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Reckless (Bryan Adams album)

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Reckless
Studio album by
Bryan Adams
ReleasedNovember 5, 1984 (1984-11-05)
RecordedJune 1983, March–August 1984
Studio
Genre
Length37:58
LabelA&M
Producer
Bryan Adams chronology
Cuts Like a Knife
(1983) 		Reckless
(1984) 		Into the Fire
(1987)
Singles from Reckless
  1. "Run to You"
    Released: October 18, 1984
  2. "Somebody"
    Released: January 1985
  3. "Heaven"
    Released: April 9, 1985[1]
  4. "Summer of '69"
    Released: June 17, 1985[2]
  5. "One Night Love Affair"
    Released: September 1985
  6. "It's Only Love"
    Released: October 25, 1985 (UK)[3]

Reckless is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records on November 5, 1984 to coincide with Adams' 25th birthday. Like its predecessor Cuts Like a Knife, the album was entirely produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain.

Reckless was commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies worldwide, making it Adams' second highest-selling studio album to date – behind his 1991 album "Waking up the Neighbours".[4][5] It was also the first Canadian album to sell over one million copies within Canada, and is certified eleven-times platinum in the country. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200.[6] The album has also received positive reviews from critics, with contemporary reviews praising its songwriting and sonic quality.

Six singles were released from the album: "Run to You", "Somebody", "Heaven", "Summer of '69", "One Night Love Affair", and "It's Only Love"; all six singles charted within the top-twenty on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Development

[edit]

"Heaven" was the first song recorded for the album, which was originally written by Adams and Jim Vallance for the film A Night in Heaven.[7][8] As the song was already released on the film's soundtrack album, the song was not initially planned to be included on Reckless, as it was considered too "light" for the album.[7]

Adams and Vallance continued to write and record songs for the album throughout 1983 and 1984, and recording sessions began in March 1984, at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver.[9][10] They worked with producer Bob Clearmountain, who had co-produced Adams' previous album Cuts Like a Knife.

Nine tracks for the album were completed in August 1984, after Adams and Clearmountain flew to New York City to record some vocal overdubs at Power Station. However, Adams was not fully satisfied with the album, and he consulted his manager Bruce Allen, who listened to the album and asked him: "Where's the rock?". This prompted Adams and Vallance to return to Vancouver and re-record two songs: "One Night Love Affair" and "Summer of '69", as well as writing "Kids Wanna Rock"; the album was eventually completed later that month.[10]

Promotion

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Singles

[edit]

"Run to You" was released as the lead single from Reckless on 18 October 1984, in North America.[8] The song was Adams' first number one hit on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, a position it held for four weeks; it also reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] The song also peaked at number 4 on the Canadian singles chart, and was his highest-charting song in Canada at the time.[11] "Run to You" also peaked at number 8 in Ireland and reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart; it was his second single to chart in Europe.[12][13]

"Somebody" was issued as a single in January 1985.[8] The song was Adams' second number one hit on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] "Somebody" was in the top 20 on the Canadian singles chart for six weeks; it was Adams' fourth top 20 hit on the Canadian chart.[6] "Somebody" was released in Europe during February 1985 and peaked at number 20 in Ireland and reached the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart at number 35; it was Adams' third single to chart in Europe.[12][13]

"Heaven" was the third single issued from Reckless, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in June 1985; the song previously peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in February 1984, due to its inclusion in the A Night in Heaven soundtrack.[6]

Adams performing "Summer of '69" in Dublin, Ireland.

