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Tear Down These Walls

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Tear Down These Walls is the seventh solo studio album by British recording artist Billy Ocean. It was originally released in January 1988 by Jive and Arista as the follow-up to Ocean's critically and commercially successful 1986 album Love Zone. The album's title is a reference to then-President Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall!!" speech. It features guest backing vocalists, including The Manhattans, Will Downing, Carroll Thompson, and Mary Cassidy, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Ocean's later work.

On release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. Ocean's second most commercially successful solo album, it went on to peak at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and reached #18 on the Billboard 200. The album launched four charting singles in the UK. "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart; "Calypso Crazy" peaked at #35; "The Colour of Love" at #65; "Stand and Deliver" at #97.

Tear Down These Walls was released in 39 versions, including a unique Mini CD version (three 3" CDs) for the UK.[2]

The album was re-released on 16 June 2014 on Cherry Pop featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a 2-CD set with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of associated 7", and 12" mixes.

Critical reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Ron Wynn gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that "While he was still a successful attraction, this album wouldn't reach the multi-platinum levels of its predecessors." also noting that "Ocean's voice also lacked the resonance and authority it had on earlier dance tunes and wasn't as convincing or confident on ballads."[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Wayne Braithwaite, Barry Eastmond, Billy Ocean, Jolyon Skinner, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tear Down These Walls"
3:41
2."Gun for Hire" 4:59
3."Stand and Deliver" 5:02
4."The Colour of Love" 4:26
5."Calypso Crazy"
  • Lange
  • Ocean
4:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car"
  • Lange
  • Ocean
5:37
7."Soon As You're Ready" 4:38
8."Pleasure" 4:55
9."Because of You" 4:53
10."Here's to You" 4:14
Total length:46:57
Bonus tracks on 2014 reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car (Extended Version)"
  • Lange
  • Ocean
9:01
12."Showdown" 5:00
13."Calypso Crazy (Extended Version)"
  • Lange
  • Ocean
5:53
14."Let's Get Back Together" 4:42
15."Stand & Deliver (Extended Version)" 6:57

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[3]

Additional personnel
  • Mike Campbell – guitars
  • Jonathan Butler – guitars
  • Steve Byrd – guitars
  • Ira Siegel – guitars
  • Richard Bailey – drums
  • Terry Silverlight – drums
  • Buddy Williams – drums
  • Paul Bruce – bass guitar
  • Jolyon Skinner – bass guitar
  • Dave Collard – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Mitchell Forman – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Rob Lord – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Phil Nicholas – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Brenda Nicholas – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Eric Rehl – keyboards; synthesizers
  • V. – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Jeffrey Smith – keyboards; synthesizers
  • Bashiri Johnson – percussion
  • Tony Maronie – percussion
  • Pete Harris – programming
  • Phil Nicholas – programming
  • Charles Dougherty – saxophone
  • Wesley Magoogan – saxophone
  • Lenny Pickett – saxophone
  • Clifton Anderson – trombone
  • Mac Gollehon – trumpet
  • Ron Tooley – trumpet
  • Richard Hendrickson – cello
  • Edith Wint – cello
  • Phillip Ballou – background vocals
  • Ethel Beatty – background vocals
  • Mary Cassidy – background vocals
  • Will Downing – background vocals
  • Lani Groves – background vocals
  • Yolanda Lee Lewis – background vocals
  • The Manhattans – background vocals
  • Cindy Mizelle – background vocals
  • Brenda Nelson – background vocals
  • Vaneese Thomas – background vocals
  • Carol Thompson – background vocals
  • Bernita Turner – background vocals
  • Audrey Wheeler – background vocals
Production team

Chart performance

Chart Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[4] 13
Canadian Albums Chart[5] 8
Dutch Albums Chart[6] 18
Finnish Albums Chart[7] 24
German Albums Chart[8] 17
New Zealand Albums Chart[9] 7
Norwegian Albums Chart[10] 3
Swedish Albums Chart[11] 14
Swiss Albums Chart[12] 10
UK Albums Chart[13] 3
US Billboard 200[14] 18
US Billboard R&B Albums[14] 7

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[15] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Gold 100,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Platinum 0^
United States (RIAA)[19] Platinum 700,000[18]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b Wynn, Ron. "Tear Down These Walls - Billy Ocean : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  2. ^ "3 × CD, Mini, Album, Special Edition". discogs.com. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ^ Tear Down These Walls liner notes. Jive, Arista. 1988.
  4. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  6. ^ Steffen Hung. "Billy Ocean - Love Zone". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 227. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  8. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Officialcharts.de. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Billy Ocean - Tear Down These Walls". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  10. ^ Steffen Hung. "Billy Ocean - Tear Down These Walls". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  11. ^ Steffen Hung. "Billy Ocean - Tear Down These Walls". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  12. ^ Steffen Hung. "Billy Ocean - Love Zone". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  13. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  14. ^ a b "Tear Down These Walls - Billy Ocean | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  15. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  16. ^ "British album certifications – Billy Ocean – Tear Down These Walls". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 July 2015. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Tear Down These Walls in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  17. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Billy Ocean – Tear Down These Walls". Music Canada. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  18. ^ George, Nelson (5 December 1987). "Increased CD Sales Predicted for Black Market" (PDF). Billboard. 99 (49). Billboard Publications, Inc.: 63. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  19. ^ "American album certifications – Ocean, Billy – Tear Down These Walls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 July 2015.

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