Results is the ninth studio album by Liza Minnelli, released in October 1989. It was produced by Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn.
| Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 October 1989 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 1989 | |||
| Studio | London | |||
| Genre | Pop, electronic dance music,[1] new wave | |||
| Length | 45:25 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Liza Minnelli chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Results | ||||
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The album was a success in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by BPI (promoted by the lead single, "Losing My Mind", which reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart).
The album was re-released by Cherry Red Records, in an expanded edition with 4 discs (3 CDs and 1 DVD), on September 25, 2017.[2]
Production and release
editIn 1988, Minnelli had expressed an interest in doing a pop album, completely in contrast with her normal output when she joined Epic Records. Tom Watkins, the manager of the Pet Shop Boys was in the US offices at Epic around this time, promoting his new band Bros. He heard that Minnelli had just been signed by Epic and suggested that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of The Pet Shop Boys could work with her on the album.[3] As it happened, Minnelli had heard their song "Rent" and loved it and was thrilled to hear that they might be interested to work with her.[3] Tennant was already a fan of Minnelli and set about writing some songs specifically for her. In March 1989, Minnelli was on tour in London and recorded the vocals for the album during the day. She was surprised on arriving at the studios to learn that the musical backing had already been recorded, a process she was unfamiliar with. She found working with the duo to be great fun but also challenging, saying that Tennant did not compromise and would push her vocally to ranges lower than she was used to.[3] She was keen to record a cover of "Rent" and also expressed particular satisfaction with the song "So Sorry, I Said", saying that the lyrics were very true to her. In general, she was impressed with the duo's work lyrically, and was very pleased with the finished album.[3]
Of the songs contained, "Losing My Mind" is from the 1971 musical Follies. "Twist in My Sobriety" was originally recorded by Tanita Tikaram, from the 1988 album Ancient Heart. "Love Pains" was originally recorded by Yvonne Elliman, from the 1979 album Yvonne. "Rent" and "Tonight Is Forever" were both originally recorded by Pet Shop Boys from, respectively, the albums Actually (1987) and Please (1986). The Pet Shop Boys demo version of "Losing My Mind" (which had Neil Tennant singing the vocal) was later 'tidied up' and released as a B-side on the Pet Shop Boys single "Jealousy". The bridge to "If There Was Love" features Minnelli reciting Sonnet 94 by William Shakespeare: "They that have power to hurt".
The album title was chosen, at Minnelli's request, by Pet Shop Boys after they heard an offhand comment by their friend Janet Street-Porter regarding some of her clothes ("I call it my results wear 'cause when I wear them I always get results").[4]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| Calgary Herald | C[6] |
| Number One | [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7,4/10[8] |
Results received favorable reviews from music critics. William Ruhlmann from AllMusic considered Results as a "Pet Shop Boys electronic dance disc [album] with Minnelli serving as vocalist".[5]
Commercial performance
editThe first single released was a decidedly electronic working of the Stephen Sondheim song "Losing My Mind" in August 1989. Minnelli promoted the song on various television shows in Europe and the US. It became a big hit in the UK, peaking at No.6, where she appeared on Top of the Pops that month.[9] The album was released a month later where it also reached No.6 in the UK. Results also reached number 13 in Spain and was certified Gold there.[10] The album was less successful in the United States, peaking only at number 128 on the Billboard 200. Three more singles were released from the album during 1989 and 1990, namely "Don't Drop Bombs", "So Sorry, I Said" and "Love Pains" all of them charted in UK.[9] The album sold 600,000 copies in Europe only.[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Want You Now" | Chris Lowe, Neil Tennant | 4:41 |
| 2. | "Losing My Mind" | Stephen Sondheim | 4:11 |
| 3. | "If There Was Love" | Lowe, Tennant | 6:47 |
| 4. | "So Sorry, I Said" | Lowe, Tennant | 3:14 |
| 5. | "Don't Drop Bombs" | Lowe, Tennant | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Twist in My Sobriety" | Tanita Tikaram | 4:51 |
| 7. | "Rent" | Lowe, Tennant | 3:54 |
| 8. | "Love Pains" | Steve Barri, Michael Price, Dan Walsh | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Tonight Is Forever" | Lowe, Tennant | 5:04 |
| 10. | "I Can't Say Goodnight" | Lowe, Tennant | 4:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Losing My Mind" (Extended Remix) | Sondheim | 7:01 |
| 12. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Extended Remix) | Lowe, Tennant | 5:53 |
| 13. | "Love Pains" (Steve Hurley's Remix) | Barri, Price, Walsh | 5:34 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Losing My Mind" (music video) | |
