Wikipedia

Love Zone

This article is about the Billy Ocean album. For the song, see Love Zone (song). For other albums, see Love Zone (Surface album) and Love Zone (Ullanda McCullough album).

Love Zone is the sixth studio album by British singer Billy Ocean, released on 6 May 1986 by Jive Records.[1] Three singles were released from the album, including Ocean's second US No. 1 single "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and the US top ten entry "Love Zone". It also features the UK No. 1 and US No. 2 single "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", which had originally been released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile.

Love Zone
Studio album by
Billy Ocean
Released6 May 1986
Recorded1985–1986
StudioBattery (London)
Genre
Length44:56
LabelJive
Producer
Billy Ocean chronology
Suddenly
(1984) 		Love Zone
(1986) 		Tear Down These Walls
(1988)
Singles from Love Zone
  1. "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going"
    Released: 15 November 1985
  2. "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"
    Released: 22 January 1986
  3. "Love Zone"
    Released: 5 July 1986
  4. "Love Is Forever"
    Released: October 1986

A critical and commercial success, it became his highest charting album in both the UK and the US, where it peaked at number two and number six respectively, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over two million copies.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The New York TimesFavourable[3]

Love Zone received favourable reviews from critics. People noted that "Ocean just floats along on this smooth" album and that "the moods [he] creates are so richly romantic they shouldn't be inflicted on the brokenhearted".[4]

The album received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.[5] Ocean also won two American Music Awards, including for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Wayne Brathwaite, Barry Eastmond and Billy Ocean, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going"
5:45
2."Love Zone" 5:37
3."Without You" 5:03
4."There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" 4:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Bittersweet" 4:58
6."It's Never Too Late to Try"
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Ocean
  • Jolyon Skinner
4:54
7."Showdown"
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Ocean
  • Skinner
4:58
8."Promise Me"
  • Jonathan Butler
  • Skinner
4:36
9."Love Is Forever" 4:15
Total length:44:56
Bonus tracks on 2011 reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Love Zone" (extended version) 6:21
11."Bittersweet" (extended version) 6:40
12."When the Going Gets Tough" (club mix)
  • Brathwaite
  • Eastmond
  • Lange
  • Ocean
6:46
13."There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (12" version) 8:12

Production and artwork

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  • Executive producer on track 1 – Robert John "Mutt" Lange
  • Producers – Barry J. Eastmond and Wayne Brathwaite
  • Engineers – Steve Power (1–7 and 9); Bryan "Chuck" New (track 8)
  • Mixing – Nigel Green (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9); Bryan "Chuck" New (tracks 2, 6 and 7)
  • Cover photography – Rob Lee

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Love Zone
Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[27] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[1] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "British album certifications – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". British Phonographic Industry.
  2. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Billy Ocean: Love Zone". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (21 December 1986). "Ultra-Romantic Pop-Soul Music Remains a Powerful Force". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Love Zone". People. 16 June 1986.
  5. ^ "Billy Ocean". The Recording Academy.
  6. ^ Kent 1993, p. 221.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0691". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Ocean – Love Zone" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  9. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 24. 21 June 1986. p. 16. OCLC 29800226.
  10. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Billy Ocean". Sisältää hitin – Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 188. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
  11. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Billy Ocean – Love Zone" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Charts.nz – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Billy Ocean Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Billy Ocean Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  19. ^ Kent 1993, p. 438.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  22. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226.
  23. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)". Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548.
  25. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  27. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  28. ^ "American album certifications – Billy Ocean – Love Zone". Recording Industry Association of America.

Bibliography

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