I Say I Say I Say

I Say I Say I Say is the sixth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in 1994 by Mute Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. The album was produced by Martyn Ware, who was a founding member of veteran synthpop groups the Human League and Heaven 17.

I Say I Say I Say
Studio album by
Erasure
Released16 May 1994[1]
Recorded1993
StudioStudio 142, The Church (London), Windmill Lane (Dublin), 37B (Chertsey, Surrey)[2][3]
Genre
Length44:08
Label
ProducerMartyn Ware
Erasure chronology
Chorus
(1991)		 I Say I Say I Say
(1994)		 Erasure
(1995)
Singles from I Say I Say I Say
  1. "Always"
    Released: 11 April 1994
  2. "Run to the Sun"
    Released: 18 July 1994
  3. "I Love Saturday"
    Released: 18 November 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
NME7/10[7]
The Observer(favorable)[8]

Upon its release it became Erasure's fourth consecutive studio album to hit No. 1 in the UK, and fifth overall,[9] generating three top-20 singles. In the US, I Say I Say I Say debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200, easily beating their previous highest chart placing. In Germany, the album climbed to number six.

Although Erasure always maintained popularity in the US dance club community, with the rise of grunge rock Erasure saw their exposure on college radio, mainstream stations and MTV become mostly non-existent by 1994. This made it even more of a surprise when the ballad "Always" gave them their third top-20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in September.

The album saw keyboardist/programmer Vince Clarke continue with his by-then trademark exclusive usage of pre-MIDI analog synthesizers and sequencers, with the additional self-imposed constraint that no drum machines were to be used either. Instead, Clarke used synthesizers to create the album's drum and percussion sounds.

Critical reception

Upon its release, James Slattery of Melody Maker felt that Erasure had taken a "misguided quest for serious critical acclaim", resulting in the "greatest singles band in the last 10 years" to produce an album without one "shag-happy top five certainty" and only "glimpses of what might've been". He commented, "Erasure seem too willing to rein in the extravagances and plump for a utilitarian pop-techno sound, pussy-footing around in a fog of lightweight moderation."[10] Alan Jones of Music Week remarked that the album "sadly contains fewer songs of merit than any previous Erasure album" and predicted it would be "huge initially" but with a "shorter chart life than usual". He singled out "Always" for "standing head and shoulders above the rest".[11] Steven Wells of NME felt that Erasure had "once again proven themselves worthy" with an album which "runs the whole gamut of current bink-bash-bleep-bonk-diddley-bop dancepop". He added, "There are ten screamingly obviously international top ten hits here, all of them hymns to an innocence which yearns desperately to be corrupted and all of them with fabulous, juddering, soaring, sickeningly sweet melodies that wiggle and jiggle past the appalled intellect and make straight for the tear ducts.[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke

No.TitleLength
1."Take Me Back"4:55
2."I Love Saturday"4:02
3."Man in the Moon"4:06
4."So the Story Goes"4:08
5."Run to the Sun"4:25
6."Always"3:57
7."All Through the Years"4:59
8."Blues Away"5:01
9."Miracle"4:12
10."Because You're So Sweet"4:17

On the Chilean/Argentinian cassette version, there's a Spanish rendition of "Always" (Spanish vocal), just before "Always".

In the Philippines release of this album in MC, 2 extended remixes of "Always" were added as hidden tracks (no mention or credits in the inlay), one at the start of each side (before "Take Me Back" on Side 1 and the original "Always" on Side 2).

2016 "Erasure 30" 30th anniversary BMG reissue LP

Subsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog, and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World. All titles were pressed and distributed by Play It Again Sam on 180-gram vinyl and shrinkwrapped with a custom anniversary sticker.

Personnel
  • Andy Bell – vocals
  • Vince Clarke – synthesizers, programming
  • Sy-Jenq Cheng – design
  • Mike Cosford – paintings
  • John Dexter – arranger, conductor
  • Luke Gifford – assistant engineer
  • Norman Hathaway – design
  • Andy Houston – engineer
  • Rob Kirwan – assistant engineer
  • Phil Legg – engineer, mixing
  • Kevin Metcalfe – editing
  • St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir – choir, chorus
  • Al Stone – engineer
  • Martyn Ware – producer
  • Olaf Wendt – artwork
  • Bob Ludwig - Mastering

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for I Say I Say I Say
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "News". Melody Maker. 19 March 1994. p. 3.
  2. Miller, Jonathan. "Erasure – Under Cover". Garethjones.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  3. Masterson, Ian (1995). "Dome Sweet Dome". ErasureInfo.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  4. AllMusic review
  5. Romero, Michele (20 May 1994). "I Say, I Say, I Say". Entertainment Weekly.
  6. Willman, Chris (22 May 1994). "Organic Love for Space Age Swooners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  7. Wells, Steven (21 May 1994). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 39.
  8. Spencer, Neil (15 May 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer.
  9. "Erasure | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
  10. Slattery, James (14 May 1994). "Albums: It's No Joke". Melody Maker. p. 30.
  11. Jones, Alan (14 May 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums". Music Week. p. 18. ISSN 0265-1548.
  12. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 95.
  13. "Austriancharts.at – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  14. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2504". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  15. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 23. 4 June 1994. p. 14. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  17. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 25. 4 June 1994. p. 15. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  18. 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.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  20. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1994. 22. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  21. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  22. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  23. "Swedishcharts.com – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  24. "Swisscharts.com – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  26. "Erasure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  27. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1994". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  28. "1994 in Review Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 52. 24 December 1994. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  29. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1994" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  30. "Top 100 Albums 1994" (PDF). Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  31. "British album certifications – Erasure – I Say I Say I Say". British Phonographic Industry. 1 May 1994. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
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