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After seven albums, Chris Rea was finally beginning to get the hang of what makes a commercial success. He had not changed his style throughout the 1980s, but now it was 1985 and the synth pop sounds and new romantics were both long gone -- and in their place were stadium-filling anthemic rock or power ballads. Shamrock Diaries was a mix of soft ballads like "Chisel Hill" and "One Golden Rule" along with saxophone-led uptempo numbers such as the title track and the feel-good song of the summer, "All Summer Long," which would have made an ideal single had Magnet decided to release it. Shamrock Diaries was written very much with family in mind, particularly considering the two singles released: "Stainsby Girls" was a tribute to his wife, Joan, who had attended Stainsby Secondary Modern School; and "Josephine" was written for his eldest daughter. The opening track, "Steel River," was rather hard to define, being a soft piano-led ballad until the first chorus kicked in and the song revealed gospel roots, but by the time the second chorus came along it had become a jazz jam. This was followed by "Stainsby Girls," easily the most like Bruce Springsteen that Rea had ever sounded -- and it became his first Top 30 single since "Fool If You Think It's Over" from the late '70s. However, Chris Rea saved the best track until the end: the slow-building "Hired Gun," over eight minutes of brooding menace.
© Sharon Mawer /TiVo
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Max Middleton, Keyboards - Mel Collins, Saxophone - Chris Rea, Producer, Slide Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - Annie Whitehead, Trombone - David Richards, Producer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Simon Nicol, Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums - Eoghan O'Neill , Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd
Mel Collins, Saxophone - Chris Rea, Producer, Slide Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - Annie Whitehead, Trombone - David Richards, Producer, Engineer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Rhythm Guitar - Simon Nicol, Rhythm Guitar - Eoghan O'Neill, Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Keyboards - Chris Rea, Producer, Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - Annie Whitehead, Trombone - David Richards, Producer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Simon Nicol, Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums - Eoghan O'Neill , Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Keyboards - Mel Collins, Saxophone - Chris Rea, Composer, Producer, Slide Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - Annie Whitehead, Trombone - David Richards, Producer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Simon Nicol, Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums - Eoghan O'Neill , Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Piano, Synthesizer - Chris Rea, Producer, Bass Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Stewart Eales, Engineer - David Richards, Producer, Mixer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Eoghan O'Neill, Bass Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Rhodes Piano - Pete Wingfield, Hammond Organ - Chris Rea, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Drums, Percussion - David Richards, Producer - Neil Amor, Engineer
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Mel Collins, Saxophone - Chris Rea, Producer, Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - David Richards, Producer, Engineer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Simon Nicol, Guitar - Eoghan O'Neill, Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Piano - Chris Rea, Producer, Keyboards, Writer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Drums, Percussion - David Richards, Producer, Engineer - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Eoghan O'Neill, Bass Guitar - Diane BJ Koné, Engineer - Neil Amor, Engineer - Kevin Leach, Keyboards
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Piano, Synthesizer - Chris Rea, Producer, Bass Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Stewart Eales, Engineer - David Richards, Producer, Mixer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Eoghan O'Neill, Bass Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Max Middleton, Keyboards - Mel Collins, Saxophone - Chris Rea, Producer, Slide Guitar, Organ, Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Martin Ditcham, Percussion - Barry Hammond, Engineer - Annie Whitehead, Trombone - David Richards, Producer - Dave Mattacks, Drums - Robert Ahwai, Guitar - Simon Nicol, Guitar - Kevin Leach, Keyboards - Adrian Rea, Drums - Eoghan O'Neill , Bass Guitar
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
Album review
After seven albums, Chris Rea was finally beginning to get the hang of what makes a commercial success. He had not changed his style throughout the 1980s, but now it was 1985 and the synth pop sounds and new romantics were both long gone -- and in their place were stadium-filling anthemic rock or power ballads. Shamrock Diaries was a mix of soft ballads like "Chisel Hill" and "One Golden Rule" along with saxophone-led uptempo numbers such as the title track and the feel-good song of the summer, "All Summer Long," which would have made an ideal single had Magnet decided to release it. Shamrock Diaries was written very much with family in mind, particularly considering the two singles released: "Stainsby Girls" was a tribute to his wife, Joan, who had attended Stainsby Secondary Modern School; and "Josephine" was written for his eldest daughter. The opening track, "Steel River," was rather hard to define, being a soft piano-led ballad until the first chorus kicked in and the song revealed gospel roots, but by the time the second chorus came along it had become a jazz jam. This was followed by "Stainsby Girls," easily the most like Bruce Springsteen that Rea had ever sounded -- and it became his first Top 30 single since "Fool If You Think It's Over" from the late '70s. However, Chris Rea saved the best track until the end: the slow-building "Hired Gun," over eight minutes of brooding menace.
© Sharon Mawer /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:23
- Main artists: Chris Rea
- Composer: Chris Rea
- Label: Rhino
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 1985 Magnet Records Ltd. ℗ 1985 Magnet Records Ltd.
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