| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
Debravation is the fourth solo album by American singer Deborah Harry, released in 1993. It was the final album Harry made whilst signed to the Chrysalis label, thus ending a successful partnership that began with her time as a member of Blondie and had endured for over 15 years. The album reached No. 24 in the UK Albums Chart.
The US version of the album contains two additional tracks, including "My Last Date (With You)", which features instrumental backing from R.E.M..
Debravation was re-issued in 2005 by Wounded Bird Records.
Single releases
The first single from the album was the dance track "I Can See Clearly", which reached No. 23 in the UK.[4] The second single, ballad "Strike Me Pink", had a controversial promotional video that was banned for being too disturbing – it featured a man in a glass tank filled with water, as Harry sits and watches him drown.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Can See Clearly" | Arthur Baker, Tony McIlwaine | Arthur Baker | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Stability" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Franne Golde, Allee Willis | Chris Stein | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Strike Me Pink" | Deborah Harry, Anne Dudley, Johnathan Bernstein | Anne Dudley | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Rain" | Leigh Foxx | Jon Astley, Chris Stein | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Communion" | Deborah Harry, Guy Pratt | Guy Pratt | 6:35 |
| 6. | "Lip Service" | Deborah Harry, Toni C. | Toni C. | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Mood Ring" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | Anne Dudley | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Keep On Going" | Jon Astley | Jon Astley | 4:16 |
| 9. | "Dancing Down the Moon" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | Chris Stein | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Standing In My Way" | Deborah Harry, Leigh Foxx | John Williams | 4:10 |
| 11. | "The Fugitive" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | Chris Stein | 4:55 |
| 12. | "Dog Star Girl" | Chris Stein, William Gibson | Chris Stein | 5:34 |
Additional tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "My Last Date (With You)" | Boudleaux Bryant, Floyd Cramer, Skeeter Davis | R.E.M., Andy Paley | 2:57 |
| 14. | "Tear Drops" | Calhoun, Golden | Andy Paley | 2:27 |
Personnel
- Deborah Harry – vocals
- Chris Stein – guitar, programming
- Guy Pratt – guitar, keyboards, drum programming
- Pete Min – guitar
- Tim Renwick – guitar
- Stuart Kimball – guitar
- Mike Hehir – guitar
- J.J. Belle – guitar
- Chester Kaymen – guitar
- Danny Wilensky – saxophone
- Phil Todd – saxophone
- Andy Paley – piano, drums, background vocals
- Steve Piggott – keyboards
- Danny Schogger – keyboards
- Anne Dudley – keyboards
- Jon Astley – keyboards
- Carrie Boothe – keyboards, background vocals
- Tony McIlwaine – keyboards, programming
- Arthur Baker – keyboards, programming
- Nikolai Vorkapich – keyboards, programming
- Lenny Dee – keyboards, programming
- Eric Kupper – keyboards, programming
- Steve Rimland – keyboards, programming
- Richard T. Norris – keyboards, programming
- Toni C. (Antoinette Colandero) – keyboards, programming
- Leigh Foxx – bass guitar
- Andy Pask – bass
- Steve Barnacle – bass
- Geoff Dugmore – drums
- Jeffery CJ Vanston – synthesizer drums
- Frank Ricotti – percussion
- Ian Wilson – background vocals
- Tessa Niles – background vocals
- Linda Taylor – background vocals
- Katie Kissoon – background vocals
- Andy Caine – background vocals
- John Williams – background vocals
- Jonathon Paley – background vocals
- R.E.M. – performance on "My Last Date with You"
Production
- Arthur Baker – producer on "I Can See Clearly"
- Chris Stein – producer on "Stability", "Rain", "Dancing Down the Moon", "The Fugitive" and "Dog Star Girl",
- Anne Dudley – producer on "Strike Me Pink" and "Mood Ring"
- Jon Astley – producer on "Rain" and "Keep On Going"
- Guy Pratt – producer on "Communion"
- Adam Yellin – producer/recording engineer/mixing engineer
- Toni C. – producer on "Lip Service"
- John Williams – producer on "Standing In My Way"
- R.E.M. – producers on "My Last Date With You"
- Andy Paley – producer on "My Last Date With You", "Tear Drops"
- Chris Lord-Alge – additional production and mixing on "Communion"
- Kennan Keating – sound engineer
- Louis Scalise – sound engineer
- Andy Cardenas – sound engineer
- Neil McLellan – sound engineer
- Mike O'Hora – sound engineer
- Roger Dudley – sound engineer
- Glenn Skinner – sound engineer
- Bill Esses – sound engineer
- Darrin Tidsey- sound engineer
- Geoff Foster – sound engineer
- Rich Travali – sound engineer
- Dean Chamberlain – art direction, photography
- Gary Kurfirst – art direction, management
Debravation Producer's Cut
In 1994, Harry released independently a different version of the album, entitled Debravation (8½) Producer's (Director's) Cut.[5] According to her official website, this was the original version of the album, which was presented to Sire and rejected. When they opted for a different track listing and different mixes, Harry had a limited number of copies of Debravation (8½) Producer's (Director's) Cut pressed and sold them at her concerts and through her website. It contained two identical tracks to the official release, but also included alternate versions, as well as tracks that were used as B-sides, and some previously unreleased material.
The musicians for the Producer's Cut were Chris Stein (guitar and programming), Pete Min (guitar), Leigh Foxx (bass) and Geoff Dugmore (drums). On the live version of "Black Dog", the musicians were Steve Barnacle (bass); Carrie Boothe (keyboards); Geoff Dugmore (drums); Karl Hyde (guitar); and Melissa Poole-Stein (backing vocals). This version was engineered and mixed by Adam Yellin and produced by Chris Stein.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "8½ Rhumba" | Nino Rota | not included on Debravation, b-side to Strike me Pink | |
| 2. | "Rain" | Leigh Foxx | alternate version | |
| 3. | "Dog Star Girl" | Chris Stein, William Gibson | ||
| 4. | "Stability" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Franne Golde, Allee Willis | alternate version | |
| 5. | "Standing in My Way" | Deborah Harry, Leigh Foxx | alternate version with additional vocals by Joey Ramone | |
| 6. | "Dancing Down the Moon" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | alternate version | |
| 7. | "Black Dog" | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones | recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on July 23, 1991; not included on Debravation | |
| 8. | "Mood Ring" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | alternate version | |
| 9. | "The Fugitive" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | ||
| 10. | "The Date" | Deborah Harry, Chris Stein | not included on Debravation | |
| 11. | "On a Breath" | Leigh Foxx | not included on Debravation |
References
- ^ Debravation at AllMusic
- ^ "Rolling Stone review".
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 332". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "i can see clearly | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ "Deborah Harry Official Website - Debravation Producer's Cut". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-08-22.