US release date: August 18 1987
US album chart peak: #7
UK album chart peak: #26
Buy Out Of The Blue here (Amazon UK)
Buy the We Could Be Together boxset here (Amazon UK)
Read my project #OutOfTheBlue posts here
Read my other Debbie Gibson anniversary posts here
BACKGROUND:
On the 18th August 1987, a 16 year Debbie Gibson released her ten track debut album Out Of The Blue. People release debut albums all the time but this one would actually change the face of music history merely for the fact it contains the record-setting track Foolish Beat (more on that later). What is mighty impressive about the album is that all the songs contained on it were penned solely by Debbie herself - and if you read the album credits you can see that she played instruments and took on production too (along with Fred Zarr who went on to helm her also excellent Electric Youth album). It's a situation that feels like it wouldn't happen in the current music world we find ourselves in. Songs are downloaded instantly for less than the fifth of a cost of a Starbucks (other coffee vendors are available), writing credits often stretch into double figures and YouTube and streaming is the way to build a fan base, via all sorts of other social media. Artists don't have to be signed to release their music but back in 1987 it was the only way to reach a mass audience. Both models of music (1987 and 2017) have their flaws, but there was something quite exciting about hearing a song for the first time on the radio and then rushing down to the shops to buy a physical product that you can cherish forever. There was none of this pre-album taster, promo single and lyric video malarky - just carefully planned campaigns of single releases that were often buoyed by TV appearances, magazine interviews and live concert dates. Debbie Gibson - at the tender age of 16 - became the poster child for how to do this.
Just as the music industry has changed over the past 30 years (and continues to do so), so has my relationship with the ten songs (and associated remixes/alternative versions) of Out Of The Blue. When you know an album as well as this and it's filled with songs that effortlessly endure through the passage of time they become soundtracks to your own memories - memories that have already happened and stored away neatly ready to provide you with emotional sustenance for memories that will shape you in the future. My favourite song from the album changes regularly - not because I'm fickle but because there is a treasure trove of tunes that I know will fit my mood at any one time. It's currently Staying Together which is a stunning template for what pop music should be like and never fails to lift my ailing spirits. That's the mark of true song craftsmanship - songs that are permeable and malleable enough to bend to the need of the listener but stay true to the artist's vision from when it was written. It's no wonder that these songs held up when they were tried and tested on the club circuit during 1986 and 1987, that the album spawned four top five singles, and that it sold millions of copies around the world. All without a single tweet in sight. Imagine that...
THE SINGLES:
I actually have a theory about the order the singles were released. Sure, there are rumours that Staying Together was to be the second single instead of Shake Your Love - which would ruin this theory a little, but it pretty much holds up. The order the singles were released in creates a story of longing, love, loss and resilience. Put yourself and whoever into the narratives and you have a mini-musical to be proud of. Only In My Dreams and Shake Your Love start the story with that element of falling for someone and trying to will it into existence. God knows I did this enough when I was growing up - and these songs gave me hope that love would happen, proof that I wasn't alone in these feelings. Out Of The Blue then sees the two characters finally coming together and celebrating their conscious coupling with a song so joyous it should be mandatory listening for anyone In Blue. Foolish Beat tells of the mistakes that we make, the decisions that hurt the one we love that can push them away from us, even if we only just found them. No-one is perfect, but this solemn musical explanation is. But we can't end this mini musical on a downer - which is why you pick yourself up, dust yourself down and go hunt down your man/lady all over again to the tune of Staying Together. Oh yes ma'am Pam - this is a love for the ages and an empowering final number shows that it can't be cast aside so easily. So there you have it - a mini-musical that might not end with a happily ever after, but certainly ends on a high - leaving you longing for more. Here though, are less theatrical thoughts on the songs as their own unique creations...
