Cuts Like a Knife

Cuts Like a Knife is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on 18 January 1983 by A&M Records, the album was a huge commercial success in the United States and Canada. Three singles were released worldwide from the album: "Straight from the Heart", the title track and "This Time"; the three were responsible for launching Adams into mainstream popularity.

Cuts Like a Knife
Studio album by
Bryan Adams
Released18 January 1983
Recorded13 August – 20 October 1982
Studio
  • Little Mountain (Vancouver)
  • Le Studio (Morin-Heights)
  • Power Station (New York)
Genre
Length38:53 (Original Release) 47:19 (2012 CD Release)
LabelA&M
Producer
Bryan Adams chronology
You Want It You Got It
(1981)		 Cuts Like a Knife
(1983)		 Reckless
(1984)
Singles from Cuts Like a Knife
  1. "Let Him Know"
    Released: Late 1982 (Japan only)[1]
  2. "Straight from the Heart"
    Released: February 1983[2]
  3. "Cuts Like a Knife"
    Released: May 27, 1983
  4. "This Time"
    Released: August 1983
  5. "The Best Was Yet to Come"
    Released: October 1983 (Canada and the Netherlands only)[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Rolling Stone[5]

Music

Recording and production

Co-produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain, Cuts Like a Knife was recorded from August 13 to October 20, 1982 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with Clearmountain mixing the album at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec and The Power Station in New York City between October 14 to 20, 1982.[6]

Songs

"Straight from the Heart" is a ballad and one of Adams' most recognizable and popular songs. Co-written by Adams in 1978, the song's title originally came from his friend Eric Kagna. This track was the last recorded for the album, but the first single, released in December 1982, one month prior to the album's release. The song was later recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler in 1983; it appears on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night. Adams version reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 32 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song has appeared on all of Adams' compilation albums with the exception of The Best of Me.

"Cuts Like a Knife" was released in 1983 and became one of the most successful songs from Cuts Like a Knife on the American rock charts and one of Adams' most recognizable and popular songs from the 1980s.[6] "Cuts Like a Knife" was released worldwide in March 1984.[6] The song reached the top ten on the Mainstream Rock Tracks at six; "Cuts Like a Knife" would also chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at 15.[7] "Cuts Like a Knife" was Adams' first top 20 hit on the Canadian singles chart and remained in the top 20 for six weeks.[8] "Cuts Like a Knife" was released the following month in Europe but didn't chart.

"Don't Leave Me Lonely" was co-written with Kiss drummer Eric Carr, intended to be included on the Kiss album Creatures of the Night, but left off the final release.

"This Time" by Adams and co-writer Jim Vallance was the third single released from the album. Adams initially didn't care for the song and didn't want to record it, but eventually agreed to after the insistence of co-producer Bob Clearmountain.[6] The song peaked at 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. "This Time" was Adams' first single to chart in Europe, where it charted after being re-released in the United Kingdom.

The final track on the album, "The Best Was Yet to Come", which was later covered by Laura Branigan for her 1990 self-titled album, is currently one of three songs written about Dorothy Stratten.

Two additional singles from the album were released in specific territories.

Release and reception

Cuts Like a Knife peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. The album was released in January, 1983 and featured the hit singles "Straight from the Heart", "This Time" and "Cuts Like a Knife". "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Straight from the Heart" were nominated for a Juno Award for Single of the Year, and "Cuts Like a Knife" won the Composer of the Year award. In Canada "Cuts Like a Knife" was certified three times platinum and the album would also be certified platinum in the United States.

The success of Cuts Like a Knife outside of North America was not as great, though the album would later chart on the British album chart and be certified Silver by the BPI following the success of Adams' subsequent studio album Reckless in late 1984.[9][10]

The music video for the song "Cuts Like a Knife" was one of the most popular videos broadcast on MTV during 1983 and is credited with fostering the album's success.

