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Holly Johnson: Europe

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Pleasuredome Records
Released: 2014.09.29
Time:
 47:36
Category: Synthpop
Producer(s): Holly Johnson
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.hollyjohnson.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Follow Your Heart (H.Johnson) - 6:22
[2] In and Out of Love (H.Johnson) - 3:24
[3] Heaven's Eyes (H.Johnson) - 4:26
[4] So Much It Hurts (H.Johnson) - 4:02
[5] Dancing With No Fear (H.Johnson) - 4:09
[6] Europa (H.Johnson/Vangelis) - 4:28
[7] Glorious (H.Johnson/V.Reilly) - 4:08
[8] Hold On Tight (H.Johnson) - 3:58
[9] Lonesome Town (H.Johnson) - 4:03
[10] You're in My Dreams Tonight (H.Johnson) - 4:00
[11] The Sun Will Shine Again (H.Johnson) - 4:31

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Holly Johnson - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals on [2-11], Producer, Omnichord on [1,7,9], Percussion on [1,4], Synth Bass, Guitar Solo on [3], Tremolo Guitar, Hammond Organ on [4], Ems Synthi Aks, Electric Piano on [5], Synth(S) on [8-11], Bass on [8,10], Accordion on [9], Theremin on [11]

Mark Ralph (At Club Ralph) - Co-Producer, Engineering, Keyboard Programming on [3-11], Keyboards on [1], Electric Rhythm Guitar on [2], Electronic Drum Programming on [10], Synth, Theremin on [11]
Andrew Levy - Slap Bass Guitar on [1], Middle Eight Bass Guitar on [2], Bass Guitar on [5,9,11], Bass Solo on [6]
Geoff Holroyde - Drums
Scott Ralph - Brass on [1-2,4-6,8,10], Percussion on [6,10]
Johnny Willett - Guitar on [1]
Claudia Fontaine - Backing Vocals on [1]
Derek Green - Backing Vocals on [1]
Beverly Skeete - Backing Vocals on [1]
Tim Hunt - Recording At Matrix Studios Of Backing Vocals and Guitar on [1]
Juliet Roberts - Backing Vocals on [2-3,5,7,11]
Phil Manzanera - Additional Guitar on [2-6,8-9,11]
Mike Boddy - Engineering Of Additional Guitar at The Gallery on [2-6,8-9,11]
Javier - Assistant Engineer Of Additional Guitar At The Gallery on [2-6,8-9,11]
Fiona Brice - Violin on [2,6,10-11]
Vicky Mathews - Cello on [2,6,10-11]
Clifford Slapper - Piano on [4,9]
Stuart Kennedy - Orchestration on [4]
Philippe Colonna - Additional Engineer, Mixing (At Studio Omega, Paris) on [6]
Guillaume Gautier - Assistant Engineer (At Studio Omega, Paris) on [6]
Vangelis - Additional Keyboards, Sound Effects, Mixing on [6]
Karl Sunderland - Backing Vocals on [6]
Vini Reilly - Guitar on [7]
Ian Cooper - Mastering Of 12" Mixes Of "Follow Your Heart"
Eric Kupper - Remixing
Mauro - Remixing
Max Of Hard Ton - Remixing
Tim Burgess - Remixing
Laura Metaxa - Greek Chorus Of Assistants Of Vangelis
Cherry Vanilla - Greek Chorus Of Assistants Of Vangelis
Philippe Colonna - Greek Chorus Of Assistants Of Vangelis
Evangelos Kalafatis - Greek Chorus Of Assistants Of Vangelis
Dick Beetham - Mastering (At 360 Mastering)

