Ready or Not (Lou Gramm album)
| Ready or Not | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 29, 1987[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 40:40 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer |
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| Lou Gramm chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ready or Not | ||||
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Ready or Not is the debut solo studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, released in February 1987 by Atlantic Records.
Production
[edit]Eight of the ten songs, which comprise Ready or Not, were written by Gramm in partnership with former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon.[2] The album was recorded in 1986 at Bear Tracks Recording in Suffern, New York and The Hit Factory Recording in New York City. It was produced by Gramm and Pat Moran, who is known as an engineer on recordings by such performers as Rush and Robert Plant.
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Ready or Not was a commercial success, reaching number 27 on the US Billboard 200. It generated two hit songs. The lead-off single, "Midnight Blue", peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100[4] and climbed to the top of the Mainstream Rock chart.[5] It has been Gramm's only song to have charted in the United Kingdom.[6] The second single from the album was the title song, which reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Mainstream Rock charts.
The album has enjoyed critical acclaim. Bret Adams of AllMusic described it as "rich with melody and snap".[3]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Lou Gramm and Bruce Turgon, except "She's Got to Know" and "Lover Come Back" written by Gramm
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ready or Not" | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Heartache" | 4:29 |
| 3. | "Midnight Blue" | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Time" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "If I Don't Have You" | 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "She's Got to Know" | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Arrow thru Your Heart" | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Until I Make You Mine" | 3:31 |
| 9. | "Chain of Love" | 4:02 |
| 10. | "Lover Come Back" | 5:19 |
| Total length: | 40:40 | |
Personnel
[edit]- Lou Gramm – vocals, percussion
- Philip Ashley – keyboards, programming
- Bruce Turgon – keyboards, rhythm guitars, bass, lead guitar (on "Lover Come Back")
- Nils Lofgren – lead guitar
- Ben Gramm – drums
Additional musicians
[edit]- Richard Grammatico – lead guitar (on "If I Don't Have You"), additional guitar (on "Time")
- Don Mancuso – additional guitar (on "Chain of Love")
- Eddie Martinez – additional guitar (on "Ready or Not", "Midnight Blue" and "Chain of Love")
- Stanley Sheldon – bass (on "Midnight Blue" and "If I Don't Have You")
- Mark Rivera – soprano saxophone (on "Lover Come Back"), tenor saxophone, backing vocals
- Crispin Cioe – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Ben Grammatico Sr. – lead trumpet
- Ben Grammatico Jr. – trumpet
- Sherryl Marshall – backing vocals
- Cookie Watkins – backing vocals
Production
[edit]- Lou Gramm – producer
- Pat Moran – producer, engineer
- Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
- Timothy White – cover photography
- Bob Defrin – art direction, design
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 52.
- ^ Giles, Jeff (2017). "30 Years Ago: Lou Gramm Goes Solo with 'Ready or Not'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ a b Adams, Bret. Lou Gramm: Ready or Not > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ^ "Lou Gramm Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ "Lou Gramm Chart History (Billboard Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ "Lou Gramm". Official Charts. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 128. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0798". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lou Gramm – Ready or Not" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lou Gramm – Ready or Not". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lou Gramm – Ready or Not". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Lou Gramm Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Lou Gramm – Ready or Not". Music Canada.
