No Parlez
No Parlez is the debut solo studio album by English singer Paul Young. Released in 1983, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart (for a non-consecutive total of 5 weeks) and remained in the UK Top 100 for 119 weeks.[4] The album has been certified quadruple platinum by the BPI for UK sales in excess of 1.2 million copies.[5]
| No Parlez | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Vinyl edition | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 July 1983[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1982–1983 | |||
| Studio | The Workhouse, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:04 (LP) 64:32 (CD) | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Producer | Laurie Latham | |||
| Paul Young chronology | ||||
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| Paul Young chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No Parlez | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone (RS 407) |  [3] |
Initially, the first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a remake of "Love of the Common People", had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", was No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in July and August 1983, and the first of Young's 14 British Top 40 singles. Similar success followed in continental Europe. In the UK, the follow-up single "Come Back and Stay" reached No. 4, and the re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2 in late 1983.
The album was released the year after the introduction of CDs with their potential for a longer playing time. The CD edition of No Parlez featured one extra track (Behind Your Smile) not on the vinyl release. Additionally, five of the other 11 tracks were extended versions compared to the vinyl edition.
The album featured eight cover versions alongside two tracks written by Young and keyboard player Ian Kewley and one written by the guitarist in Young's band at the time, Steve Bolton. Three of the cover versions were written by Jack Lee who also wrote "Hanging on the Telephone" which was a big hit for Blondie.
The album was released with a different cover in North America,[6] and a new video for the single "Come Back and Stay" was made.
In 2008, a promotional CD of the album was distributed by the Daily Mail newspaper.
Track listing
Original UK vinyl edition
- Side one
- "Come Back and Stay" (Jack Lee) – 4:57[7]
- "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner) – 5:00
- "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) – 5:18
- "Ku Ku Kurama" (Steve Bolton) – 4:19
- "No Parlez" (Anthony Moore) – 4:57
- Side two
- "Love of the Common People" (John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins) – 4:56
- "Oh Women" (Jack Lee) – 3:35
- "Iron Out the Rough Spots" (Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, David Porter) – 4:47
- "Broken Man" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 3:54
- "Tender Trap" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 4:32
- "Sex" (Jack Lee) – 4:49
Original CD edition
- "Come Back and Stay" (Jack Lee) – 7:56 (scratch mix)[7]
- "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner) – 5:00
- "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) – 6:01 (extended club mix)
- "Ku Ku Kurama" (Steve Bolton) – 4:19
- "No Parlez" (Anthony Moore) – 4:57
- "Behind Your Smile" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 4:08
- "Love of the Common People" (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins) – 5:51 (extended club mix)
- "Oh Women" (Jack Lee) – 3:35
- "Iron Out the Rough Spots" (Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, David Porter) – 7:28 (extended club mix)
- "Broken Man" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 3:54
- "Tender Trap" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 4:32
- "Sex" (Jack Lee) – 6:51 (extended club mix)
Production
- Laurie Latham – producer, engineer
- Tim Young – mastering
- CBS Studios (London) – mastering location
- Jason Bakx – sleeve artwork
- Eric Watson – photography
- Barry Watts – inner sleeve photography,
- Mark Irving – inner sleeve photography
- Martin Serene – inner sleeve photography
- Ged Doherty – inner sleeve photography, management
Personnel
- Paul Young – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars (1, 10), arrangements
- Ian Kewley – acoustic piano, Oberheim OB-X, E-mu Emulator, vocoder, atmospheric sounds, strings, marimbas, bells, backing vocals, arrangements
- Matt Irving – ARP synthesizer, Roland MC-4 Microcomposer, guitars, bass guitar (2, 7), backing vocals
- Steve Bolton – acoustic piano doodlings, guitars, lap steel guitar
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar (1, 3–6, 8, 10, 11, 12), Chapman Stick (1, 10)
- Mark Pinder – drums, Simmons drums, Roland TR-808, percussion, cowbells
- Rico Rodriguez – trombone (7, 11)
- Laurie Latham – arrangements
- Kim Lesley – backing vocals, congas (12)
- Maz Roberts – backing vocals
- Eyethu [Nimsa Calliza, Dagmar Krause, Chief Dawethi, Eyethu, Zundi Lekau, Wally Loate, Jabu Mbato, Fats Mogoboya and Norman Zulu] – backing vocals (5)
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[32] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[34] | 2× Gold | 200,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[35] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[16] | 3× Platinum | 600,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[36] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[37] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | 3× Platinum | 900,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
2008 re-release
The album was re-released on 30 June 2008 in the UK and worldwide on 5 August 2008[39] as a 25th-anniversary edition. It contains the original 11 tracks as well as a bonus 10-track disc with a combination of B-sides, remixes and live tracks. Although the booklet claims that this is the original vinyl album on CD, three songs are shortened from their UK vinyl release; "Come Back and Stay", "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Love of the Common People", all of which use the respective single edits found on the original US and Canadian pressings of the album. The original UK vinyl versions of these tracks remain unreleased on CD.