Wolfgang Kuhle - Management
Alan Lander at Bray & Krais - Legal Advice
Kevin Davies - Photography
Clare Muller - Photography
Mark Mcquillan at Republic Of Music - Sales And Distribution
Matt Dixon Of Band2market - Management And Marketing
Joe Bennett at Jbpr - National Radio
Steve Tandy - Regional Radio
Copmedia Team - Regional Radio
Rob Chute At Partisan PR - National PR
Peter Hall At Partisan PR - National PR
Gordon Duncan At Apb - Regional Pr
Sam Wright at Seesaw - TV
Jess Brandon at Seesaw - TV
Dave Kendrick - Online
Motive Unknown - Online
Your Army - Club

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Europa' is a collection of joyful and optimistic songs from one of the most unique personalities in pop: it's a celebration of love and enjoying life in the moment, while you can. The album arrives exactly thirty years since Frankie Goes To Hollywood released their debut record 'Welcome To The Pleasuredome', featuring the iconic, millions-selling 'Relax' (famously banned by the BBC), 'Two Tribes' (which spent nine weeks at number 1) and 'The Power of Love' (a cover of which reached number 1 again just last year). In 1999, after releasing his third solo album, 'Soulstream', and needing a break from the music industry, Holly did what he'd intended to do before Frankie took off: he enrolled in art school. This completed a circle which began in 1983, when he had to turn down a place at Liverpool Art College because of 'Relax' becoming a hit. Sixteen years later, Holly was invited to attend The Royal College of Art, where he painted and exhibited for four years and had his work repeatedly shown at the likes of the Royal Academy Summer Show and Tate Liverpool. He was lured back to music part-time in 2009, when Universal released a Frankie Goes to Hollywood Greatest Hits, though his distinctive voice was last heard on the 2012 Christmas number 1, The Justice Collective's 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'. At the occasional live dates in-between, Johnson realised "that I'd forgotten how much physical pleasure I got from singing my own sings. This is my teenage dream come true. I started to think, why did I ever stop?" Then, in 2012, Holly met the producer Mark Ralph whilst recording with Raf from The 2 Bears, who had worked with the likes of Hot Chip, Franz Ferdinand, and recently completed the Clean Bandit album. The pair hit it off, and set about finessing the songs that would form Johnson's new album. "I'd pile my vintage synths into the back of the car, head over to Mark's place, and we'd be up half the night making this record.' The result, 'Europa', is a euphoric, often-electronic-led return, celebrating love, dance...and chronicling exactly what Holly Johnson has been up to these last fifteen years. The title track began life with Vangelis in Paris over a decade ago, where Johnson - a 'Blade Runner' obsessive - teamed up with the legendary composer in an underground studio; a converted concrete bunker on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, which had been originally designed for Hitler's occupation. Some twenty four years later, Holly and Vangelis, together with long-time collaborator Mark Ralph, finally finished it off. Elsewhere, the record features contributions from Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera, Vini Reilly of Durutti Column, and the late, great Frankie Knuckles, remixing first single 'Follow Your Heart' alongside house legend Eric Kupper (Knuckles also remixed Holly's first ever solo single, 1989's 'Love Train'). 'Follow Your Heart' is about that need to give yourself a push, on an album full of positivity - much to the surprise of its writer. "I really am the archetypal miseryguts," says Holly. "The songs are full of encouragement because really I'm singing to myself, to get rid of that black dog and get me out my shell." And so here he is - with a new album, tour, and a passion for the music that first transported him from 1960s, working-class Liverpool to one of the pop stars of his generation. Holly Johnson describes 'Europa' as "a kind of retrospective of me as a songwriter. It's the product of a life in pop music. And one thing you learn is that, every time you make a record, it might be the last one. So you'd better make it good, you'd better make it positive, and you'd better enjoy it."

Amazon.co.uk



Holly Johnson releases his first album for 15 years on 29 September, and you can hear Europa here. Holly talks to the Observer this Sunday about the album, living with HIV and his many and varied feuds. “I’m not a bruiser in any sort of physical sense. “I suppose I’ve got some kind of … bloody-minded aspect to me,” he tells the Observer. “Wanting something better, or more, or different, to the way things are. And I was never very good at sucking up. It’s just not my style.”

