''Kylie'' is the debut studio album by Australian recording artist
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
, released on 4 July 1988 by
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival M ...
. Minogue had established herself as a
child actress
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
before signing to the record label in early 1987. The success of her debut single, "
Locomotion", resulted in her working with
Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who produced the album and wrote nine of its ten tracks. Their recording sessions, which started in September 1987 and took place in London and Melbourne, coincided with Minogue filming for the soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
''.
Musically, ''Kylie'' is a
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States ...
and
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
album. It received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
who criticized its dated production. It was a commercial success, peaking at number one in the United Kingdom for six weeks and becoming the
fifth highest-selling album of the decade. It peaked at number two in her native Australia, while reaching the top ten in Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. ''Kylie'' was re-issued in 1988 as ''The Kylie Collection'', and in 2015 when it returned to the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Six
singles were released from ''Kylie''. "
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a 1987 song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a worl ...
" reached number one in Australia and the United Kingdom, the first for any artist. The subsequent singles—"
Got to Be Certain
"Got to Be Certain" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album, '' Kylie'' (1988). Written and produced by English songwriting and record production trio Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), the song was released as the sec ...
", the re-recorded "The Loco-Motion", and "
Je ne sais pas pourquoi
"Je ne sais pas pourquoi" ( en, "I Do Not Know Why"), also known as "I Still Love You (Je ne sais pas pourquoi)" in Australia and New Zealand, is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' K ...
" all peaked in the top two on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. "
It's No Secret" was her third top-forty single on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, while "
Turn It into Love
"Turn It into Love" is a single released by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was taken from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). The single was released in December 1988 in Japan only. The B-side was a new song "Made in Heaven", which al ...
" was released exclusively in Japan. The album's commercial success helped Minogue establish herself as an international teen idol and launch her recording career.
Background
Kylie Ann Minogue was born in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
in 1968, the eldest of three children. Kylie learned to play violin and piano at a very young age while taking singing and dancing lessons with her sister
Dannii.
Kylie was a
child actress
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
from the age of eleven, appearing in cameo roles in ''
The Sullivans
''The Sullivans'' is an Australian period drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran on the Nine Network from 15 November 1976 until 10 March 1983. The series tells the story of a fictional average middle-cla ...
'' (1979) and ''
Skyways Skyways may refer to:
*Skyway, walk bridge
*Skyways (British airline), defunct British airline also known as Skyways Limited
* Skyways (Swedish airline), defunct Swedish airline also known as Skyways Express
* ''Skyways'' (TV series), Australian TV ...
'' (1980). In 1985, Kylie used her earnings from ''
The Henderson Kids'' to record three songs with producer Greg Petherick at ''
Young Talent Time
''Young Talent Time'' is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny You ...
'', a weekly Australian music programme which already featured Dannii as a regular performer. In April 1986, Kylie played
Charlene Mitchell, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic, in the soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
''.
Jason Donovan
Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 m ...
, whom Kylie began dating at the time, played her onscreen love interest as
Scott Robinson.
Their
romantic relationship culminated with a wedding in
an episode that attracted an audience of 20 million British viewers in 1987.
During her time in ''Neighbours'', Minogue joined a band along with cast members
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in England, and raised in Geelong, Victoria in Australia, he started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series ''Neighbours ...
,
Peter O'Brien and
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequent ...
, which Petherick arranged.
[; ] He later suggested Minogue cover the song "
The Loco-Motion" with the band during a
Fitzroy Football Club benefit concert at the
Festival Hall in 1986, where she also sang a duet of "
I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a song performed by Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album '' Look at Us''. In August 1965, their single spent three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 1 ...
". Impressed by the performance, Petherick arranged for Minogue to record the former song, re-titled as "Locomotion", with producer Kaj Dahlstrom, who invested $10,000 to record it. Petherick submitted the demo track to many record labels before reaching out to Michael Gudinski, head of
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival M ...
.
Gudinski was reluctant at first, calling the demo "a bit of a
one-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
".
During a trip to London several months after receiving the demo track, Gudinski decided to sign Minogue because of her popularity from ''Neighbours''.
She signed with the label in early 1987. Critics and employees of Mushroom Records gave polarised opinions; many thought it would be the end of the company and dubbed Minogue as "The Singing Budgie."