Only In My Dreams is, in retrospect, the perfect title for a debut single that reached the top 5 in the USA and was a deserved smash around the world. It feels like it encapsulates the experience of becoming an actual bonafide pop star with music that you have written yourself. And what a tune it is - still a signature song of Ms Gibson, it's a perky and percolating bubblegum pop song about the romances that happen but how they often only happen in our head, where reality is sadly very different to the dream world. It's actually quite a melancholy narrative that is somewhat masked by the joyous music that surrounds Debbie's deliciously unfiltered vocal. Love's gone wrong and can't be righted - a universal theme that any teen, twenty to ninety something can easily relate to. It's blessed with a chorus that just won't quit and a hook that embeds itself so firmly into your cerebral cortex that even the most gifted neurosurgeon won't be able to get that sucker out (and nor would you want them too). The single was actually released in December 1986 and took nearly 7 months for it to hit the giddy peaks of the Billboard 100 top five - it came with a multitude of dance remixes (the Little Louie Vega Club mix is still a classic) that amped up the swirling dreamscape Debbie had crafted in the original version and took it to soaring new heights. Britain wasn't as clued up as the states - it took two attempts to reach the charts here. It peaked just outside the top 50 in 1987 but soon hit number 11 after her second US single Shake Your Love was also a hit here. Just to note, Debbie re-recorded the song twice. Firstly as a pumping dance remake for her 1997 album Deborah (with an enticing rap in the middle 8 that belongs on a lip sync for your life on RuPaul's Drag Race) and more recently as part of her Japanese album Ms Vocalist. The latter stays more true to the original version and accompanies new versions of all her OOTB singles (barring Staying Together, sob). One final observation - Debbie's hair on the original single sleeve was GIGANTIC :)
The second single for any artist is always a test to see whether your first hit was just a fluke or whether there's gold in them there musical reserves. Of course Shake Your Love was equally as massive a hit and also launched her in the UK. I wish I could say that I was there from the start, that I had discovered Debbie via her first single but I jumped on board with everyone else in the UK when this rocketed to number 7 and was bumping shoulders with the likes of Kylie, Belinda Carlisle, Gloria Estefan and (yes) Tiffany in the UK top ten. I remember thinking it was so avant garde that the song began with the chorus and this syncopated beat that swept you into the music so instantaneously. I was besotted from the first time I heard it and Debbie has remained my favourite singer-songwriter ever since. My walls were soon adorned with posters and advertisements for her music ripped from the pages of Smash Hits, Number One and Big. Interestingly it gave me a renewed interest in my piano lessons and I would spend hours trying to learn how to play her music instead of practicing whatever Grade 4 piece examiners wanted to hear that year. Britain felt the same - this song about infatuation was all over the radio and for sure the TV screen loved that frenetic Paula Abdul choreographed video. I tried for hours to copy the dance moves to varying degrees of success (I could never get my brother to spin me over like the dancers in the first few moments of the video!) It's a gloriously uplifting number that would always get me shimmying to the dancefloor (and like OIMD had a plethora of pleasing remixes to go with it. Good times)...
By the time the title track was released as single number three I was firmly entrenched in the world of Debbie Gibson memorabilia. I had tracked down every 7" and 12" in the UK (including the original release of OIMD) and spent a good chunk of pocket/paper round money on importing the US 12" maxi-singles (because in the UK a 12" traditionally had one extended version on the A side with 2 other tracks or the 7" single songs on the b-side; maxi-singles often contained 5-6 remixes of songs unavailable in the UK). My mother, lord love her, got me some magical tiny 3" imports from Japan known as see-dee-sing-les :) I was hooked. Out Of The Blue was Debbie's first full on love song. Oh sure, love was the theme of the previous two singles but this was a true celebration of how simple and gratifying the emotion could be (perhaps the finest song of it's ilk since Madonna's True Blue). I felt it really showed Debbie's maturity and ability as a songwriter (perhaps why it became her first adult contemporary chart hit). Lazy critics had dismissed the first two singles as "bubblegum pop" (a label I felt was actually a massive compliment) but there was no denying that this lovely flowing affair had all the hallmarks of transcendent music. It's still an absolute gem of a composition all these years later - and was the soundtrack to my parents 50th wedding anniversary celebrations. Their love, like this song, continues unabated by the trends and distractions of the world. It quite rightly became her highest placed single to date in the US (number three) while scoring another top twenty hit in the UK. Dream come true indeed...