But is he still good at making records? Have a listen to Europa and let us know what you think.

TheGuardian.com



Holly Johnson - EuropaIt has been nearly 30 years since Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Pleasuredome appeared and made the band an almost ubiquitous presence in the UK charts during the course of 1984/5, spawning three of the ’80’s most enduring songs (Relax, Two Tribes and The Power Of Love). As for front man Holly Johnson, it’s been 15 years since he released any new solo material, but with stints on the nostalgia circuit (his appearance of Rewind Festival for example) he’s never really been away.

According to Johnson, Europa is essentially a retrospective of his songwriting skills, a suggestion which makes sense from the second the album starts. These 11 songs are deeply rooted in a musical past that once sounded new and vibrant but now appears dated and ever so slightly out of touch. In retrospective terms the fact that mid ’90s synth pop and cheesy house populate much of the album is an appropriate stylistic choice. But it’s hard to not expect a little more from Johnson. This is, after all, the man whose band were positively inflammatory and brilliantly overblown in their pomp, and who in interviews is still wonderfully barbed; still talking a good fight.

Opening up with Follow Your Heart, the album heads instantly for the dancefloor but lacks real conviction. Johnson’s lyrics are supposed to be uplifting and full of positive thinking, but they sound a little hollow despite him imploring “abandon your neurosis, it’s the best thing you can do”. There’s also the unfortunate use of the term “follow through” which, for those cursed with a childish sense of humour, is endlessly entertaining for all the wrong reasons. It’s all well put together, but as an opening gambit it suffers from sounding like a paean to self-empowerment on a badly written American teen drama (Glee fans would love it).

His voice has held up well over the years however, and as usual it’s a joy to hear him on form. If it weren’t for his presence, then many of these songs could easily be written off as half-baked synth pop. And there are times unfortunately when that voice is just not enough. The appalling Europop of Hold On Tight is beyond saving, whilst Dancing No With No Fear is by the book and uninspired. Yet despite these moments there are a few highlights. In And Out Of Love is bouncy cheesy pop that just for a moment pays homage to Morris Albert‘s Feelings and Frankie’s The Power Of Love. It’s a little straight up, but with vocal hooks this strong it’s one of the finer moments on the album. So Much It Hurts takes a more emotionally charged look at love and is a startling reminder of just what a fantastically talented vocalist Johnson is. It’s his presence that makes the song soar, because the tin-pot drums and programming threaten to derail it completely.

The title track Europa was apparently written with Vangelis in a studio situated in concrete bunker that had been designed for Hitler. This is reflected in the song’s darker tones and the theatrical zeal of Johnson’s vocals. It’s perhaps as close to the wired intensity of Two Tribes as the album ever dares to get and it provides a much needed break from the lightweight dance tunes. That said, it’s still awash in ’80s signifiers; from the guitar solo tones to the production, it’s all there.

Yet for every high point there’s something abominable or uninspired waiting to balance things out. Eurovision would find Hold On Tight a little bit obvious, the hokey synths of Lonesome Town detract from Johnson’s vocals, and the backing vocal of “leaves in a tea cup” on Heaven’s Eyes borders on parody. Thankfully there are a few moments, like the impassioned You’re In My Dreams Tonight that possess real passion, proving, as if proof were needed, that Holly Johnson is still a quite breathtaking vocalist. This album just doesn’t provide the musical support that he deserves.

Sam Shepherd - 23 Sep 2014
www.musicomh.com



Keine Frage: Holly Johnson ist zu recht eine Legende der Popkultur und hat mit Frankie Goes To Hollywood vieles bewegt, was verdient im kollektiven Gedächtnis hängen geblieben ist. Solo sieht das Bild leider recht mau aus. Schon sein immerhin leidlich erfolgreiches Album "Blast" langweilte vor einem Vierteljahrhundert mit lahmen Schnarchtracks à la "Americanos" oder "Love Train".

