The Story of a Young Heart
The Story of a Young Heart is the third studio album by A Flock of Seagulls, released in August 1984 by Jive Records. It was their last album—until 2018's Ascension—to feature the original line-up of the band, as guitarist Paul Reynolds left shortly after the album's release.[5] Three singles were released from the album, some only in select countries: "The More You Live, the More You Love", "Never Again (The Dancer)" and "Remember David". The album was reissued in 2008 by Cherry Red Records with bonus tracks.
| The Story of a Young Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 07, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Studio | Ridge Farm (Capel, England) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:24 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Producer | Steve Lovell | |||
| A Flock of Seagulls chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Story of a Young Heart | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[4] |
Lead singer Mike Score has recalled of the album, "The Story of a Young Heart [1984 album], there was some great stuff on that, that weren't hits - there was a bit deeper stuff, like "Suicide Day." To do something like "Suicide Day" after "Space Age Love Song" and "The More You Live" and all that, then you're on a darker track. Stuff like that, I think at that time, it showed where we could have gone if it hadn't have gone awry with the band - we could have become deep and meaningful, kind of an '80s Pink Floyd."[6]
Reception
Tom Demalon from AllMusic retrospectively praised the "less cluttered, more polished" sound of the album's production, but felt the songs lacked warmth. He took a greater liking to songs such as "Over My Head" and "Heart of Steel", and believed that "Remember David" closely recaptured the band's "hyperkinetic glory" of their first two albums.[2]
People stated that the album, at first listen, seemed "unsatisfyingly bloodless and facile", but believed tracks such as "European (I Wish I Was)", "Over My Head", and "Heart of Steel" "tend[ed] to sound better the more they are played."[7]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Story of a Young Heart" | 6:07 |
| 2. | "Never Again (The Dancer)" | 5:05 |
| 3. | "The More You Live, the More You Love" | 4:10 |
| 4. | "European (I Wish I Was)" | 4:26 |
| 5. | "Remember David" | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Over My Head" | 3:55 |
| 7. | "Heart of Steel" | 5:45 |
| 8. | "The End" | 3:34 |
| 9. | "Suicide Day" | 5:20 |
| Total length: | 42:24 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "The More You Live, the More You Love" (7″ version) | 4:13 |
| 11. | "The More You Live, the More You Love" (Full Moon mix) | 6:17 |
| 12. | "Lost Control (Totally)" | 4:12 |
| 13. | "Never Again (The Dancer)" (7″ version) | 3:46 |
| 14. | "Never Again (The Dancer)" (12″ dance mix) | 5:17 |
| 15. | "Living in Heaven" | 5:32 |
| 16. | "Remember David" (7″ version) | 4:07 |
Personnel
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A Flock of Seagulls
|
Additional personnel
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Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 32 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] | 17 |
| European Albums (Eurotipsheet)[10] | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 31 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 36 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 30 |
| US Billboard 200[14] | 66 |
References
- Demalon, Tom (17 August 2023). "The Story of a Young Heart Review by Tom Demalon". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- Demalon, Tom. "The Story of a Young Heart – A Flock of Seagulls". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- 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.
- Martin, Peter (30 August 1984). "Albums". Smash Hits. p. 21. ISSN 0260-3004 – via Flickr.
- Tortoricci, Frank (4 August 1999). "A Flock Of Seagulls' Paul Reynolds". MTV News. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- Prato, Greg (4 June 2018). "Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls". Songfacts. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- "Pots and Pans Review: The Story of a Young Heart". People. 22 October 1984. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8532". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – A Flock of Seagulls – The Story of a Young Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1, no. 23. 3 September 1984. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – A Flock of Seagulls – The Story of a Young Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Charts.nz – A Flock of Seagulls – The Story of a Young Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Billboard 200 – Week of September 22, 1984". Billboard. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