And then we have Foolish Beat. Debbie's first ballad and a sumptuous sax saturated (ooo, alliteration) affair it was too - a female Careless Whisper if you will. When this song topped the US charts it meant that Debbie became the youngest person to write, produce and perform an number one single (a record that stands to this day). That's quite the achievement but to then keep that record for 28 years shows the level of accomplishment this actually was/is. It is actually the most beautiful love song, full of pathos and regret - emotions poured through a flawless yearning vocal from Debbie that still sends chills down my spine everytime I hear it. By the time this single was released (a top ten in the UK), I was already super familiar with the album track so paid heavy attention to the extended version that adorned the 12" release. It's a languid lilting 6 minutes of magic that allows the instrumental to really breathe and flow. In turn this accentuates the sentiments of the song (particularly at the 5 minute mark where an extended middle 8 allows the listener to ruminate on the narrative presented). I remember listening to this version over and over, studying every nuanced beat and focusing on every piano note played. I remain constantly surprised that this hasn't been covered by some contemporary chart star because it's message and music is as timeless as the most sparkling diamond. Perhaps that's because the universe was waiting for this reinvention from Debbie herself that sees the song reconstructed with a distinct latino vibe that plays around the more well known facets of the original. Both have a palpable energy that makes this a classic for the ages.
The final single (and my current fave) was Staying Together. Remixed from the album version by Phil Castellano, this was her most energetic track since Shake Your Love and a clear favourite on her live tour in support of the album. I vaguely recall that Debbie once mentioned this was her preference for the second single but Atlantic wanted Shake Your Love - and seeing as they were paying the bills history is what it is. There's no way to know whether this would have performed better as single number two (although 22 in the US for a fifth single is nothing to be sniffed at I'll have you know) - I like to think that in an alternate universe OtherMe is writing about this as the song that was her second top five hit :) It's all about fighting for a relationship, sticking it out through the tough times because love is worth it. There's a vibrant dynamism to the performance that feels like Debbie is channelling the determined nature of the lyrics, allowing herself to garner power from her own words (and equally that power transfers to the listener giving them the confidence to battle for what seems so right). It's a giddy sensation of a pop tune and for me still remains the perfect way to finish the Out Of The Blue album-singles campaign.
(A Japanese release Super Club Mix saw a number of the remixes collected on a one off release - think Paula Abdul's Shut Up And Dance! Worth your while tracking down - though check out the second hand buyers on Amazon as often these are a lot cheaper).
THE ALBUM TRACKS:
While the Memory Lane (compilation of demos Debbie had compiled over the years) collections taught us that as her career progressed there were many fine songs that didn't make her albums, there was little left over from the OOTB sessions. I get the impression that the budget and timescales were tight (didn't I hear Debbie was super sick on the day she recorded Foolish Beat?) so it was the ten songs and done. I'm fine with that (though songs like Spotlight are an intriguing insight into what might have been) - I often miss the days of the concise, focused 10-12 track album. While I can't imagine the promotional campaign for OOTB panning out any differently that doesn't mean there aren't 5 other fine songs to be found on the album. Red Hot (which also featured in the film Fatal Attraction) is a splendid mid-tempo groove that balmy summer nights were made for. There's a sweet innocent feel to it that's juxtaposed with the sensuousness of the music that makes this a sizzling proposition. Plus quite honestly it teaches you more about lust and longing than any titillating 50 Shades book come ever come close to ;) Wake Up To Love (what a lovely idea) is equally as charming but in a different type of way - musically it feels like the perfect companion to Shake Your Love (so it was kismet that it was the b-side to that track) while lyrically it feels like the pre-cursor to Out Of The Blue. The amount of times I would sing this song in my head to the boy of my dreams while never feeling like I could express my feelings out loud. What a difference to same love 25 years and some musical courage can give you (see my review of You Don't Have To See on link above for Think With Your Heart).
