Close (Kim Wilde album)

Close is the sixth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in June 1988.

Close
Studio album by
Kim Wilde
Released13 June 1988[1]
Recorded1987–1988; Select Sound Studios, Knebworth, Hertfordshire
GenrePop · Hi-NRG · Synth-pop
Length51:22
LabelMCA
ProducerRicky Wilde, Tony Swain
Kim Wilde chronology
Another Step
(1986)		 Close
(1988)		 Love Moves
(1990)
Singles from Close
  1. "Hey Mister Heartache"
    Released: 18 April 1988
  2. "You Came"
    Released: 4 July 1988
  3. "Never Trust a Stranger"
    Released: 19 September 1988
  4. "Four Letter Word"
    Released: 21 November 1988
  5. "Love in the Natural Way"
    Released: 20 February 1989 (UK, Germany only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Number One[3]
Record Mirror[4]

Produced by Ricky Wilde and Tony Swain, Close was the final album on which Marty Wilde had co-writer credits. The album is widely perceived by fans and critics (and Kim herself) as Wilde's most well-balanced, with many kinds of pop represented: dance, ballad, rock and midtempo.

The album's lead single was "Hey Mister Heartache", featuring backing vocals from Junior Giscombe – but its success was dwarfed by the follow-up single, "You Came", which hit the Top 10 in many countries and just missed the US Top 40.

"Never Trust a Stranger" and "Four Letter Word" also reached the UK Top 10, although a fifth single "Love in the Natural Way" was less successful. Attention for the album was bolstered by Kim's support slot on Michael Jackson's European tour.

Close reached the Top 10 in the UK, almost all Scandinavian countries, Austria and Germany and went on to become Wilde's biggest selling album, being certified platinum in the UK. In Australia, the album was less successful, peaking at #82 on the ARIA albums chart.[5]

A 2-CD 25th Anniversary Edition of Close was released in the United Kingdom in September 2013, with the album's original 10 tracks bolstered by an additional 21 B-sides and remixes.[6]

Critical response

Anne Lambert, noting the ups and downs of Wilde's career, concluded that Close was "proof that Kim will still be around when her rivals are fighting it out in the bargain bins." Despite expressing hope that the singer would "experiment and take some chances", the reviewer singled out both the "luscious ballad" "Four Letter Word" and the "brilliant funk" of "Hey Mister Heartache".[7] Smash Hits gave a mixed review, expressing dislike for the tracks "Four Letter Word" and "Lucky Guy" but again describing "Hey Mister Heartache" as "brilliant" and "Love in the Natural Way" as "steamy".[8] Caroline Sullivan of Melody Maker gave a mostly positive review but noted the similarities of the production to recent work by SAW and wrote "Many songs here could be Bananarama Wow! tracks with Kim's voice superimposed."[9] Q, while describing Wilde as an institution in British pop (along with Bananarama), wrote that "You Came" sounded "dated" and "like an out-take from Human League's Dare". However, praise was reserved for a "really special moment"; Wilde's faithful version of Todd Rundgren's "Lucky Guy".[10] "Writing for Sounds, Peter Kane compared the "pure pop" album unfavorably to the work of Pet Shop Boys and Belinda Carlisle, specifically citing "Four Letter Word" as "having been discarded by Sheena Easton while clearing her wardrobe of Crimplene jumpsuits."

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Hey Mister Heartache" (Kim Wilde, Steve Byrd) - 4:34
  2. "You Came" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:33
  3. "Four Letter Word" (Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:02
  4. "Love in the Natural Way" (Kim Wilde, Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:07
  5. "Love's a No" (Kim Wilde, Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:16

Side Two

  1. "Never Trust a Stranger" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:04
  2. "You'll Be the One Who'll Lose" (Kim Wilde, Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:32
  3. "European Soul" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 5:20
  4. "Stone" (Kim Wilde, Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:41
  5. "Lucky Guy" (Todd Rundgren) - 2:38
  • Bonus track on cd: "Hey Mister Heartache" (12" version) - 8:06

