A Flock of Seagulls (album)

A Flock of Seagulls is the debut studio album by English new wave band A Flock of Seagulls, released in April 1982 by Jive Records. It hit No. 10 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart. The album includes the single "I Ran (So Far Away)", which reached the top 10 in the United States and New Zealand, as well as No. 1 in Australia. "Space Age Love Song" also reached the US top 40.

A Flock of Seagulls
Studio album by
A Flock of Seagulls
Released28 April 1982
RecordedSummer–Late Autumn 1981
StudioBattery (London)
Genre
Length39:45
LabelJive
Producer
A Flock of Seagulls chronology
A Flock of Seagulls
(1982)		 Listen
(1983)
Singles from A Flock of Seagulls
  1. "Telecommunication"
    Released: 16 September 1981
  2. "Modern Love Is Automatic"
    Released: November 1981[2]
  3. "I Ran (So Far Away)"
    Released: March 1982[3]
  4. "Space Age Love Song"
    Released: 28 May 1982

On February 17, 2023, a 3CD deluxe edition of A Flock of Seagulls was released to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The 3CD featured a remastered version of the original album, B-sides, single versions, remixes, BBC sessions and a BBC concert from The Paris Theatre, London, which was originally transmitted in January 1982. It also featured sleeve notes by Classic Pop writer John Earls, including a new interview with lead singer and founding band member Mike Score. In addition, the remastered album was also available as a limited-edition transparent orange vinyl LP.[4]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Smash Hits5/10[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[9]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[10]
The Village VoiceA−[11]

The album received good reviews upon its release and radio airplay.[12][7] In his retrospective review for AllMusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave ear candy."

Critic Robert Christgau was also happy with it, giving it an A− and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise."[11] Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."[7]

John Gentile of Punknews.org has described the album as an example of early, experimental electronica, and stated that while its sound is "not strictly punk, or even post-punk," it contains elements of both genres and "uses them to their greatest extent."[13]

The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s for their image[14] and for their production techniques. Record producer Phil Spector called the album "phenomenal."[15]

The album track "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds

Original UK LP
No.TitleLength
1."Modern Love Is Automatic"3:54
2."Messages"2:57
3."I Ran (So Far Away)"5:12
4."Space Age Love Song"3:52
5."You Can Run"4:30
6."Telecommunication"2:33
7."Standing in the Doorway"4:46
8."Don't Ask Me"2:52
9."D.N.A."2:30
10."Tokyo"2:59
11."Man Made"5:46
Total length:41:10
2011 remastered CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Pick Me Up"3:11
13."Windows"3:30
14."Tanglimara"4:30
15."Intro"3:24
Total length:56:30
US track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I Ran (So Far Away)"3:58
2."Space Age Love Song"3:45
3."You Can Run"4:28
4."Don't Ask Me"2:46
5."Messages"2:51
6."Telecommunication"2:31
7."Modern Love Is Automatic"3:49
8."Standing in the Doorway"4:41
9."D.N.A."2:30
10."Man Made"5:38

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for A Flock of Seagulls
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[34] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[37] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Gentile, John (19 March 2013). "A Flock of Seagulls". Punknews.org. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  2. "A Flock of Seagulls – Modern Love Is Automatic".
  3. "A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)".
  4. "A Flock Of Seagulls to release 40th anniversary version of debut album". Classic Pop. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. Demalon, Tom. "A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  6. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "A Flock of Seagulls". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  7. Considine, J. D.; Randall, Mac (2004). "A Flock of Seagulls". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 304–305. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. Schlosberg, Karen (15 April 1982). "Albums". Smash Hits. p. 33. ISSN 0260-3004 – via Flickr.
  9. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. Hull, Tom (26 April 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. Christgau, Robert (30 November 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  12. Rubin, Nick (November 2011). "US college radio, the 'New British Invasion' and media alterity". Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media. 9 (2): 127–143. doi:10.1386/rjao.9.2.127_1. ISSN 1476-4504.
  13. Gentile, John (19 March 2013). "A Flock of Seagulls". Punknews.org. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  14. Cross, Charles R. (30 August 2001). "Never mind the hair bands, here's a Flock of Seagulls!". Salon.com. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  15. Thompson, Dave (2003). Wall of Pain: The Biography of Phil Spector. Sanctuary Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86074-543-0.
  16. "Flock Of Seagulls". Grammy Awards. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  17. Kent 1993.
  18. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6556". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  20. "Charts.nz – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  22. "A Flock of Seagulls | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  23. "Billboard 200 – Week of October 23, 1982". Billboard. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  24. "Rock Albums". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 33. 21 August 1982. p. 30. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  25. "Ultratop.be – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  27. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  28. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  29. Kent 1993, p. 434.
  30. "Top 100 Albums 82". RPM. Vol. 37, no. 19. 25 December 1982. p. 19. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  31. "Top Selling Albums of 1982". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  32. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  33. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  34. "Canadian album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Music Canada. 1 February 1984. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  35. "New Zealand album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  36. "British album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". British Phonographic Industry. 13 January 1983. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  37. "American album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Recording Industry Association of America. 2 December 1982. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

Bibliography
  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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