Bête Noire (album)
| Bête Noire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bryan Ferry | ||||
| Released | 2 November 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1986–1987 | |||
| Studio | Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Marcadet, Paris; Mireval, Var; Guillaume Tell, Paris | |||
| Genre | Sophisti-pop | |||
| Length | 43:18 | |||
| Label |
Virgin (U.K.) E.G. (U.S.) |
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| Producer | ||||
| Bryan Ferry chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
  link
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| Robert Christgau | (C+) Jan. 26, 1988 |
| Rolling Stone |
link
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| Billboard | (positive) |
Bête Noire is the seventh solo studio album by the English singer Bryan Ferry. The album was released in November 1987 on Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and E.G. in the United States. The album was a commercial and critical success, peaking at No. 9 in the UK and was certified Gold by the BPI.
The first single, "The Right Stuff" (a collaboration with Johnny Marr and is adapted from The Smiths' instrumental B-side "Money Changes Everything") was the album's only top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at No. 37. The second single, "Kiss and Tell", narrowly missed the UK top 40, but made the U.S. top 40 (becoming Ferry's only solo single to chart in the U.S. Top 40). The song also appeared in the film Bright Lights, Big City. The third and final single, "Limbo", peaked at No. 86 in the UK. The promotional video for the single "Kiss and Tell" features the models Mandy Smith (who is also featured on the single's cover photograph), Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies.
After the success of Ferry's previous album, Boys and Girls (1985), he decided that it was time for a change of style in his career. In an attempt to give his music a more danceable sound, he joined forces with Patrick Leonard who was famed for having worked with Madonna. Leonard went on to co-write five of the album's songs. Guesting on the album would be Pink Floyd's former guitarist, David Gilmour, session musicians Guy Pratt, David Williams, Abraham Laboriel, Roxy Music's former guitarist Neil Hubbard and drummer Andy Newmark.
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