Nukleopatra
Nukleopatra is the sixth and final studio album from British synth-pop band Dead or Alive. Still a massive success in Japan, Epic Records released Nukleopatra there in 1995. Left without a record contract in the UK and the US, this album did not get released in other territories until years later. Nukleopatra was eventually issued on several different labels, with varying track listings, timings and album artwork.
| Nukleopatra | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 October 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Steve Coy, Barry 'The Viking' Stone | |||
| Dead or Alive chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 2.1/10[2] |
Production
The band initially signed a worldwide release deal with PWL and began recording at PWL Studios. Recording was started on new tracks cowritten and produced by Mike Stock, but the sessions were aborted when Stock abruptly quit PWL over his dissatisfaction with his share of publishing royalties on the new Dead Or Alive material.[3] Work on new material recommenced with PWL staffer Barry Stone taking over co-production duties.[3]
The album contains remixed versions of the 1990 tracks "Unhappy Birthday" and "Gone Too Long" from Fan the Flame (Part 1). Also included is "Sex Drive", originally recorded and released by Pete Burns as a one-time guest vocalist for Italian house music act Glam, and the first single from the album; a cover of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel", which was released under the short-lived pseudonym International Chrysis.
Earlier versions of the tracks "Sleep with You" and "International Thing" were previously written and part-produced for the cancelled album Fan the Flame (Part 2) in 1992, as "I Want 2 B with U" and "U Were Meant 4 Me" respectively.
"Total Stranger", a song from Fan the Flame (Part 1) was remixed during the sessions for inclusion on the album along the other 2 newly remixed tracks from that album. The remix later evolved into "I'm a Star", which has similar chords to Total Stranger as well. In the 2021 Invincible reissue, there was a "7" Mix" of the song released, which has a more simple structure, and more similarities to Total Stranger.
An initial demo of "Rebel Rebel", which featured some new lyrics written by Burns, was blocked by Bowie—who legally denied permission to use Burns' new lyrics, and also unsuccessfully requested the track not be covered by the band at all.[3] In 1997, Burns claimed that some of the covers were included as "album fillers" after studio time to write new material was cut short when "the record label started to fall to bits".[4]
While the album was released as scheduled in Japan, the planned UK release was pulled when Dead Or Alive left PWL Records after label head Pete Waterman refused the band's request to use Paul Oakenfold and other outside remixers to work on further singles, and instead insisted he wanted to write and produce for the band himself.[3]
The original Japanese release and "Invincible" reissue feature longer mixes of the tracks "Nukleopatra" and "Sex Drive". The European/Australian version includes a longer, different version of "Rebel Rebel".
The European/Australian and the US versions both swap the re-recorded version of "Unhappy Birthday" with that song's original 1990 12" remix, previously released as the 'Ninja Billy Mix'. This version of the album also includes the 1996 'Sugar Pumpers Radio Remix' of "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)".
The US version features shortened versions of "Getting It On" and "Spend the Night Together". It also includes an exclusive 'Jail House Mix' of "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and the 'Scream Driven Mix' of "Sex Drive". Both the 'Sugar Pumpers Radio Remix' of "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and the 'Scream Driven Mix' of "Sex Drive" later appeared on the US double CD You Spin Me Round / Sex Drive remixes.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nukleopatra" | Pete Burns, Steve Coy | 7:03 |
| 2. | "Unhappy Birthday" | Burns, Coy, Peter Oxendale | 6:13 |
| 3. | "Rebel Rebel" | David Bowie | 4:17 |
| 4. | "Sleep with You" | Burns, Coy, Oxendale | 5:33 |
| 5. | "The Right Stuff" | Burns, Coy, Zeben Jameson | 4:06 |
| 6. | "I'm a Star" | Burns, Coy, Oxendale | 4:54 |
| 7. | "International Thing" | Burns, Coy, Oxendale | 6:57 |
| 8. | "Picture This" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri | 4:53 |
| 9. | "Spend the Night Together" | Burns, Coy, Oxendale | 9:06 |
| 10. | "Gone Too Long" | Burns, Coy, Oxendale | 5:02 |
| 11. | "Getting It On" | Burns, Coy | 7:19 |
| 12. | "Sex Drive" | Burns, Ricky Persi, Davide Rizzatti, Elvio Moratto, Riccardo Testoni | 6:40 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nukleopatra" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Sex Drive" | 5:14 |
| 3. | "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" ('96 Remix – Sugar Pumpers Radio Remix) | 3:39 |
| 4. | "International Thing" | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Picture This" | 4:53 |
| 6. | "Unhappy Birthday" (12" Remix) | 7:32 |
| 7. | "Rebel Rebel" | 6:37 |
| 8. | "I'm a Star" | 4:54 |
| 9. | "Sleep with You" | 5:33 |
| 10. | "The Right Stuff" | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Gone Too Long" | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Getting It On" | 7:19 |
| 13. | "Spend the Night Together" | 9:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sex Drive" | 6:34 |
| 2. | "You Spin Me Round (like a record...) '97 (400HZ – Kleopatra Remix)" | 4:12 |
| 3. | "International Thing" | 6:57 |
| 4. | "Rebel Rebel" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Getting It On" | 7:17 |
| 6. | "Nukleopatra" | 4:15 |
| 7. | "Spend The Night Together" | 8:20 |
| 8. | "Sleep With You" | 5:31 |
| 9. | "The Right Stuff" | 4:05 |
| 10. | "Gone Too Long" | 5:00 |
| 11. | "Unhappy Birthday" | 6:22 |
| 12. | "Picture This" | 4:54 |
| 13. | "I'm A Star" | 4:47 |
| 14. | "You Spin Me Round (like a record...) '97 (Jail House – Club Remix)" | 4:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nukleopatra" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Sex Drive" | 5:14 |
| 3. | "You Spin Me Round" (Sugar Pumpers Radio Remix) | 3:39 |
| 4. | "International Thing" | 6:57 |
| 5. | "Picture This" | 4:53 |
| 6. | "Unhappy Birthday" (12" Remix) | 7:32 |
| 7. | "Rebel Rebel" | 4:17 |
| 8. | "I'm a Star" | 4:54 |
| 9. | "Sleep with You" | 5:33 |
| 10. | "The Right Stuff" | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Gone Too Long" | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Getting It On" | 5:49 |
| 13. | "Spend the Night Together" | 4:06 |
| 14. | "You Spin Me Round" (Jail House Mix) | 4:35 |
| 15. | "Sex Drive" (Scream Driven Mix) | 6:59 |
Personnel
- Pete Burns – vocals
- Jason Alburey – keyboards
- Dean Bright – keyboards, keytar
- Steve Coy – drums, bass guitar, guitars
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] | 43 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7] | 100 |
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
| Hungarian Albums (Mahasz)[8] | 37 |
References
- Prato, Greg. "Nukleopatra – Dead or Alive" at AllMusic. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
- Wisdom, James (October 1995). "Dead Or Alive: Nukleopatra". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 15 February 2001. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 28: A Walk In The Park to Whatever Makes Our Love Grow on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- Pete Burns Interview by Sveta Breakfast Radio Show 1997. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- "Various Nukleopatra Releases". deadoralive.net. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
- "Australiancharts.com – Dead or Alive – Nukleopatra". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- "Japanese Charts-The Archives". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- "Dead Or Alive - Nukleopatra". slagerlistak.hu. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
External links
- Nukleopatra at Discogs (list of releases)