Sold (Boy George album)

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AllMusic

Sold is the debut solo album by British singer Boy George, released in 1987, for the Virgin Music label, including the hit singles, "Everything I Own" (UK #1), "Keep Me in Mind" (UK #29), "To Be Reborn" (UK #13), and the title track "Sold" (UK #24).

Overview

The album was a big success in Europe, and a modest success in the UK, but failed to sell as well in the US because George was not able to tour and promote the record there due to drugs-related restrictions, so Sold reached only number 145 on the Billboard 200, even though Boy George had been a multi-platinum artist with Culture Club in previous years. The album was nonetheless a huge hit in Italy, where it became George’s highest-charting and bestselling work ever – not even his band Culture Club, though extremely popular in that country, ever achieved such an outcome there. The album got good reviews, even if Virgin Records did not like the use of brass on many tracks.

Track listing

1. "Sold" – 3:54 (O'Dowd, Vic Martin, Lamont Dozier)
2. "I Asked for Love" – 4:43 (O'Dowd, Lamont Dozier)
3. "Keep Me in Mind" – 4:05 (O'Dowd, Glen Nightingale, Jocelyn Brown)
4. "Everything I Own" – 3:53 (David Gates)
5. "Freedom" – 3:49 (O'Dowd, Vic Martin, Richie Stevens)
6. "Just Ain’t Enough" – 4:18 (O'Dowd, Lamont Dozier)
7. "Where Are You Now (When I Need You)" – 4:16 (O'Dowd, Glenn Skinner, Richie Stevens, Vic Martin, Glenn Nightingale, Ian Maidman, Paul “Wix” Wickens)
8. "Little Ghost" – 3:13 (Kevin Mooney, Marco Pirroni)
9. "Next Time" – 3:28 (David Lasley)
10. "We've Got the Right" – 3:46 (O'Dowd, Vic Martin, Richie Stevens)
11. "To Be Reborn" – 4:25 (O'Dowd, Lamont Dozier)

B-sides

1. "Use Me" – (O'Dowd, Martin, Stevens)
2. "State of Love" (Edit & Extended Mix) – (O'Dowd, Hay, Pickett)
3. "I Pray ‘87" – (O'Dowd, Roy Hay, Jon Moss, Mikey Craig, Pickett)
4. "Are You Too Afraid" – (Roy Hay, O'Dowd)

Other songs

1. "Let It Be" (with Ferry Aid) - 6:08 (Lennon/McCartney)
2. "The Wishing Well" (with GOSH!) - 5:30 (Copping)
3. "Live My Life" (from the soundtrack Hiding Out)

Singles

• "Everything I Own"/"Use Me"
• "Keep Me in Mind"/"State of Love" (+ "I Pray '87" on the 12" maxi single)
• “Sold”/“Are You Too Afraid?”
• "To Be Reborn"/"Where Are You Now (When I Need You?)"

Personnel

Musicians

• Boy George – lead male vocals
• Helen Terry – female vocals
• Richie Stevens – drums, percussion
• Vic Martin – keyboards
• Glenn Nightingale – guitars and background vocals
• Ian Maidman – bass
• Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards and rhythm arrangement on tracks #2, 6 & 11
• Michael Timothy – keyboards
• Juliet Roberts – backing vocals
• Carroll Thompson – backing vocals
• Captain Crucial (Amos Pizzey) – toastin’
• Lorenzo Hall – backing vocals
• Jerry Hey – arranging strings and horns

Production

• Stewart Levine – production
• Glenn Skinner – sound engineer; production on track 10
• Steve Reece – assistant sound engineer
• Malcolm Garrett per Assorted iMaGes – sleeve
• Paul Gobel, Johnny Rozsa, Bill Ling – photography

Release history

Country	Year	Label	Format	Catalogue
United Kingdom	1987	Virgin Records	CD	CDV 2430
			MC	MCV 2430
			LP	V 2430

Charts

Chart	Position
UK Albums Chart	29
US Billboard 200	145

External links

• Amazon.com: professional and customer reviews, product details, track listing and audio samples.
• Lyrically Speaking: Web page, including, in particular, all the lyrics to the Sold album, the lyrics of its singles B sides, Wishing Well and Let It Be, as well as all lyrics to the songs by Culture Club, Boy George, Jesus Loves You and related projects, in general.