''When You're a Boy'' is the debut solo

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

Susanna Hoffs Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. With Debbi Peterson and Vicki Peterson, she founded the Bangles in 1981. Their debut album, ''All Over the Place (The Bangles album), All Over ...

. It begins with the ''Billboard'' Top 40 single "

My Side of the Bed "My Side of the Bed" is a song by American singer-songwriter Susanna Hoffs, released in December 1990 by Columbia as the lead single from her debut solo album, '' When You're a Boy'' (1991). It was written by Hoffs, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, ...

", includes the track "Unconditional Love" (co-written by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

), and ends with a cover of " Boys Keep Swinging", the 1979 song written by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

and

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

. The album's title comes from the lyrics to the latter. The album peaked at No. 83 on the US albums chart. Three singles were released from the album: "My Side of the Bed", "Unconditional Love", and "Only Love". The first two featured the non-LP B-side "Circus Girl".

Reception

Jimmy Nicol of '' Q'' gave the album four out of five stars and wrote, "An album which expands the Bangles' brief into undreamed of territories. She reveals herself to be a highly inventive composer, lyricist – and even humourist... After all, how many other American pop stars embarking on a solo career would name their album after a late '70s English art-rock 45?" In their review, ''

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 advertis ...

'' noted that the "ex-Bangle's solo debut is laden with potential hit singles. Hoffs' breathy, childlike delivery is perfect for her cover of "Unconditional Love" (which could be this record's "Eternal Flame"); the wistful "No Kind Of Love,"

Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees'' television series, they were one o ...

-like pop ditty "This Time," and first single "My Side Of The Bed." Just the right pop record to ward off the winter chill and bring on the warm breezes of spring."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's review was negative, giving it one and a half out of five stars, and remarking, "Although the album was released in 1991, it sounds like bad mid-'80s music. Hoffs and the Bangles had a few catchy pop ditties; however, there are none to be found here."

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals, backing vocals, additional guitars *

David Kahne David Kahne is an American record producer, musician, composer, and former record company executive. Professional career Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and soon became Director of A&R for America's first punk and ne ...

– keyboards, programming * Rusty Anderson – guitars *

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...

– bass *

John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band the Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band ...

– additional bass (12) *

Zachary Alford Zachary "Zack" Alford is a professional drummer, known for his work with the B-52's, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Tomoyasu Hotei. Alford was brought in by Danny Kortchmar to drum on Billy Joel's ''River of Dreams'' album. He played drums ...

– drums * Gary Ferguson – drums * Carlos Vega – drums * Lisa Brenneis – backing vocals *

Juliana Hatfield Juliana Hatfield (born July 27, 1967) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from the Boston area. She was formerly a member of the indie rock bands Blake Babies, Some Girls, and The Lemonheads. Hatfield also fronted her own band, The Ju ...

– backing vocals * Tom Kelly – backing vocals * Robin Lane – backing vocals * Donovan Leitch – backing vocals * Eric Lowen – backing vocals * Dan Navarro – backing vocals * Michelle Rohl – backing vocals *

Maria Vidal Maria Elena Vidal (born August 1, 1960) is an American singer songwriter. Her single "Body Rock" reached No. 8 on the US Dance Charts, No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot 100, No. 5 on the Springbok Charts in South Africa, and No. 11 in the UK, ...

– backing vocals

Production

* David Kahne – producer, arrangements, engineer, mixing (5, 6) * Steve Churchyard – engineer * Clark Germain – engineer * David Leonard – engineer, mixing (1–3, 5, 7–12) * Joel Stoner – engineer, mixing (5) * Keith Cohen – mixing (4) * Ray Blair – assistant engineer * Greg Goldman – assistant engineer * Ed Goodreau – assistant engineer * Mike Kloster – assistant engineer *

Sylvia Massy Sylvia Lenore Massy is an American record producer, mixer, and engineer. Her first major breakthrough occurred with 1993's ''Undertow (Tool album), Undertow'', the full-length triple platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles alternative metal band ...

– assistant engineer * Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer * Mike Piersante – assistant engineer * Lori Fumar – assistant mix engineer * Wally Traugott – mastering at Capitol Studios * Randee St. Nicholas – photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1991 debut albums Susanna Hoffs albums Albums produced by David Kahne Columbia Records albums