| 2. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (music video) | |
| 3. | "So Sorry, I Said" (music video) |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Losing My Mind" (7″ Mix) | S. Sondheim | |
| 2. | "Losing My Mind" (Extended Remix) | S. Sondheim | |
| 3. | "Losing My Mind" (Full Length Ultimix) | S. Sondheim | |
| 4. | "Losing My Mind" (Ultimix Dub) | S. Sondheim | |
| 5. | "Losing My Mind" (Almighty Club Mix) | S. Sondheim | |
| 6. | "Losing My Mind" (Almighty Dub) | S. Sondheim | |
| 7. | "Losing My Mind" (Almighty Transensual Mix) | S. Sondheim | |
| 8. | "Love Pains" (Steve Hurley's Radio Edit) | S. Barri, M. Price, D. Walsh | |
| 9. | "Love Pains" (Steve Hurley's Remix) | S. Barri, M. Price, D. Walsh | |
| 10. | "Love Pains" (Deep House Pains) | S. Barri, M. Price, D. Walsh | |
| 11. | "Love Pains" (Deep Dub) | S. Barri, M. Price, D. Walsh | |
| 12. | "Love Pains" (Steve Hurley's Instrumental) | S. Barri, M. Price, D. Walsh |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (New 7″ Mix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 2. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Extended Remix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 3. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Disconet Remix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 4. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Exterminator Remix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 5. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Peace And Love Remix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 6. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Dub Mix) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 7. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Percapella) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 8. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Accapella) | Lowe, Tennant | |
| 9. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (Instrumental) | Lowe, Tennant |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Losing My Mind" (promo video) | |
| 2. | "Don't Drop Bombs" (promo video) | |
| 3. | "So Sorry, I Said" (promo video) | |
| 4. | "Love Pains" (UK TV appearance) | |
| 5. | "The Day After That" (promo video) |
Personnel
edit- Angelo Badalamenti – orchestra arrangement
- J.J. Belle – guitar
- Danny Cummings – percussion
- Anne Dudley – orchestra arrangement, orchestra conductor
- Donald Johnson – rap
- Carol Kenyon – backing vocals
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
- Chris Lowe – keyboards, programming
- Gary Maughan – programming
- C.J. Mackintosh – programming, scratching
- Julian Mendelsohn – keyboards, programming, backing vocals
- Tessa Niles – backing vocals
- Courtney Pine – saxophone
- Andy Richards – keyboards, programming
- Neil Tennant – keyboards, backing vocals, vocoder
- Peter-John Vettese – keyboards, piano
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 94 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] | 92 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 47 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[14] | 13 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 23 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 6 |
| US Billboard 200[17] | 128 |
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[14] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States | — | 160,000[19] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe | — | 600,000[2] |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ William Ruhlmann: Liza Minnelli: Results Review. AllMusic. Accessed 28 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Liza Minnelli – Results: Expanded 4 Disc Edition". Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d Wogan Interview with Liza Minnelli, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, transmitted: 31 July 1989
- ^ Heath, Chris (19 March 2020). Pet Shop Boys, Literally. Random House. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-4735-7569-1.
- ^ a b William, Ruhlman. Results at AllMusic. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Obee, Dave (December 28, 1989). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
- ^ Bernard, Edwin J. (11 October 1989). "Albums". Number One. p. 43. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ Soto, Alfred (31 August 2017). "Liza Minnelli: Results Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Liza Minnelli discography". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "Liza Minnelli, en Madrid para promocionar su álbum 'Results'". El País (in Spanish). Spain. 7 November 1989. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 189.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Liza Minnelli – Results" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Liza Minnelli – Results" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Liza Minnelli – Results". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "Liza Minnelli Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "British album certifications – Liza Minnelli – Results". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ Wimmer, Martin (12 September 2021). Clockwork Liza: Star and Artist: The Career Achievement of Liza Minnelli. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 173. ISBN 978-3-7543-4624-2. Retrieved 19 August 2023.