Cuts Like a Knife tour

The Cuts Like a Knife tour started in eastern Canada.[11] In March, Adams started the American leg of the tour; after five months Adams had performed over 100 dates.[11] He later joined the British progressive rock band Supertramp on tour. Though not featured on the album, drummer for the tour was the late Frankie LaRocka and the keyboard player was Johnny 'Blitz' Hannah. Adams then traveled to Vancouver where he played live in front of 30,000 fans.[11] Later on he went to Europe for a six-week solo tour; one show (and subsequent band interview) was broadcast live on German TV and radio as part of the famous Rockpalast series. He played in six countries.[11] In November 1983, Adams went to Japan to start his own headline tour. By this time Adams had been on the road 283 days.[11] Adams supported The Police when they toured in Australia and New Zealand.[11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Only One"3:16
2."Take Me Back"4:41
3."This Time"3:20
4."Straight from the Heart" (Adams, Eric Kagna)3:31
5."Cuts Like a Knife"5:17
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."I'm Ready"3:58
7."What's It Gonna Be"3:40
8."Don't Leave Me Lonely" (Adams, Vallance, Eric Carr)2:58
9."Let Him Know"3:11
10."The Best Was Yet to Come"3:04
Japan 2012 SHM-CD Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Take Me Back" (From Live! Live! Live!)5:33
12."The Best Was Yet to Come" (From Live! Live! Live!)2:53

Personnel
  • Bryan Adams – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-9), guitars (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8), guitar solo (1, 2), acoustic piano (4), acoustic guitar (7, 9), electric guitar (7), harmony vocals (10)
  • Tommy Mandel – Hammond B3 organ (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8), synthesizers (1, 6, 7, 8, 10), Casio keyboards (3, 4), organ (4, 5, 9), acoustic piano (9, 10)
  • Keith Scott – guitars (1, 2, 4, 5, 6), guitar solo (1, 5-8), backing vocals (1-5, 7), slide guitar (3), electric guitar (7, 9), acoustic guitar (10)
  • Dave Taylor – bass, backing vocals (5)
  • Mickey Curry – drums
  • Jim Vallance – percussion (2, 3, 4, 9)
  • Lou Gramm – backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 6-9)
  • Alfa Anderson – backing vocals (2)
  • Mark Doyle – backing vocals (4)
  • Bruce Allen [credited as "B.A."] – backing vocals (5)
  • Bob Clearmountain [credited as "B.C."] – backing vocals (5)
  • K. Davies – backing vocals (5)
  • L. Frenette – backing vocals (5)
  • M. Simpson – backing vocals (5)
  • Jimmy Wesley – backing vocals (5)

Production
  • Bryan Adams – producer
  • Bob Clearmountain – producer, recording, mixing
  • Mike Fraser – assistant engineer
  • Jeff Hendrickson – assistant engineer
  • Paul Northfield – assistant engineer
  • Robbie Whelan – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Masterdisk (New York City, New York) – mastering location
  • Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff – art direction
  • Mike Fink – design
  • Lynn Robb – design
  • Jim O'Mara – front and back photography
  • Roxy Rifkin – inner sleeve photography
  • Bruce Allen – management

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[13] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[14] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Bryan Adams – Let Him Know (1982, Vinyl)". Discogs.
  2. "Bryan Adams - Cuts Like a Knife". Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  3. "Bryan Adams – the Best Was Yet to Come". Discogs.
  4. AllMusic review
  5. Rolling Stone review
  6. "Album notes for Anthology by Dave Marsh (CD booklet). A&M Records (A&M 5613)". 2005-10-18.
  7. "Artist Chart History (singles) – Bryan Adams". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  8. "Bryan Adams – Canadian Album Chart". RPM. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  9. "BPI Certifications". BPI. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  10. "British Album Chart". everythit. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  11. "The Life Of Bryan" (in Danish). -skolarbete.nu. Archived from the original on 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  12. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  13. "Canadian album certifications – Bryan Adams – Cuts like a Knife". Music Canada. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  14. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Bryan Adams; 'Cuts like a Knife')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  15. "British album certifications – Bryan Adams – Cuts like a Knife". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  16. "American album certifications – Bryan Adams – Cuts like a Knife". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
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