Play The Field is a great teen anthem that over the years has actually become a great anthem for whenever I felt too settled in other aspects of life. There are more driving rock influences in this song as Debbie urges you to not settle down, to take your chances and experience life. Teen me felt that it was about not becoming an old married couple when you should be out enjoying yourself. As time moved on, lines grew around my eyes and my metabolism betrayed me I always came back to this when I felt I was taking enough chances in life - write that book, travel more, do something new. I truly love how a song molds to your life experiences in the way Play The Field has done. Fallen Angel has also done that but in very different ways. It's about succumbing to your desires (the darker side of We Could Be Together?) and really letting yourself go. Sometimes you know it can be wrong but like this song it can feel oh so right at the time...
The album closes with a heavenly ballad Between The Lines. I always felt that this was a stand out track on the album and should have received more attention (though 3 million copies sold is surely enough attention to be going on with). Essentially it encapsulates all the themes of the album and coalesces them into one swooning ballad (kudos on those backing vocals that give it a 60s girl group feel). I always struggle to find the words to adequately convey how good this song is, how in love with it I constantly remain and how everyone needs it in their life. So just track it down (if you are fool enough not to own it already), listen and thank me later. (Also, was the first of Debbie's many songs that nudged the five minute mark but never felt like it outstayed it's welcome).
A stellar debut that stands up after all this time. Debbie Gibson, I doff my cap to you :)
Tracklisting (MyFizzyPop 2 Disc Homemade Version):
Disc One ~ Out Of The Blue / Staying Together / Only In My Dreams / Red Hot / Wake Up To Love / Shake Your Love / Fallen Angel / Play The Field / Between The Lines / Spotlight (Memory Lane Demo) / Shy (Memory Lane Demo) / Speed of Light (Memory Lane Demo) / Only In My Dreams (Percapella Mix) / Shake Your Love (Single Version) / Out Of The Blue (Radio Mix) / Foolish Beat (Instrumental) / Staying Together (Vocal Recut 7")
Disc Two ~ Only In My Dreams (Club Mix) / Shake Your Love (Club Mix) / Out Of The Blue (Club Mix) / Staying Together (Club Mix) / Foolish Beat (Extended Mix) / Out Of The Blue MegaMix (OIMD-SYL-OOTB) / Only In My Dreams (Dream House Mix) / Shake Your Love (2017 Luke Mornay House Mix)
I don't recall special editions being a thing back in the late 80s - those CD albums which were re-released with new tracks on to extend shelf life, entice new people to buy and get snapped up by completists like myself. These seemed to appear in the late 90s onwards. Debbie's debut album didn't have a lot of extraneous material floating around because, I believe, it was recorded so quickly. As is well documented, there were a plethora of remixes of the singles (mostly available now on the We Could Be Together box set but at the time I treasured my Super Mix Club CD - my very first Japanese import). Over the years, I've made many of my own extended versions of Out Of The Blue. These focused mainly on adding the different versions released as singles as well as the extended versions available on 12" singles (plus that fabulous Out Of The Blue MegaMix). More recently I have added in a couple of demos from the Memory Lane years. While there are quite a few early years pre-OOTB demos (Eating To Be Social is a fave), these two (highlighted below) seem to fit the tone and sound of Debbie's delightful debut...
- Spotlight ~ originally appearing on Memory Lane demo CDs, this raw and organic ballad could have easily been as successful as Foolish Beat. It was all about the toll being away from friends and family whilst on the road - think a more poignant version of Abba's sparkling Super Trooper! There are definitely influences from Elton John and Billy Joel in this track that make it an absolute winner.
- Shy ~ who doesn't love Debbie doing a bit of 50s doo-wop? This was apparently a major contender for Out Of The Blue but didn't make the final cut. At least we got this radiant demo version. The thing about Debbie traversing the passages of musical history for influences is it makes her a more well-rounded performer and this track demonstrates this exquisitely. She is at home dipping her toe into nostalgia themed songs as she is creating something a bit more current (see next song)...
- Speed of Light ~ As far as I am aware this is the first Debbie composition recorded by another artist (Reimy, who was lucky to get it). It is pure Gibson magic. On the Reimy version, you can hear that ferocious keyboard riff underscore the intensity and exhilaration of this lyrical tale of how love hits fast and hard. Debbie's version is equally as intoxicating and would have been a worthy addition to OOTB (particularly if she got a club mix as Reimy did).
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