Die nachfolgenden Scheiben gingen zu Recht komplett unter. 15 Jahre nach dem letzten Lebenszeichen ruft Johnson mit "Europa" nun das große Comeback aus. Die Überraschung gelingt auf ganzer Linie: Die Scheibe ist tatsächlich noch schlechter als sein bisheriger Output. Statt "Rage Hard" gibt es für den Hörer nur noch das große "Fuck off".

Dabei möchte man so gern mögen, was der sympathische Ex-Punk anbietet. Keine Chance. Holly schiebt sein Publikum mit lieblosen Allerweltsliedern vom Regen in die Poptraufe und verkommt vom ehemals knackigen "Warrior Of The Wasteland" zum tattrigen Discofox-Zombie. Zuletzt trat der ehemalige Superstar auf dem Stadtfest in Potsdam auf. Genau so provinziell klingt die Musik leider auch.

Während man die hingeleierte Belanglosigkeit der Platte erträgt, sollte man sich vor Augen halten, dass Johnson seinerzeit FGTH vor allem deshalb verließ, weil ihm die musikalische Ausrichtung nicht behagte. Gemessen an diesem Maßstab scheitert er auf ganze Linie. Abgestandener Midtempo-Krempel ohne eine einzige zündende Melodie, der schon beim Opener "Follow Your Heart" mangels eigener Ideen auf 30 Jahre alte Trademarks der Mutterband zurück greift, ohne je den Charme und Wumms der Originale zu erreichen. Selbst in seinen uninspirierten Momenten à la T.A.T.U. hatte Frankie-Mastermind Trevor Horn noch mehr zu bieten als dieser Song.

Und das war erst der Anfang. Es geht im Verlauf von elf Liedern noch wesentlich langweiliger. "In And Out Of Love" spült sich mit lahmarschiger Allerweltsmelodie gleich selbst in die Kanalisation poppiger Totgeburten. Das fies käsige "Heaven's Eyes" bildet mit seinem schimmelpilzigen Rock-Imitat locker das Schlusslicht in jeder Supermarktgrabbelkiste. Unglaublich, mit welch sadistischer Konsequenz Holly Johnson alles an Energie und Inspiration ignoriert, wofür man ihn in den 80ern liebte. Spätestens beim gruselig vor sich hin delirierenden Ping-Pong-Pop "Dancing With No Fear" möchte man ihn rütteln, schütteln und fragen, warum er klingt wie ein drittklassiger Limahl-Aufguss.

Dabei ist die Horrorscheibe noch nicht mal halb rum. Eine Besserung stellt sich leider nicht mehr ein. Während andere Synthiepop-Pioniere wie etwa Gary Numan im Alter von Scheibe zu Scheibe besser werden, taugt ein Reißbrett-Verbrechen wie "Glorious" nicht mal mehr zum Rausschmeißer öligst denkbarer Kuschelpopsampler.

Naiv zu glauben, es ginge nicht noch schlimmer. Mit den beiden Abschlusstracks wandert Johnsons musikalische Vorstellung endgültig von audiophil gen musikalisch-debil. Wer sich noch an die Weltklasseballade "The Power Of Love" erinnert, braucht sich nicht dafür zu schämen, angesichts von Nullnummern wie "You're in My Dreams Tonight" oder "The Sun Will Shine Again" schluchzend das Zimmer zu verlassen. Das einzig Herzhafte an dieser Platte sind die Tränen des Hörers.

Ulf Kubanke - LAUT.DE



Europa is the fourth studio album from English singer-songwriter Holly Johnson, released in 2014.

