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Runaway Horses (album)

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Runaway Horses
Studio album by
Belinda Carlisle
ReleasedOctober 3, 1989 (1989-10-03)
Recorded1988–1989
Studio
GenrePop rock
Length47:57
LabelMCA
ProducerRick Nowels
Belinda Carlisle chronology
Heaven on Earth
(1987) 		Runaway Horses
(1989) 		Live Your Life Be Free
(1991)
Singles from Runaway Horses
  1. "Leave a Light On"
    Released: September 1989
  2. "(We Want) the Same Thing"
    Released: October 1989
  3. "La Luna"
    Released: December 1989
  4. "Summer Rain"
    Released: January 1990
  5. "Runaway Horses"
    Released: February 1990
  6. "Vision of You"
    Released: May 1990

Runaway Horses is the third solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on October 3, 1989, by MCA Records. The album features songs written by Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey and a song co-written by Carlisle herself. The album contains an array of guest artists, including George Harrison and Bryan Adams.

The album peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard 200, a considerable fall in sales from Carlisle's 1987 album, Heaven on Earth, but reached number four in the United Kingdom, where it was certified Platinum.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Hi-Fi News & Record ReviewA:3[2]
Smash Hits7/10[3]

Cashbox noted that "Belinda is back and she’s... exactly the same! There’s nothing really ground-breaking here and it is difficult to hear any of the artistic growth or newfound maturity about which her biography boasts. The album isn’t bad; it is your basic radio-ready pop, and Carlisle will probably have more than one hit single from it. The song topics are pretty much all the same boy-girl relationship stuff, which is tolerable in small doses but nine songs about it?... The album is solid and well produced, and jeez, the sleeve itself is enough to make you buy it, with its smashing pictures of Carlisle and its purple/lime-green color scheme." [4]

In positive review of November 11, 1989, Rob Garner of RPM called this record "a very well packaged group effort." He resumed: "Any one of these chorus-with-a-hook tracks could find play."[5]

AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the album as being not as strong as Heaven on Earth but is generally likeable and appealing. Although not most critics' cup of tea, the good-spirited, romantic idealism of "Valentine," "Leave a Light On," "Whatever It Takes," and other sugary pop/rock and power pop confections is tough to resist."[1]

Retrospectively, in 2020, Steve Harnell of Classic Pop noted that "now installed as one of the world’s biggest female solo artists, all eyes were on Belinda to follow up the success of Heaven On Earth. If the pressure to write another hit-packed album was intense, it only spurred Carlisle and her team on to even greater and more diverse work...Runaway Horses is packed upfront with singles but the depth of material here makes this one of Carlisle’s most rewarding albums." [6]

Charts

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he album made its debut on the Billboard 200 on October 21, 1989, and after seven weeks of slowly moving up the charts reached its peak position of number 37, a lower position than her previous two albums. The album spent a total of 25 weeks on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Runaway Horses was Carlisle's last album to chart in the United States.[7]

The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart on November 4, 1989, at number four, which was the album's peak position, matching that of her previous album.[8] The album moved down and back up the chart over the next 18 months and re-entered the top 10 in 1991. Five singles from the album entered the UK Top 40, two of which reached Top 10. The album spent a total of 39 weeks in the UK Top 100[9] and was certified Platinum by the BPI. Carlisle was presented with her Platinum disc live on the Saturday morning children's television show Going Live! on BBC One.

The album was also a success in Australia; it peaked at number six and was certified double Platinum becoming the 24th best-selling album of 1990.[10]

Six singles were released from Runaway Horses and were successful in most markets, with the album giving Carlisle four more international top ten hits. "Leave a Light On" was the first song released from the album and became a top ten hit around the world including the UK, where it hit number four (and was certified Silver), Australia, where it hit number five, and Canada, where it hit number six. The song narrowly missed the top ten in the United States peaking at number 11. In Japan, "(We Want) The Same Thing" was released alongside "Leave a Light on" as the lead single in October 1989;[11][12] when issued in the UK the following year, it became her fifth top ten single. "La Luna" was the third song released from the album and became a top 40 hit in Australia and the UK, also becoming her third top ten in Switzerland.