In June 1987, Mushroom Records had Mike Duffy, an audio engineer for
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considere ...
producers, over for a three-month residency at Platinum Studios in
South Yarra
South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popu ...
. He was asked to remix the "Locomotion" demo track with the help of a
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
to make it sound more like
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. T ...
's cover of "
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
" (1986). Instead of remixing the track, which was originally in a
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
style, Duffy opted to record a completely new backing track, inspired by the
hi-NRG pop of UK band
Dead or Alive.
It was the first time he had produced a record himself.
The song was released as Minogue's debut single on 27 July 1987, three weeks after ''Neighbours'' wedding episode premiered. A week after its release, the single topped the Australian charts, remaining there for seven weeks and becoming the best-selling single of the decade. Around that time, Minogue was set up with Terry Blamey, who would be her manager for 25 years.
Recording
The success of "Locomotion" resulted in Minogue and Blamey travelling to London to work with Stock, Aitken and Waterman in September 1987.
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman, (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Water ...
, the only member of the trio aware of Minogue's trip, was unavailable; he was busy making ''
The Hit Man and Her'' and had not told
Mike Stock she was in London.
[; ] Minogue and Blamey waited for ten days in their hotel without hearing from the producers. They eventually turned up at the studio at the last minute,
after PWL Managing Director, David Howells intervened and arranged studio time for Kylie.
The producers wrote "
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a 1987 song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a worl ...
" in 40 minutes and Minogue recorded it quickly before she returned to Australia that afternoon to work on ''Neighbours''. Stock recalled the abrupt session: "Her ear is very tuned in so I sang her the tune and she sang it back at me and at that point I put the tapes aside and went on to other things ... We treated
inoguerather shabbily."
He wrote the lyrics in response to what he had learned about Minogue: although she was a successful soap star, he thought there had to be something wrong with her and figured she must be unlucky in love.
Kylie left the studio angry, complaining she had no idea what the song sounded like, after being fed the lyrics to sing line by line.
At the time, the producers did not take Minogue's career seriously because of time constraints and her obligations to ''Neighbours''. They did not even listen to the song until Waterman heard it played by a
DJ at a Christmas party that year and thought that it was remarkable.
In February 1988, Stock traveled to Melbourne and apologised to Minogue for her previous recording session.
They went on to record "
Got to Be Certain
"Got to Be Certain" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album, '' Kylie'' (1988). Written and produced by English songwriting and record production trio Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), the song was released as the sec ...
" and "
Turn It into Love
"Turn It into Love" is a single released by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was taken from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). The single was released in December 1988 in Japan only. The B-side was a new song "Made in Heaven", which al ...
" with her.
Recording sessions with Stock and engineer Karen Hewitt took place at Allan Eaton Studios and RBX Studios in Melbourne for only a couple of hours at night, between filming her last episodes for ''Neighbours''.
[; ; ] She frequently broke down emotionally at the studio due to pressure from work.
The album was recorded in snatches; Stock taught Minogue the songs, which she would record in an hour. "If you could get four hours with her, it was the most you could get... We were almost not able to even play her the songs!," Waterman recalled.
Despite the pressure, he found the sessions were not stressful because of their work ethic: "That's what we were used to. In fact, in hindsight, the truth is it was so enjoyable ''because'' we didn't have time to get stressed."
In March, Minogue took a break from filming ''Neighbours'' to record the album in London.
The producers re-recorded Minogue's debut Australian single at their studio in London and changed the name back to "The Loco-Motion". Waterman justified the decision by slating the original Australian recording, which he claimed to be poorly produced.
Original producer Mike Duffy instead blamed the decision to re-record on Waterman's alleged wish to claim the prestige and royalties from the track's placement of the soundtrack of the 1988 film ''
Arthur 2: On the Rocks.''
Portions of the vocals from the demo track were kept in the new version.
The singer stayed with her mother in Waterman's apartment during the recording sessions over
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
in 1988, which took place at PWL Studios 1, 2 & 5 (London).
Music and lyrics
The producers wanted to make a synthesized pop album that appeals to teenagers.
Stock explained his intention was to make an album full of single-potential tracks, similar to the form of
greatest hits compilations.
