''Out of the Blue'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter
Debbie Gibson, released on August 18, 1987 by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. The album received favorable reviews from music critics and sold more than three million copies in the United States (three times platinum by
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
) and five million copies worldwide.
Background
Gibson personally wrote all ten songs on this album. As executive producer, Douglas Breitbart of Broadbeard Productions, Inc. (whom Gibson's mother had hired as manager five years before), assembled a team of producers from both New York and Florida:
Fred Zarr, John Morales, Sergio Munzibai and
Lewis A. Martineé
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
.
Zarr produced "
Shake Your Love
"Shake Your Love" (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'' (1987) (LP 81780). Originally recorded in the spring ...
" and "Fallen Angel" in addition to "
Only in My Dreams
"Only in My Dreams" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter-actress Debbie Gibson, then 16 years old. Released December 16, 1986, as a maxi single (Atlantic DM 86744), and then in remixed form (Vocal/3:50) February 1987, the song was ...
," and co-produced "
Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue may refer to:
Film and television Film
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1931 film), a British musical by Gene Gerrard
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1947 film), an American comedy directed by Leigh Jason
*'' Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley'', a ...
," "
Staying Together" and "Wake Up to Love" with Gibson, sole producer for "
Foolish Beat." Morales and Munzibai produced "Red Hot" and "Between the Lines." Martineé produced "Play the Field".
While posing for the album cover, Gibson was told by the photographer that her knee was pulling focus; as a compromise, the makeup artist drew a face on her knee. This became a fashion trend among girls who attended her concerts.
''Out of the Blue'' made No. 7 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200 chart and No. 26 on the
UK Albums Chart.
The album sold over three million copies in the United States,
and five million copies worldwide.
Reissues
''Out of the Blue'' was included in the 2017 box set ''
We Could Be Together'', with six remixes as bonus tracks.
A special four-disc
digipack edition was released by Cherry Red Records on October 15, 2021. This release includes two remix CDs and a
DVD containing the album's five music videos, the live video ''Live in Concert: The "Out of the Blue" Tour'', and a special interview video.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians
[Liner notes, SD 81780. NYC: Atlantic Recording Corp., 1987]
*Deborah Gibson – lead and backing vocals, rhythm programs, keyboard, synthesizer, additional keyboards
*
Fred Zarr – rhythm programs, keyboards, synthesizer, additional keyboards (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*John Morales – programming, sequencing (tracks 5, 10)
*David "Jaz" Grant – keyboard overdubs, guitar (tracks 5, 7–8, 10)
*Lewis A. Martineé – rhythm programs, keyboards, backing vocals (track 9)
*Mike Baskt – keyboards (track 9)
*Ira Siegel – guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar (tracks 1–4)
*Tommy Williams – guitar, electric guitar (tracks 1, 6)
*Nestor Gomez – guitar (track 9)
*Gary Down – bass (track 3)
*
Bashiri Johnson – percussion (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*Billy Amendola – Tom Tom overdubs (track 3)
*
Jimmy Maelen – percussion overdubs (tracks 5, 10)
*Jeff Smith – saxophone, saxophone overdubs, backing vocals (tracks 2–8, 10)
*LaRita Gaskins – backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 6)
*Carrie Johnson – backing vocals (tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8)
*
Libby Johnson
Libby Johnson is an American singer-songwriter. She co-founded the indie folk band 22 Brides in 1992, and released her debut solo album, ''Annabella'', in 2006.
Early life and education
Johnson was born on an army base in Germany.Jeremy Leeuwis ...
– backing vocals (tracks 1–2, 6–8)
*
Norma Jean Wright – backing vocals (track 3)
*Tim Lawless – backing vocals (track 4)
*Connie Harvey – backing vocals (tracks 5, 10)
*Janet Wright – backing vocals (tracks 5, 10)
*Wendell Morrison – backing vocals (tracks 5, 10)
*Haydee – backing vocals (track 9)
Production
*Debbie Gibson – arranger (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*
Fred Zarr – arranger, mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*John Morales – arranger, mix engineer (tracks 5, 10)
*Sergio Munzibai – arranger (track 5)
*Lewis A. Martineé – arranger, engineer (track 9)
*Don Feinberg – recording engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*Bernard Bullock – recording engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*Phil Castellano – recording engineer, mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*Peter Sturge – recording engineer (tracks 5, 10)
*Billy Esses – assistant engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
*Jim Goatley – assistant mix engineer (tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8)
*Carlos Santos – assistant (track 9)
*Michael Hutchinson – mixing (tracks 2, 6)
*
"Little" Louie Vega
Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. (born June 12, 1965), as known as "Little Louie" Vega, is an American DJ, record producer and Grammy Award winner remixer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is one half of the Masters at Work musical production team.
Biograph ...
– mixing (track 3)
*Doc Dougherty – mixing (track 3)
*Douglas Breitbart – executive producer, management (Broadbeard Productions, Inc.)
*Greg Porto – art direction
*Adrian Buckmaster – photography
*
Howie Weinberg – mastering (
Masterdisk
Masterdisk is an American multimedia company in New York, located at 8 John Walsh Boulevard in Peekskill. They provide production services such as audio mastering, vinyl cutting and enhanced CD and DVD production.
Their clients include such no ...
)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1987 debut albums
Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue may refer to:
Film and television Film
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1931 film), a British musical by Gene Gerrard
* ''Out of the Blue'' (1947 film), an American comedy directed by Leigh Jason
*'' Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley'', a ...
Atlantic Records albums