Happy Birthday (Altered Images album)

Happy Birthday
Studio album by Altered Images
Released	September 1981
Studio	Rockfield Studios, Wales (except "Happy Birthday" recorded at Genetic Sound, Berkshire)
Genre	Rock, new wave
Length	38:45
Label	Epic (UK) Portrait (US) Edsel (CD) Vinyl 180 (LP reissues)
Producer	Steven Severin (except "Happy Birthday" produced by Martin Rushent)
Altered Images chronology
Happy Birthday (1981) Pinky Blue (1982)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Smash Hits	6/10
Q
Uncut

Happy Birthday is the debut album by the British new wave band Altered Images. Released in 1981, the album's title track, "Happy Birthday", became the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 2 in the UK in October of that year.

The album reached number 26 in the UK Album Chart and was certified Silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 60,000 copies.

Originally released on vinyl album and cassette in 1981, the album was reissued on CD several times in the 1990s as straight album reissues, and then in 2004 by Edsel Records. Entitled Happy Birthday...Plus, it contained the original album along with six bonus tracks including the band's first single "Dead Pop Stars" which had peaked at number 67 earlier in 1981 but was not included on the original album. The album was re-issued again in December 2016 on 180-gram black vinyl LP with bonus 7" on red vinyl. It was then re-issued in April 2017 as a double LP set for Record Store Day on 180-gram black vinyl containing additional period material not included on the previous bonus 7". The U.S. edition of the album differed from the original UK edition by using the later Martin Rushent re-recorded version of the song "Insects", rather than the original Steven Severin produced version.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Altered Images

Side One

1. "Intro: Happy Birthday" – 0:44
2. "Love and Kisses" – 2:18
3. "Real Toys" – 3:23
4. "Idols" – 2:27
5. "Legionaire" – 3:30
6. "Faithless" – 3:49
7. "Beckoning Strings" – 3:05

Side Two

1. "Happy Birthday" – 3:00
2. "Midnight" – 3:39
3. "A Days Wait" – 4:20
4. "Leave Me Alone" – 4:08
5. "Insects" – 3:28
6. "Outro: Happy Birthday" – 0:44

Bonus tracks on Happy Birthday...Plus CD

1. "Dead Pop Stars" – 3:17
2. "Sentimental" – 3:24
3. "Who Cares?" – 3:00
4. "Happy Birthday" (Dance Mix) – 7:03
5. "So We Go Whispering" – 3:47
6. "Jeepster" – 2:29

Bonus 7" on colored vinyl (2016)

1. "Dead Pop Stars"
2. "Sentimental"

Bonus LP - Record Store Day release (2017)

Side One

1. "Happy Birthday" (Dance Mix)
2. "Jeepster"

Side Two

1. "Leave Me Alone" (Original cassette single version)
2. "Who Cares"
3. "So We Go Whispering"
4. "Real Toys" (Flexi version)
5. "Happy New Year"

Personnel

Altered Images

• Clare Grogan - vocals
• Michael "Tich" Anderson - drums
• Tony McDaid - guitar
• Johnny McElhone - bass

with:

• Gerard "Caesar" McNulty - guitar on "A Days Wait"

Technical

• Ted Sharp - engineer

"Thanks to Janet and The Ice Bergs, John Peel, Ginge with special thanks to Caesar, Bobby, Kathleen and a very special hug for cheesy agency Ian Wilson at Wasted Talent".