I Say I Say I Say
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox album
| name = I Say I Say I Say
| type = studio
| artist = Erasure
| cover = Erasure I Say, I Say, I Say.jpg
| alt =
| released = 16 May 1994{{cite magazine |title=News |magazine=Melody Maker |date=19 March 1994 |page=3}}
| recorded = 1993
| venue =
| studio = Studio 142, The Church (London), Windmill Lane (Dublin), 37B (Chertsey, Surrey){{cite web|url=http://www.garethjones.com/cv/interviews/interface/interface.html|title=Erasure – Under Cover|website=Garethjones.com|access-date=26 November 2020|last=Miller|first=Jonathan|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123215526/http://www.garethjones.com/cv/interviews/interface/interface.html|archive-date=23 January 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/privateear_10.html|title=Dome Sweet Dome|publisher=ErasureInfo.com|date=1995|access-date=26 November 2020|last=Masterson|first=Ian|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729134902/http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/privateear_10.html|archive-date=29 July 2012|url-status=live}}
| genre =
| length = 44:08
| label =
| producer = Martyn Ware
| prev_title = Chorus
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Erasure
| next_year = 1995
| misc = {{Singles
| name = I Say I Say I Say
| type = studio
| single1 = Always
| single1date = 11 April 1994
| single2 = Run to the Sun
| single2date = 18 July 1994
| single3 = I Love Saturday
| single3date = 18 November 1994
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r194714|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev2score = BRomero, Michele (20 May 1994). "I Say, I Say, I Say". Entertainment Weekly.
| rev3 = Los Angeles Times
| rev3score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Willman|title=Organic Love for Space Age Swooners|work=Los Angeles Times|date=22 May 1994|page=|accessdate=20 January 2023|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-16-ca-55148-story.html}}
| rev4 = Music Week
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-05-14.pdf|title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums|magazine=Music Week|date=14 May 1994|page=19|access-date=9 May 2025}}
| rev5 = NME
| rev5score = 7/10{{cite magazine |last=Wells |first=Steven |date=21 May 1994 |title=Long Play |magazine=New Musical Express |page=39}}
| rev6 = The Observer
| rev6score = (favorable)Spencer, Neil (15 May 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer.
| rev7 = Select
| rev7score = {{rating|2|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite magazine|first=Siân|last=Pattenden|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/06/albums25.jpg|title=New Albums|work=Select|date=June 1994|page=86|access-date=18 December 2024|author-link=Siân Pattenden}}
| rev8 = Smash Hits
| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|first=Emma|last=Cochrane|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/smashhits90s/34994103950/in/album-72157685202618935/|title=New Albums|work=Smash Hits|date=11 May 1994|page=48|access-date=4 October 2024}}
}}
I Say I Say I Say is the sixth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in 1994 by Mute Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. The album was produced by Martyn Ware, who was a founding member of veteran synth-pop groups the Human League and Heaven 17.
Upon its release it became Erasure's fourth consecutive studio album to hit No. 1 in the UK, and fifth overall,{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23453/erasure/|title=Erasure | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=OfficialCharts.com}} generating three top-20 singles. In the US, I Say I Say I Say debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200, easily beating their previous highest chart placing. In Germany, the album climbed to number six.
Although Erasure always maintained popularity in the US dance club community, with the rise of grunge rock Erasure saw their exposure on college radio, mainstream stations and MTV become mostly non-existent by 1994.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} This made it even more of a surprise when the ballad "Always" gave them their third top-20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in September.
The album saw keyboardist/programmer Vince Clarke continue with his by-then trademark exclusive usage of pre-MIDI analog synthesizers and sequencers, with the additional self-imposed constraint that no drum machines were to be used either.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Instead, Clarke used synthesizers to create the album's drum and percussion sounds.
Critical reception
Upon its release, James Slattery of Melody Maker felt Erasure had taken a "misguided quest for serious critical acclaim", resulting in the "greatest singles band in the last 10 years" to produce an album without one "shag-happy top five certainty" and only "glimpses of what might've been". He said, "Erasure seem too willing to rein in the extravagances and plump for a utilitarian pop-techno sound, pussy-footing around in a fog of lightweight moderation."{{cite magazine |last=Slattery |first=James |title=Albums: It's No Joke |magazine=Melody Maker |date=14 May 1994 |page=30}} Alan Jones of Music Week remarked that the album "sadly contains fewer songs of merit than any previous Erasure album" and predicted it would be "huge initially" but with a "shorter chart life than usual". He singled out "Always" for "standing head and shoulders above the rest".{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Alan |title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums |magazine=Music Week |date=14 May 1994 |page=18 |issn=0265-1548}}
Steven Wells of NME felt the band had "once again proven themselves worthy" with an album which "runs the whole gamut of current bink-bash-bleep-bonk-diddley-bop dancepop". He added, "There are ten screamingly obviously international top ten hits here, all of them hymns to an innocence which yearns desperately to be corrupted and all of them with fabulous, juddering, soaring, sickeningly sweet melodies that wiggle and jiggle past the appalled intellect and make straight for the tear ducts." Emma Cochrane from Smash Hits wrote, "Whether they're camping it up (complete with choir) on 'So the Story Goes' or bopping about on 'Run to the Sun', these boys are onto a winner, and they know it."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Andy Bell and Vince Clarke
| title1 = Take Me Back
| length1 = 4:55
| title2 = I Love Saturday
| length2 = 4:02
| title3 = Man in the Moon
| length3 = 4:06
| title4 = So the Story Goes
| length4 = 4:08
| title5 = Run to the Sun
| length5 = 4:25
| title6 = Always
| length6 = 3:57
| title7 = All Through the Years
| length7 = 4:59
| title8 = Blues Away
| length8 = 5:01
| title9 = Miracle
| length9 = 4:12
| title10 = Because You're So Sweet
| length10 = 4:17
}}
On the Chilean/Argentinian cassette version, there's a Spanish rendition of "Always" (Spanish vocal), just before "Always".
In the Philippines release of this album in MC, 2 extended remixes of "Always" were added as hidden tracks (no mention or credits in the inlay), one at the start of each side (before "Take Me Back" on Side 1 and the original "Always" on Side 2).
2016 "Erasure 30" 30th anniversary BMG reissue LP
Subsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog, and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World. All titles were pressed and distributed by Play It Again Sam on 180-gram vinyl and shrinkwrapped with a custom anniversary sticker.
Personnel
- Andy Bell – vocals
- Vince Clarke – synthesizers, programming
- Sy-Jenq Cheng – design
- Mike Cosford – paintings
- John Dexter – arranger, conductor
- Luke Gifford – assistant engineer
- Norman Hathaway – design
- Andy Houston – engineer
- Rob Kirwan – assistant engineer
- Phil Legg – engineer, mixing
- Kevin Metcalfe – editing
- St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir – choir, chorus
- Al Stone – engineer
- Martyn Ware – producer
- Olaf Wendt – artwork
- Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
Charts
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Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for I Say I Say I Say}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Erasure|title=I Say I Say I Say|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|id=3140-624-2|date=1 May 1994|access-date=28 December 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Erasure}}
{{Authority control}}