The singer was interested in recording more
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...
material but her request was denied by Waterman.
"These producers think pop music is candy music. They're saying: 'Here kids, have a piece of candy'... What Peterman wants, he gets", said Minogue.
Her voice was
double-tracked
Double tracking or doubling is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or bigger sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. ...
for most of the album; the producers only allowed Minogue to use her real voice on "Look My Way", a track that she felt sounds more like herself than the rest.
Stock, Aitken, and Waterman composed and produced all the tracks on ''Kylie'' except "The Loco-Motion" written by
Gerry Goffin
Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the List of Billboard number-one ...
and
Carole King
Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
.
Three tracks were written for other PWL artists in the previous year before appearing on the album: "Got to Be Certain" was recorded by
Mandy Smith
Amanda Louise Smith (born 17 July 1970) is an English former pop singer and model. She became known in the mid-1980s for her romantic relationship with, and subsequent marriage to, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who is 33 years her senior. ...
for her
debut album but abandoned; "Look My Way" was originally written for Heywoode;
"Love at First Sight" was an instrumental demo track for
Sinitta
Sinitta Malone (born 19 October 1963), known mononymously as Sinitta, is an American-born British singer, actress and television personality. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several ot ...
and is unrelated to Minogue's
2002 song with the same title.
Critics described ''Kylie'' as a
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States ...
,
disco pop and
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
album, while also noting the musical similarities to other albums produced by PWL. Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' described it as a collection of
house tracks blended with "hi-NRG beats,
Italo-disco
Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...
synths and
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
melodies."
''Kylie'' opens with "I Should Be So Lucky", a light dance-pop track that uses a
drum machine, keyboards and bass by Stock. The track has been compared to the work of
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song "Ne ...
, a fellow PWL artist. For the album's version of "The Loco-Motion", the producers re-recorded the backing track from Duffy's demo, featuring railway sound effects and less spontaneous vocals.
The slow-tempo "
Je ne sais pas pourquoi
"Je ne sais pas pourquoi" ( en, "I Do Not Know Why"), also known as "I Still Love You (Je ne sais pas pourquoi)" in Australia and New Zealand, is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' K ...
" reminiscent of Waterman's earlier work in the 1960s at the
Mecca Dance Hall, and the reggae-infused "It's No Secret" features cascading synth and a jaunty melody. It was followed by Hi-NRG tracks "Turn It Into Love" and "Got to Be Certain"; the latter work gained comparison to
the soundtrack of the 1983 romance film ''
Flashdance
''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend an ...
''. The mid-tempo "I Miss You" and "I'll Still Be Loving You" resemble other late-80s pop tracks, particularly the work of
Climie Fisher
Climie Fisher were a British pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher. In 1987–88, they had two international hit singles: " Rise to the Occasion" and "Love Changes (Everything)".
Career
Simon Cli ...
and
Living in a Box
Living in a Box are a British band founded in 1985. They are best known for their eponymous debut single, produced by Richard James Burgess. The group currently consists of founding members Anthony "Tich" Critchlow (drums) and Marcus Vere (key ...
.
"Look My Way" draws musical inspiration from
The Whispers
The Whispers is an American group from Los Angeles, California, who have scored hit records since the late 1960s. They are best known for their two number one R&B singles, " And the Beat Goes On" in 1980 and "Rock Steady" in 1987. The Whispers ...
' "
Rock Steady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
" (1987),
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's "
Into the Groove
"Into the Groove" is a song by recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; t ...
" (1984) and
Debbie Gibson
Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress.
Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...
's "
Shake Your Love
"Shake Your Love" (Atlantic Records, Atlantic 89187, Atlantic UK A9187) is the second single by American singer-songwriter-actress Debbie Gibson, and the lead off single for her debut album, ''Out of the Blue (Debbie Gibson album), Out of the Blue ...
" (1987).
In ''The Complete Kylie'' (2008), Simon Sheridan felt the pop-soul "Look My Way" is similar to the work of American R&B artists
Alexander O'Neal
Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi.
O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of whic ...
and
S.O.S. Band
The S.O.S. Band (sometimes written as S.O.S. Band; abbreviation for Sounds of Success) is an American R&B and electro-funk group who gained fame in the 1980s. They are best known for the songs "Take Your Time (Do It Right)", "Just Be Good to M ...
