Stateless (Lene Lovich album)
Stateless is the debut studio album by English-American singer Lene Lovich. It was released in October 1978 by Stiff Records and produced by Lene Lovich and Les Chappell (credited as "The Stateless").
Stateless | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1978 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | New wave | |||
Length | 35:31 | |||
Label | Stiff / Epic (US) | |||
Producer |
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Lene Lovich chronology | ||||
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Singles from Stateless | ||||
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Release
The album was first released outside the United Kingdom, then following the success of the lead single "Lucky Number". The UK version of the album was released with a slightly different track list. In the United States, the album was released in 1979.
The album was available in two very different variations. The more common release had most of the songs remixed from the original versions and now included the single version of "Lucky Number". Some songs were slightly shortened and many had new vocals accentuating Lovich's quirky singing style. The original vocals were often more straightforward. The running order was shuffled and the album cover also varied between countries.
Stateless peaked at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart,[1] while also managing to chart in Australia,[2] the Netherlands[3] and New Zealand.[4] "Lucky Number" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.[5]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A−[7] |
Upon its release, Stateless received positive reviews from music critics. The Village Voice's Robert Christgau called Lovich "an original" and found that her "goofy energy doesn't distract her from her feelings or damage her sex appeal or conceal a mawkish underside."[7]
Track listings
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Home*" |
| 3:40 |
2. | "Sleeping Beauty*" |
| 3:00 |
3. | "Lucky Number*" |
| 2:47 |
4. | "Too Tender (To Touch)*" |
| 4:04 |
5. | "Say When*" | 2:49 | |
6. | "Writing on the Wall*" |
| 3:08 |
7. | "Telepathy*" |
| 2:45 |
8. | "Momentary Breakdown*" |
| 3:18 |
9. | "I Think We're Alone Now" | 2:45 | |
10. | "One in a 1,000,000" |
| 2:48 |
11. | "Tonight*" | 4:27 | |
Total length: | 35:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Be Stiff" | From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2) | 2:37 | |
13. | "One Lonely Heart" |
| B-side of "Say When" (7" & 12") | 3:23 |
14. | "Big Bird" |
| B-side of "Say When" (12") | 3:26 |
15. | "The Fall" | B-side of "Angels" (12") | 3:38 | |
16. | "Blue" |
| B-side of "It's You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)" (7" & 12") | 3:02 |
17. | "I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)" |
| A-side of "I Think We're Alone Now" (UK 7" Version 2) | 2:46 |
Total length: | 54:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lucky Number" |
| 2:47 |
2. | "Sleeping Beauty" |
| 3:00 |
3. | "Home" |
| 3:40 |
4. | "Too Tender (To Touch)" |
| 4:04 |
5. | "Say When" |
| 2:49 |
6. | "Tonight" | 4:27 | |
7. | "Writing on the Wall" |
| 3:08 |
8. | "Telepathy" |
| 2:45 |
9. | "Momentary Breakdown" |
| 3:18 |
10. | "One in a 1,000,000" |
| 2:48 |
11. | "I Think We're Alone Now" | 2:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Be Stiff" | From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2) | 2:37 | |
13. | "Big Bird" |
| B-side of "Say When" (12") | 3:26 |
14. | "The Fall" | B-side of "Angels" (12") | 3:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Be Stiff" | From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2) | 2:37 | |
13. | "Big Bird" |
| B-side of "Say When" (12") | 3:26 |
14. | "The Fall" | B-side of "Angels" (12") | 3:38 | |
15. | "I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)" |
| A-side of "I Think We're Alone Now" (UK 7" Version 2) | 2:44 |
Personnel
- Lene Lovich – vocals, saxophone
- Les Chappell – guitar, EMS synthesizer, percussion, vocals
- Jeff Smith – synthesizer
- Nick Plytas – Hammond organ, piano
- Ron François – bass, percussion, vocals
- Bobby Irwin – drums, percussion, vocals
- Don Snow – piano on "Too Tender (To Touch)"
- Technical
- Aldo Bocca, Jeremy Green, Pete Fox, Roger Bechirian - engineer
- Brian Griffin – photography
Charts
Chart (1978–79) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[2] | 13 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[3] | 17 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[4] | 19 |
UK Albums (OCC)[1] | 35 |
References
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 182. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Lene Lovich – Stateless" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- "Charts.nz – Lene Lovich – Stateless". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- "Lene Lovich". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- Hanson, Amy. "Stateless – Lene Lovich". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Retrieved 1 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "Lene Lovich - Stateless...Plus (1991 US CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- "Lene Lovich - Stateless (1991 German CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- "Lene Lovich - Stateless...Plus (1993 Europe CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.