On the Beach (Chris Rea album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox album
| name = On the Beach
| type = studio
| artist = Chris Rea
| cover = On The Beach (Chris Rea).jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = 14 April 1986{{cite web|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/4844-3605-2|title=BPI}}
| recorded =
| studio =
- Anderburr Recording Studios (Bray, Berkshire)
- Mountain Studios (Montreux, Switzerland)
| genre = Rock, soft rock, adult contemporary
| length = 59:58 (CD)
48:40 (LP)
| label = Magnet
| producer =
| prev_title = Shamrock Diaries
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = Dancing with Strangers
| next_year = 1987
| misc = {{Singles
| name = On the Beach
| type = studio
| single1 = It's All Gone
| single1date = March 1986
| single2 = On the Beach
| single2date = May 1986
| single3 = Hello Friend
| single3date = November 1986
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/on-the-beach-mw0000740994 |title=On the Beach review |first=Rob |last=Caldwell |publisher=AllMusic}}
}}
On the Beach is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1986, and built on the success of the preceding Shamrock Diaries. It reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart (and also in Sweden), topped the Dutch charts (where it charted for more than nine months), reached number two in West Germany and No. 4 in New Zealand (where is also spent more than nine months in the charts). It also reached the top 10 in Norway. In 2019, a deluxe remastered version of the album was released.
Songs
In an interview for the deluxe edition of the album, Rea said of the song Giverny, written after a visit to Monet's celebrated home, "I didn't want to be there. I was only there because she (his wife, Joan) was there... so there's kinda, a funny twist to it".{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOmV9v_t3hA&list=RDOOmV9v_t3hA&start_radio=1&t=13 |title=Chris Rea on "On The Beach" |date=2019 |access-date=9 January 2021}}
Critical reception
AllMusic notes that, "while The Road to Hell shows the darker side of Rea's worldview, On the Beach is an excellent introduction to his brighter, more optimistic songwriting".{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-the-beach-mw0000740994|title=On the Beach - Chris Rea | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|access-date=18 May 2021|website=AllMusic}}
A retrospective review finds that the album "taps into the same kind of jazzy, introspective pop/soul sound that the likes of John Martyn, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison were flirting with in the same period, helped by an excellent band including Fairport Convention/XTC drummer Dave Mattacks", adding that Little Blonde Plaits is "a vehicle for [Max] Middleton's expressive Mini Moog, very redolent of his atmospheric playing on John Martyn’s Glorious Fool".{{Cite web|url=https://movingtheriver.com/2016/04/01/chris-reas-on-the-beach-30-years-old-today/|title=Chris Rea: On The Beach 30 Years Old Today|website=Movingtheriver.com|date=1 April 2016|access-date=18 May 2021}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = On the Beach track listing
| all_writing = Chris Rea
| title1 = On the Beach
| length1 = 5:04
| title2 = Little Blonde Plaits
| length2 = 4:17
| title3 = Giverny
| length3 = 5:39
| title4 = Lucky Day
| length4 = 3:57
| title5 = Just Passing Through
| length5 = 5:20
| title6 = It's All Gone
| length6 = 7:28
| title7 = Hello Friend
| length7 = 4:19
| title8 = Two Roads
| length8 = 3:44
| title9 = Light of Hope
| length9 = 4:34
| title10 = Auf Immer und Ewig
| length10 = 4:11
| title11 = Freeway
| note11 = CD only
| length11 = 4:12
| title12 = Bless Them All
| note12 = CD only
| length12 = 2:30
| title13 = Crack That Mould
| note13 = CD only
| length13 = 4:34
}}
Personnel
= Musicians =
- Chris Rea – all vocals, keyboards, acoustic piano, guitars, slide guitar, fretless bass
- Max Middleton – acoustic piano, Rhodes, Minimoog, synthesizers
- Kevin Leach – keyboards
- Robert Awhai – guitars
- Eoghan O'Neill – bass guitar
- Dave Mattacks – drums
- Adrian Rea – drums
- Martin Ditcham – percussion
= Production =
- Chris Rea – producer
- David Richards – producer, mixing
- Stewart Eales – recording engineer
- Stylorouge – sleeve design
- Ekkeheart Gurlitt – photography
- Francoise La Port – photography (Chris Rea)
Singles
- "It's All Gone" b/w "Crack That Mould", "Look Out For Me", "Bless Them All", "Let's Dance" (original version)
- "On the Beach" b/w "On the Beach (special remix)", "If Anybody Asks You", "One Golden Rule" (live), "Midnight Blue"
- "Hello Friend" (re-recording) b/w "Driving Home for Christmas" (original version), "It's All Gone" (live), "Steel River"
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for On the Beach ! scope="col"| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite Kent|page=247}}
| 37 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Austria|20|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|1|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|2|id=393|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|4|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Norway|7|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|11|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|10|artist=Chris Rea|album=On the Beach|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021|refname=Switzerland}} |
| {{album chart|UK|11|artist=Chris Rea|rowheader=true|access-date=3 January 2021}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for On the Beach ! scope="col"| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1986&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986|website=dutchcharts.nl|access-date=3 January 2021}}
| 16 |
|---|
| scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1986|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|publisher=GfK Entertainment|access-date=3 January 2021}}
| 14 |
| scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1986-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1986 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart|publisher=Recorded Music New Zealand|access-date=5 February 2022}}
| 27 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for On the Beach}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|relyear=1986|certyear=1995|title=On the Beach|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|title=On the Beach|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|title=On the Beach|artist=Chris Rea|access-date=6 December 2018|type=album|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|relyear=1986|certyear=1987|title=On the Beach|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|id=1987-02-27|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|award=Platinum}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=1986|certyear=1988|title=On the Beach|artist=Chris Rea|type=album|award=Platinum|id=4844-3605-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Chris Rea}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by David Richards (record producer)