prev_year = 1986

| next_title = New Light Through Old Windows

| next_year = 1988

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Dancing with Strangers

| type = studio

| single1 = Let's Dance

| single1date = 18 May 1987{{cite magazine |title=New Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=16 May 1987 |page=27}}

| single2 = Loving You Again

| single2date = 17 August 1987

| single3 = Joys of Christmas

| single3date = 23 November 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-11-14.pdf|title=Music Week|page=19}}

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = Record Mirror

|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Morton |first=Roger |date=3 October 1987 |title=Albums |magazine=Record Mirror |page=21 |issn=0144-5804}}

| rev2 = Smash Hits

| rev2score = 7/10{{cite magazine|last=Cranna|first=Ian|author-link=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Smash-Hits/1987/Smash-Hits-1987-10-07.pdf|title=Albums: Chris Rea — Dancing with Strangers (Magnet)|magazine=Smash Hits|location=Peterborough|publisher=EMAP National Publications, Ltd.|volume=9|issue=19|page=60|date=7–20 October 1987|issn=0260-3004|access-date=26 May 2023|via=World Radio History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806000000/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Smash-Hits/1987/Smash-Hits-1987-10-07.pdf|archive-date=6 August 2018|url-status=live}} [https://archive.org/details/smash-hits-7-20-october-1987/page/n55/mode/2up Alt URL]

}}

Dancing with Strangers is the ninth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1987. It became Rea's first major success in the UK, peaking at No. 2 behind Michael Jackson's Bad, and spent 46 weeks in the charts before going platinum.[https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/19870920/7502/ 1987-09-26 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive], Officialcharts.com, Retrieved July 9, 2013 The album entered the Top 10 in six other European countries, and topped the chart in New Zealand.[http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Chris+Rea&titel=Dancing+With+Strangers&cat=a Chris Rea - Dancing With Strangers], swisscharts.com, Retrieved July 9, 2013

"Let's Dance" was released as the first single and peaked at No. 12 in the UK, and climbed to No. 2 in New Zealand.[http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Chris+Rea&titel=Let%27s+Dance&cat=s Chris Rea - Let's Dance], swisscharts.com, Retrieved July 9, 2013 It was followed by "Loving You Again", "Joys of Christmas" and "Que Sera". The album features renowned Irish piper Davy Spillane.

Production

Rea had put a multi-track recording desk in his garage, and "made the whole album with three microphones. Nobody heard it, nobody witnessed it", he said. "It was just me having fun."{{Cite web |title=Chris Rea on "Dancing with Strangers" {{!}} The Story Behind |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHVsQIB4_A4 |access-date=7 November 2022 |website=Chris Rea Official channel (YouTube.com)}} It was "the first time Rea had demoed and partly recorded the album at home", which "gave him more control and helped cement his vision".{{Cite web |last=McCann |first=Ian |date=1 September 2021 |title=Dancing With Strangers: How Chris Rea Whirled His Way To The Top |url=https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/dancing-with-strangers-chris-rea-album/ |access-date=7 November 2022 |website=This is Dig.com}}

Despite the lead single's success, subsequent singles fared relatively poorly in the UK charts, with "Loving You Again" reaching No. 47, "Joys of Christmas" making it to No. 67 and "Que Sera" reaching No. 73. The latter shares a verse taken from an earlier song from the eponymous Chris Rea, called "When You Know Your Love Has Died."

Dancing With Strangers, along with four other albums from Rea's commercial peak, was remastered and reissued as a double album, with the first disc consisting of the original LP, and the second containing bonus material including singles, along with alternative and live versions.{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Ian |date=16 August 2019 |title=Chris Rea / The Rea-issues |url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/chris-rea-the-rea-issues/ |access-date=7 November 2022 |website=Super Deluxe Edition}}

Track listing

All songs by Chris Rea.