25th Anniversary Edition
Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Hey Mister Heartache" 
2."You Came" 
3."Four Letter Word" 
4."Love in the Natural Way" 
5."Love's A No" 
6."Never Trust a Stranger" 
7."You’ll Be The One Who’ll Lose" 
8."European Soul" 
9."Stone" 
10."Lucky Guy" 
11."Tell Me Where You Are" 
12."Wotcha Gonna Do" 
13."She Hasn't Got Time for You ’88" 
14."Hey Mister Heartache (Single Version)" 
15."You Came (Single Version)" 
16."Never Trust A Stranger (Single Version)" 
17."Love in the Natural Way (Video Edit)" 
18."You Came (Shep Pettibone US Single Version)" 
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Hey Mister Heartache (12″ Version)" 
2."Hey Mister Heartache (Kilo Watt Remix)" 
3."Hey Mister Heartache (Bonus Beats) *" 
4."Hey Mister Heartache (Acapella With Percussion) *" 
5."You Came (12″ Version)" 
6."You Came (Shep Pettibone 12″ Mix)" 
7."You Came (Dub Version #1)" 
8."You Came (Dub Version #2)" 
9."Never Trust A Stranger (12″ Version)" 
10."Never Trust A Stranger (Sanjazz Mix)" 
11."Four Letter Word (12″ Version)" 
12."Four Letter Word (Late Night Mix)" 
13."Love in the Natural Way (Extended Version)" 
  • Previously unreleased

Personnel
  • Kim Wilde – lead and backing vocals
  • Ricky Wilde – keyboards, programming, guitars, backing vocals
  • Tony Swain – keyboards, programming
  • Bias Boshell – additional keyboards (10)
  • Steve Byrd – guitars
  • Junior Giscombe – backing vocals, additional vocals (1)
  • Nicci Sun – backing vocals

Production
  • Ricky Wilde – producer
  • Tony Swain – producer (1-5, 7-10)
  • James Richards – engineer
  • Richard Lengyel – mixing
  • Michael Nash – album design
  • Russell Young – photography

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[27] Gold 25,000[28]
France (SNEP)[29] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[30] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[31] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[32] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Platinum 300,000^
Summaries
Europe — 1,200,000[28]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "BPI".
  2. Allmusic review
  3. "Review: Kim Wilde — Close (MCA)". Number One. No. 287. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. 14 December 1988. p. 36.
  4. Williams, Henry (25 June 1988). "33 - Album Reviews". Record Mirror. p. 30. ISSN 0144-5804.
  5. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-11-09". Imgur. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  6. "Close (25th Anniversary Edition) | WOW HD UK". Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  7. Lambert, Anne. "Review – Close". Unknown. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  8. "Review – Close". Smash Hits. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  9. Sullivan, Caroline. "Review – Close". Melody Maker. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  10. "Review – Close". Q. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 337. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. "Austriancharts.at – Kim Wilde – Close" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kim Wilde – Close" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  14. "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 39. 24 September 1988. p. 26. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  15. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kim Wilde – Close" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  17. "Italiancharts.com – Kim Wilde – Close". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  18. "Norwegiancharts.com – Kim Wilde – Close". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  19. "Swedishcharts.com – Kim Wilde – Close". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  20. "Swisscharts.com – Kim Wilde – Close". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  22. "Kim Wilde Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  23. "Jaaroverzichten – CD 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  24. "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 1 January 1989. p. 30. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  25. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1988" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  26. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1988". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  27. "Austrian album certifications – Kim Wilde – Close" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  28. "Kim Wilde is presented with one platinum and seven gold awards…" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 August 1989. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2019 – via American Radio History.(scroll near the end)
  29. "French album certifications – Kim Wilde – Close" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 22 November 2021. Select KIM WILDE and click OK. 
  30. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kim Wilde; 'Close')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  31. "Dutch album certifications – Kim Wilde – Close" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Close in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1989 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  32. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  33. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Kim Wilde; 'Close')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  34. "British album certifications – Kim Wilde – Close". British Phonographic Industry.
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