Peace (Eurythmics album)
Peace is the eighth and final studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was released on 19 October 1999 by RCA Records and was the band's first album of new material in 10 years, following 1989's We Too Are One.
Peace | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 19 October 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1998–1999 | |||
Studio | The Church, London | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 48:59 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer |
| |||
Eurythmics chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Peace | ||||
|
Release and reception
Following their first performance together in eight years at a record company party in 1998, Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart began writing and recording together for the first time since 1989. The album's title was designed to reflect the duo's ongoing concern with global conflict and world peace. It was promoted with a concert on the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior II, where they played a mixture of old and new songs. A 24-date world tour, titled the Peacetour, followed soon after, with all profits donated to Amnesty International and Greenpeace. The final show of the tour, on 6 December 1999 at the London Docklands Arena, was filmed and released on VHS and DVD.
Singles
"I Saved the World Today" served as the lead single from the album, reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart—their highest-charting single since 1986. The second single, "17 Again", was released in January 2000. It reached the UK top 30 and topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. In May 2000, "Peace Is Just a Word" was released as a single in the United Kingdom with "Beautiful Child" as its B-side.
2005 re-release
On 14 November 2005, Sony BMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalogue as "Deluxe Edition Reissues". Each of their eight studio albums' original track listings were supplemented with bonus tracks and remixes. For unknown reasons, many songs on the 2005 reissue of Peace are alternate mixes compared to the original 1999 release. The most dramatically different mix is "I've Tried Everything", which is more upbeat with additional drums. Other songs with mix differences include "17 Again", "I Saved the World Today", "Forever" and "Power to the Meek" (missing a verse from the original version), and live tracks were substituted for the original studio versions of "I Want It All" and "Peace Is Just a Word".
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
Houston Chronicle | [3] |
Los Angeles Times | [4] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
Slant Magazine | (2005 reissue)[6] |
Critics were generally impressed with the album, although NME commented that it "lacked the power" of their previous releases. Q magazine opined that the release of the album "quietly acknowledged that their solo careers had failed", despite the fact that both of Lennox's solo albums topped the UK Albums Chart, with Diva going four-times platinum in the United Kingdom and three-times platinum in the United States (Q magazine themselves placing it in their top 50 albums of 1992) and Medusa going double platinum in both countries, respectively.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, except "Something in the Air" by Speedy Keen.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "17 Again" | 4:55 |
2. | "I Saved the World Today" | 4:53 |
3. | "Power to the Meek" | 3:18 |
4. | "Beautiful Child" | 3:27 |
5. | "Anything but Strong" | 5:04 |
6. | "Peace Is Just a Word" | 5:51 |
7. | "I've Tried Everything" | 4:17 |
8. | "I Want It All" | 3:32 |
9. | "My True Love" | 4:45 |
10. | "Forever" | 4:08 |
11. | "Lifted" | 4:49 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Beautiful Child" (live at The Church) | 3:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Beautiful Child" (acoustic version) | 3:31 |
13. | "17 Again" (acoustic version) | 4:46 |
14. | "I Saved the World Today" (acoustic version) | 2:44 |
15. | "Something in the Air" | 3:46 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Peace.[7]
Eurythmics
- Dave Stewart – guitars
- Annie Lennox – vocals
Additional musicians
- Andy Wright – programming, keyboards, live percussion
- Chucho Merchán – bass (tracks 2, 6)
- Dave Catlin-Birch – bass (tracks 4, 9–11)
- Steve Lewinson – bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8)
- Pete Lewinson – drums (tracks 1, 3, 5–8)
- Chris Sharrock – drums (tracks 2, 4, 9–11)
- David Whitaker – strings orchestration (tracks 1, 2, 4–7, 9–11)
- Pro Arte Orchestra of London – orchestra
- Colin Sheen – orchestra coordination
Technical
- Eurythmics – production
- Andy Wright – additional production
- Nick Addison – engineering
- Graham Dominy – engineering assistance
- Ash Howes – mixing at Whitfield Street Studios, London
- David Russell – mixing assistance
- Gary McGovern – technical supervisor
- Ian Cooper – mastering at Metropolis Mastering, London
- Stephen McLaughlin – strings engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4–7, 9–11)
Artwork
- Richard Avedon – sleeve photography
- Laurence Stevens – sleeve design, graphics
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA)[35] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[36] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
France (SNEP)[37] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[38] | Gold | 150,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[39] | 2× Platinum | 200,000* |
Sweden (GLF)[40] | Gold | 40,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[41] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[43] | Gold | 500,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[44] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- AllMusic review
- Brunner, Rob (22 October 1999). ""Peace" Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- Guerra, Joey (14 November 1999). "Recordings 11/14/1999". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- Cromelin, Richard (17 October 1999). "'Peace' Amid the Upheaval and Renewal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- Walters, Barry (25 November 1999). "Peace by Eurythmics". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
- Cinquemani, Sal (17 November 2005). "Eurythmics: Peace (Original Recording Remastered) : Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- Peace (liner notes). Eurythmics. RCA Records. 1999. 74321695622.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Australiancharts.com – Eurythmics – Peace". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- "Austriancharts.at – Eurythmics – Peace" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- "Ultratop.be – Eurythmics – Peace" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- "Ultratop.be – Eurythmics – Peace" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7855". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16 no. 48. 27 November 1999. p. 13. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16 no. 47. 20 November 1999. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Eurythmics – Peace" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16 no. 45. 6 November 1999. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Eurythmics: Peace" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Lescharts.com – Eurythmics – Peace". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Peace" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1999. 44. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16 no. 45. 6 November 1999. p. 23. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ユーリズミックス-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Eurythmics – Peace". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Eurythmics – Peace". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- "Swisscharts.com – Eurythmics – Peace". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Eurythmics Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Rapports Annuels 1999 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- "Year in Focus – European Top 100 Albums 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1999" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- "Årslista Album (inkl samlingar) – År 1999" (in Northern Sami). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1999". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 19 November 1999.
- "Canadian album certifications – Eurythmics – Peace". Music Canada. 1 December 1999.
- "French album certifications – Eurythmics – Peace" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 23 November 1999.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Eurythmics; 'Peace')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- "Sanremo: Gli Eurythmics canteranno '17 Again'" (in Italian). Adnkronos. 16 February 2000. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. 20 December 1999.
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Eurythmics; 'Peace')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- "British album certifications – Eurythmics – Peace". British Phonographic Industry. 12 November 1999. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Peace in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American album certifications – Eurythmics – Peace". Recording Industry Association of America. 19 November 1999. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1999". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.