Divinyls (album)
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Released 29 January 1991 (Australia)
21 April 1991 (Japan)
Recorded Groove Masters Studio, Santa Monica, 1990; “Cafe Interlude” recorded at Mega Studios (Paris
Genre Pop rock
Length 47:41
Label Virgin
Producer Christina Amphlett, Mark McEntee, David Tickle
Divinyls (stylised as diVINYLS) is the fourth studio album by Australian band Divinyls, released on 29 January 1990 by Virgin Records. The album was the band’s most successful, peaking at No.5 in Australia and No.15 in the US. The album also contains the band’s biggest-selling single, “I Touch Myself”, which reached No.1 in Australia, No.4 in the US and No.10 in the UK.
It was the only album recorded by the band with the Virgin Records label after a recording contract with Chrysalis Records in the UK was terminated. Virgin told manager Andrew McManus they were keen to sign the band—by then comprising just singer Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee—because they saw Amphlett as “the next Madonna”. Amphlett and McEntee moved to an apartment in Paris where they wrote “Love School”, “Make Out Alright” and “Lay Your Body Down”, before transferring to Los Angeles, where the remainder of the album was written, partly in collaboration with songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.
The album was recorded at Jackson Browne’s Groove Masters Studio in Santa Monica, with backing provided by bassist Randy Jackson, keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and drummer Charley Drayton, who later married Amphlett in 1999.
Director Michael Bay filmed a video for “I Touch Myself” in a nunnery in Pasadena. The clip was nominated for an MTV award but in their home country was banned from television.
Track listing
“Make Out Alright” (Christina Amphlett, Mark McEntee, Martyn Watson) – 4:38
“I Touch Myself” (Amphlett, McEntee, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg) – 3:46
“Lay Your Body Down” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:51
“Love School” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 5:23
“Bless My Soul (It’s Rock-n-Roll)” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:00
“If Love Was a Gun” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 5:36
“Need a Lover” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:50
“Follow Through” (Amphlett, McEntee) – 4:44
“Café Interlude” – 0:41
“Bullet” (Amphlett, David Malloy, McEntee) – 4:56
“I’m On Your Side” (Kelly, Steinberg) – 4:16
Personnel
Chrissy Amphlett – vocals
Mark McEntee – guitars, backing vocals
Benmont Tench – keyboards, piano, organ
Randy Jackson – bass
Charley Drayton – drums, percussion, harmonica
Brian McLeod – dumbek, tambourine
Scott Crago – drums, percussion
Van Dyke Parks – string arrangement (“Love School”)
Production
Produced By Chrissy Amphlett, Mark McEntee & David Tickle
Recorded by David Tickle and Robert Salcedo, except “Cafe Interlude” (recorded by Jean LeRoc)
Mixed by Rob Jacobs, Robert Salcedo and Brian Scheuble
Mastered By Doug Sax
Tracks 1, 3-8 and 10 published by EMI Songs Ltd. Track 2 published by Billy Steinberg Music/Denise Barry Music/EMI Songs Ltd. Track 11 published by Billy Steinberg Music/Denise Barry Music.