Upon the release of Reckless in November 1984, "Summer of '69" received airplay on album-oriented rock radio stations, reaching number 40 on Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart. After its release as a single in June 1985, "Summer of '69" peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. "Summer of '69" has been certified four-times platinum in the UK.[14]

"One Night Love Affair" was released as the album's fifth single in September 1985, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 13 and at number 7 on the Top Rock Tracks chart.[6] "One Night Love Affair" had been officially released to Canadian radio stations in February 1985.[8] The song reached the top 20 on the Canadian Singles Chart.[6]

"It's Only Love" was the sixth and final single from Reckless, released on 21 October 1985 in the UK. "It's Only Love" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.[6][12]

30th Anniversary edition

[edit]

In June 2008, the original master tape recordings for Reckless was destroyed in a backlot fire at Universal Studios. Despite the loss of the original masters, a backup copy of the master tape of Reckless was discovered in Adams' home, and was the basis of the album's 30th anniversary remastered edition in 2014.[15]

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the album, an expanded 30th Anniversary edition was released on 10 November 2014; the first disc includes seven previously unreleased tracks, while disc two includes live concert audio from his 1985 tour, recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, London on 20 April 1985 by BBC Radio 1.[16][17] The Blu-ray audio release additionally includes a 5.1 surround mix; a Dolby Atmos mix was later made available on Apple Music.[18] A tour, titled the Reckless 30th Anniversary Tour, took place from November 2014 to October 2015, consisting of 87 shows in North America and Europe.[19][20][21]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[22]
The Great Rock Discography7/10[23]
Rolling Stone[24]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[25]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[26]
The Village VoiceC−[27]

Soon after its release, Reckless peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 in January 1985, before dropping out of the top 10. The success of the singles "Heaven" and "Summer of '69" in mid-1985 renewed interest in the album, and it began climbing back up the chart, eventually charting at number one in August 1985. Reckless also reached number 1 in Canada and New Zealand, number 2 in Norway and Australia while reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden. In Canada, it entered the top 10 shortly after its release, peaking at number 1 in February 1985, and charted in the top 10 periodically in 1985–86.[11] Reckless has been certified eleven-times platinum by Music Canada, for 1,100,000 copies shipped in Canada, and was the first Canadian album to sell over a million copies in the country.[28][29] It is also certified five-times platinum by the RIAA for 5,000,000 copies shipped in the U.S., and three-times platinum by the BPI for 900,000 copies shipped in the UK.[30][31] As of 2014, 12 million copies of the album have been sold worldwide.[5]

The album has received positive reviews from critics since its release, highlighting Clearmountain's production and Adams' songwriting. Ryan Healy of uDiscover Music described the album as a "stadium-sized classic" that showcased Adams' "working-class ethos" and "Springsteen-style knack for storytelling".[32] Healy also noted that Adams and his longtime collaborator Jim Vallance "masterfully" tapped into the "pop/rock, radio-friendly vibe of the middle eighties". Classic Rock Review described it as a "particularly strong showcase for the layered guitars of Keith Scott", praised the "pristine sonic quality" of the album, and highlighted "Run to You" as having "just a tinge of surreal darkness".[33] Dave Everley of Louder noted Reckless as "the one that turned [Adams] from upstart into champ", remarking that "may not have invented arena rock, but he certainly perfected it". Everley also complimented Adams' ability to write "catchy, memorable hooks" and "sing with passion and conviction".[34] In a less positive review, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone praised Adams' "born-to-rock" vocals and Clearmountain's production work, but expressed contempt at the songwriting in "Run to You" and "Kids Wanna Rock", with the latter being unfavorably compared to "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" by Billy Joel.[24]

The album won the 1985 Juno Award for Album of the Year.[35] Kerrang! named Reckless their 1985 "Album of the Year", and No. 49 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" list in 1989.[36] The album also appeared as No. 12 in the book The Top 100 Canadian Albums by Bob Mersereau.[37] "It's Only Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance in 1986.