As Johnson's first album in 15 years, the last being 1999's Soulstream, Europa was announced in mid-2014, to be released on Johnson's own label Pleasuredome. Over the last few years Johnson had announced plans for an album of new material, particularly when speaking to Absolute Radio at the Q Awards in 2009. Since 2011 Johnson began to perform live at the occasional summer festival, mainly in the UK, and in May 2014 Johnson announced his first UK solo tour in October, named after what Johnson described as "the most upbeat song on the Europa album"; "Dancing with No Fear". The album was to precede the seven date tour, set for release on 15 September, but was later pushed back to 29 September. The tour, which is Johnson's first since the final Frankie Goes to Hollywood shows in 1987, marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Speaking of the tour, Johnson revealed: "Since performing at festivals each summer here in the UK, I realised how enjoyable it is to sing the songs that I have written, and look forward to performing material from my new album. I'm really excited to be able to play songs that written throughout my career. Being able to tour as a solo artist in the 21st Century with a back catalogue and new material is a very privileged position to be in."

On 26 June the album's track-listing was announced via Johnson's official website. On 19 September 2014 The Guardian streamed the entire Europa album on their website.

The album was released in various formats, and each edition of the album featured a different variation of the album's artwork. The regular edition CD was issued in a glossy gatefold softpack with a 12 page booklet, while a deluxe version features 2 bonus tracks, presented in a glossy hardcover CD book-pack, including an exclusive 24 page booklet. This version also features a bonus remix CD, and is of limited quantity, autographed by Johnson. The album was also issued on vinyl, and the regular edition is a double album black-vinyl set in a wide spine outer sleeve with printed inner sleeves, and includes the regular edition CD. The deluxe vinyl is presented as a double album set of transparent red and blue coloured vinyl, in a wide spine outer sleeve with printed inner sleeves, including the deluxe edition CD of the album, as well as the bonus remix CD. Again it was made in limited quantity, signed by Johnson. The album was also available to order with a limited edition (of 250) A2 art poster print, hand-numbered and signed by Johnson.

The two bonus tracks of the deluxe edition of the album are the original mix of "Europa" and the piano mix of "So Much It Hurts". The bonus remix CD consists of eight tracks, featuring four remixes of "Follow Your Heart" and four of "In and Out of Love".

David Quantick of Q magazine favourably wrote "In a world where the '80s never ended and everyone's rewinding like there's no tomorrow, very few artistes have been able to continue with dignity. An exception is Holly Johnson. Thirty years after he introduced the world of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Johnson has returned to pop with an album that reflects the best moments of his solo debut, "Blast", and adds a new-found optimism. Johnson's voice is never overwhelmed, and songs such as the soulful techno of "Heaven's Eyes" and the sunlit defiance of "Dancing With no Fear" deserve to be heard as much as any of his previous work."

Wikipedia.org



Holly Johnson, Ex-Frontmann der legendären Frankie Goes To Hollywood, veröffentlicht mit »Europa« auf seinem eigenen Label Pleasuredome sein erstes Album seit 15 Jahren!

Exakt 30 Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung des 80’s-Pop-Klassikers »Welcome To The Pleasuredome«, mit dem Überhit »Relax«, betritt Sänger Holly Johnson wieder die Bühnen der Welt mit dem neuen Soloalbum »Europa« und der lebensbejahenden Botschaft: »Genieße dein Leben, so lange du die Möglichkeit dazu hast!«

Produziert wurde »Europa« von Mark Ralph, der bereits erfolgreiche Acts wie Clean Bandit, Hot Chip und Franz Ferdinand zu perfektem Pop schliff. Mit dabei sind Musikerfreunde von Holly wie Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music) und Vini Reilly (Durutti Column), House-Legenden wie Eric Kupper oder der jüngst verstorbene »Godfather of House«, Frankie Knuckles, remixten die erste Single »Follow Your Heart«.

Das gesamte Album klingt, selbst zu Hollys persönlichem Erstaunen, fröhlich und positiv. Für ihn ist »Europa« eine persönliche Retrospektive als Songschreiber: »Es ist das Produkt eines Lebens in der Popmusik.«

Amazon.de



»Mit mildem Blick auf Zukunft, Gegenwart und Vergangenheit erlebt man einen erstaunlich positiven und gut gelaunten Holly, der das Leben als solches lieben gelernt hat.«

Good Times, Dezember 2014 / Januar 2015
 

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