Love Zone
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Love Zone is the sixth studio album by the British singer Billy Ocean, released on 6 May 1986 by Jive Records. Three singles were released from the album, including Ocean's second US No. 1 single "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" and the US top ten entry "Love Zone". It also features the UK No. 1 and US No. 2 single "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", which had originally been released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile.
A critical and commercial success, it became his highest-charting album in both the UK and the US, where it peaked at number two and number six respectively, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over two million copies.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The New York Times | Favourable |
Love Zone received favourable reviews from critics. People noted that "Ocean just floats along on this smooth" album and that "the moods [he] creates are so richly romantic they shouldn't be inflicted on the brokenhearted".
The album received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Ocean also won two American Music Awards, including for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Wayne Brathwaite, Barry Eastmond and Billy Ocean, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" | BrathwaiteEastmondRobert John "Mutt" LangeOcean | 5:45 |
| 2. | "Love Zone" | 5:37 | |
| 3. | "Without You" | 5:03 | |
| 4. | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" | 4:55 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Bittersweet" | 4:58 | |
| 6. | "It's Never Too Late to Try" | BrathwaiteEastmondOceanJolyon Skinner | 4:54 |
| 7. | "Showdown" | BrathwaiteEastmondOceanSkinner | 4:58 |
| 8. | "Promise Me" | Jonathan ButlerSkinner | 4:36 |
| 9. | "Love Is Forever" | 4:15 | |
| Total length: | 44:56 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Love Zone" (extended version) | 6:21 | |
| 11. | "Bittersweet" (extended version) | 6:40 | |
| 12. | "When the Going Gets Tough" (club mix) | BrathwaiteEastmondLangeOcean | 6:46 |
| 13. | "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (7" version) | 4:15 |
Production and artwork
- Executive producer on track 1 – Robert John "Mutt" Lange
- Producers – Barry J. Eastmond and Wayne Brathwaite
- Engineers – Steve Power (1–7 and 9); Bryan "Chuck" New (track 8)
- Mixing – Nigel Green (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9); Bryan "Chuck" New (tracks 2, 6 and 7)
- Cover photography – Rob Lee
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Love Zone Chart (1986) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 8 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) 3 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 7 European Albums (Music & Media) 11 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 9 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 33 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 8 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) 3 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 7 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 16 UK Albums (OCC) 2 US Billboard 200 6 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 1 | Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Love Zone Chart (1986) Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 53 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) 18 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 68 European Albums (Music & Media) 61 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 48 UK Albums (Gallup) 37 US Billboard 200 31 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 14 |
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 8 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 3 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 7 |
| European Albums (Music & Media) | 11 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 9 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 33 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 8 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 3 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 16 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 | 6 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| Chart (1986) | Position |
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 53 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 18 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 68 |
| European Albums (Music & Media) | 61 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 48 |
| UK Albums (Gallup) | 37 |
| US Billboard 200 | 31 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 14 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
See also
Bibliography
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
External links
- at Discogs (list of releases)