The Blue Cafe is the fourteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1998. The singles released for the album were "The Blue Cafe", "Thinking of You", "Sweet Summer Day" and "Square Peg, Round Hole". There was also a Japanese version with three bonus tracks, "Kyoto Blue", "Ameno Nakano Kiirono Herumetto" and "On the Beach".[2] It was Rea's sixth successive album to reach the UK top ten, peaking at No. 10.
The Blue Cafe | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 19 January 1998[1] | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Album-oriented rock | |||
Length | 53:39 67:38 including Japanese Bonus Tracks | |||
Label | East West | |||
Producer | Chris Rea | |||
Chris Rea chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Blue Cafe (Official Music Video)" on YouTube |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Critical reception
editThe Irish Times noted the "menacing atmosphere" evident on the album, "rooted mostly in Rea's sandpaper voice. And the twisted blues lines he plays on guitar". "Shadows of the Big Man" is "focused, multifaceted...But best of all is the title song, The Blue Cafe. An album that is bound to be a pure delight for fans of the man."[3]
Track listing
editAll songs by Chris Rea.
- "Square Peg, Round Hole" – 3:58
- "Miss Your Kiss" – 4:05
- "Shadows of the Big Man" – 4:49
- "Where Do We Go from Here?" – 4:32
- "Since I Found You" – 4:37
- "Thinking of You" – 3:31
- "As Long as I Have Your Love" – 4:44
- "Anyone Quite Like You" – 4:49
- "Sweet Summer Day" – 4:45
- "Stick by You" – 4:05
- "I'm Still Holding On" – 4:55
- "The Blue Cafe" – 4:49
Japanese bonus tracks
- "Kyoto Blue" – 4:44
- "Ameno Nakano Kiirono Herumetto" – 4:12
- "On the Beach" – 5:03
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- Chris Rea – vocals, guitars
- Max Middleton – keyboards
- Sylvin Marc – bass
- Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion
Production
edit- Chris Rea – producer
- Frédéric Blanc-Garin – engineer
- Ian Cooper – mastering at Metropolis Mastering (London, UK)
- Tommy Willis – guitar and amplifier technician
- John Carver – art direction
- Insect – design, artwork
- Brian R. Brown – photography
- Terry O'Neill – cover photography
- Jim Beach – management
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Belgium (BEA)[17] | Gold | 25,000* |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[18] | Gold | 25,065[18] |
Poland (ZPAV)[19] | Gold | 50,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 60,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
edit- ^ "BPI".
- ^ Chris Rea - The Blue Cafe, 25 February 1998, retrieved 12 June 2023
- ^ "Chris Rea: "The Blue Cafe"(Eastwest)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Chris Rea: The Blue Cafe" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b "Chris Rea" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1998 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "British album certifications – Chris Rea – The Blue Cafe". British Phonographic Industry.