Children of the Sun (Billy Thorpe album)

Children of the Sun is the third studio album by Australian musician Billy Thorpe, released in 1979. The album spawned the singles "Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love", "Goddess of the Night", "Children of the Sun" and "Simple Life".[citation needed] The album peaked at number 44 on the Kent Music Report.

Children of the Sun
Studio album by
Released1979
RecordedPasha Music House, Hollywood, California
GenreRock, funk, pop, soul
Length37:53
LabelPolydor Records, Capricorn Records, CBS Records
ProducerSpencer Proffer
Billy Thorpe chronology
Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud
(1976)
Children of the Sun
(1979)
21st Century Man
(1980)
Singles from Children of the Sun
  1. "Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love"
    Released: July 1979
  2. "Goddess of the Night"
    Released: July 1979
  3. "Children of the Sun"
    Released: September 1979
  4. "Simple Life"
    Released: September 1979
Children Of The Sun...Revisited
1987 Re-issued Cover

The album was Thorpe's debut album in the United States of America.[1]

In 1987, the album was partially reissued as Children of the Sun...Revisited, featuring 5 songs from the original album, plus 3 newly recorded tracks for the compilation, with "East of Eden's Gate" as the closing track.

Reception

edit

Cash Box magazine called the album "an ambitious rock project" saying "Side one is a fairly mainstream set of guitar rock numbers, but side two is an imaginative, fantasy-like concept work which depicts the massive transporting of human life on Earth to a new destiny in outer space."[1]

Track listings

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love"Billy Thorpe3:38
2."Dream Maker"Billy Thorpe3:43
3."Simple Life"Billy Thorpe5:39
4."Goddess of the Night"Billy Thorpe, Spencer Proffer4:21
5."Children Of The Sun"Billy Thorpe, Spencer Proffer6:44
6."We're Leaving"Billy Thorpe3:50
7."We Welcome You"Billy Thorpe4:42
8."Solar Anthem"Billy Thorpe0:55
9."The Beginning"Billy Thorpe4:15
Total length:37:53

1987 partial re-issue Children of the Sun... Revisited

edit
  1. Children Of The Sun (Billy Thorpe, Spencer Proffer) - 6:44
  2. We're Leaving (Billy Thorpe) - 3:50
  3. We Welcome You (Billy Thorpe) - 4:43
  4. Solar Anthem (Billy Thorpe) - 0:56
  5. The Beginning (Billy Thorpe) - 4:14
  6. Earth Calling* (Billy Thorpe) - 5:26
  7. Turn It Into Love* (Billy Thorpe) - 5:08
  8. Free Enterprise* (Billy Thorpe) - 3:47
  9. East of Eden's Gate+ (Bill Cuomo, Billy Thorpe, Earl Slick, Jim Johnson, Roderick Falconer, Spencer Proffer) - 6:20

Credits;

  • Tracks 1-5 taken from the 1979 album Children of the Sun
  • Tracks 6-8 new recordings for this compilation
  • Track 9 taken from the 1982 album East of Eden's Gate

Personnel

edit

Production

  • Art direction: Jim Welch
  • Co-producer: Billy Thorpe
  • Cover, artwork: Mouse & Kelley
  • Design [stylist]: Randee St. Nicholas
  • Engineer: Larry Brown
  • Mastering: Bernie Grundman
  • Vinyl mastering: Bill Kiper
  • Photography: Bob Jenkins
  • Producer: Spencer Proffer

Charts

edit
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 44
Chart (1979) Peak
position
United States (Billboard Charts)[3] 39
edit

The title track was used in episodes of the second season of the Fargo television series.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Album Review" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 March 1979. pp. 20, 22. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 309. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ "Billboard Charts". Billboard.
edit