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Reg Strikes Back

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Reg Strikes Back
Studio album by Elton John
Released 24 June 1988
Recorded 1987-88
Genre Pop, rock
Length 41:59
Label Rocket
MCA Records (US/Canada)
Producer Chris Thomas
Elton John chronology
Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. 3
(1987)		 Reg Strikes Back
(1988)		 The Complete Thom Bell Sessions
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2/5 stars [1]
Chicago Tribune (Mixed)[2]
Los Angeles Times 3/4 stars[3]
The New York Times (Not favourable)[4]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars [5]

Reg Strikes Back is the twenty-first studio album by the British singer-songwriter Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press.[1] The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

This was the last album that bassist Dee Murray appeared on prior to his death in 1992. The tracks "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" and "A Word In Spanish" peaked at #2 and #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. John brought back the record producer Chris Thomas for this album. This is the first studio album to be recorded and released after John's throat surgery the previous year. The album cover featured costumes and props from John's collection that he decided to put up for auction.

In the US it was certified gold on 8/19/1988 by the R.I.A.A. However, Allmusic's journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine, noted that "instead of recharging his career, Reg Strikes Back began a dry spell that ran for nearly five years".[1]

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

[edit] Side One

  1. "Town of Plenty" – 3:40
  2. "A Word in Spanish" – 4:39
  3. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" – 4:12
  4. "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" – 4:35
  5. "Japanese Hands" – 4:40

[edit] Side Two

  1. "Goodbye Marlon Brando" – 3:30
  2. "The Camera Never Lies" – 4:37
  3. "Heavy Traffic" (John/Taupin/Davey Johnstone) – 3:28
  4. "Poor Cow" – 3:50
  5. "Since God Invented Girls" – 4:54

[edit] Bonus tracks (1999 Polygram International reissue)

  1. "Rope Around a Fool" – 3:48
  2. "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (Shep Pettibone Mix) – 5:56
  3. "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (Just Elton and the Piano Mix) – 4:37
  4. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (The Renaissance Mix) – 6:19

[edit] B-sides

Song Format
"Rope Around a Fool" I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (UK) / 7" (US/UK)
"I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Shep Pettibone Mix)" I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US/UK)
"I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (The Pub Dub)" I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US)
"I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Just Elton and the Piano Mix)" I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12"/CD (US)
"I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That (Just for Radio Mix)" I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 12" (US)
"A Song for You/Blue Eyes/I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues (Live in Australia)" A Word in Spanish 12"/CD (UK)
"Daniel (Live in Australia)" A Word in Spanish 12"/CD" (UK)
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Renaissance Mix)" Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Da Vinci Version)" Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) (Self Portrait Instrumental)" Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two) 12" (US)

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Produced: Chris Thomas
  • Recorded & Engineered: Michael Mason, Peter Mew & Bill Price
  • Assistant Engineer: Karl Lever
  • Second Engineer: Paul Wertheimer
  • Mastered: Tim Young

[edit] Charts

[edit] Chart positions

Chart (1988–89) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart[6] 12
Austrian Albums Chart[7] 13
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[8] 6
French SNEP Albums Chart [9] 30
Italian Albums Chart[10] 3
New Zealand Albums Chart[11] 26
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[12] 8
Swedish Albums Chart[13] 18
Swiss Albums Chart[14] 5
UK Albums Chart[15] 18
U.S. Billboard 200 [16] 16
West German Media Control Albums Chart[17] 18

[edit] Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
Australian Albums Chart[6] 60
U.S. Billboard 200[18] 65
Chart (1989) Position
Italian Albums Chart[10] 18
French Albums Chart[19] 93

[edit] Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[20] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[21] Gold 105,000[22]
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Reg Strikes Back". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10488. Retrieved 11 January 2012. 
  2. ^ Heim, Chris (1988-08-12). "Elton John Is Back With Fan-pleasing `Reg Strikes Back`". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-08-12/entertainment/8801220630_1_juluka-team-of-elton-john-johnny-clegg. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  3. ^ Grein, Paul (1988-07-03). "Elton: Second Wind". articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-03/entertainment/ca-8893_1_elton-john. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  4. ^ Holden, Stephen (1988-07-17). "RECORDINGS; Three Veteran Rock-and-Rollers Spin New Disks". nytimes.com. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/17/arts/recordings-three-veteran-rock-and-rollers-spin-new-disks.html?pagewanted=2. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  5. ^ By Harold Goldberg (6 October 1988). "Reg Strikes Back | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/reg-strikes-back-19881006. Retrieved 11 January 2012. 
  6. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0646119176. 
  7. ^ "austriancharts.at Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (in German) (ASP). Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  8. ^ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-29
  9. ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French) (PHP). infodisc.fr. http://infodisc.fr/Album_J.php. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  10. ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia - Gli album più venduti del 1989" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1989.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  11. ^ "charts.org.nz Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  12. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  13. ^ "swedishcharts.com Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (in Swedish) (ASP). http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  14. ^ "Elton John - Reg Strikes Back - hitparade.ch" (in German) (ASP). Hung Medien. Swiss Music Charts. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-29. 
  15. ^ "Chart Stats - Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=39615. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  16. ^ "allmusic ((( Reg Strikes Back > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10488/charts-awards. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  17. ^ "Album Search: Elton John - Reg Strikes Back" (in German). Media Control. http://www.charts.de/album.asp?artist=Elton+John&title=Reg+Strikes+Back&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  18. ^ "Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1988". billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1988/the-billboard-200. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  19. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1989 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1989.php. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  20. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Reg Strikes Back". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Reg+Strikes+Back&sa=Elton+John&smt=0. 
  21. ^ "French album certifications – Elton John – Reg Strikes Back" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html&type=8. 
  22. ^ "Les Albums Or". infodisc.fr. SNEP. http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_O.php?debut=1500. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
  23. ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Reg Strikes Back". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter Reg Strikes Back in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
  24. ^ "American album certifications – Elton John – Reg Strikes Back". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Reg+Strikes+Back%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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