.
The album avoided getting into heavy statements and deep themes that might alienate Minogue's young fans.
Joe Sweeney of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' and Quentin Harrison of ''Albumism'' highlighted lyrics about
romantic relationship
Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions.
The ''Wiley Blackwell Encycl ...
s and
positive mentality throughout the album. Sweeney commented that such themes would later infuse Minogue's post-millennial work.
Sheridan found the album demonstrates a refreshing carefree attitude in its lyrics. Matthew Lindsay of ''
Classic Pop
Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...
'', on the other hand, pointed out the main themes about
heartbreak,
betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Ofte ...
and
frustration
In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition, related to anger, annoyance and disappointment. Frustration arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of an individual's will or goal and is likely to inc ...
.
"I Should Be So Lucky" depicts a frustrated young woman who feels unlucky in romance. In a 2019 interview, Minogue said that she didn't realize at the time about the dark tone in the lyrics—in the case of "I Should Be So Lucky", she stated "We all sing like it's really happy, but it's not. She ''wishes'' she was lucky in love." "Turn It Into Love" discusses
unrequited love
Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dic ...
with a wistful-yet-optimistic approach. Minogue sings the lovelorn "Got to Be Certain" in an upbeat and carefree way, while affirming a false love affair in "It's No Secret".
Artwork and release
Kids and teenagers were the
target audience
A target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to said intended audience. In marketing and advertising, it is a particular group of consumer within the predetermined ...
for ''Kylie''; Waterman adapted the idea and was fascinated by how teenagers reacted to Minogue's work.
It is reflected in the album's artwork, shot by photographer Lawrence Lawry, which shows Minogue grinning and wearing a hat of hair with curls cascading out of the top. The hat was made by London designer Bernstock Speirs, who was embarrassed with the design and kept the work in secret for a long time. Designer David Howells said the artwork shows Minogue in a girlie and carefree way that kids can relate to, instead of "some icon on a pedestal". He was inspired by the way teenagers tear pictures out of magazines and stick them to walls, referring to it as the "magazine approach".
Other PWL artists posing with hats using the same strategy can be seen on the covers of Mandy Smith's ''Mandy'' (1988), Minogue's follow-up ''
Enjoy Yourself'' (1989) and
Sonia
Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to:
People
* Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya)
:* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films
:* Sonia ...
's ''
Everybody Knows'' (1990).
Ernie Long of ''
The Morning Call
''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
'' noted similarities between the release of ''Kylie'' and the 1988 eponymous debut albums of
Tracie Spencer
Tracie Monique Spencer (born July 12, 1976) is an American singer–songwriter, actress, and model. Spencer first came to attention in 1987, when the then 11-year-old won the junior vocalist competition on the television show ''Star Search''. ...
and Rachele Cappelli: all three shows close-up shots of the singer on the front cover, while making silly facial expressions on the back.
''Kylie'' was first released in the UK on 4 July 1988, and was released in Australia a fortnight later, on 18 July 1988. Similar to other late 80s records, the record company took control of ''Kylie''s running orders and pushed future singles to the front.
Gudinski stated the producers from PWL were not focused on promoting ''Kylie'' in the United States' market.
However, Blamey sent Minogue to look into releasing her material during her two-week break there.
David Geffen
David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 199 ...
, founder of
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
, agreed in distributing the album after watching several video clips of Minogue.
Additional releases
''Kylie'' was repackaged as ''The Kylie Collection'' in Australia on 5 December 1988, featuring bonus mixes and music videos of the singles. Ian Gormely of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' called it a compilation of "unremarkable and cheesy clips that present the singer as a clean-cut teen".
PWL re-released ''Kylie'' in Japan in 2012 with bonus mixes.
In October 2014,
Cherry Red Records
Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
and PWL announced to re-released ''Kylie'' along with her studio albums ''Enjoy Yourself'', ''
Rhythm of Love'' (1990), and ''
Let's Get to It
''Let's Get to It'' is the fourth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was the final studio album with Pete Waterman Limited (PWL), being released by the record label in the United Kingdom on 14 October 1991. Mus ...