  1. "Joys of Christmas" – 5:15
  2. "I Can't Dance to That" – 4:19
  3. "Windy Town" – 4:25
  4. "Gonna Buy a Hat" – 4:25
  5. "Curse of the Traveller" – 6:26
  6. "Let's Dance" – 4:07
  7. "Que Sera" – 5:23
  8. "Josie's Tune" – 2:19
  9. "Loving You Again" – 5:40
  10. "That Girl of Mine" – 3:41
  11. "September Blue" – 3:09
  12. "I Don't Care Any More" – 2:10
  13. "Donahue's Broken Wheel" – 3:02
  14. "Danielle's Breakfast" – 4:33

Note

  • Tracks 12–14 are bonus tracks not available on the initial LP release.

Personnel

=Musicians=

  • Chris Rea – vocals, guitar (1, 2, 6), accordion (1, 4, 10), harmonica (1, 2, 7), brass (1, 4, 6, 7, 9), acoustic guitar (3), rhythm guitar (3), banjo (3), slide guitar (4, 10), all other guitars (5, 7), keyboards (6, 7), acoustic piano (7), all other instruments (8), all guitars (9), strings (9), lead guitar (10), all instruments (11–14)
  • Kevin Leach – acoustic piano (2, 3, 5, 9, 10), organ (2, 5, 7), Hammond organ (4)
  • Jerry Donahue – lead guitar (3, 4, 7), acoustic guitar (3), rhythm guitar (5, 10)
  • Eoghan O'Neill – bass (1–7, 9, 10), drums (1), percussion (1)
  • Martin Ditcham – drums (2–7, 9, 10), percussion (2, 3, 5–7, 9, 10)
  • Davy Spillane – Uilleann pipes (3, 5, 8, 10), low whistle (3, 5, 8, 10)

= Production =

  • Chris Rea – producer, mixing
  • Stewart Eales – engineer
  • Jean Jacques Lemoine – engineer
  • Justin Shirley-Smith – engineer
  • Jon Kelly – mixing
  • Willie Grimston – coordination
  • Mark Entwistle – cover illustration
  • Shoot That Tiger! – sleeve design
  • Jim Beach – management
  • Paul Lilly – management

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col" | Chart (1987–88)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|pages=246}}

| 7

{{album chart|Austria|13|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|Netherlands|7|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
scope="row" | European Albums (Music & Media){{cite magazine|title=European Hot 100 Albums|magazine=Music & Media|date=7 November 1987|volume=4|issue=44|page=24|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-11-07.pdf|oclc= 29800226|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308062927/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-11-07.pdf|archive-date=8 March 2021|access-date=5 February 2022|via=World Radio History}}

| 8

scope="row" | French Albums (IFOP){{cite web|url=http://infodisc.fr/Album_Liste_Selection2.php?Lettre=R|title=InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par R|publisher=Infodisc.fr|access-date=5 February 2022}}

| 14

{{album chart|Germany4|5|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|id=603|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|Norway|6|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|Sweden|7|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|Switzerland|7|artist=Chris Rea|album=Dancing with Strangers|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}
{{album chart|UK2|2|date=19870920|rowheader=true|access-date=5 February 2022}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col" | Chart (1987)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1987&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987|publisher=Dutch Charts|language=nl|access-date=5 February 2022}}

| 85

scope="row" | European Albums (Music & Media){{cite magazine|title=European Chart of the Year 1987|magazine=Music & Media|date=26 December 1987|volume=4|issue=51/52|page=35|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-12-26.pdf|oclc= 29800226|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308064410/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-12-26.pdf|archive-date=8 March 2021|access-date=5 February 2022|via=World Radio History}}

| 68

scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1987-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1987 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart|publisher=Recorded Music New Zealand|access-date=5 February 2022}}

| 27

scope="col" | Chart (1988)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1988|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|publisher=Dutch Charts|language=de|access-date=5 February 2022}}

| 68

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|region=Australia|nocert=true|certyear=1988|salesamount=75,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1988/BB-1988-01-30.pdf|title=The Majors|magazine=Billboard|page=A-22|date=January 30, 1988|accessdate=December 14, 2020}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|title=Dancing with Strangers|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Gold|source=infodisc}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|title=Dancing with Strangers|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|relyear=1987|certyear=1987|title=Dancing with Strangers|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|id=1987-10-16|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=1987|certyear=1987|title=Dancing with Strangers|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Platinum|id=1675-3605-2}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Chris Rea}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1987 albums

Category:Chris Rea albums

Category:Magnet Records albums