Paradise (Inner City album)

{{short description|1989 album by Inner City}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Paradise (Big Fun)

| type = studio

| artist = Inner City

| cover = Paradise_(Inner_City_album).jpg

| alt =

| released = May 29, 1989

| recorded = 1988–1989

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{hlist|Electronica|house|Detroit techno}}

| length =

| label = {{hlist|Virgin|Atlantic}} (U.S.) {{hlist|10|Virgin|EMI}} (UK)

| producer = {{hlist|Kevin Saunderson|Juan Atkins}}

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Fire

| next_year = 1990

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Paradise

| type = studio

| single1 = Big Fun

| single1date = 1988

| single2 = Good Life

| single2date = 1988

| single3 = Ain't Nobody Better

| single3date = 1989

| single4 = Do You Love What You Feel

| single4date = 1989

}}{{Singles

| name = Big Fun

| type = studio

| single1 = Whatcha Gonna Do with My Lovin'

| single1date = 1989

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/big-fun-mw0000653588|title=Big Fun – Inner City|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=April 3, 2017|last=Henderson|first=Alex}}

| rev2 = NME

| rev2score = 9/10{{cite magazine|title=Inner City: Paradise|magazine=NME|date=May 20, 1989|last=Mead|first=Helen|page=23}}

| rev3 = Record Mirror

| rev3score = 4/5{{cite magazine|title=Inner City: Paradise|magazine=Record Mirror|date=May 13, 1989|last=Cheeseman|first=Phil|page=32}}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book|chapter=Inner City|last=Considine|first=J. D.|author-link=J. D. Considine|title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor3-first=Holly|publisher=Random House|edition=3rd|year=1992|isbn=0-679-73729-4|page=344}}

| rev5 = The Village Voice

| rev5score = B−{{cite news|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv889-89.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=September 5, 1989|access-date=April 3, 2017|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

Paradise (named Big Fun in the US) is the debut album by Detroit-based electronic music duo Inner City, released in 1989. The album was a great success in the UK and in US clubs, and was one of the first techno albums to cross over to the mainstream charts, particularly in Europe. Group member Kevin Saunderson (along with Juan Atkins, who produced one track) is renowned as one of the originators the Detroit techno sound. The vocals on Paradise were performed by the group's other member, Paris Grey.

The album was retitled Big Fun for its US release, and the ballad "Power of Passion" was replaced with "Whatcha Gonna Do with My Lovin'" when that song became popular in the US. The original US pressing, however, contains the former.

A top-three success in the UK, Paradise spun off four top-twenty singles (three of which hit the UK top ten). The first four singles released from the album topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. A remix album featuring songs from Paradise was released in the UK later in 1989.