'' (1991). The release date was later postponed to 9 February 2015.
The albums have been digitally remastered from the original studio tapes. They were available on vinyl, CD, and DVD. This is the first time these albums have been released in the United Kingdom since their original release.
[; ; ]
Minogue's debut VHS release, ''The Videos'', which was distributed by Mushroom Records in 1988 in Australia, contains the music videos for "The Loco-Motion" and "I Should Be So Lucky", as well as the behind the scenes footage. That same year, a follow-up VHS titled ''Kylie: The Videos'' was released in Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. It included an interview with Minogue, as well as music videos for "Got to Be Certain" and "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi". ''Kylie: The Videos'' was the top-selling video in 1988 in the UK, with 330,000 copies sold after 42 weeks of release.
''Kylie's Remixes'', a nine-track remix compilation of seven songs from ''Kylie'', was released in 1988 in Japan.
It peaked at number 13 on the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
and sold 84,000 copies, as of 2006. It was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
in May 1989. The compilation was later released in Australia in 1993.
Promotion
After filming her last scenes for ''Neighbours'' in June and July 1988, Minogue was able to relocate to London to concentrate on the promotional work for ''Kylie''. This included her performances on
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekd ...
's
television talk show and the opening for a new ride at
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...
amusement park.
Waterman also spent a large amount of money on TV advertising for the album.
In September, Minogue did a three-month promotional trip in the United States, Japan, Melbourne and the United Kingdom. The singer had to cut it short due to emotional exhaustion. In October 1989, more than a year after the album was released, Minogue launched her first concert tour,
Disco in Dream
Disco in Dream is the debut concert tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. Although headlined by Minogue, the tour was an ensemble show alongside fellow Stock Aitken Waterman acts Sinitta and Dead Or Alive and supported her first ...
performing several songs from both ''Kylie'' and ''Enjoy Yourself''.
It began in Japan, where she performed in front of 38,000 fans at the
Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
. She later joined other artists from the PWL label on a ten-date theatre tour in the United Kingdom, which attracted 170,000 fans. Its run in the United Kingdom was sponsored by local radio stations and was re-titled The Hitman Roadshow. ALFA International and
Video Collection International
2 Entertain (stylized as 2 , entertain) is a British video and music publisher founded in September 2004 by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004. Under CEO Richard Green, the company operated as a joint venture b ...
released the video album ''
On the Go: Live in Japan'' in April 1990 in Japan and the United Kingdom.
[; ] It contained footage shot during the Disco in Dream concert tour and was available in
VHS and
Laserdisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
formats.
A video from the concert tour with backstage footage and various clips of Kylie around Japan was shown on a Christmas special on
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
called ''Kylie On The Go'' in 1990.
Singles
Despite the buzz surrounding "Locomotion" in 1987, Waterman could not get a major label interested in "I Should Be So Lucky". He decided to issue it on his own PWL Records imprint instead. Released as the first single from ''Kylie'' in late December 1987, "I Should Be So Lucky" topped the charts in the United Kingdom and Australia, the first time this had been achieved by any artist. It remained at number-one on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
for five consecutive weeks, and on Australia's
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...
for another sixth consecutive weeks. It peaked at number twenty-eight on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped the charts in Switzerland, and Germany. Two music videos were made for the single: one with Minogue singing in a bubble-filled bath, and another where she hangs out of a convertible BMW driving through Sydney.
"Got to Be Certain", the second single, was released on 2 May 1988.
It was Minogue's third number-one single in Australia. In the United Kingdom, it reached number two for three weeks, while peaking within the top ten in Germany and Switzerland. Its music video shows Minogue doing a fashion photo shoot, singing on top of the
KPMG Tower
The KPMG Tower, formerly ''Maison des Coopérants'' or ''Place de la Cathédrale'', is a 34-storey skyscraper in downtown Montreal, Canada, that was completed in 1987. It is at 600 de Maisonneuve Ouest and has an official height of . The buildin ...
and alongside the
Yarra River
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia.
The lower stre ...
.