"Summer Rain" was the fourth song released and became a top ten hit in Australia and a top 30 hit in the US (where it was released as the second single) and the UK (where it was released as the sixth single in December 1990). "Runaway Horses" was the fifth single released but was not as successful as the previous singles, only managing to reach number 40 in the UK. "Vision of You" was the sixth song released and became the lowest-charting single on the album only peaking at number 41 in the UK, and a re-release in 1991 reached 71.

Reissues

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Runaway Horses was re-released on August 26, 2013, in a 2CD+DVD casebook edition from Edsel Recording (EDSG 8026) featuring the original album remastered, the single versions, remixes and B-sides. The DVD features the videos from the album and an exclusive interview with Carlisle discussing the album.[13]

Runaway Horses 30th Anniversary Edition was released in 2019 to coincide with her Runaway Horses 30th Anniversary Tour. This version features the 27 tracks from the 2013 re-release without the DVD, plus three new cover recordings: Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind", Elton John's "I Need You to Turn To" and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". The digital download features all 30 tracks and the Deluxe Edition is a 4LP+CD Box Set.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Leave a Light On" 4:37
2."Runaway Horses" 4:42
3."Vision of You" 4:40
4."Summer Rain"
5:25
5."La Luna" 4:43
6."(We Want) The Same Thing" 4:03
7."Deep Deep Ocean"
4:05
8."Valentine"
5:03
9."Whatever It Takes" 4:47
10."Shades of Michaelangelo"
5:52

Personnel

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Production

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  • Rick Nowels – producer, arrangements
  • Robert Feist – engineer
  • David Leonard – engineer
  • Steve MacMillan – engineer, mixing
  • Steve Marcantonio – engineer
  • Dave Meegan – engineer
  • Lawrence Ethan – assistant engineer
  • Lori Fumar – assistant engineer
  • Scott Symington – assistant engineer
  • Mike Tacci – assistant engineer
  • Randy Wine – assistant engineer
  • Marc DeSisto – mixing
  • Shelly Yakus – mixing
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, CA)
  • Laura Harding – production coordination
  • Timothy McDaniel – production coordination
  • Norman Moore – art direction, design
  • Herb Ritts – photography
  • Jeannine Braden – personal assistant

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Runaway Horses
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[36] Platinum 100,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[37] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[38] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[39] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[41] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b Allmusic review
  2. ^ Clark, Pete (December 1989). "Review: Belinda Carlisle — Runaway Horses" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 12. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 141. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  3. ^ Radziszewicz, Tina (November 1–14, 1989). "Belinda Carlisle: Runaway Horses". Smash Hits. Vol. 11, no. 21. Peterborough: EMAP Metro. p. 73. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved November 2, 2022 – via Flickr.
  4. ^ "Pure Pop For Now People" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 04 November 1989. p. 18. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  5. ^ Garner, Rob (November 11, 1989). "Review: Belinda Carlisle — Runaway Horses" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 51, no. 2. Toronto: RPM Music Publications Ltd. p. 13. ISSN 0315-5994. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 1, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ Harnell, Steve. "Belinda Carlisle: Album by Album". Classic Pop. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "BelindaCarlisle.com - Runaway Horses page". Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  8. ^ "Belinda Carlisle | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  9. ^ "runaway horses | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  10. ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Albums 1990". Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  11. ^ "この胸の想い | ベリンダ・カーライル" [This Heart Thought | Belinda Carlisle] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "輝きのままで | ベリンダ・カーライル" [Remain in the Shine | Belinda Carlisle] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "She's Got the Beat: Belinda Carlisle's Deluxe 2-CD/1-DVD Reissues Due in August (UPDATED WITH TRACK LISTINGS) - the Second Disc". June 4, 2013.
  14. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6687". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  18. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 47. November 25, 1989. p. VIII. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  19. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  21. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 3, 2022. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Belinda Carlisle" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  22. ^ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  23. ^ "Charts.nz – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  24. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  27. ^ "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  28. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. December 23, 1989. p. 18. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Year End Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. January 20, 1990. p. 42. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  30. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1990". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  31. ^ "European Top 100 Albums – 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. 38. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1990" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  33. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1990". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  34. ^ "1991 Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music Week. January 11, 1992. p. 21. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 50.
  36. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Music Canada. August 3, 1990.
  37. ^ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1991–1995". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
  38. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. January 25, 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
  39. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Runaway Horses')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  40. ^ "British album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". British Phonographic Industry. December 18, 1989. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  41. ^ "American album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Runaway Horses". Recording Industry Association of America. December 5, 1989.
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