What's Your Problem
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"What's Your Problem" is a song by the English
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
duo
Blancmange Blancmange (, from , ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream, and sugar, thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Chondrus crispus, Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured wit ...
, released on 27 August 1985 as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
from their third studio album ''
Believe You Me ''Believe You Me'' is the third studio album by the English synth-pop duo Blancmange, released on 11 October 1985 by London Records. A remastered edition was released by Edsel Records in 2008 which featured the album along with four bonus tracks. ...
'' (1985). It was written by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, and produced by
Stewart Levine Stewart Levine (born 1946) is an American record producer. He has worked with many artists such as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Hugh Masekela, Huey Lewis and the News, Patti LaBelle, Sly Stone, Boy George, Oleta Ada ...
. "What's Your Problem" reached No. 40 in the UK and No. 30 in Ireland. A
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
was filmed to promote the single, which received heavy action play on the European music TV channel ''
Music Box A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces Musical note, musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder (geometry), cylinder or disc to pluck ...
''.


Background

In a 1985 interview with ''
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 ...
'', Arthur said of the song's lyrics, "It's about me actually, though I tried to make it sound as if I was singing to someone else. The bit 'when you were flying high you never wanted to look down' is about when I was up there and I never wanted to look down, never wanted to keep in touch with friends. But what happens is that you reach rock bottom, low ebb, and suddenly you feel like you're going to explode because you realise what a bastard you've been to people."


Critical reception

On its release, Dave Rimmer 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 ...
'' selected the single as "single of the fortnight". He commented, "Thought this sounded sadly weedy at first, like a poor cross between a dated
Abba ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
job and a very old
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song, but I was wrong. On further hearings I found myself warbling along with what turns out to be one of those rousing refrains that simply will not leave you alone." Karen Swayne of '' Number One'' said, "Blancmange re-emerge with a drab outing that sounds more like a
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
reject than a potential hit. Informed opinion reckons it's a grower, but I thought boring electro like this had died a painless death a few years back, though Neil and Stephen seem intent on reviving it." Andy Strickland of ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'' wrote, "You'd have a job getting too excited about this one as it treads familiar and unspectacular ground. Even Neil's voice seems to have lost some of its old fire." Jerry Smith of ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' considered the song to be a "pleasant, albeit predictable sampler" from their forthcoming studio album. In a review of the 2017 deluxe edition of ''Believe You Me'' (1985), Paul Scott-Bates of ''
Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by the English musician and journalist John R ...
'' said the song was "another typically Blancmange track with a chorus that really didn't kick in until the latter half of the track". ''The Electricity Club'' commented that the song was "serviceable synthpop, but perhaps lacks the dynamism that earlier Blancmange outings offered".


Track listing

7" single # "What's Your Problem" – 4:12 # "Side Two" – 3:39 2x 7" single (UK limited edition gatefold release) # "What's Your Problem" – 4:12 # "Side Two" – 3:39 # " Living on the Ceiling (12" Version)" – 5:35 # "Feel Me (12" Version)" – 4:34 12" single # "What's Your Problem (Extended Version)" – 6:55 # "Side Two" – 7:31 # "Living on the Ceiling (12" Edit)" – 5:34


Chart performance


Personnel

Blancmange * Neil Arthur – lead vocals, producer of "Side Two" * Stephen Luscombe – keyboards, synthesizers Additional personnel * David Rhodes – guitar *
Stewart Levine Stewart Levine (born 1946) is an American record producer. He has worked with many artists such as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Hugh Masekela, Huey Lewis and the News, Patti LaBelle, Sly Stone, Boy George, Oleta Ada ...
– producer of "What's Your Problem" * John Williams – producer of "Side Two" * Mike Howlett – producer of "Living on the Ceiling" and "Feel Me" Other * Assorted Images – sleeve design


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:What's Your Problem 1985 songs 1985 singles Blancmange (band) songs London Records singles Songs written by Neil Arthur Songs written by Stephen Luscombe Song recordings produced by Stewart Levine