The Extended Club mixes of "Wherever I Lay My Hat" and "Sex", the full version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and the Scratch Mix of "Come Back and Stay", which were all included on the original CD and cassette release, were not included on the 25th anniversary edition. However, In 2013 they were all included on the compilation album Remixes and Rarities.
Track listing
- "Come Back and Stay" (Jack Lee) (single edit) – 4:24[7]
- "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner) (single edit) – 4:17
- "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) – 5:18
- "Ku Ku Kurama" (Steve Bolton) – 4:20
- "No Parlez" (Anthony Moore) – 4:54
- "Love of the Common People" (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins) (single edit) – 4:00
- "Oh Women" (Jack Lee) – 3:34
- "Iron Out the Rough Spots" (Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, David Porter) – 4:47
- "Broken Man" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 3:55
- "Tender Trap" (Ian Kewley, Paul Young) – 4:31
- "Sex" (Jack Lee) – 4:49
Bonus Disc track listing
- "Come Back and Stay" (Extended Club Mix) – 7:34 [different remix compared to the original CD release]
- "Iron Out the Rough Spots" (Extended Club Mix) – 7:28 [same version as on the original CD release]
- "Love of the Common People" (Extended Mix) – 5:51 [same version as on the original CD release]
- "Behind Your Smile" – 4:10 [same as on the original CD release]
- "I've Been Lonely for So Long" – 3:37
- "Yours" – 5:39 [extended club mix, B-side from "Come Back and Stay")
- "Sex" (Demo Version) – 3:49
- "Pale Shelter" (Demo Version) – 3:50
- "Better to Have and Don't Need" (Live Version) – 5:57 (B-side from "Love of the Common People" 12 inch)
- "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" [Live Version] – 5:59 (B-side from "Love of the Common People" 12 inch)
How the different editions compare
Tracks are the same versions unless stated in the notes column.
| Track | Vinyl | CD/Cassette | CD (US) | Daily Mail CD | 25th CD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Come Back and Stay | 4:57 | 7:56 * | 4:26 ** | 7:56 * | 4:25 ** | * Scratch Mix ** Single remix version |
| Love Will Tear Us Apart | 5:00 | 5:00 | 4:18 * | 5:00 | 4:18 * | * 7" version |
| Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) | 5:18 | 6:02 * | 5:18 | 6:02 * | 5:18 | * extended club mix |
| Ku Ku Kurama | 4:19 | 4:19 | 4:19 | 4:19 | 4:19 | |
| No Parlez | 4:57 | 4:54 * | 4:57 | 4:54 * | 4:53 * | * Slightly earlier fade out |
| Behind Your Smile | – | 4:08 | – | – | 4:08 * | * included on bonus CD |
| Love of the Common People | 4:56 | 5:52 * | 4:56 | 5:52 * | 4:01 ** | * extended club mix ** unidentified edit |
| Oh Women | 3:35 | 3:35 | 3:35 | 3:35 | 3:35 | |
| Iron Out the Rough Spots | 4:47 | 7:29 * | 4:47 | 7:29 * | 4:47 | * extended club mix |
| Broken Man | 3:54 | 3:54 | 3:54 | 3:54 | 3:54 | |
| Tender Trap | 4:32 | 4:32 | 4:32 | 4:32 | 4:32 | |
| Sex | 4:49 | 6:53 * | 4:49 | 6:53 * | 4:49 | * extended club mix |
It is possible to create the original vinyl version of the album by using a combination of the original UK and US CD releases together with the 'Full length' version of Come Back and Stay which is included on the 2015 Tomb of Memories career-spanning box set.
References
- "British album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- AllMusic review
- Rolling Stone (RS 407) review
- UK Chart Stats
- BPI searchable database Archived 24 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- U.S. release with alternate cover
- Allmusic.com
- "Hits of the World – Australia" (PDF). Billboard. 21 April 1984. p. 58. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Austriancharts.at – Paul Young – No Parlez" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Hits of the World – Denmark" (PDF). Billboard. 7 April 1984. p. 63. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Young – No Parlez" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 9 April 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Young – No Parlez" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "International Bestsellers – Italy" (PDF). Cashbox. 12 May 1984. p. 27. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- "Charts.nz – Paul Young – No Parlez". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Paul Young – No Parlez". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Paul Young – No Parlez". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Swisscharts.com – Paul Young – No Parlez". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Paul Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1983" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1983. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- "Top Selling Albums of 1983 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- "Talent Almanach 1983 – Top U.K. Albums" (PDF). Billboard. 24 December 1983. p. TA–31. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Jahreshitparade Alben – 1984" (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1984" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Hits of the World – Italy – Top Pop Albums" (PDF). Billboard. 22 December 1984. p. TA–12. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Top Selling Albums of 1984 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- "Around The World Was Young" (PDF). 49 (7). Cashbox. 3 August 1985: 13. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - "Canadian album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "French album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Paul Young; 'No Parlez')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "Dutch album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 13 December 2021. Enter No Parlez in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- "New Zealand album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "British album certifications – Paul Young – No Parlez". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "No Parlez worldwide release date". Amazon. 15 July 2008.