"The Loco-Motion" was released in Europe and the United States on 25 July 1988 as the third single. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number two, setting the record for the highest entry by a female artist. It also peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number five on the
''RPM'' Canadian Top Singles chart. The music video for "The Loco-Motion" was re-edited from footage of the original Australian release, which was shot at
Essendon Airport
Essendon Fields Airport , colloquially known by its former name Essendon Airport, is a public airport serving scheduled commercial, corporate-jet, charter and general aviation flights. It is located next to the intersection of the Tullamarine ...
and the
ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
in Melbourne. In the video, Minogue is seen dancing against a backdrop of
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
and singing in a studio, while her brother Brendan appeared as a cameo at the end of the clip.
Originally planned as a double A-side with new track "Made in Heaven", "Je ne sais pas pourquoi" was released as the fourth single on 17 October 1988.
[; ] It was re-titled as "I Still Love You (Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi)" in Australia and the United States.
It was ''Kylie''s fifth top two single on the UK Singles Chart, Minogue's strongest run of singles from an album—the four singles had sold a combine 1.8 million units in the UK in 1988 alone. It also reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand. Its music video features Minogue dancing and speaking French.
The fifth single "It's No Secret" was released in North America, Japan and New Zealand on 7 February 1989. It peaked at number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Minogue's third consecutive top forty single in the United States. A still from the music video, which shows Minogue walking through to the beach and to a pool at the
Mirage Resort, was used as the front cover of the Australian single release.
"Turn It into Love" was released exclusively in Japan as the fifth single, peaking at number 34. It had sold 46,320 copies in the country as of 2006.
Critical reception
''Kylie'' received mixed reviews from contemporary
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, many of whom questioned its production. Tim Nicholson of ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
'' wrote that besides the cover of "The Loco-Motion", the album is full of "rattling, Hi-NRG based perfect pop
ongs that has hit-single potential.
In the Recommended section, the writers of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' applauded the cover of "The Loco-Motion" but found the "mechanical production and assembly-line writing... may lack the warm necessary for a U.S. breakthrough".
Chris Heath of ''
Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...
'' praised the simple disco tracks,
while Shaun Carney of ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' criticized its calculated and commercialize nature. Barbra Jaeger of ''
The Record'' panned the overuse of drum machines and echo vocals by the SAW producers, finding their music is "just a variation of the same beat".
Several reviewers criticized Minogue's vocal delivery. J.D. Considine of ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' felt the record was aggravated by her lack of maturity and poor pronunciation, especially on "It's No Secret". Donovan, writing a review of ''Kylie'' for ''
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
'', suggested Minogue "sounds a bit too much like
Minnie Mouse
Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasionally w ...
after a while."
Jim Zebora of American newspaper ''
Record-Journal
The ''Record-Journal'' is an American daily newspaper based in Meriden, Connecticut, that dates back to the years immediately following the American Civil War. It is owned by the Record-Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business enti ...
'' panned her nasal vocals and her lack of input on the songwriting and producing process, referring to the singer as another
Madonna wannabe
A Madonna wannabe, or Madonnabe, is a person (usually female) who dresses or acts like American singer Madonna. When she emerged into stardom in the mid-1980s, an unusually high number of women, particularly young women and girls, began to dres ...
.
Dennis Hunt of ''
The Los Angeles Times
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' and Ernie Long, on the other hand, felt her fragile voice sounds comfortable and natural with the dance-pop material. Writing for ''The Age'', Mike Daly commented that despite having a reasonable voice, Minogue was overpowered by the manufactured and forgettable production.
In their retrospect reviews, Chris True from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Nick Levine of ''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'', and Sweeney panned the dated production but felt Minogue's upbeat personality and well-crafted melodies compensated for its weaknesses.
While reviewing the album on its 30th anniversary, Harrison described it as an "unassuming, but charming collection of well-intentioned commercial pop". ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' suggested the songs are as "cheesily and identically redolent of the late 80s' as a pair of stone-washed jean shorts", while Sheridan called the album a "masterclass in classic British pop". ''Classic Pop'' writers
Ian Peel
Ian R Peel (born 18 January 1958 in Skipton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, England is a sport shooter who has represented Great Britain in the Summer Olympic Games on three occasions.