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

Side one[18]
No.TitleLength
1."One Night Love Affair"4:32
2."She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'"3:14
3."Run to You"3:54
4."Heaven"4:03
5."Somebody"4:44
Side two[18]
No.TitleLength
6."Summer of '69"3:36
7."Kids Wanna Rock"2:36
8."It's Only Love" (with Tina Turner)3:15
9."Long Gone"3:57
10."Ain't Gonna Cry"4:06
Total length:37:58
30th Anniversary edition - disc one[18]
No.TitleLength
11."Let Me Down Easy"3:40
12."Teacher, Teacher"3:48
13."The Boys Night Out"3:53
14."Draw the Line"3:26
15."Play to Win"3:28
16."Too Hot to Handle"4:02
17."Reckless"4:01
Total length:64:11
30th Anniversary edition - disc two: Live in Hammersmith Odeon 1985[18]
No.TitleLength
1."Remember"4:32
2."The Only One"4:39
3."It's Only Love"3:50
4."Kids Wanna Rock"3:16
5."Long Gone"6:21
6."Cuts Like a Knife"5:40
7."Lonely Nights"3:55
8."Tonight"6:13
9."This Time"3:37
10."The Best Was Yet to Come"2:43
11."Heaven"4:04
12."Run to You"4:30
13."Somebody"4:20
14."Straight from the Heart"3:17
15."Summer of '69"4:40
Total length:65:24

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[61] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[62] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[63] 11× Platinum 1,100,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[64] Platinum 20,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[65] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[66] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Platinum 15,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[68] Platinum 60,000[68]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[69] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[71] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 12,000,000[5]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bryan Adams singles". Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Bryan Adams singles". Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  3. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 October 1985. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Remember September: 25 awesome albums turning 25 years old this month". Vanyaland. 18 September 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Bryan Adams tickets: how to get them". The Telegraph. 8 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Bryan Adams | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Heaven". JimVallance.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2004.
  8. ^ a b c d "Album notes for Anthology by Dave Marsh (CD booklet). A&M Records (A&M 5613)". 18 October 2005.
  9. ^ "Bryan Adams – Reckless". jimvallance.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ a b Elliottlast, Paul (28 September 2023). ""We need to pump up the volume on this": how Tina Turner and a roasting from his manager helped Bryan Adams turn Reckless from a flop-in-waiting into one of the biggest albums of the 80s". louder. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Canadian Chart". RPM. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  12. ^ a b c "British Album Chart". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  13. ^ a b "Irish Album Chart". irish-charts.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
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  15. ^ Lifton, Dave (25 June 2019). "How Bryan Adams Learned His 'Reckless' Masters Were Destroyed". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Bryan Adams | Reckless 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – CD Review | VintageRock.com". vintagerock.com. 30 August 2023. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  17. ^ Adams, Bryan (2014). Reckless: 30th Anniversary Edition (liner notes). A&M Records. 378 305-4.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Reckless (30th Anniversary) [Deluxe Edition] by Bryan Adams". Apple Music. 5 November 1984. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
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  20. ^ Entertainment, Live Nation. "Bryan Adams Announces U.S. Dates For Reckless 30th Anniversary Tour" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
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  23. ^ The Great Rock Discography, 7th Edition.
  24. ^ a b Connelly, Christopher (17 January 1985). "Bryan Adams: Reckless". Rolling Stone. No. 439. New York. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2013.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. ^ Marsh, Dave; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 6. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  26. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus. p. 37. OL 11913831M.
  27. ^ Christgau, Robert (27 August 1985). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
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  29. ^ Barclay, Michael; Jack, Ian A.D.; Schneider, Jason (2011). Have Not Been the Same The Canrock Renaissance 1985–1995 (10th Anniversary ed.). ECW Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-55022-992-9.
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  35. ^ "Yearly Summary – The JUNO Awards". 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  36. ^ Henderson, Paul (21 January 1989). "Bryan Adams 'Reckless'". Kerrang!. Vol. 222. London, UK: Spotlight Publications Ltd.
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  41. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Bryan Adams". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. pp. 9–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
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  52. ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1985". Dutchcharts.nl. 23 December 1985. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  53. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  54. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  55. ^ "VG-Lista – Topp 40 Album Sommer 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
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  65. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bryan Adams; 'Reckless')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  66. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Bryan Adams – Reckless" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 14 September 2019. Enter Reckless in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1994 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  67. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Bryan Adams – Reckless". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 21 November 2019.[dead link]
  68. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum Awards 1986" (PDF). Music and Media. 27 December 1986. p. 34. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
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