Black and White (The Stranglers album)

Black and White
Studio album by The Stranglers
Released	12 May 1978
Recorded	February 1978 at TW Studios, Fulham, London
Genre	Post-punk
Length	39.50 (original vinyl)
Label	United Artists 1978 EMI 2004
Producer	Martin Rushent
The Stranglers chronology
No More Heroes (1977) Black and White (1978) The Raven (1979)

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Black and White is The Stranglers third studio album and was recorded within 18 months of their debut Rattus Norvegicus. Produced by Martin Rushent and engineered by Alan Winstanley, the album is divided into the Black side and White side, each nominally characterised by the style and mood of the songs which they contain. This release sees The Stranglers adopting a more experimental approach to song structures and time signatures (for example, "Curfew" features 7/4 time).

The band recorded a version of "Sweden" sung in Swedish and released this in Sweden. (The song was inspired by Cornwell's PhD placement at Lund University in the mid 1970s). The song title "Death and Night And Blood" is taken from a line from Yukio Mishima's novel Confessions of a Mask.

When released in 1978, on the United Artists label, the first 75,000 LPs came with a free white vinyl 7" – Walk On By / Mean To Me / Tits. "Walk on By" was their cover of the Bacharach and David song written for (and originally recorded by) Dionne Warwick. "Mean to Me" was a Stranglers vocal version of the song the band had previously recorded along with a cover of "Mony Mony", both with a female singer, Celia Golin, released under the moniker "Celia and the Mutations". United Artists released this as a single in November 1978 but it failed to chart. "Tits" is a tongue-in-cheek live recording from "The Front Row Festival" at the Hope and Anchor. The cassette version included "Mean to Me" on the White side, between "Outside Tokyo" and "Sweden".

The US version of the album, on the A&M label, was pressed on black & white marbled vinyl, but came without the EP.

Singles from the album were: "Nice 'n' Sleazy" (B-side: "Shut Up"), and an EP containing "Walk on By", "Tank" and "Old Codger". "Old Codger" featured a guest vocal from jazz singer George Melly. An edited version of "Walk on By" with "Tank" was also pressed as a double A-side radio-play single.

Most of these tracks were included in the remastered 2001 CD re-issue of the album.

The album peaked at no. 2 on the album chart in 1978, spending 18 weeks on the chart. Black And White was the last Stranglers album in which Dave Greenfield used the Hammond L-100 organ.

Track listing

White side

1. "Tank"† (2:54)
2. "Nice 'N' Sleazy"† (3:11)
3. "Outside Tokyo"† (2:06)
4. "Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)"† (2:47)
5. "Hey! (Rise of the Robots)"† (2:13)
6. "Toiler on the Sea"† (5:23)

Black side

1. "Curfew"‡(3:10)
2. "Threatened"‡ (3:30)
3. "Do You Wanna"§/"Death and Night and Blood (Yukio)"‡ (5:25)
4. "In the Shadows"† (4:15)
5. "Enough Time"† (4:16)

Bonus EP

1. "Walk On By"
2. "Mean to Me"
3. "Tits"

1988 Reissue

1. "Mean to Me"† (1:55)
2. "Walk on By"† (6:22)

2001 CD Bonus Tracks

1. "Mean to Me"† (1:55)*
2. "Walk On By"† (6:22)*
3. "Shut Up"‡ (1:07)
4. "Sverige"† (2:49)
5. "Old Codger" (2:49)
6. "Tits"† (5:25)

The above track listing is as per the original vinyl LP release (both the UK United Artists and US A&M versions). The CD changed the running order, moving "Hey" to before "Sweden" and "In The Shadows" to before "Do You Wanna".

All tracks by The Stranglers, except "Walk On By" by Burt Bacharach/Hal David.

Personnel

The Stranglers

• Hugh Cornwell: guitars, lead† and backing vocals
• J.J. Burnel: bass guitar, lead‡ and backing vocals
• Dave Greenfield: keyboards (Hammond L100 Organ, Hohner Clavinet D6 electric piano, Minimoog synthesizer), lead§ & backing vocals
• Jet Black: drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Lora Logic (of Essential Logic and X-Ray Spex): guest saxophone on "Hey!"
• George Melly: guest vocals on "Old Codger"
• Lew Lewis: harmonica on "Old Codger"

Production

Original album

• Recorded February/March 1978
• Martin Rushent: Producer
• Alan Winstanley: Engineer
• Kevin Sparrow: Sleeve Design
• Ruan O'Lochlainn: Cover Photography

CD reissue

• Alan Parker: idea and concept, sleeve notes
• Steve Woof: 'our man at EMI'
• Nick Reynolds: reissue art design
• Rob Green: reissue art design

External links

• Black and White (The Stranglers album) at Discogs (list of releases)
• "The Torture Garden – Official Hugh Cornwell site". Discography – Black and White. http://www.hughcornwell.com/black&white.html. Retrieved 19 March 2005. 
• Stranglers 1978 Black And White album feature with Hugh Cornwell and JJ Burnel interviewed, and exclusive images