Sport shooting career
Peel first appeared at the Olympics in t ...
and Mark Elliot commended the memorable
hooks and the Hi-NRG pop tunes that set the benchmark for her career; the latter critic ranked it as the third-best Stock Aitken Waterman album. Cinquemani, however, ranked ''Kylie'' as Minogue's worst studio album in 2018, criticizing the lightweight content and her vocals as if "she was forced to suck down a lungful of
helium
Helium (from el, ἥλιος, helios, lit=sun) is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. ...
".
In the ''
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Kno ...
'' (2011), British writer
Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged".
Along wit ...
gave the album three out of five stars, classifying it as "recommended" and "highly listenable".
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
on 16 July 1988. In its seventh week, it peaked at number one and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. Minogue became the youngest artist to have a number-one album when she was 20 years and 8 months old—she held that record until Canadian recording artist
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
's ''
Let Go'' reached the top of the chart in 2002, when she was 18. ''Kylie'' topped the chart for two additional weeks in November, for a total of six weeks in the number-one position, her longest-running number-one album on this chart. It was the
best-selling album of 1988 in the UK, with sales of 1.29 million copies over the course of six months.
[; ; ; ] On 5 January 1989, it was certified six times platinum by
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
.
''Kylie'' sold 1.9 million copies by the time ''Enjoy Yourself'' was released in late 1989, becoming the
fifth highest-selling album of the decade—the highest by a female solo artist—in the UK. It was the first album by a female solo artist to exceed sales of two million in the UK, selling 2,105,698 copies as of 2006. ''Kylie'' returned to the UK Albums Chart in 2015, when the reissue peaked at number eighty-five on 15 February.
In Minogue's native Australia, ''Kylie'' entered at number two, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. It stayed in the top fifty for a total of twenty-eight weeks.
It was certified four times platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
.
[; ] In New Zealand, it debuted at number ten, and eventually topped the chart for six weeks. It is her only number-one album in the region and stayed on the charts for a total of fifty-three weeks.
In November 1989, it was certified platinum by
Recorded Music NZ
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
.
The album reached the top ten in Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. In the United States, it peaked at number fifty-three on the
''Billboard'' 200. This was Minogue's only charting album in the United States, until her 2001 album ''
Fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...
'' hit the charts in 2002.
In 1989, the album was certified gold in the United States, selling over 500,000 copies.
''Kylie'' was certified platinum in Hong Kong by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
for selling over 15,000 units.
In Japan, it peaked at number 30 and sold 102,000 copies as of 2006.
[; ] As of 2018, ''Kylie'' has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Accolades and impact
At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1988
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 29 February 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan F ...
, Minogue won the Highest Selling Single for "Locomotion". At
the following ceremony, she received nominations for Breakthrough Artist – Album, Highest Selling Album, and
Best Female Artist for ''Kylie'', winning the second time for Highest Selling Single for "I Should Be So Lucky" and receiving the Special Achievement Award. The single also earned Minogue a
Japan Gold Disc Award
The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
for Single of the Year in 1989. It was added to the
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
's
Sounds of Australia
The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film and Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings which are deemed to have cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance for Australi ...
registry in 2011.
The album's commercial success helped Minogue establish herself as an international
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
and launch her recording career. Writing for Official Charts Company, Justin Myers opined "If 1988 was anyone's year it was Kylie Minogue's... She was the most exciting thing to happen to pop for quite a long time." Jim Schembri of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' wrote the success of ''Kylie'' and its singles, her popular concerts in Britain and Japan, as well as her public appearances have quickly "turned
inogueinto a
pop cultural icon—as well as a multi-millionare". ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' recognized Minogue as the most successful foreign UK chart debut for ''Kylie''; the record was later equaled by Irish boy band
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
in 1998.
In the US market, ''Kylie'' was a notable pop album among dozens of popular Australian rock-oriented releases in the late 1980s, including albums by rock bands
INXS
INXS (a word play, phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian Rock music, rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboar ...
,
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
,
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
,
The Church, and
Icehouse. Following its release, Minogue was considered as one of the most aspiring female
teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well as elements o ...
artists, along with American singers Debbie Gibson and
Tiffany. George Albert of ''
The Sentinel'' viewed 1988 as a remarkable year for young female acts—he identified Minogue,
Martika
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known by her stage name Martika ( ), is an American pop singer and actress. She released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which sold over four million copies wor ...
,
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...
, and
Karyn White
Karyn Layvonne White (born October 14, 1965) is an American singer who was popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s. She is known for several hit singles including "Superwoman" (1988), " Secret Rendezvous" (1989), " The Way You Love Me" (19 ...
as a group of emerging artists who specialized in singing instead of writing music, and willing to record well-crafted contemporary pop songs that have potential on the music charts.
Music journalists attributed the album's success to Minogue's already established image as Charlene on ''Neighbours''. She made a risky transition to music at a time when not many established actors in television chose to make a record. Motivated by the success of ''Kylie'', Donovan pursued his singing career with SAW and signed with Mushroom Records. He recorded "
Especially for You
"Especially for You" is a song performed by Australian recording artists Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan from Donovan's debut album, '' Ten Good Reasons'' (1989). The song was released as his album's second single on 28 November 1988 and was ...
" with Minogue in late 1988, which became the
fourth highest-selling single of the year, and left ''Neighbours'' the following year.
[; ; ] Minogue went on to make three more studio albums with SAW until 1991, when Aitken left the trio.
Minogue has since felt detached from the album, saying in an interview in late 1988: "I didn't have much say about
he album
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
and it doesn't sound like me.
AWdid what they thought they had to do to deliver a hit, which they did. But the album still isn't ''me''".
Track listing
All songs written, produced and arranged by
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, except where noted.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
*
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
– lead vocals, backing vocals
*Dee Lewis – backing vocals
*Mae McKenna – backing vocals
*
Suzanne Rhatigan – backing vocals
*
Matt Aitken
Matthew James Aitken (born 25 August 1956) is an English songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as the creative force behind the 1980s and early 1990s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman ...
–
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
,
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
s, keyboards, guitar
*
Mike Stock – production, arrangements, backing vocals, keyboards
*
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman, (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Water ...
– production, arrangements
*George De Angelis – keyboards
*Neil Palmer – keyboards
*A. Linn – drums
*Jason Barron –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Peter Day – engineering
*Stewart Day – engineering
*Karen Hewitt – engineering
*Jonathan King – engineering
*Mark McGuire – engineering
*Burni Adams – engineering
*Yoyo – engineer
*Pete Hammond –
mixing
*Jay Willis –
mastering
*Lawrence Lawry – photography
*David Howells – design
*
Lino Carbosiero
Raffaele Claudio Carbosiero (born 9 June 1964), known as Lino Carbosiero, is a British hairdresser, hair stylist of Italian origin, currently working at the famous Daniel Galvin hair salon in London. He was appointed Order of the British Empire ...
– hair
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
*
List of best-selling albums of the 1980s in the United Kingdom
*
List of best-selling albums by year in the United Kingdom
This is a list of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom each year. The sales figures given are only within that year, but each album has sold more copies overall.
Best-selling albums by year
Best-selling albums by decade
See al ...
*
List of number-one albums from the 1980s (New Zealand)
This is the Recorded Music NZ list of number-one albums in New Zealand during the 1980s decade. Dire Straits' 1985 album ''Brothers in Arms'' spent a total of 21 weeks at No. 1. Split Enz's album ''Time and Tide'' was the most successful album by ...
*
List of Top 25 albums for 1988 in Australia
*
List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1980s
The UK Albums Chart is a weekly record chart based on album sales from Sunday to Saturday in the United Kingdom; during the 1980s, a total of 184 albums reached number one.
Number ones
By artist
Ten artists spent 10 weeks or more at num ...
*
*
List of UK top-ten albums in 1988
*
List of UK top-ten albums in 1989
The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list sh ...
References
Citations
Websites
; Chart positions and certifications
*
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*
* ''Select ''KYLIE MINOGUE'' and click ''OK.''
*
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* ''Select 1989年5月 on the drop-down menu''
*
* ''The High Point number in the NAT column displays the release's peak on the national chart.''
*
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*
*
* ''Select ''Kylie MINOGUE'' from the drop-down menu and click ''OK''.''
*
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Media notes
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Print sources
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External links
''Kylie''at Kylie.com (archived from 2007)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kylie (Album)
1988 debut albums
Albums produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
Kylie Minogue albums
Mushroom Records albums
Geffen Records albums
CBS Disques albums